What are your biggest challenges going forward as a blogger into the new year?
In the coming weeks I’m planning on taking a day or two out to plan a roadmap for ProBlogger going into the new year. I already have a fair idea of where I’d like to go based upon a recent survey I did of newsletter subscriber – but I want to test some of the ideas I have against your feedback as the wider ProBlogger readership.
As you look at your blog and the year ahead:
- what is it that you feel is holding you back?
- What problems do you face?
- What questions do you have that you can’t get passed?
- What issues do you keep coming up against that just hold you back?
I’m not going to give you any suggested answers on this question as I don’t want to cloud or skew your answers in any way – but am keen to hear what you have to say.
I think my biggest stumbling block is my lack of technical knowledge. I see lots of wonderful things on other people’s blogs and mentioned on other sites but I have absolutely no idea how to implement them on my blog. I love to write so I don’t have an issue with regular posting, I just need a little technical assistance. I’d guess my second biggest stumbling block would be a lack of finances to buy a lot of the books and services out there that would teach me how to improve my blog.
The bigest question in my brain is: how i can be loyal to my life as a bloger?
What is it that you feel is holding you back?
Holding me back from success? University is keeping me busy and trying to stay consistent with my blog. Also, lack of knowledge. I just starting this blog a few days ago and I don’t have any real experience with blogs, so trying to learn about the blogging industry has taken a lot of my time.
What problems do you face?
Lack of money, currently. I’m hoping to scrape together some for a domain and host. Also, trying to become known in my niche.
What issues do you keep coming up against that just hold you back?
Knowing that I’m seen in an expert role and my writing skills. I’ve been working on both, and feel like I’m getting more comfortable, however.
That is a great question, Darren. This year I am planning to launch my second ebook, building up enough traffic, and obtain a combined revenue stream(blog and books) to make 4 figure incomes.
My personal goal is to get through the “31 Days to Build a Better Blog” and to post once or twice a day for the whole year!
Hi Darren,
I believe I will try to tackle college and my Internet Marketing business a little bit better in 2010.
By January I will have my major project out of the way so it will give me more leverage to focus on both!
Thanks for asking. Technical knowledge is a big hurdle to overcome. But learning how to balance a full time job and being a blogger is the bigger hurdle I need to overcome.
Planning, planning, planning!
I currently blog as I go, I usually don’t write posts more than a day or so before hand. This means when I get busy, I end up with weeks with less posts.
So, I’d like to stay on top of things and start developing posts farther beforehand. That way, if I get busy and don’t have time to write, I can keep posting.
Concrete goal:
I’d like to consistently post 5 times a week and have a pre-written stash of approximately 10-20 posts at all times.
Also, I’ve been blogging now about a year. My currently blog has close to 100 subscribers and gets about 100 page views a day. I want to take it up a notch, up to the next level. Increase the number of people visiting my blog and expanding the services I offer. I’d like to try and write my first e-book this year.
Mary
http://stalecheerios.com/blog
In 2010, I want to increase my traffic, especially find readers who will purchase things through my affiliates.
I also want to finish my first e-book and sell it from my blog.
Rita blogging at The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide
http://boomersurvive-thriveguide.typepad.com
Hi Darren,
As always thanks for these great thought provoking questions.
I just launched my blog this week. However I have been reading and researching for about 2 months. In that time putting together a plan for what I want my goals to be. As I look into 2010 I think how excited I am to start but also nervous as well. So these questions come at the right time. Here are my answers:
What is it that you feel is holding you back?
Right now it is just getting all the technical stuff complete. It has been hard for me to move forward until my design is complete. And all the other technical stuff has been done. I have a “to-do” list that is “almost” complete. Then it is just content. I have so much in my head that I just need to get out into quality posts.
What problems do you face?
No major problems yet. Like I said I have been doing a lot fo reading and research so I do feel somewhat prepared to jump into the blogosphere.
What questions do you have that you can’t get passed? I think a question I have is what is the best way to organize a blog (categories, tags, nav links, etc). I want my blog to be easy to navigate.
What issues do you keep coming up against that just hold you back I think the other issue I have is on my niche or content. My blog is about the multidimensional lives of working moms.I feel that I have so much to say that I think is it too much for one blog. But then I think but this is how my life is and this is how my blog should be. SO I struggle with that a bit.
