- TipJunkie
Starting a blog can offer a lot of rewards in many unexpected ways. I’ve often read about people who thought of starting a blog for one reason but then found out they loved it so much that they were inspired to do more than they had originally planned to do with their newfound hobby. The new plan often includes monetization of some sort or embarking on a freelance writing career. I speak not only from hearsay on this one, but from experience as well. I went through the same kinds of change in direction not once but three times during my first year of blogging. Not to say that change is bad. It can actually be quite good to change direction quickly rather than trying to force something that just isn’t working. In spite of the changes, however, it’s important to be aware of and learn how to avoid the dreaded ‘blogging overwhelm’. Blogging overwhelm happens after the honeymoon phase when you realize that it takes more than just writing every day or multiple times a day to make your blog successful. Some people plug along determinedly once this realization hits, but others just quit from the frustration of feeling like they’re not getting anywhere with their blog, or worse yet, like they’re not talking to anyone at all. And let’s face it, that’s not a good feeling considering that part of the reason you started blogging was for the conversation.
But take heart! Even though it may sometimes feel like you’re alone, you’re not. All new bloggers go through the stages of development that eventually builds a strong blog and loyal followers. To help hasten the process, the following tips can act as a blueprint for you so you don’t have to feel like you’re re-inventing the wheel.
1. Plan Your Work and Work Your Plan
This is a basic tenet of project management and with good reason. It’s so easy to get distracted, especially when you spend a lot of time online. That’s why I set my internet homepage to go directly to my WordPress Dashboard and my email account to open directly to the page that shows my emails, instead of an introductory page which is filled with news stories and ads that can really end up wasting a lot of precious blogging time.
Make your “starting a blog” schedule up-front
Start with making a plan for yourself that realistically outlines how much time you have in the day or week to commit to not just blogging but to other activities which will help you to promote your blog such as social bookmarking and guest blogging. Designate a block of time each day or each week for each separate blog activity that you do, so you don’t have to scramble to fit any of them in. Some people let their blogs languish post-less for weeks because they simply haven’t found the time to write. Again, I speak from experience here, but don’t let this happen to you. I’m not saying that you should put up a lengthy post if you have nothing to say or if you’re super pressed for time, but saying just a little something every day or once a week – whatever your schedule is – is better than no contact at all.
Stick to the Schedule
More than likely, you have many other responsibilities in your life besides blogging. So it’s inevitable that sometimes you won’t be able to post as much as you would like. When this happens, though, don’t come back after the lapse to post about the lapse. We all know what it’s like to skip a day or a week and it’s okay to mention what you’ve been up to during your time away, but avoid the apology trap. Get on with talking about the things that encompass the true focus of your blog, which is what your readers have been missing in your absence.
The main point here is to know ahead of time what your blog’s focus, schedule and overall plan is and then to stick to those things as much as you can. Trust me, doing this will help you feel a lot more on track and in control of your blogging life.
2. Take a Blogging Break
Now I know this seems to directly contradict the previous tip, but what I mean here is that it’s so easy to try to get all your blogging inspiration and post ideas from other bloggers or from online sites that you follow. But inspiration is everywhere, folks. Take a quiet walk early in the morning or late in the evening and I guarantee you’ll come up with a post idea or two. Watching television, reading the paper, talking to kids – just being more observant when you’re out and about – are all ways to get creatively inspired. The author Julia Cameron has a creativity kit which is great for sparking unique ideas that could be good starting points for blog posts or articles.
3. Read Articles about Starting a Blog & Effective Networking
Mingling
One of the things I love about blogging is that it puts us all right back in nursery school where we’re learning how to act and getting a grasp of what’s expected of us in a new and unfamiliar world. How to play fair and share with others. How to make friends and learn our ABC’s. Blogging can seem like a somewhat lonely endeavor in the beginning, but it’s important to recognize that one of the best ways to come out of your shell, so to speak, is to get out there and network. There are so many ways to connect, from Social Media sites to niche-specific forums, that there’s no excuse for not mingling a bit. I “e-meet” so many people who say they have made such rich friendships online…some where they feel even more of a connection and rapport than with friends they have in real life! You may be more comfortable with just casual chats every now and then and that’s fine too – as long as you make the regular effort to connect. It could mean a world of difference to your blog traffic.
Learning Your ABC’s
It should be clearly obvious by now that there’s a lot more to blogging than, well, just blogging.
There are many people who have walked the same walk before you and it would serve you well to learn from their successes and well as their failures. Again, it’s about learning to work smarter not harder and the more you read blogs by people like Chris Brogan and Darren Rowse, as well as the main authority sites in your particular niche, the more you’ll understand how the blogging machine works and what to do to position yourself and your platform for the most effective reach.
