Everyone that gets serious about blogging wants to be successful. No one decides to start blogging and then plans ahead of time when they will give up. A recent infographic from onlineeducation.net stated that daily 900,000 posts are added to the blogosphere! I’ve read many posts about the state of blogging, how countless people start and then bail soon after. How many millions of blogs sit out there never to be updated again?
If you’re reading this I can assume you want to have a successful blog? Good. You need a plan. I need a plan. And not just any plan. My blog (infocarnivore) has been in existence for about six months. That makes it a baby, and me a baby blogger. Still learning. When most people talk about success in the context of blogging they are referring to making money. I’m learning the biggest secret to making money as a blogger is patience (which unfortunately you can’t buy), combined with quality content.
Be an Elder Statesman in your niche
I recently read an article from Source Blogger titled “How Alexa Rank Destroys New Bloggers”, in his post he asserts “Your blogging progress should be based on a 3-5 year plan, not 3-5 weeks… while that may seem an eternity to the present pace of social media and technology, for a blog it is a common investment.” A commenter named Richard added to the conversation saying “… I think so many blogs come and go so quickly that if you’re still around in 3 years, you’ll really be an elder statesman in your niche.“
As we take a look at developing a plan for our blog, we need to be prepared to think long term. Too many bloggers get derailed by their desire to make money, and when that doesn’t work out discouragement sets in fast.
Key areas of focus for a five year plan to successful blogging.
Most bloggers that bail out get ahead of themselves. If you’re going to have a long term plan there have to be areas of focus which must be a greater priority than others. The plan doesn’t tell you what to do and what not do in each year, but rather what should be consuming most of your time. Many bloggers suggest doing keyword research for your blog before you even launch. I on the other hand think that as long as you understand SEO basics that you may be better off to do that stuff as you go. It is highly likely that your keywords will change as your blog ages. Putting a lot of time into SEO early on could be counterproductive.
Year 1
In your first year put the idea of making money in the back of your mind. Don’t focus on stats and don’t worry about your traffic. Definitely don’t concern yourself with advertising, feel free to implement and play around with google adsense, but don’t allow yourself to be distracted by it. Your priority this year is content. Take this time to develop quality content and feel out your niche. Tip: Try to develop timeless content, articles that will have value months or even years down the road. As your blog develops you may find your niche narrows or expands, be okay with that. Spend time playing around with the overall presentation of your blog. Successful bloggers recommend taking at least a year to develop content before really going hard with blog promotion. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t promote your blog, by all means do what you can to get it out there, BUT if you’re spending more time promoting than you are developing content your priorities are misaligned.
Year 2
In your second year start investing more time into social networking, and developing the SEO of your blog. Now that you’ve got a reasonable amount of content, it is time to promote your blog. As you begin to develop a faithful base of readers you will find that they take the time to promote your content for you. Popular bloggers no longer have to tweet their own posts or submit them to social networking sites. Of course, we’re not there yet so for now explore your options for spreading your content as far and wide on the web as you can. Don’t forget developing content is still (and always will be) a priority.
Year 3
Begin to invest energy into building and connecting with your reader base. It is likely that you already have a mailing list by this time. Begin to explore different opportunities for monetizing your blog, take a look at different advertising platforms and begin to research affiliate marketing options. Affiliate Marketing will be the key to your success as a blogger, but that doesn’t mean just joining any affiliate program. Your niche will determine what will work best for you. Take an extended period of time to research your options, and begin to consider your business plan for promoting and generating sales. Your third year will be filled with content creation, blog promotion, and affiliate research.
Years 4 – 5
It’s time to focus your attention to finding success with affiliate marketing. Continue to produce quality content, and put everything from your previous years together. If you’ve invested this amount of time into your blog, then it is very likely that you’ve become an elder statesman in your niche, congratulations!
What’s in your plan?
I really wonder how well I’ll be able to stick to my plan. After all, I’m easily distracted by social networks, I get preoccupied with blog promotion, and I tend to struggle to make time for real quality content creation… thankfully I have a few years! So let’s start the conversation, what’s your plan look like? Or, do you think mine is totally crazy?
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Twitter: DocSheldon
Good points, Daniel. I think too many people have the tendency to make a decision, and rush into it headlong, without any real plan. Like many young married people, they later find that they weren’t in love with their new spouse so much as they were in love with the idea of being married.
Richard is probably correct about being an “elder statesman” if you survive three years. Many blogs come and go every day, and I think that a lack of planning (or following that plan) is probably the single largest reason behind the demise of those that fail.
My first was one of those headlong rushes. I decided that I needed to have a blog, and proceeded to set one up. Only after a few weeks did I start thinking of what I intended to blog about. Talk about putting the cart before the horse!