Thanks again!
what is it that you feel is holding you back?
– It’s rather strange that I don’t feel that there anything holding me back. I just want to go on and on with my goals.
What problems do you face?
– There’s a lot of problem – getting regular readers to my blog, writing what my readers want to read, etc. etc.
What questions do you have that you can’t get passed?
– The question would be – How do I get loyal readers to my blog?
What issues do you keep coming up against that just hold you back?
– As a newbie, I don’t feel it yet, but sooner or later I may..
As you look at your blog and the year ahead:
what is it that you feel is holding you back?
What problems do you face?
What questions do you have that you can’t get passed?
What issues do you keep coming up against that just hold you back?
2010 goals for my blog,
What is holding me back? my editing and revising skills are lacking, addressing this in 2010 with a writing diploma.
I have to address this now! it comes up every post!
Remembering my audience and to focus on quality and care.
I guess I should address the internet marketing/traffic side. But I’ll focus on quality first, and branding first.
I guess it is about balancing blogging and the other things in life. That is going to be the biggest challenge for me.
For me, once I get going with good writing – I keep going. But if I am not in the arena for a few days, I find the going really tough. I think it is about practicing how to go about blogging without really getting addicting about the thing.
The key for me is going to be “Balance”.
Well, what’s holding me back is figuring out what I want to do with my life and where I want to be.
I have plans for several projects and am already working out the details of one I am particularly proud of. We’ll see what happens.
Good questions to ask. It is important for everyone to look at their blog from a bad point of view to see where they are messing up and how to fix the mistakes within.
I am planning to launch a forum.So that’s the big challenge to me.
My main challenge is to make enough money to quit my day job…. again.
Other than that I’d like to implement some kind of organized system to get a certain number of posts done per day. Perhaps along the line of the batch posts system Darren wrote about some time ago… need to revisit that one… :)
You have asked, What is holding me back?
– I have just recently started my blog. In fact my blog is about 15 days old.
I have been hold back by time, as is obvious as it is a new blog. But I am determined that I will give it time and will try to make it in top 50 blog of its niche, in 2010.
Hi Darren
I am facing a tremendous traffic crisis. Nobody is visiting my blog. It’s dying every single day. My blog needs visitors otherwise it will not survive.
I am still struggling.
Thanks
* what is it that you feel is holding you back?
Because I have a full time career that takes a lot of my emotional and creative energy, in some ways I hold myself back.
* What problems do you face?
The biggest problem I face is not burning out. Every year come January I sart out with the beginnings of a respectable subsription list, loyal readers and commenters and then the burn out gets me. It seems to be an annual thing. Around Jan 20 I just stop. And don’t come back until April or May,
Thankfully, I have this hard core group of friends and readers who know me and wait for my return – but this year I think about all of the opportunities I miss. I’ve never blogged consistently for more than three months at a stretch – and this year I’m hell bent on not quitting so I can see what might actually be possible…
* What questions do you have that you can’t get passed?
* What issues do you keep coming up against that just hold you back?
I have the same questions for both of the above…
Quality vs quantity.
There are a lot of bloggers in my niche who are popular strictly because they read a lot of blogs and leave comments but have nothing of real interest to say.
It makes me crazy because I just don’t have time to visit and comment on a gazillion blogs.
My litmus test will be to see what happens when I surpass the three month burnout and keep writing.
There are four things that I feel I’d like to do different for next year. I’m not sure how, but I know that I would like them to be different.
I’d like more loyal readers.
I’d like more comments on my posts.
I’d like to focus on a specific topic. Today I write about whatever comes to my mind.
I’d like to write every single day, today I write whenever I feel I have the time.
My challenges in 2010 are increase the traffic, be consistent to make posts at least three times in a week, and get more money from blogging. Wish me luck :)
Hi Darren,
I launched my travel magazine blog on November 24, and now I am only concentrating on building good content for it. However, Now its been one month since launch of my magazine blog, I wan to setup marketing plan for coming year.
I want readers of problogger to advise me on my blog, where I can improvise. I will be very happy to get your valuable feedback and I can do the same.
Thanks in advance to Dareen and his readers.