4. Re-Think Twitter
I know I’m not alone when I say that I just did not get the whole Twitter thing at first. Even though I’ve finally figured out a way to make it work for me, I still talk to many people who are either utterly baffled or steadfastly refusing to jump into the 140-character fray. Believe me, I feel their pain. While I agree that Twitter is much more challenging to get the hang of than, say, Facebook or Linked In, I will share with you the three things that made a difference for me after reading, ironically, a Twitter post by Leo Babauta of Zen Habits:
- Don’t follow so many people. Trying to find people you know or that interest you in a stream of ten thousand thumbnails is impossible. Even if you ruffle some feathers by unfollowing, you will ultimately have an easier time keeping track of people when you’re only following fifty to a hundred really interesting accounts. Plus when your stream is manageable, you can interact more – which is the point.
- Don’t try to play catch-up with conversation threads. No matter how hard you try you won’t be able to see everything that happens on Twitter. You will have a much better experience if you simply follow in real-time instead of trying to save things to comment on later. Your list will get so long that you’ll never get to all of it. Instead, Leo likened the Twitter stream to an actual stream in which you jump in for a few minutes at a time, enjoy the interaction during those moments and then jump back out.
- Don’t feel compelled to say anything. It’s a natural urge to want to respond to things that we read on Twitter, but unless you’re retweeting or adding something interesting to an already existing conversation, you don’t need to act on every single tweet. By the same token, if you don’t have something funny, witty or interesting to say, it’s okay to say nothing for the moment and just be content to read other people’s links or tweets. Believe me, there will be plenty of things you’ll feel passionate about putting into the tweet stream, so wait for those moments.
5. Set Your Blogging Goal Up Front
I remember noticing a headline for an article once that was discussing whether or not to worry about getting comments on your blog. I clicked through to read the whole article because “who wouldn’t want comments on their blog?!” I thought. And, by the way, the fact that I stumbled upon a wonderful, informative site, Biz Chick’s Blog, which I now read and learn from regularly is proof of my earlier point about the importance of wandering around the blogosphere in search of enrichment tools. Anyway, the article made an excellent point about taking the purpose of your blog into consideration when deciding on your blogging plan of action. For instance if you’re selling a product or service, then your goal might be to simply create buzz around the product by offering informative articles and positioning yourself to answer questions from interested parties. In that case, your main concern is most likely focused on affiliate sales and building a mailing list of people who will buy your product or services and you may not care if you only get a couple of comments a week – as long as people are opting in to your list. On the other hand, if you’re building an authority site or you’re trying to raise your social media profile for yourself or a client, then engagement via regular interaction and comments is key.
Ride the Momentum
Once you have a clear idea of what your blogging goal is it will be much easier to know who to follow, what to blog about and how to plan out your blogging calendar.
These are just a few tips to get you started, but of course, there’s a wealth of information literally right at your fingertips. Take your time and recognize that blog success is really not an overnight endeavor. Create solid content, nurture reciprocal online relationships and read as much as you can about the business of blogging. Yes, the learning curve may seem really steep when you’re starting a blog, but the good news is that once you start to gain some momentum, there are lots of ways to leverage it for more opportunities that can help your blog grow even quicker.
Twitter: lavenderuses
says:
Hi Tisha
Really informative post. I have been blogging a few months now so can relate to lots of what you have shared. Enjoying the journey and although there have been bumps in the road; plenty of experienced bloggers around to cheer me on.
Just started doing product reviews and opened an Etsy store with beautiful products I sourced locally, so now the next part of my journey has begun. All new and I’m sure when I look back over the next few months, I will have learnt plenty too. Thanks for sharing.
Patricia Perth Australia
Patricia´s recent blog post ..Lavender Product Review-The Truth- The Whole Truth…
Twitter: TishaBerg
says:
Hi Patricia!
What a great and unique blog you have! Yes, this blogging journey does have a lot of learning curves. Just when you’ve mastered one thing, there’s something new to get the hang of. It is nice when you have a supportive community though, so good for you! And good luck with your Etsy store, I’m sure it’ll be as successful as your blog!
Tisha Berg´s recent blog post ..Life with Less- A Minimalist Fashion Statement
Great post. Very informative.
Joshua Berg´s recent blog post ..Three Things Thursday
Twitter: MrsMoodyGermany
says:
Hi Tisha,
you have pointed out my problem with twitter while i was new to twitter, OMG i followed everyone who follows me lol.