The only area in which I would disagree with you slightly is the third year. I think that is far too long to begin connecting with your readers. With the right writing style, you can begin that connection process with the very first post a new reader sees. I would be inclined to put connecting very early in the developmental stages, while accumulating great content.
Great post!
Doc Sheldon recently posted..Search Experience Optimization – A New Strategy
Twitter: Daniel
Thanks Doc for the feedback. I like how you put “if you survive three years…” in a big way blogging certainly is about surviving! Too true about needing to begin engaging your readers right from the get go. I was trying to imply that you really need to shift your focus into reader engagement in a HUGE way by that time. Of course the time lines would blend together for some bloggers for sure. You can’t do one thing and ignore all the others.
What would be a tip for actually engaging with readers through your posts? We know the obvious suggestions of asking questions, but is there a real way to make blogging more personal? There’s nothing I dislike more than finding blogs where the owner seems absent… who is behind the scenes? I want to make my blog open so people know who I am, and know that I’m there and available. Any advice?
Daniel Snyder recently posted..Why I never retweet Mashable
Twitter: Techpupil
That’s a big plan, you got there Daniel. When I started blogging, I didn’t really have any plan. But still my bloggign years are going some what according to your plan (because they are a lot of great bloggers like you to teach us newbies). My first year, I was focusing on content, seo and design (I was constantly chaging my design. My second year (currently), I am focusing on thinking, writing, promoting and networking. By far, everything had gone pretty well. Anyway, Thanks for the great content, Daniel.
Jeevan Jacob John
Twitter: Daniel
You gotta be bold and have big plans if you want to make it big! Why make a little plan? Like you I didn’t have a plan when I started blogging, but I’ve read a lot of articles and sought out a lot of advice… I feel honored that you think I’m in a position to ‘teach the newbies’ as you put it… I do attempt to carry myself as a blogging leader even though I’m still learning. It’s all about attitude and perspective.
Every blogger is learning no matter what stage you are at.
Thanks for your comment. What methods are you using for promoting and networking? Where do you spend most your time doing this online?
Daniel Snyder recently posted..Why I never retweet Mashable
Twitter: Blognetworking
I use Twitter, Stumbleupon and Blogengage to promote my article. For networking, I focus on commenting and Guest Blogging. Blogengage really helped me to learn a lot. I spend most of the time networking and thinking. (Thinking is the key to writing excellent articles). I thinking the most important thing is creating better content and Networking. Twitter RT clubs has helped me to meet new bloggers (Den Harsh’s RT club is the one).
Thanks for the reply, Daniel
Jeevan Jacob John
jeevanjacobjohn recently posted..Write like a Pro-blogger !
Twitter: Daniel
This is why I love blogging, I get to connect with people and learn more about how better to network.
One thing you mention I’ve been super curious about lately is Stumbleupon… I use it – a lot – but I don’t feel I’ve been to successful with blog promotion through it. How do you grow in the community so you can develop more stumbles for your submissions?
Never heard of a Twitter RT club, so… gonna check that out 4 sure! Thanks man.
Daniel Snyder recently posted..Why I never retweet Mashable
Twitter: Blognetworking
I have received huge amounts of traffic via Stumbleupon. The secret to receiving 100+ visitors per stumble is to have a catchy title. For me the titles did the job. Lately though, I have been receiving very little traffic (I think its because I don’t stumble other’s content). I am shifting my gears to connecting with people (following them, stumbling etc) which would really help me to build my reputation in the stumbling world.
Twitter RT club has earned me an extra 20+ retweets per article. All you do is share other blogger’s tweets if you think they are worth one (RT in exchange for another RT). These clubs can also help us to meet new bloggers (I certainly have added 15+ bloggers to my list).
jeevanjacobjohn recently posted..Write like a Pro-blogger !
Twitter: SourceBlogger
Daniel,
Unfortunately, in this day and age of blogging, new bloggers have to possess a diversified strategy that covers all these bases right out of the gate.
As long as new bloggers have realistic expectations, do not feel like there is some entitlement issue, and are receptive to a lot of the online resources that are there to guide them, that is really the first hurdle.
While longevity accounts for some kudos for survival, that’s not a substitute for real creativity and true blogging ability.
Personally, I’ve always viewed blogging as sort of an introduction to other entrepreneurial opportunities online…not sure what other readers may think?
Thank you for the reference of Source Blogger within your article and good luck to you.
Jeffrey Baril of Source Blogger
Jeffrey Baril – Source Blogger recently posted..How To Customize Your Facebook Fan Page URL
Twitter: Daniel
Jeffrey, I think more people need to hear that message about ‘realistic expectations’. In general in the blogging world I think there is a mentality of easy money, even though we are bombarded with posts about how it simply isn’t easy money. With the double messages bloggers often put an expectation on themselves which will lead to frustration, disappointment and unnecessary pressure and stress. (I’ve experienced this!) …
how can we help people develop a realistic perspective on blogging?
