This guest post is by Kraig Stewardson of IT Manager HQ.
My blog was failing.
My subscribers were nonexistent.
My posts were disjointed.
My writing was awful.
My confidence was shot.
Honestly, I felt like giving up. I knew that I needed to make a change. I knew that I couldn’t continue this way.
Sound familiar? That was me a little over month ago, before I took some drastic steps to turn things around.
How bad was it?
They say that most blogs are never even read, and mine fell into that category. I still remember the day when I got my first spam comment. I was elated. A bot found my blog—no one else did—but hey, a spam bot did! Then as the months went on, even the spammers lost interest.
I noticed that no one, not even my family, read my blog. But I still wrote. When life got busy, I didn’t post as regularly as I knew I needed to. Inspiration to keep going that used come from all sorts of places faded. The “this band is a 20-year overnight success” or “blogger writes for two years straight then finds an audience” stories that can only take you so far. I knew a change need to happen, so it was time to take a class and get schooled on what I should be doing.
Starting to turn it around
So I look at my blog, and how bad it looked. I read my blog—every cringe-worthy post. Great, now even I couldn’t stand reading my own blog. This was going to be a challenge, that was for sure.
I started with a few questions:
- Why did I create the blog in the first place? This blog is all of the things I wish I knew right before and within the first year of being an IT Manager. When I became an IT Manager, it was based on my abilities as an IT professional. No one taught me there is an art to managing highly skilled people.
- What makes my blog different, and why should anyone read it? In the IT Management space, there is very little information about how to lead and manage people. My competition with other IT Management blogs is mostly about new technologies and security threats.
- How am I going to market my blog? I struggled with this question. To gain an audience in a competitive field requires a plan. My plan is to write great content and to guest post where I can.
- After doing this for a little while, do I still want to? Yes. I have found there is something cathartic about writing to help people.
- Am I secretly afraid to succeed? Also, the answer here is yes. Even though I am very proud of this blog I have, I haven’t told absolutely everyone, yet. If I am not telling the people who know me, how can I tell the people who don’t?
Finding help
For some reason, every few months, about ten courses open up to help you fix various aspects of your website. Courses on AdSense websites, affiliate marketing, gaining traffic, YouTube videos, writing posts, finding a better job—you name it, there is a course for it.
There are so many to choose from, and so many of them seem worthwhile. I am a practical person, so I wanted one that would help me in an aspect of my life that goes beyond websites.
As for the question, “Should I pay for a class or find a free class?”, I chose to take a paid class. There is a built-in accountability for having plunked down your hard earned money, and that doesn’t exist if the product is free. I knew in needing to grow in areas that I am not always comfortable with, I’d need that accountability.
The class I chose, was a shot in the arm to continue my blog. It came in the form of a new class, a writing course from Danny Iny at Firepole Marketing. It was time to confront my arch nemesis from high school: writing. This ended up being a great choice, since effective writing can be used beyond a blog post, in all aspects of your blogging, and your life.
What did I learn?
While things are still a struggle, they are much better. I am more efficient and effective in my writing. With a full-time job, a growing blog, and a one-month old baby at home, any area where I can be even slightly more efficient is very valuable.
Structuring a blog post for me used to be a four- to five-day event, which would take about an hour a day, and even so I struggled to eke out 500 words.
Before taking the class, my approach to posting looked like this:
- Day 1: Type blindly for ten to 15 minutes, not caring about spelling, grammar, or even if I wrote actual words.
- Day 2, 3, 4: Edit and try to turn my random key strokes into something that didn’t sound like I was drunk when I wrote it.
- Day 5: Re-read and publish post.
One of the greatest things Danny helped me realize is that I needed to outline my posts before I wrote them. Write it down; don’t dream it up on the commute to work, then try to remember it when you get home and can start typing. Think of the key points you want to make, organize them, and then fill in the blanks. This was a classic forehead-smacking moment for me.
