First of all I am not an expert on blogging, social media, or networking but as editor and chief of Life is Hard Laugh Anyway, I have learned a few things in my personal blog journey. Below are just a few of those things I would like to share today.
Product reviews sound fun and exciting but not until you get the right product. Sure I have been contacted by several companies to do a product review. Some are more interesting than others, but I need to make sure it is the right fit and that I can commit to ensuring a good review. In order to really reap the benefits of product review, it will require some work and sometimes research to develop a good review that your readers will appreciate. Note: I am still waiting for Nikon, Canon, Apple and Mercedes to contact me. Then let the GOOD TIMES roll!
Google Ads will not make you rich. I have earned $7 since July 2011 and they won’t issue you a check until you earn at least $10. I am really hoping to see that money by Christmas. I am not saying you can’t earn a decent wage from the ads, but it’ll take more than just placing them on your sidebar to earn any type of respectable income.
Confession: Sometimes instead of just leaving comments on a fellow blog site, I click all the ads too. You can thank me later.
Blogger Circles. It’s true, just like in real life you develop a circle of friends. It is tough when you start out because everyone wants to be in the popular group, but you don’t always get in. Get over it. The “cool” bloggers may never stop by your site or even reply to your comments. It is OKAY! Trust me I sought after many blog connections before I finally developed, what I like to call, a blog network of friends. And people join and leave the network as they so desire. It is OKAY!
Comments. Leave quality comments on other blogs that you visit, “stopping by from blog hop” and “please follow back” are not comments that make someone who poured their heart and soul into a post hurry over to your site. I know several bloggers that delete those comments. Okay, I confess I left poor comments when I first started out but I didn’t know any better. And with that said I don’t want you to start off or continue down that path.
Twitter can be your friend or enemy. If you want me to follow, mention, or retweet you, please engage me into your tweet stream. Trust that I will want to check out those tweeps that are connecting with me on a personal level. Posting a thousand giveaways and retweeting your own post a thousand times a day doesn’t intrigue me. NOT ONE BIT. If you are giving away a million dollars, that is totally different. When doing this be sure to mention @AnOptimisticMom and I will be right over to Tweet, Like, and +1 the crap out of your giveaway.
Presentation. Make sure your blog is visually appealing. You could have the formula for the fountain of youth posted, but no one will ever know it if your site is a HOT MESS! Now some people probably think that this site is not nicely done or well organized. BUT I am pretty sure it isn’t you. HOW? Because you are here reading. Get my point?
Note: If you are just starting a blog consider keeping it private until you polish it off a bit. Looking back I wish I had done this. I know I scared off a few potential followers with the scary generic design I used.
Use your personal voice. When I visit your blog I am not looking for a dissertation. Be you! That is who I will connect with. It is hard to be someone you are not and readers will recognize your inconsistency. Please be careful not to confuse versatility with being someone you are not.
Just a few additional notes:
- Remember it is your blog site, make it your own.
- You don’t have to follow the beaten blog path with your posts.
- Don’t be afraid to take a chance.
- Being unique is what will make you stand out above the others.
I have learned a lot, but still have much more to learn. I know I would like to work towards the next level and connect with even more people on a personal and professional level. I would really like to attend or even speak at blog related events within the next year or so. However, one of my ultimate goals is to be able to help others realize that life doesn’t have to be hard every single day and that you can turn a bad situation around. Life is hard, laugh anyway is truly the message I want to send to the world.
If you are a blogger what have you learned in your journey? And, if anyone has tips on how I can meet my ultimate blog goals be sure to share them in the comments? I’m listening.
