What Every Wannabe & New Blogger Must Know About Blogging

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This was a guest post I wrote for Marko from How to Make My Blog.  Here it is for your pleasure . . .

Blogging is one of the easiest turn-key solutions for a busy professional with a full time job looking to establish a passive income stream online.

Many professionals are realizing that blogging is a great platform for them to discuss their skills, expertise, experiences or voice out their theories, opinions and frustrations, all while having a very good chance of profiting from it.

Even for those professionals that want to stay in and progress within the corporate environment, blogging is a great way to establish preeminence in your field, and develop the perception as being an expert in your field.

Blogging is particularly favored because modern day tools like Thesis allows anyone, young or old, tech or non tech, to start blogging within minutes.  Blogging doesn’t involve any financial commitment up front, can be worked on as time permits and for those that travel or have unpredictable work schedules, it’s an activity that can be conducted anytime and from any place,

Not many business models, if any at all, can compete with blogging. However, not every day is a sunny day in the blogosphere.  This post is not a warning per se, but just a compilation of facts from my experience as a relatively new blogger.

My Blogging Journey

Although I’ve enjoyed a lot of success online since 1998 mainly through e-commerce and niche content websites, I decided to embark on a capstone project that had been on my TO DO list since day one this past July.

I started this blog late July this Summer and therefore consider myself relatively new in the field of blogging.  But before you stop reading, let me assure you that you will take away at least one valuable lesson from this post, especially if you are also relatively new to blogging, or are contemplating blogging in the near future.

Blogging shares some basic fundamentals with static websites, or other web-based ventures both tactically and strategically.  That said, there are differences significant enough that have to be overcome through learning and experience.  And although there is plenty of help online in forms of blogs, forums and informational websites, being new to the blogosphere can be lonely.

If you’ve been around the blogosphere, you may have noticed guest posts on many popular and well established blogs.  These guest posts are typically written by other successful, experienced and well established bloggers.  So where does a newbie like me fit?  Right now on the bench, waiting for the coach to tap my shoulder to get in the game.

Young and inexperienced bloggers have energy and enthusiasm going for them, and assuming you can keep that up over an extended period of time, someone will inevitably take notice.  You do have to be proactive in the mean time by participating in discussions on other blogs as a guest, leaving quality comments and helping the community, basically getting into the public eye.

After consistently doing so for a period of time, you may want to approach the blogger and express interest in posting as a guest.  This often times is a hit or miss initiative, but you have to try.  You just never know.  I was pleasantly surprised when I approached established bloggers.  I credit success to consistent effort interacting in conversations and adding value to discussions.

The message I am conveying is that gaining exposure blogging in a long term play, and one that takes some time and proactive work on your part.  There are exceptions to the rule.  If your content is superb and the blog is well optimized, your posts can get noticed and an established blogger may approach you.  However, I suggest proactive measures rather than wait for fate to bestow its blessings on you.

Blogging is Not Easy

Blogging is not easy, especially in the beginning as you are trying to get established.  Observing other blogs and how far they have gotten can be intimidating, and the idea of getting to their level someday can be daunting.  This can certainly be overcome, or best yet ignored, however I did want to convey the fact for what it is worth.

The reason I am sharing my experience as a relatively new blogger is to acknowledge that what you must be going through right now is completely natural.  Your feelings and concerns are valid.  Best of all, you are not alone in this boat.  We are all together – All of the millions of bloggers that start every year.

If you are an experienced blogger, you are likely smiling right now and nodding your head aren’t you?  Does this remind you of your early days as a blogger?  But look at where you are at now.  The other reason I am sharing my experience is to demonstrate that good things happen with progress over time.

Although less than a year old, my blog is gaining significant exposure in search engines, traffic is ramping up, folks are signing up to receive updates via RSS as well as email, and the blog is generating income through affiliate products.

That said, I have not monetized this blog at all aside from the handful of affiliates I have talked about in my posts.  I don’t plan on doing so until I have established a solid foundation in the form of followership.

Right now, you likely don’t have anyone commenting on your blog at all.  So yes, blogging can be a long and lonely process that requires a lot of commitment, patience and persistence on your end.   I will also go as far as saying that not everyone is a blogger.

Not everyone should blog just because they are told they write well, or have good ideas.  I am not saying this because of what a blogger might have to say, but rather because aside from good quality content, blogging also requires many intangible characteristics to succeed.

Don’t Jump Into Blogging So Fast

I have come across several individuals who have started and shut down blogs by the month, without giving each any real chance to get anywhere near success.  A common theme I noticed in all these individuals is that they didn’t write about topics they were passionate about.

Because of lack of interest or passion, each of these individuals ran out of topics to talk about.  Instead, they scoured the internet and rehashed same old stuff on their blog until they got tired of doing so.  Not to mention they half-assed the effort, so you can just imagine the quality of the output.

I consider myself very fortunate to have had exposure to such examples before I started blogging. I may have not know everything that I am supposed to do as a new blogger, but at least I knew what NOT to do.  The lesson here is that you should NOT jump into blogging just because you think you are interested in a topic.  You MUST know that you are interested indeed.

If you have even a little bit of a doubt, you will eventually run out of things to talk about.  What you have to consider is whether you will be able to blog about your topic in the coming weeks, months and years.  When you hit a wall, are you passionate about the topic to read about it and research it at length to learn more?  Or are you going to abandon your blog and move on to the next idea that comes to your mind?

So if you just started, or if blogging is in your future, take a step back now and think.  Evaluate whether you have what it takes before diving in nose first.  What is your topic? Is it focused but broad enough to where you can discuss it infinitely?  Are you passionate about it to learn and research more as you progress as a blogger?

The last thing you want is a dead blog where no one comments, including yourself.  Blogging by yourself and with yourself is the best way to die from boredom and loneliness.