After taking the class, my writing approach looks like this:
- Step 1: Come up with a title and theme for the post. A great title is the difference between thousands of readers to an article and only a handful. Here are two headlines for basically the same article “How companies learn your secrets” and “How Target figured out a teen girl was pregnant before her father”. Which would you rather read?
- Step 2: Create outline (ten minutes, tops). The outline is the key to the whole post. What issue are you trying to solve, or what are you trying to get the reader to do? Create an abbreviated version of the outline:
- Set the scene and get their attention
- Detail the problem
- What is your solution?
- How do you implement it?
- Step 3: Fill in blanks in the outline by writing the article. Since you have an outline, and you had to think about what you wanted to say, this part is as simple as write what comes naturally to you.
- Step 4: Wait at least a half-day, then re-read, fix grammar, and publish. When you come back and re-read the stuff you wrote previously, you’ll likely realize that what you wrote doesn’t make as much sense as you initially thought. As a side benefit, you will catch grammar issues and typos.
The training program expanded on this and went into great detail as to how and why this is incredibly effective.
How much time did I spend on my first post using the new way? About 45 minutes total. Oh, and it was 1100 words long.
Gaining confidence
As the old cliché goes, nothing breeds success like success. As I see my posts getting better, the writing coming more easily, and my traffic increasing, my desire to post more has also returned with a vengeance. In the first week following the course, my list of post ideas has tripled and I now look forward to writing posts on my own blog.
- My writing has improved.
- My traffic has increased dramatically.
- I am starting to get some key guest posting opportunities.
- Most importantly, I feel energized to post more.
What areas of blogging have you been lacking in where some accountability and maybe a class will give you the extra boost to succeed? Share them with us in the comments.
Kraig Stewardson blogs to help new and aspiring managers in the IT field. He is a proud alumni of the Write Like Freddy class from Firepole Marketing.
Hey Kraig,
I learn best by example, so I would often follow popular bloggers and learn from their example. That’s not a bad way to go but it’s not really enough for most people. Taking a course that demonstrates how to blog isn’t a bad idea. It will certainly provide you with a good solid foundation for writing well and you’ve been a good example of that :-)
Liz
Thanks Liz. I am very happy I took a class, I didn’t put things together as well as I could have prior to taking the class. I missed some of the key patterns that great posts follow.
Cheers,
Kraig.
Hey Kraig — good food for thought in your article. I struggle with formulaic vs non. I get that formulaic writing makes it easier to write. I’m torn as to whether it retains readers for as long. Using a formula and filling in the blanks makes it faster… just not sure it’s as compelling. Seems like the bloggers I’ve followed for years are the ones that post random brain-share and you never know what they’ll pull out of their sleeve. I keep going back to see what they’ve come up with. Maybe I need to do better at juggling the two. I liked the post about fatherhood on your blog… thanks for the brain food.
Linda, I understand that struggle and thought about it a bit. What I eventually realized a few things.
With drawing there is only so many basic shapes, and things are all built off of that. It doesn’t mean that all art is the same.
I don’t always need to follow the formula, but for most of my posts I do.
Cheers,
Kraig.
Thanks for confirming that solid writing is the foundation. When I started blogging, writing was all that I could do. I am slowly learning the networking and marketing aspect. I honestly believe that ‘blog writing’ is something most people can learn, or already know how to do – they may just need to learn the steps.
Thanks John, it was eye opening when I learned what steps I should follow and which ones I didn’t know.
Cheers,
Kraig.
Talk about another forehead smacking moment! This is exactly what I needed to read today.
I write a “mommy blog” and most of my posts are constructed from what is swirling around my head at that hour. Or worse, I plan a post, have a clear idea of what I want to write, and get paralyzed by the idea of actually having to structure my thoughts. I think another part of it for me is the fear of success, because success requires more work and communication. With a 3 year old, 2 year old, and 4 month old, time to put towards social media is relatively nonexistent in my world.
I’m going to work on using the outline approach and see if it helps me make more sense… if even to myself!
Thanks Kraig!