Sooner i realised it was a mistake.
Kimi´s recent blog post ..WordPress Copyright Footer- Display All Rights Reserved
Twitter: TishaBerg
says:
Hey Kimi!
Unfollowing hundreds of people made such a difference for my Twitter experience. I now really enjoy my time on it. I hope you were able to change things around after realizing you were following too many people. Thanks for your comments!
Tisha Berg´s recent blog post ..Life with Less- A Minimalist Fashion Statement
Twitter: bizchickblogs
says:
Hi Tisha – Great insights! And I’m happy to hear that you’re a reader of BCB
I’d say that your point about Twitter is right on, and while people should have plan, they should not die on the Twitter hill! 
Everything in moderation and realize that Twitter can only do so much.
Tia´s recent blog post ..5 Ways to Improve Blog Readership With Simple Design Changes
Twitter: TishaBerg
says:
Hi Tia!
Thanks – I appreciate the support! I’ve learned so much from reading your blog. And yes, I agree that some people definitely tend towards Twitter overkill. That’s why setting clear limits of 2 or 3 times a day where I just jump in, read a few things and maybe make a comment or two is working so much better for me. And I just use the online Twitter dashboard. I’ve tried Hootsuite, Tweetdeck and a few other interfaces, but they just seem to be even more of a time suck.
Thanks again for your comments, Tia!
Tisha Berg´s recent blog post ..Life with Less- A Minimalist Fashion Statement
Twitter: gilbertocintron
says:
Thank you so much for this very informative and insightful blog. I am one of those guys that started a blog every other week and never actually completed any of them. I guess you’d call that a scatter brain. Fact is I never felt confidant with my writing skills. Recently I decided to blog about things that I like, what ever they may be. Politics today, social media tomorrow, my dogs on Thursday. Once I decided that I was my audience everything fell into place, or is falling into place. I still don’t really get the whole twitter thing, but since there are these awesome little apps that let me tweet my blog post, that is how I use it.
Sorry I’m also very long winded. Thanks again and keep on doing what yer doing.
Gil
Gilberto Cintron´s recent blog post ..Off-Page Optimization
Twitter: TishaBerg
says:
Hi Gil,
Thanks for your comments! Trying to narrow down to one topic for your blog when you have so many interests can be challenging, but I think just starting and seeing where it takes you is a great idea. I don’t think starting over multiples times is scatter-brained, I think it takes courage to start all over when you realize you aren’t passionate about something – so bravo to you for not quitting and doing what feels natural! Sometimes it takes doing a lot of different things before you get to the point where you can be more specific.
Twitter: gilbertocintron
says:
Thanks Trish.
I’m learning to get out of my way. Finding something to write about with passion is difficult for me, I guess I’m more of an eclectic type. Now to hone my spelling and grammer and I think I’ll be on my way.
Have a blessed journey.
Gil
gilbertocintron´s recent blog post ..My eyes have seen the glory…
Twitter: melaniekissell
says:
Very cool, in-depth post, Tisha – lots of great tips and value here!
Thanks for the introduction to Biz Chicks Blog – Tia Peterson is amazing. And you’ve been holding out on me!. Aside from all the awesomeness on Biz Mommy, I had no idea your brilliance could also be found at What Matters Right Now. Stop keeping these secrets!
Melanie
Melanie Kissell´s recent blog post ..Sheila Atwood & Kathryn Griffiths- Special Premier “Internet Sisters” Post
Twitter: TishaBerg
says:
Hi Melanie!
Yes, Tia’s blog is terrific isn’t it?! Thanks so much for your lovely comments. I really appreciate the support. And I promise, no more secrets!
Tisha Berg´s recent blog post ..Life with Less- A Minimalist Fashion Statement
Thank you so much Tisha for your tips,
i have some blogs but none of them succeed,
i will try your tips on those blogs
avpower´s recent blog post ..Biggification
Twitter: educatedxchange
says:
Great article!
The thing that stuck out most to me, and is the most difficult for me to do, is take the break that you talked about in #2. I end up getting so into the goal of developing the blog that those indirect processes always seem like a waste of time. Then, when I do it though, it’s such a great, reflective and calming experience.
Thanks!
educatedexchange´s recent blog post ..Making Your Life Happen – Part 2
Very informative.. I just started my blog.. yesterday and am very nervous about keeping up with it and being accepted into the blogging community! I will definitely try and read even more on these subjects!
Twitter: TishaBerg
says:
Don’t be nervous Katie! I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised that there are most blogging communities are very welcoming and supportive. Best of luck to you with your blog…and I think you are very wise to read as much as you can; there’s so much to learn if you just reach out!