Building a Community Should be Your Goal

The day I received my first legitimate comment from a blog guest was a key milestone for me.  It is then when I realized that loneliness can vanish immediately when you have guests interacting with you and amongst each other through your blog, thus developing a community.

None of this would have been possible without publishing good content and getting out there to comment on other blogs to let folks know that I read their blogs and help their readers by adding value to their discussions.

In other words, I treated blogging as a part of me.  So if you are new to blogging or are contemplating starting soon, plan appropriately and make your blog an extension of you.

By making your blog a part of you, you will develop and enhance relationships with other bloggers who share similar interests with you.  Your blog represents you, so share your thoughts, experiences and failures as candidly and people that your message resonates with will embrace that.

In the few months that I have been blogging, I have seen an increase in guest interaction.

I feel like I am finally starting to build a community of like minded individuals, and the feeling is very satisfactory.

Sunil
Blogging

12 Responses to “What Every Wannabe & New Blogger Must Know About Blogging”

1. Allen says:

   January 31, 2011 at 7:27 am

   Great stuff Sunil! Felt the need to look in the mirror several times while reading this. I am a newbie for sure and could possibly fit into many of your scenarios. I’ve started my blog with a long term plan with the idea that the paths I take will actually continually create more content thoughts and ideas. We’ll see! Again thanks!

   Reply
   • Sunil says:

     January 31, 2011 at 9:35 am

     Allen,

     Good to hear that you have a long term plan in mind, which is often the missing ingredient for many, especially ones that fail. I like having a long term plan because it gives me clarity and a goal to focus on. Sure, the details in interim may vary and take its own shape as you progress, but so as long as it leads to the end goal.

     Welcome to my blog, congratulations on getting started and all the best to you.

     Reply
2. LifeAndMyFinances says:

   January 31, 2011 at 8:56 am

   You are right on Sunil! If you do not have a passion for the subject that you selected, blogging is tough! Luckily, I have a great passion for finance and do not mind discussing it with my readers day in and day out. If I weren’t passionate about my topic, I think I would have quit a few months ago. The money isn’t there yet, but since I love writing so much, it really doesn’t matter! The monetary benefits will come eventually; I just have to be patient.

   Reply
3. Sunil says:

   January 31, 2011 at 9:39 am

   Right on. You make an interesting point. Just last week I was on a coaching call with someone I am helping develop a niche website. She had narrowed down her choice of topics from 30+ when we started to 3. When we reviewed the 3, it appeared that topic A was very very profitable, topic B was very profitable and topic C was just profitable.

   15 minutes later, I sensed that she had absolutely no interest in topic A, some interest in topic B and more interest in topic C. Another 10 minutes later we collectively agreed that C would be the best route. Time will tell how this pans out.

   Months from now when she is making money from the venture, I plan on having her here to go over a case study of the website from start to finish.

   Reply
4. Romeo says:

   January 31, 2011 at 12:16 pm

   Sunil,

   I went through the “depression” stage after a few months of blogging, but only after I shifted my blog from being casual with no thought of monetization to monetization; it wasn’t fun anymore. I started writing more and more and began feeling overwhelmed. I later scaled my blog back and have committed to only a M, W, F posting schedule. Things are fun again and I feel like I have more time. I will wait until my community grows before I start focusing on monetization again, if I do it at all. Thanks for this post.

   Romeo

   Reply
   • Sunil says:

     January 31, 2011 at 3:59 pm

     Sounds like taking the back seat worked out for you. Faster is not always better 🙂 Sometimes it’s good to take it EZ. I hope things are on the up and up.

     I know you had expressed interest in hearing more about ways to create additional streams of income. Is there a specific area of particular interest . . . real estate, niche websites, ebay, ecommerce websites, small business, stocks, etc?

     I am gathering feedback to help shape the near future of this blog and would appreciate your (and everyone else’s) input.

     Reply
     • Romeo says:

       January 31, 2011 at 6:29 pm

       Sunil.

       Here is a suggestion:

       I’m launching a book soon; I’m trying for a March 1st launch. I’d like to hear about your or someone else’s experience in marketing online products. Specifically, I’d like to sale my book not only through Amazon and it’s network, but set up my own affiliate program. How does affiliate programs work for the “common” guy? Do you think you have enough to make it a post?

       Reply
5. Sunil says:

   January 31, 2011 at 7:05 pm

   Romeo,

   You got it man. It is on the list. For someone who has had multiple ebooks on Clickbank and Amazon for quite some time now, I am willing to share my experiences. In the mean time, here is a piece that might get thing started:

   http://www.easyextramoneyonline.com/affiliate-marketing-information.html

   The material is a bit dated – but rest assured a post is coming shortly.

   Reply
6. Janet Giessl says:

   February 1, 2011 at 12:52 pm

   Thank you Sunil for sharing your experience as a new blogger. As a newbie I can learn a lot from your post as it is very honest, down to earth and encouraging. How long did it take until you got your first comment on your blog?

   Best regards,

   Janet

   Reply
7. Sunil says:

   February 1, 2011 at 1:15 pm

   Janet,

   Thank you for your comment. That’s an excellent question and one that I don’t think I can accurately answer. I can guess – not including comments from people I know who knew that I am now blogging, I would say about 5 posts, less than 15 days. What about you? What made you ask that question?

   Reply
   • Janet Giessl says:

     February 1, 2011 at 1:28 pm

     Thank you for your reply. You wrote in your post that the day you received your first legitimate comment from a blog guest was a key milestone for you so I was just wondering when you got this comment after the setting up of your blog.

     Reply
     • Sunil says:

       February 1, 2011 at 2:34 pm

       Ah – the feeling you get when someone finally takes notice and decides to participate is priceless. It shows the fruits of your labor 🙂

       Reply