Thanks Joanna, now your other post makes more sense to me. Its funny, when I programmed full time I always wrote psudo code, or in plain English what I was going to program. However, I never translated that into my writing.
I have a two month old at home and am still struggling to find the time to accomplish everything, I can’t imagine with 3 kids.
cheers,
Kraig.
It would probably also help if I could focus enough to put my website address in the website box rather than my email. Sorry about that.
Joanna, we have all made mistakes like that. Just remember to focus on the big picture, and not worry so much about the small issues that pop up as if they are even noticed at all they are quickly forgotten
Cheers,
Kraig.
Kraig,
Thanks for being so open about your initial struggles with your blog. Every blogger and some point in time speaks to an invisible, sometimes non-existent, audience and can relate to how frustrating it can feel.
It’s exciting that you finally found your writing “swagga” and are helping others find theirs!
One of the most difficult things for me to do is to wait to post my articles. It’s like I feel like the post is perishable and will get old, stale, and rancid if I don’t publish it immediately. As soon as I get the idea out of my head and into writing, I want to share it. I’ve learned that this, of course, is a big mistake. Like you said, waiting catches typos, grammatical errors, etc. etc.
Here is another benefit that I have found if I sit on a blog post: I often times encounter information that makes it better. I might read something or come across an article that has a nugget that fits perfectly into the blog post.
Incubate and marinate. Thanks for reminding me!
Thanks Tiffany. There is a fine line between waiting and finding better information and letting that post get freezer burn. I am still trying to find where that line is.
Cheers,
Kraig.
Hey Kraig,
Great post! Well, either you were denigrating your writing skills or you’ve learned a lot because I think you write very well. Thanks so much for sharing your journey as a blogger. I’m also taking Danny’s course and trying to grow my blog and I know how frustrating the lows can be and how spectacular the highs can be, too. It’s always good to hear about a fellow blogger bringing it all together!
Thanks Bobbi, if you ask my old English teachers from high school, I have learned a lot. I think all of the practice has helped tremendously.
Have to agree that when you are writing it has to be as efficient as possible otherwise you are going to find it hard to get anywhere in blogging.
John, I can not tell you how much of a struggle it was before I learned efficiency in writing. It wasn’t just my blogging that was impacted it was all of my daily communications.
Thanks!
Cheers,
Kraig.
Your post is well written, and I believe you when you say that through a new approach you’ve become a better writer. When you say that you turned things around in a little over a month, however, you lose me. No one ever turned a blog around in a month by writting better. Good writing might bring increased traffic in six months or a year, if then. An enormous gap exists between producing good-quality content and finding ways to attract visitors to it. Thanks for the insights.
Doug, what I really turned around was my feeling towards my blog. Since I felt better about my blog, and my posts, I was more apt to promote it. No its not where I want it to be traffic wise as of yet, but when it was anemic, a huge increase is not that many people.
Cheers,
Kraig.
That’s been the biggest issue in getting my blog going. Writing frequently. Having to keep separate blogs up for two classes, write for the college paper, get my homework done, and working two jobs, my personal “fun” blog fell to the wayside. Seeing no traffic or comments doesn’t help either. It’s hand in hand, though. In order to gain traffic, you have to be a frequent poster!
Carmen, you are right it is a giant catch-22. You aren’t seeing any results so you don’t want to post, but you need to post to get results.
Stick with it, think about why you started your personal blog and you’ll do great.
Cheers,
Kraig.
Kraig,
That’s really great to hear! I have felt the same after going through the training.
Writing posts is so much faster when you have a system to follow.
And congrats of having the guest post here on ProBlogger – it’s an evidence that the system works :)
Cheers,
Timo
Thanks Timo!
It was people like you in the course that helped me become a better blogger.
Cheers,
Kraig.
I think if we all wrote our blog posts with confidence, we’d be a lot more successful. Look at John Lennon – he’s more popular than Jesus! I doubt he would have retracted the statement if the media didn’t tear him up for it, but the point is still the same – he meant what he said, and it was true. They could get away with anything and he KNEW it.
