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As I approach the two month anniversary of my blog, The Junk Drawer, I thought I’d take stock and do a self-assessment. With any new venture, it’s worth taking a step back to review what’s working and what’s not, make corrections and produce a better product.
What I do right:
1. I write for the thrill of it. Writing has always been a passion for me, but because I’m not confident enough to try writing for a living, I decided to write for a blog. It offers me a much-needed creative outlet and gives me a venue to build confidence and see whether my dream of being a full-time writer has any legs.
2. I make connections with other bloggers. It seems to me the best way to build a readership is to read other blogs that interest me and communicate with their authors. Whether it’s through email or comments I leave, I make connections with those I can learn the most from. My blog gains new visitors as a result, and I benefit from the expertise of seasoned bloggers. Never ignore your own readers. Especially when you’re new, respond to every comment someone leaves you. This builds loyalty, a critical need for the new blogger.
3. I research how to design and build a better blog. There’s no substitute for good research. When you’re new, read blogs on blogging. You’ll begin to see a pattern of rules to follow. Also, pay close attention to the blogs you find visually stimulating and those that are well-written, such as this one. Blogs with lots of subscribers got that way for a reason. Take note of what they’re doing and apply similar techniques to your own blog.
4. I jot down blog ideas as soon as they pop into my head. Whether you use a notepad or online tool to journal your ideas, make sure you record your ideas when they come to you. Some ideas are so fleeting and you don’t want to forget anything. Some of my best posts began as just a tiny nugget and grew into highly-read stories. Don’t let that great idea get away!
What I’m doing wrong (and need to fix!):
1. I didn’t have the foresight to get my own domain name and host. I’m blogging with Blogger, and it’s not a bad way to do it. It’s just that now I want to individualize my blog and separate from the pack. I may have chosen a different name, as well, had I known how much it will cost me to get The Junk Drawer domain (or some similar name).
2. I’m obsessed about my stats, and it’s taking away from writing new posts. I use Clicky and Google Analytics to monitor my readership, but it’s too easy to check constantly. “Living in the now” is hindering my focus on the future.
3. I don’t have a clear-cut niche. I’m still on the fence about what to do as a result. I have three main interests: technology tips for the average user, language/linguistics topics, and humor writing. I expect my blog will morph into strictly humor writing, for two reasons: 1) It’s what gives me the most enjoyment to write, and 2) My humor pieces are getting the most comments and feedback. Simply put — people like my humor stuff better. Don’t ignore what you do best and what posts get the most response. It’ll tell you everything about what to write.
4. I haven’t figured out all the mechanics of blogging yet. I expect when I move to my own domain name and switch to WordPress, I’ll have even more to learn. My blog is designed very simply, but I want more flexibility for my blog’s look and feel.
5. I’m still new to “selling my blog.” Not knowing the best places to publicize my blog is where I’m failing the most. I’ve had zero success with submitting to Digg and StumbleUpon, but have some success with social networking sites and improving my SEO techniques. It’s probably something a little more research will cure.
Let’s hear from some other new bloggers. If you’ve been blogging for less than six months, drop a line and let us know what lessons you’ve learned. What would you do differently if you could start your blog all over again?
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Tay — Thanks for allowing me to guest post. Doing a self-assessment was a healthy exercise.
Congratulations on reaching two months. A lot of people give up after the first couple of weeks when it becomes more work than fun. Keep it up……
@Kathy - No, thank YOU. It was great and fresh to see something like this from another point of view, and also helpful to the readers because you prove some great points. If you ever want to guest blog again, feel free to submit another anytime.
I would leave the word sex out of my domain name.
Had no idea what i was doing. Learning I am still learning I am only 2 months in but I am enjoying it. Want more readers but I love to write. So i do it for the thrill.
@Da Kinky Kid - That’s great that you’re passionate about your blog, because if you aren’t, to be honest, it would never be successful and people wouldn’t be half as interested because there wouldn’t be feeling behind it.
Blogging is a learning process and for most, it takes time. From the very beginning we’ve all made mistakes, even the so-called “pros” or “A-listers”. But as long as you take every mistake and turn it into a postive experience you’ve learned from, you’re doing great.