Some Simple yet Powerful Blogging Tips for 2010

These days in the state of the global economy everyone is flocking online in their own personal attempts at grabbing their share of the modern gold rush. The vast majority of these people put all their hopes into MLM companies and get rich quick schemes. The smarter ones turn their attention to blogging to fulfill their dreams. But why is it that nearly everyone who starts a blog will eventually fail?

The simple fact is this; most people know how to start a blog and most know how to cash the checks that eventually do come, however not many people know how to keep a blogging thriving through thick and thin. The following are some basic but powerful tips to keep you afloat and help you establish yourself in the blogosphere.

1. Pinpoint Your Ideas

A lot of people coming into the blogosphere like to write about their own thoughts and daily experiences. Sadly to say these type of blogs will fail %99 of the time. So will blogs that aren’t focused and narrowed.

The reason behind this is that blogs that don’t focus on one, two or three main ideas and then stick to these ideas fall into the mix. For example, my blog at http://createwithnate.com focuses on twitter tips, social media help and wordpress blogging. Thus the people that come to my blog and ultimately subscribe know what to expect. They know they will find more tips on social media and blogging.

If your blog has no definite topic why would anyone subscribe? Why would anyone return to your blog? People need to know what kind of resources you’re offering and the only way your blog can survive is with return visitors.

2. Pinpoint the Right Ideas

Even more important than having a focused topic(s) is having the right topic. Don’t just come firing out the gates with whatever you want to write about. Research your possible ideas and find the competition behind these ideas.

There’s no sense writing about an awesome topic if the market for that topic is heavily saturated and full of well established competition. Blogging is not about being the best writer, it’s about being the smartest writer and making the most out of your efforts.

Choosing your new blog’s topic is crucial! If you need further insight on choosing a topic feel free to visit my other post entitled I want to blog but I’m no expert on anything and I don’t know what to blog-about…

3. Make Friends

You can’t do it alone. You really can’t. Blogging, though at first may seem like a solo endeavor is most definitely a team support. Form alliances, meet new associates and connect with other bloggers. The more friends you make the more exposure you get and the more shoulders you ultimately have to lean on.

Don’t shut out future business partners. You never know who might come your way one day and what kind of role they might play in your future blogging efforts. Be as open as possible and make an effort to connect with other bloggers, even if the effort is as simple as a friendly comment – you never know where that comment might lead.

4. Get Ready for War

Successful blogging is like a war, a war with yourself. You’ll get fed up, your initial enthusiasm will run out, you’ll question your efforts and you’ll get down on yourself. Blogging is a marathon and not a sprint!

I’ve said before that when you choose a blogging topic you have to ask yourself, “can I see myself writing about these same topics 12 months from now?” If the answer is no, pick a new topic.

When you enter the blogosphere the only enemy you’ll have is yourself. It’s not your competition or fellow bloggers, but yourself. Learning to keep your head up when the going gets tough is really the only way to make it. Keep cranking out posts filled with value and the readers will come.

5. The Money will Come

The reason why so many people flock to MLM when they try to make money online is because MLM has the quickest return on investment (that is if you’re one of the few that actually can make money in MLM). Blogging and affiliate marketing on the other hand take time. You won’t see any cash right away.

In order to actually make money from blogging you’ll either need to set up ads or start peddling affiliate products (preferably both). And the only way you can make money from these methods is by having a large following of readers as well as a steady flow of traffic. And these things take time.

Blogging takes time to make money however, when the money does start to come in it is a much more reliable, rewarding and steady flow of income. It’s not like MLM companies where the ground can crumble from underneath you at any moment.

Summing it All Up

All you really need to keep in mind when starting your own blog is this…

• Pick a topic that can actually make you money. This means something that has a market (not saturated) and not writing about too many topics.
• Form alliances, because you can’t do it alone. You simply can’t. You need shoulders to stand on and you need others to stand on your shoulders. So always be on the lookout for that next business partner.
• Treat yourself, don’t cheat yourself. Being a successful blogger isn’t easy, but it’s not impossible either. When negative thoughts fill your head and hinder your efforts, take a breather and keep at it.
• Be patient. We’re all trying to make money, and the money will come. But blogging takes time and you need to realize that all your efforts will pay off eventually.

Finally: Work Smarter, Not Harder

In anything you do online your efforts are not directly reflected in your paycheck. Just because you work twice as hard doesn’t mean you’re going to make twice as much money. On the flip side, you can double your efforts and make 10 times the money over night.

Smart decisions equals money. Tweaking your efforts by just a hair in the right direction can mean huge payoffs. You don’t have to crank out twice as many posts to make more money, this can even hurt you. Get a feel for your market and do your research!

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