Confidence goes a long way.
Great point Joe! I forgot about that John Lennon quote. I hope I haven’t crossed over into writing cocky.
Cheers,
Kraig.
Very interesting approach! I think I could give this a try.
Currently I start with bullet points with thing that I want to include but sometimes they don’t make sense together so I write them as many as possible and then try to combine and find what I have and can include.
Thanks Steven, give it a shot. You’ll be amazed at the results.
Cheers,
Kraig.
No surprise Danny’s course helped you, he writes great content. The key to what you wrote above is write the outlines of your posts/ideas and then fill it in. It’s much easier, faster and more organized that way.
Jamie, he does write great content. It was based on that content that I even thought about taking the course.
You are right that is the whole key, outline the post then fill in the blanks.
Cheers,
Kraig.
Kraig, congratulations on landing this post here, and on doing such a great job of putting it together. I’m very proud to have you in my program, and I’m honored that you shared your experiences in the training with the readers here!
Danny, I can not thank you enough for giving me the confidence to even try for such an opportunity.
Cheers,
Kraig.
Hi there
Started my blog about 10 weeks ago. Still have a lot to learn. I have started using a system which seems to work for me.
Glad to see that you highlight the importance of an outline and main points. You have to have a few core ideas / issues that youwant to convey. These concepts form part of my strategy.
Great post.
Thanks
Keith
Thanks Keith! You never stop learning.
That’s some good advice here. I need to spruce up my blog too, will surely consider these tricks. For me the best way is to just browse through various sites/blogs and see my list of topics and I can already write something.
Thanks dojo. a little spring cleaning on the blog is never a bad thing.
I love the steps, Kraig – one thing that helped me is to remember who I’m writing for – on each of my blogs and both of my featured blogs, I’m writing for people who are like me; learning who my target reader was (which turned out to be easy for me) was the key to turning things around. I hear crickets when I stop writing for my target audience, when I stop writing like me.
Through the Lens is my photography/personal blog and it took me a year to learn how to get that one going. Adventures in blogging stalled at first, because I was writing like other blogs about blogging – once I put my voice back into the blog, it picked up steam. Keep the Tail Wagging reached a PR of 2 in 2 months due to good content, my passion, and great timing.
From Keep the Tail Wagging, I landed two featured guest posting opportunities and I’m helping people with their blogs, collaborating with other bloggers on ebooks, and really having a blast.
So, find your target audience, stay true to your message, and have fun.
Thanks for sharing your experience; I love learning from others.
Kimberly
Thank you Kimberly. It also took me a little while to figure out who I was writing for.
The experiences you shared are amazing.
Cheers,
Kraig.
Great info – similar to a course I took 20 years ago called Writing for Secondary Markets. I didn’t know at the time but the instructor was really teaching blogging. I just started blogging last month but I have been writing personally and for business since I was a little girl.
Step 4 above is really good. I’ve always loved to write but I would endlessly proofread and re-write often for a week or more. As of 2 days ago, I proofread after 8 hours and then publish. No matter what. I re-read the next day, edit if necessary, then update. The quicker turnaround needed for blogging goes against my nature but I write more posts that way.
I plan to get a personal editor who can proof within 2 hours.
I very much appreciate your tech advice, I am deficient in the IT area.
Pat, It is amazong how many new ideas have been around for a very long time.
Feel free to email me anytime for tech advice. Be aware, I may turn your question into a blog post. kraig at itmanagerhq.com
Cheers,
Kraig.
I love this guest post by Kraig. I am actually thinking about doing the Write like Freddy course.
“A great title is the difference between thousands of readers to an article and only a handful.”
Headlines equate to the first impression that we make physically. In order to grab people’s attention we must make a good first impression. The suit, the tie, the shoes, etc equate to the headline. The eloquence, the style, the dialogue equates to the body of the text.
Do your headlines make a good first impression?
Praverb, Thank you!
