I think that most of the posts here at Tumblemoose have an impact on bloggers who are looking for a little more in terms of being an inspired writer.  There are two sides to this coin.  There are a lot of writers out there who have blogging web sites and even if they are an excellent writer, they may not understand some of the intricacies of successful blogging.

The difference between writing and blogging

Writing is a sub-component of blogging.  Depending on your goals however, I would put forth that you can’t stink at one and be successful at both.  If you are the queen of killer content writing but have no idea how to drive traffic, then no one will ever see your killer content.  If you are a socializing, monetizing, trafficking, SEO guru who couldn’t write their way out of a paper bag, then your blog is heading south as well.  There is great quality out there, and you may be able to bring people to your site, but you’re going to have to live with a bounce rate of 100%.

It is critically important for you to understand the difference between writing and blogging.

I’m no expert, but:

I’m approaching the six month birthday of Tumblemoose.  A lot of blogs don’t make it this far.  I plan on being here for a long time so I work very hard at producing excellent content.  I also know what needs to be done in order for people to have access to my content.  I know how to manage my blog.  I’m a sensitive kind of guy and when I feel like people aren’t reading my stuff, I get unhappy.  I don’t LIKE being unhappy so I do my best to make my blog accessible.  I know if I make my blog accessible, people are able to read what I write and everyone’s happy.  Yee haw.

I know that you know that there are almost as many posts out there about how to blog as there are dollars in a spendulus stimulus package.  Don’t think for a moment that I’m going to give you anything mind blowing in the bullet list that follows.  I’ll address this to the writers that have either not taken the time to implement these strategies, or the ones who think for some reason the strategies do not apply to them.

Successful blogging

• I’ll start with your web design.  Do your self a favor:  If you are serious about blogging, lose the Blogspot free page, pay the ten bucks or less per month for hosting and go get a WordPress theme.  Don’t argue, just do it.  You need a REAL domain name and an interface that makes it easy to blog.  Don’t choose a cute theme, pick a realistic, professional one.
• Find appropriate products you like to promote on your blog through good affiliate programs.  Carefully strike a balance between advertising and content.
• Post on a consistent schedule.  3 – 4 times a week is recommended.
• Spend time each and every day, seeking out others in your niche and spend time reading, commenting and absorbing those posts.  I cannot stress enough how important it is to comment on other web sites.  It gets you out there, and it is one of the very best ways to
• Build your community.  Develop a core group of like minded folks with whom you can interact and provide the support necessary to make it through any down times.
• Learn about Search Engine Optimization (SEO).  Oh, and use it!  Use one of the many plug ins available for this purpose.
• Register your blog with all of the appropriate services including Yahoo, MSN, Google, DMOZ, and Technorati.  Also, check out this great list of 50 free blog directories.
• Guest post on other people’s blogs, and have them guest post at yours.
• Link to sites in your niche, and don’t be afraid to ask them to link to you.
• Use links within your content to enhance your reader’s experience.

This list is far from complete, but if you should follow these tips, you will be far ahead of any competition.