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Blog Engage $500 USD Guest Blogging Qualifying Article

When a person thinks of Hollywood, what he/she usually envisions is glitz and glamor, fancy cars and clothes, eye-popping jewelry, expensive lifestyle, huge, sprawling estates, blindness-inducing camera flashes, scantily clad women in tabloids, rumors, scandals, Marilyn Monroe, James Dean, lies, fallacies, hypocrisy, role-playing, heart-warming movies, spectacular soundtracks, awesome characters. You name it, Hollywood got it.

One thing you probably haven’t heard about is the fact that Hollywood is offering blogging lessons, too. To find out more, check out the following dates and addresses:

1. Show me the money! (Jerry Maguire – 1996)

A lot of newbie bloggers make the mistake of joining the “blogosforce” because they think blogging is a money-making machine. While that may be true at a certain level, thinking money will start pouring in on day one is one huge blunder. Like anything that’s bound to stay for the long haul, blogging is an undertaking that requires dedication, ingenuity and a lot of hard work.

Those bloggers you look up to, especially those raking in four to five, even six figures on a monthly basis, if you think they never went through the proverbial “eye of the needle” before they got to where they are now, you’re in for the biggest disappointment of your life.

2. Blogging is not writing. It’s just graffiti with punctuation. (Contagion – 2011)

While this line may sound a bit arbitrary, leaning towards misinformation about the true essence of blogging and/or a rather traditional, if not biased, perspective of graffiti, it’s best to remember that where there’s smoke, there’s fire.

Since its inception, the blogosphere has constantly been in the firing line for its alleged display of lack of responsibility. We’re not denying that – to a point, of course. And we concur that there is just cause for Dr. Ian Sussman of Contagion to hurl the statement at Alan Krumwiede, a blogger capitalizing on his prominence, as well as public hysteria, to manipulate stock price movement and make money. Then again, Alan Krumwiede, in general, is an exception to the rule. And exceptions don’t necessarily make the norm.

That said, however, every blogger is expected to uphold responsible netizenship in whatever size, shape and form.

3. Fly home, Buddy. I work alone. (The Incredibles – 2004)

Alright, Mr. Incredible, we got it. You work alone, and where did that take you? Well, little Buddy got you cornered. And if it weren’t for Elastic Girl and the gang … okay, let’s not even attempt to take that route.

You see, blogging is all about networking, connecting with people, building relationships. Blogging is not a one-man show. You may churn out killer content at a speed of 100 miles an hour, but if you can’t be bothered to join networks to help you promote your blog/s and vice versa, you’re better off getting those fly traps ready. (If you didn’t catch the jibe, I beg your pardon. But where I come from, goods or wares that don’t sell are figuratively fly-infested.)

4. You had me at “hello.” (Jerry Maguire – 1996)

If that isn’t her royal cheesiness summarized in a line, my diet of water and crackers is already taking its toll on me.

Kidding aside, a lot has been said about the creation of killer content, coming up with catchy tag lines and titles for your blog and blog posts. Same is true for an opening paragraph that catches a reader’s attention. Now, you wonder, why exactly are these important?

In this time and age where everything seems to be running full steam ahead while people are trying their damnedest to keep up, it will do you good to remember that whatever you do as a blogger – may that be for your domain name, slogan, blog post title, blog post introduction, etc. – the ultimate goal is to capture your target audience’s attention right off the bat. The moment you fail to make a good first impression, with so many other blogs and articles available at their disposal, it’s so easy to get left behind.

While lasting impressions are generally what count, in blogging, first impressions do matter. And once you get your reader’s attention, the next hurdle to clear is to make sure you keep it until your blog post has performed its final act.

5. My Mama always said, “Life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.” (Forrest Gump – 1994)

Some argue that blogging is a science. Others maintain that it’s an art. I don’t think there’s a reason for a debate. My humble opinion says blogging is both a science and an art.

In the not-too-distant past, SEO experts have found a way around Google’s ranking system and have succeeded quite magnificently in getting their blogs to rank first in the SERPs. For them, it was blogging at its best. They’ve finally outsmarted the bots and unlocked that mysterious science called Google algorithm, all the while mastering the art of dodging the Google slap.

Then came the penguin and the panda, black and white creatures that left many SEO professionals scratching their heads in disbelief. The moment everything started to sink in, everyone in the blogosphere was crying in unison, like a mantra to undead the dead, “Google is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re going to get.”

Google. Chocolates. Quite an analogy, I must say. Then again, the lesson to take away is crystal clear. Don’t rely too much on Google for traffic. Getting search engine traffic, as some would postulate, is cheap, but that only holds true until Google decides to change the tune of the music again.

Conclusion

Like movies and Hollywood , blogging can be fun if you know your priorities and set reasonable expectations. That being said, never, even for an instant, lose sight of the fact that blogging is not a walk in the park. Bloggers are bound to commit mistakes every now and then, even the seasoned ones. But mistakes are mistakes for a reason. As long as you learn from them, you’re one step closer towards the realization of your goals. As wise guy, Plato, would forever put it in history: Only the dead have seen the end of war.

Now, that sounds like the perfect tag line for a blogging movie. What do you think?

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

About Maricel Rivera

Maricel is a financial researcher, blogger and freelance web writer. When not writing for small to medium-sized businesses, she's writing for her personal blog.

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