The headline is a huge part, and sets the stage for what you are going to write about. Not only does it set the stage for the reader, it sets the stage for the author. When I am writing a post and look at the points I am making I always look back to the headline and say, is this point or item related to the headline or should I save it for another post?
Cheers,
Kraig.
Every blog has a different thing some times the theme do the trick , i changed my website theme and the conversion rate went from 1.09% to 2.5% in one day.
Great post, by the way.
Will come back soon for another great read.
Thanks Saad, I have been thinking about changing my theme, but for now I am focused on the content first.
Cheers,
Kraig.
Great post. Glad you managed to turn the blog around.
One skill I’m not so great at is getting social. I am working on it and am trying to make sure I network at least 3 times a week on the social sites but it is tough to keep doing it regularly. I have seen an increase in social traffic since I started though so it’s definitely worth doing.
Thanks Tom!
I spent a few years wondering what the point of getting social was. When I was a kid, looking at someone else’s vacation photos was as appealing as a root canal. Now its what you do while waiting in line. Now I know that is a key area I’ll need to focus on for continued growth and marketing of my blog.
Cheers,
Kraig.
Which if the 2 headlines would you read? I bet many of you won’t empathize with the writer.
Servando, I do empathize with the writer, especially once I start to read the article.
The hard part is if the headline isn’t appealing, I am not going to even click on the link.
Cheers,
Kraig.
I always felt inspired whenever the post is about the sharing of turning the corner through personal experience. Thanks for the sharing.
I do believed that quality of post play a big part towards it’s success but the other equally important factor is how to make your blog blog public aka how to promote/market your blog to the targeted audience! The reason being that you can have one of the best blog in the world but if nobody (or very feww people) know it’s existence, it is still count as nothing!
Cheers!
Thanks Richard!
You are right on with the point of great content is only great if people read it.
Cheers,
Kraig.
Super tips Kraig, and it’s amazing how our writing flows more easily with simple practice. Just work each day. Write 1 post, or more. Practice, practice, and the ideas flow out of you, with alarming ease, and as you pen hits the cyber pad the end result is pretty remarkable. Thanks for sharing.
Ryan, exactly, practice makes everything better. education helps frame how you should do it, but as someone once said: “you need to do the work to achieve the results”.
Cheers,
Kraig.
Very inspiring post, Kraig–thanks. I’ve been blogging for one month. I struggle with the technical aspect of blogging–it’s been THE MOST frustrating. So, I’d like to take a course to improve my knowledge in designing a blog.
Thankfully–like you, I recognize the area that needs improvement, and I’ll work diligently to improve it.
Thanks Tracy, the technical aspects can be challenging, but there is so much information out there its easy to be overwhelmed. Focus on what you think is important. and stick with it.
Cheers,
Kraig.
Indeed a very inspirational and informative post. Whatever be the reason for creating a blog, content is always the king and to create a unique and valued content is challenging. Attitude to keep learning is the key-point!!. Best Wishes
Thanks Gjivan, Great point, content is king and attitude is a huge key to success.
Cheers,
Kraig.
Congrats on fixing your blog, Kraig.
You’re right – writing is the most fundamental part of blogging. Until you get that working everything else – getting readers, generating revenue, etc. – will be impossible.
“…even the spammers lost interest” – funny!
Thanks Genius. Sadly they did loose interest, but I am glad I was able to tunr it around and feel better about my writing.
Cheers,
Kraig.
Great post, I’m trying to get better at being more disciplined when writing so I can ‘get regular’.
I have no problems connecting with others on social networks, but I do struggle with theming my posts and my blog in general. Your insights have helped so thanks!
Thanks Peter.
The diciplin is something I still struggle with, but having more ideas helps.
Trty the outline it really helps theming the posts, and keeping you on point.
Cheers,
Kraig.
Hi Kraig, great post. As an IT project manager myself I tried writing about the topic on two (now defunct) blogs and couldn’t keep the motivation, so well done on that. However, I have used a very similar technique that you describe on my more recent blogs. It works, and it works well.
