A Blogger Grows Up

When I first started blogging it was for a school assignment. I admit I didn't put much stock into the whole social media trend as a whole and at times thought my blog was more of a chore than anything. I was coming into college as an older student and personally thought many of my counterparts (who were much younger obviously), were out of their minds. I mean really, what the heck was Twitter and Facebook anyway to a single mom quickly approaching 30?)

Luckily I had a great teacher (actually a couple of them) who really knew their stuff and managed to convince me that I would indeed be able to use social media and PR in my efforts to help save the planet. Much to many of my classmates confusion, I wanted to work in conservation (small salary) rather than in some big corporate boutique (big bucks). I think they thought I was a little nutty, which I was, but that is another blog entirely :)

Now over two years later, my one-time assignment has grown to become so much more than just a writing task, pleasant past time, and is certainly not a chore, but an activity I look forward too each week.

However, this change didn't happen overnight and to tell the truth was not an easy or convenient path. First of all there has been much change along the way. Thanks to some great input from fellow bloggers, some great books, and steady support from a few pro's I have met along the way, I think I have a much better idea about what works and what doesn't as far as promoting my blog, although I admit I am always learning.

In the beginning I'm sure I was one of those annoying bloggers with the one word replies, multiple eye-popping (read:eye-sore) applications on my template, and little if any forethought as to design, aesthetics, traffic, etc. I just wanted to write and I wanted to share it and I didn't really care much as to how that was accomplished.

Well after getting a few comments (not all of them supportive), I realized that maybe I should start seeking out the advice of those who I considered successful if I really wanted to make a go as a "real" blogger.

I subscribed to a few really good blogs, read a few books and started keeping a running file of tips that I in turn shared with people (unbelievably) came to me for advice. Eventually this paid off in that I was able to share everything I had learned about blogging and social media with my co-workers which then garnered me enough attention and respect to help me actually re-write my job description. Pretty cool.

Now I actually have four blogs in addition to the one I operate for work, and actually have a tiny bit of revenue coming in, which is nice since I work for the love not the money of my profession. I feel a little bit of freedom being able to write within different niches rather than being boxed in by one topic and I get to experiment with different looks and themes as I continue to grow as a writer and a blogger.

I am by no means a blogging guru, or even a consultant at this point, but in my desire to share the knowledge (which I believe is good karma) here are a few of the more important pointers that I have picked up along my journey. I don't always follow all of my own advice....but am actively working towards it, and I hope that this helps all of those who aim to be a good blogger. Thanks to all my readers for the last couple of years and I hope you stick around for the next couple as things keep changing and getting better at Everyday PR.

1. Own your own domain (if possible) - Problogger points out that this is the first step to go about having a really great blog. I do actually own my domain names and feel this makes all of my writing appear more professional.

2. Back up your content - There are so many blogging horror stories about people losing their content that I don't need to rehash it - simply google it and you will find out for yourself how bad it can be to suddenly have years of hard work GONE....

3. Self-host if you are able (refer to "blogging for dummies" and "problogger") - I don't actually do this one yet, primarily because until recently I didn't realize it was possible (I know I am a little slow sometimes) and also because I didn't feel comfortable enough with my html skills to mess around with it. I am slowly learning though and look forward to the day I can self host.

4. Promote, promote, promote - Want traffic, you gotta let people know. You have to share with others if you want them to share with you. Comment respectfully, responsibly and be relevant and traffic will come to you. DO NOT shamelessly plug your own agenda unless you are adding value to the conversation. It is annoying and you will be blacklisted and eventually ignored. It is OK though to have a link in your e-mail signature line, to comment frequently on blogs you follow and to post links to helpful and relevant posts in forums, chat rooms and on Twitter. You may start small, but that is OK. Quality content will speak for itself, but it doesn't happen overnight (well most of the time).

5. Treat it like a job. It is. - If you truly want to succeed as a blogger then you must prioritize it and treat it as an investment of your time, energy and even part of your hard-earned income (assuming that as most of us you actually work a full time "regular" job in addition to blogging). Schedule time to write, stay consistent and work hard to make your blog something you can stand behind and be proud of. You won't be sorry.

Hope you enjoyed this and please send me your tips. Also please feel free to let me know if I have forgotten anything really important. We are all in this together and I appreciate all the help I can get.