Time – My biggest problem that is holding me back.
I want to bring my blog top ten for keyword “work at home”, so it is my biggest challenge of blogging and for which I am working lots on my blog.
Hi Darren,
thought-provoking questions! Thanks for asking.
* what is it that you feel is holding you back?
I wish I could say that it was the Blogspot hosting that is holding me back, but honestly, it has gotten me quite far as it is. I think what is holding me back is myself – I get easily distracted from doing the necessary things. If I can be more focused on the task, and making the tools work *for* the blog instead of being a time-water, then I can be more efficient and hence successful.
* What problems do you face?
Lack of time, lack of detailed technical knowledge to make my blog better.
* What questions do you have that you can’t get passed?
Who can I talk to to who can give me straighforward advice on how to improve my writing / photography. Basically, where do I find blog mentors?
* What issues do you keep coming up against that just hold you back?
lack of time, energy
Being a blog producer than a blog consumer, but that has been changing dramatically the last few weeks.
Often times we get so caught up in staying on the cutting edge and waste much of our time where we could be producing content.
So producing and driving traffic.
In the year 2010 I am looking to increase my webtraffic.
I’ve been blogging since May and am happy with the experience and community that is forming.
The frontier that I am speeding toward is providing info products. I need to learn the nuts and bolts about creating e-books (not the writing so much, but the form and “packaging”) and online classes, and all the website details– the checkout process, delivery, customer support, where to host a class, etc.
And of course, the Launch.
Biggest challenges:
1. Moving my website over to another service, with a new look and better navigability. This point is like a Huge WALL to me. I have decent traffic, a good group of loyal readers, but my website needs a facelift. And I quake every time I think about making big changes.
(Incidentally, I’m testing Squarespace. I’d love to hear your take on this service…)
2. Maintaining and increasing traffic levels and search engine rankings, especially as my niche becomes more saturated.
3. Getting a product out. I have two in the works – one is an e-product, the other a tangible item. I’d like to launch them in the first few months of 2010, but … wow. It does take time!
4. (Which brings me to this point – which goes towards the top of the list) Finding the time to make changes, create products, market products, etc., while at the same time maintaining my current blogging level, and teaching full time.
Such great questions, Darren, and so worth considering – days away from 2010!
What’s holding me back? I’m quite certain that the only thing holding me back is me – and my belief (or lack thereof) that I can do what I want to do/what I love and actually make money at it! The gap between desire and confidence is sometimes a bit too wide – but I’m the only one who can close it.
What problems do you face? Whether problem or “opportunity,” the next big deal for me is product-creation – something to sell. My readership is growing, my “voice” feels authentic, and now I’ve just got to get the collateral material/services in place in ways that generate revenue so that I can facilitate the answer to the first question!!
What questions do you have that you can’t get past? I keep coming back to target audience or tribe. How do I define it? How do I find it? How do I build it? And then back to questions 1 #2: how do I believe that I have something to offer…and how do I (find time to) create products that will be meaningful to that tribe?
What issues do you keep coming up against that just hold you back? Time and Money. No doubt about it!!
Thanks for asking!
I want to bring my blog at top 100 on its niche in the year 2010, although, it is just 15 days old.
My objective for the year 2010 will be to bring my blog in top 100 of its niche, although, it is quite young (15 days old).
The very questions I’m wrestling with. My biggest problem is me. By that I mean my lack of focus, my constant need to overdo it, my lack of blogging/webing/social media-ing. My baby blog is new, all of 2 months old.
I need to determine the path I want to follow with and how to implement it. I hear about great things happening with blogs, all I want is steady readers. Well, a growing readership base. As I tell my hubby, I want to be one of the popular kids.
What’s holding me back, thei things I think I need to figure out NOW is:
1- Time. I have a full-time job and a home to care for
2- Knowing what to write about
3- Building blogging relationships
4- Sponsoring and whether or not I want it
The things that hold me back and I believe need to be figured out later, say mid year or so:
1- Blog design. I’m currently using a WP template w/o any customization
2- I own my domain, but since I don’t know much of anything, I’ve not pointed the blog there
3- Monetizing and its evils
4- Twitter. Do I need to? How and what goes on there
Thanks for these questions, Darren
What’s holding me back are the BASICS. It’s so frustrating but I need to know the logistics of how to set up, move around and really get started. Are the basics covered in your book? I mean BASICS! I’m still feeling intimidated.