I tend to brainstorm and outline several ideas at once, whenever inspiration hits me. Then when I have my “blogging time” set aside, I flesh them out and publish.
Thanks David, ironically enough noticing all of the failed IT Management blogs helped me descide that I needed to start this.
I am glad that you found a technique that works for you!
Cheers,
Kraig.
This sounds so much like, well, me and I’m certain many others who are wanting to get their blog noticed and be counted as worthy. Some really good advice here on getting back on track.
Ocha, keep with it. Its hard but keep going. You will be amazed at the results.
Cheers,
Kraig.
Nice process. Here’s what I would add. Think about the person you most want to connect with. Ask yourself: what gets him going in the morning? what keeps him awake at night. Write as if you two are having a conversation. You writing will flow. You will engage with that person and attract people like him. There’s more in my book Write Like You Talk Only Better. Great to hear about people getting results through better writing.
Barb, great point! I need to do a better job with that.
Cheers,
Kraig.
As a new Blogger, but a failed Affiliate Marketer of 3 years standing, I have recently started my first blog and appreciate very much the advice given. My philosophy towards blogging is to give as much of myself as possible in my blog so that my readers will wish to avail themselves of my “free stuff” and become subscribers and hopefully investors in one or more of my recommendations.
Bruce, your plan seems to be right on. It all starts with the content, and the marketing of the blog.
Cheers,
Kraig.
Blogging is tough. The most important thing is to just get your thoughts out on the page. It doesn’t have to be neat at first. Go back and edit it later and if possible always have a second pair of eyes proof it.
Thanks Nick! You are right a second set of eyes always helps. Plus people seem to be forgiving if you update a post to fix some initial mistakes.
Cheers,
Kraig.
This article is so clear and a good advice.i really liked it and im happy to find a such of article that help people to do something they cant do easily.some people like me .thank for sharing that knwoledge with us .i have read an article that on this kind of subject and i liked it, may i share it with you
http://www.flowmagazine.gr/article/view/how_to_improve_your_self_confidence/category/personal_development
Saky, thanks for sharing that great article on confidence.
Cheers,
Kraig.
Writing a blog post has always been a challenge to me. So what I do most of the time is using a template same as you’ve shared. I choose my topic, write down several outlines, then I start to fill them up.
There are various ways to turn a blog around and it is not basically through contents alone, visitors can easily be put off with a blog with good contents but bad theme or design.
Thanks for sharing your blogging setbacks, so that when another blogger is in the same situation, then he or she will know that it is not happening for the first time in blogging history.
Internet Investment Ideas, You are right, there is much that goes into a great blog. The theme, the design, the marketing, the posting schedule are all items have impact. I found that there are many blogs I read that don’t look that good, but the content is amazing, so I overlook those things. If a blog looks great but doesn’t have anything worthwhile to share, I don’t go back.
Cheers,
Kraig.
Danny’s class is great! And there are not that many courses that really can teach you how to write successfully. Was great to see this success story.
Carol, I agree Danny is a great teacher.
Cheers.
Kraig.
Hi Kraig
Great post, I must admit I was tempted by the Firepole course too, the problem is as you mentioned we’re increasingly swamped by courses making the decision so much harder, good to get some honest feedback, thanks.
I blog and write articles in a similar niche to yourself so have been through the pain of low traffic and feeling like jacking it in. One thing I discovered recently was the power of continuity and consistency. For example, I found that by posting a Dilbert cartoon with a message of how it related to our niche (v.similar to yours) I was getting more traffic for that post than any others that week, people kept coming back for that particular feature.
I think so many IT blogs post randomly and intermittently so you lose the appeal to keep coming back so by having a certain theme or topic every week, even if it’s just once a week or once a fortnight is a really great idea in that space. The other tip I got the other day was to have a really vivid profile of one (or two) individuals you are writing for, name them, see them in your mind, can’t remember where I saw that but I love that tip.
One tip I would recommend about your blog is to add an “About Us” page with some contact details, it would be great to connect and share blogging war stories!