Tisha´s recent blog post ..The Minimalist Mindset – Why Giving Up Everything You Have is Still Not Enough
Twitter: alisonjgolden
says:
Thanks for this blog post. I recently dropped down from once a day to once a week when I noticed that I had a huge commitment coming up. I also was feeling overwhelmed and burdened by the expectation to write quality every day. I was also not able to devote time to promotion as I was so busy writing. Since then, my readership has gone up and up as I comment, and promote the content I have, I’m feeling more inspired and able to devote time to my other commitments. I’ll up the posting a bit shortly but for now I’m enjoying the break and hope to get ahead of myself by getting some posts scheduled instead of having to write everything for posting that day.
Alison Golden´s recent blog post ..The Holidays Are Upon Us – Do You Do Too Much At This Time Of Year
Twitter: TishaBerg
says:
Hey there Warrior Woman!!
Thanks for your comments! It’s amazing the difference it makes when we start going outside the walls of our own blogs to read and interact with other bloggers. I had the same experience as you with dropping off on blog posts because it felt like a burden. I don’t think the posting interval matters as much as the consistency. Whether it’s once a day or once a week, just making sure that there’s something readers can count on being written on a regular basis. And I agree that writing posts in bulk rather than one at a time is very helpful. It takes off that daily pressure to perform.
Tisha´s recent blog post ..The Minimalist Mindset – Why Giving Up Everything You Have is Still Not Enough
Twitter: BackyardMystic
says:
Your last point in goal setting was excellent. In the past 4 months of setting up my blog it was a challenge getting caught up in the mire of following others vs. finding my voice and making the plan so that not only I knew what and when new content was going to be delivered, but my growing audience can expect the same. Much appreciated.
Eric
Twitter: TishaBerg
says:
Hi Eric!
Yes, setting a goal was one of the things that made a BIG difference in my writing style, my posting consistency and the people I chose to interact with. I think having that clarity about what you want early on can make the difference between having a fun and successful blogging experience and just giving it up altogether. Thanks so much for your comments!
Tisha´s recent blog post ..The Minimalist Mindset – Why Giving Up Everything You Have is Still Not Enough
Twitter: keepkalm
says:
Most important thing to do keep writing all the time, every day at least.
Twitter: TishaBerg
says:
Hey Kyle!
I concur – writing daily is best and will probably yield the greatest rewards. But since that’s not possible for many people because of other commitments, then it’s important to at least write a couple a times a week consistently.
Tisha´s recent blog post ..The Minimalist Mindset – Why Giving Up Everything You Have is Still Not Enough
Tisha, thank you very much for this post. I have trouble managing my time, and I loved the idea of setting your homepage to be the dashboard of your blog and going straight to your email. I am one of those who love information and it would be almost impossible for me to open my current homepage (msn) and not click on a few links to read some of the stories. I think your little tip about changing the homepage is the answer to y problem. Thanks again.
satrap´s recent blog post ..an Easy Way to Earn Money Online Without Investment
Twitter: TishaBerg
says:
Hi Satrap,
I’m glad you found a tip that can help you avoid distraction when sitting down to blog. Wasting time with the latest news items and headlines was a big problem for me until I finally just had enough of feeling so unproductive with the hours I spent online. I hope this new strategy works as well for you as it has for me!
Tisha´s recent blog post ..The Minimalist Mindset – Why Giving Up Everything You Have is Still Not Enough
Thank You for such a wonderful post. I’m a novice in Blogging. I hope this would help me..
Lalit Indoria´s recent blog post ..How to add Favicon to your Blogger Blog
Twitter: TishaBerg
says:
Thanks for your comment Lalit! I wish you the best of luck to you with your blog. If you ever have any questions, I’d be happy to try and help.
Tisha´s recent blog post ..The Minimalist Mindset – Why Giving Up Everything You Have is Still Not Enough
good write up! I STILL dont get twitter – this is one thing that i still dont have and IDK if its a good thing or a bad thing. I feel that twitter would just be another thing for me to mess around with and constantly update – and that time could be used to update my blog!
zoopco´s recent blog post ..ZOOPCO is now CommentLuv Enabled
Twitter: TishaBerg
says:
Hey Zoopco – thanks! Yah, I know Twitter can be frustrating and although I’ve made some peace with it, I realize it’s just not for everybody. And I agree, if it’s too much to even think about for you, your time is probably better spent writing some wonderful posts!
Tisha´s recent blog post ..The Minimalist Mindset – Why Giving Up Everything You Have is Still Not Enough