Thanks, Candace
To form a better relationship with my readers.
Kiya
In all honesty i would say my biggest problem is understanding rss feeds and what to do to make them work all the time.
I want to continue to build traffic to my blog and monitize it once I achieve my traffic goals, I also want to launch two other blogs or websites, I have some Ideas but nothing concrete yet, I think 2010 will be a good year!
My biggest challenge is getting the people who are finding my blog to leave comments when they get there. I know the posts are creating interest – I see references and my trackbacks are good, but I’d really like to see more comments that aren’t spammy.
Content, content, content, content and content!
How to make everything I do informative and helpful.
My biggest issues are two-fold:
#1. I am in a niche market and struggling with what to give away in order to build my list. I have been thinking about an eBook about a career in aviation, or one about aviation insurance; the other idea I have is to run a contest and give away aviation-specific products.
#2. Second, whether I should get back links to my blog or to the product pages, or both.
Darren, you have been great in the information you provide and the manner in which you provide it.
Keep up the great work from down under!
Biggest challenge? I censor myself. In order to fully develop my blog and buttress my opinions/ observations, I would have to give bits of info about myself (more than I already have). As a woman, I am concerned about creepy cyber stalkers. I have been reporting for a community newspaper for almost 4 years, and have blogged on a political website for almost 2. My byline is out there. People look forward to what I have to write. But I am reticent about that ’15 minutes of fame’ and what it brings. I consider myself a plain Jane Q Public kind of gal. I guess I need to decide how to take control of my public persona.
Getting started is my first stumbling block, figuring out a domain name that matches with my actual self, knowing I can do it, but afraid to jump makes me jittery. Fear of the unknown and all that entails is my absolute worst enemy. Can you help?
What’s holding me back:
Deciding on the focus of a blog or website as my interests and work are varied. Part of this blockage is seeing what others have in different niches and thinking theirs is the best it can get.
I know better.
Age & Time. Sometimes all I see are 20 & 30 yr olds, who are single, doing blog work (seemingly have no other jobs to hold down) and wonder how can I compete against that? Of course, it shouldn’t be seen as competition but as a community.
Issues I face: Balancing work, home, website and learning new skills. I’m always working on skills of all types though only briefly; knowing there is only so much time in a day or night and this gets decreased when issues in life pop up. But I know that this can be resolved through analysis & experimentation & maybe building in contingency time.
For me I think the biggest challenges in 2010 will be finding my readers. I’m still a pretty new blogger and have been struggling to find new viewers, but hopefully in 2010 I can solve this problem
As for me, its my college life along with blogging and internet marketing. Theres like so much to do and i hope to manage time and spend it accordingly.
Darren, good questions! My blog is fairly new, and I am in the process of launching another one that is experimental, and going to tax whatever discipline and time management skills I have.
My major challenge will be to juggle a number of activities which will support the overall success of the blogs, and to do it in a timely manner. If I break it down further, the challenges are maintaining high levels of consistency, and systematically tracking with pen and paper all that needs doing so nothing gets left behind.
Many thanks for ProBlogger, and warm wishes to you and your family for the new year!
Joe
I have a lot of ideas that I want to write about, but I don’t want to post too much and lose readers.
I blog in a fairly populous area — food + travel. My goal is to continue to distinguish myself from the pack and to somehow find a way to monetize my efforts in a meaningful way. What holds me back is my lack of knowledge/fear of the technical side (plug-ins, meta, etc.)
I predict my blogging challenges will be the same in 2010, with the added exception of getting a job as I’m now beginning my career as a freelancer, so I can still find time to write content.
My blog is 2 and a half years old now–that’s the most important thing! I’ve also met some new friends this year in person who really like my blog and want to follow in my footsteps. This has helped set the course for the future. ^_^
Sort of related to blogging: I’m launching a website in a few months that will help new and current bloggers in my niche to get exposure that others won’t broadcast on due to strange circumstances… I’m also planning to run a workshop at an event next year on others who want to have a blog like mine. :D