Great to see your blog taking off, best of luck for the future.
Thanks Dylan, I am excited to check out Data Quality Pro.
Great tip on the about us, and the cartoons.
Cheers,
Kraig.
Hi,Kraig! I was able to gather some tips from your post. Thanks! I believe that one way of becoming a good writer is reading a lot of books. You are an inspiration to every blogger out there. Keep it up!
Thanks Suji. I was glad I could help. Keep learning, but don’t forget to post.
Cheers,
Kraig.
Kraig,
Great post! I have just recently started a blog aimed towards helping kids with college issues, from the perspective of a college kid himself, and I can say that your advice is very helpful in writing. I only have a few posts as of now, but I would love to learn things like writing more efficiently and effectively sooner rather than later. Good luck with the continued success of your blog!
Jeremy
Jeremy, Learning how to do the key things early is only going to make your blog stronger and faster. I wish I knew 1/2 of what I learned long before I actually started, it would have saved me so much time and headache.
Good luck with your Blog!
Cheers,
Kraig.
Ah, that is actually some really good points. As writing is the basis of any blog is the content, its important to understand this.
Lars, you are right. I just can’t believe it took me so long to learn that key point.
Cheers,
Kraig.
Hey Kraig,
Glad you were able to find your voice, especially here on ProBlogger! The main problem I am running into is the confidence issue. I love writing my blog but I find it hard to get motivated to write and have no idea why, lol. My only conclusion is that I must not be overly confident in what I am putting out there. It’s tough to keep doing something when your readership sits stagnant, I think it might be time for me to try some courses out as well.
Anyway, good luck with your venture, it sems like you are on your way to success!
Cheers!
Thanks Canadian Dad!
Courses have worked for me, but I know they are not for everyone. If you are going to take a course, do some research, find someone whose topics and voice resonate with you and go for it.
Cheers,
Kraig.
PS I loved your post about how your son wasn’t stopped by spiderman.
I love this post. Thanks for sharing these great tips. I try to remember my own mantra “No Rules, Just Write!” but it’s easy to get in the trap of over-thinking everything once your blog has “matured”. I also really appreciate the reminder to let your post sit for 1/2 day, re-read, fix grammar and then post. I have to admit to rushing and being impatient and then often catching little things I have to fix later.
Wishing you well-
Thanks Nanette. I still over think far to much of what I do on a daily basis, but no where near as much on my posts.
Cheers,
Kraig.
This is an excellent example of perseverance, keep it up.
Writing great content is the most difficult way to gain an audience. So it is kind of ironic that it is also the most effective. I am currently in the same boat that you were in. Nobody is reading my blog.
That’s quite an honest piece about blogging…I had similar problems with my blog, never mind I have a Degree in Literature and I’m supposed to know how to write much better than folks who don’t! But I’ve found my pen (again?)…and am writing
One thing I have come to realise about blogging is that you have got to be
1. Patient
2. Resilient
3. Interested in the subject matter
I, too, am about to take a writing class even though I’ve been writing my own website, blog(s), and articles for years (and problogger has a lot to do with my choice on what course I’m taking). I also ghostwrite, so this course should come in handy for that, too.
Yes, it’s time for a refresher course to pull things back together. It’s easy to stray and post unrelated material (two of my blogs have gone in that direction, but it’s working well for one of them). The other I refuse to post unless it’s related (and thus, long time periods between posts are too frequent).
The other thing I do before I publish (articles) is I print it off and force someone around me to listen to me read it out loud. It’s amazing what you think you’ve written down and what really is “on the paper.” Your mind has a way of seeing what it wants to see. Out loud, you catch any errors.
Obviously, the title of your post grabbed my attention immediately. Thanks for the honesty and the reminder!
Sometimes is better to outsource.
it can be time but most importantly money saver
Awesome post! Seriously, this is information we could all use. I’ve gone through very similar stages with my blogging and can totally agree with what you’ve said here. Great post man. I’ll be reading a lot more on your site!