Daniel Snyder recently posted..Why I never retweet Mashable
This is so you. I know nothing about blogging but find it kind of neat to see yourself and others I know do this blogging . I thought about it checked it out breifly but was too much, big planning as you say.
Twitter: Daniel
Hey Warren, thanks for popping over here and being a part of this even though you’re not a blogger (yet!) … I know what you mean about being overwhelmed by the immensity of blogging – that doesn’t mean it still couldn’t have value for you! Blogging is not just about producing content for the end goal of making money. Many millions of people blog just to get their thoughts out and share words of encouragement or the journey of their life with whoever may read it… I always encourage people to start blogging even if they don’t feel like they have anything to say. I believe most people will surprise themselves with how much they do have to say, once they start raising their voice!
Daniel Snyder recently posted..Why I never retweet Mashable
Great post Daniel. I have often heard it said, “aim at nothing and that’s what you will you hit.’ Your post is a great reminder to new and old alike in the blogging world the importance of a plan. I am still quite new to blogging and I found your post very informative and helpful. Keep up the great work.
Twitter: Daniel
Thanks Sean, I appreciate your positive feedback. You’re right about the famous quote “aim at nothing and that’s what you will hit” … too many people live their lives this way (blogging aside). We had best discover or purpose and identity before we start doing stuff or we may wander aimlessly for a lifetime. I know you’ve seen this happen with people you work with.
In the same vein, successful blogging has got to be focused.
Daniel Snyder recently posted..Why I never retweet Mashable
Amazing post Daniel, I will revisit this again and I am sure to start to apply it to my blog
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Twitter: Daniel
Bro, thanks for the comment and encouragement! I watch your blog, and you’ve got potential! Your open and honest about your learning curve, and you write in a way which engages your readers. Don’t give up, it’s early in your five year plan!
Daniel Snyder recently posted..Why I never retweet Mashable
I agree content should be the first priority. Looking at traffic stats in the beginning can be less than encouraging…don’t look often. I think getting involved in social media like Twitter helps in the beginning in that it is good to follow similar blogs and see how they are doing things..and to network with them.
Melinda recently posted..Organize your spices with the Spice Stack
Twitter: Daniel
The obsession with stats is so strange. I admit I am one who checks far too often (though I’ve gotten better), I had to intentionally decide to only check it once a day. There is value in looking at your stats as you can gauge what methods of promotion are working of course – so you can’t ignore them completely.
You are so right about following similar blogs in the same niche… I found it super valuable to connect with other bloggers and develop relationships with them – not only do they become blogging friends, but they also give encouragement to the journey!
Thanks for the feedback Melinda!
Daniel Snyder recently posted..Why I never retweet Mashable
Twitter: theeventof
I really like how you broke down the five year plan into specific goals for each year. I do agree with your points about content first ads and traffic second. Early on building quality content and connections with other bloggers should be your primary goal.
As for my five year plan – Most of it is very similar to yours. The first couple years will involve writing content about my topics of choice and promoting them through the limited means that I can handle to grow a reader base slowly. I’ll be experimenting with advertising and affiliate programs but nothing too serious. As the later 1/2 of the 5 year I’ll begin looking for alternate ways to benefit my regular readers i.e. newsletters, ebooks, recommendations etc.
One thing that I think you should mention in years 3-5 is start looking for partners in your blog. Be it an editor, bringing in more writers, a designer, someone to monitor and respond to comments. As you get 1000s of posts and 10s of thousands of pageviews a day it will certainly begin to become overwhelming to handle on your own and to continue to grow your site you will need more help maintaining it.
Thanks for the post it helped me start thinking about my blogs future as well.
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Twitter: Daniel
John, this is a brilliant comment you’ve left here. I never considered how important what you are mentioning about seeking partners for your blog. By thinking that way early on, you are setting yourself up for success! Already you are dreaming big, and expecting your blog to flourish – that is the kind of attitude that succeeds! I love it.
Now I’m really looking forward to the day that I need more help maintaining my blog. Glad this post helped you start thinking about the future of your blog. I’ve told you before that I like the concept you have going on over there, my one concern is that you may limit yourself by having too narrow of a niche – how is that going for you?
Daniel Snyder recently posted..Why I never retweet Mashable
Twitter: theeventof
Sorry it took so long for me to reply to this I’ve been busy.
Thanks for the compliment about the comment I left i did put a lot of thought into it and just like yourself I am looking forward to needing to bring in help! That is truly when you know you’ve been successful.
Thanks also for the compliment on my blog thought too narrow!? Lol i’ve been thinking my niche was too broad all this time. The problem I suppose is it’s not truly focused because it is a very editorial style of blogging where I give opinions on various things from events, to youtube videos, to movies, to tech news. I suppose in a way it’s narrow but, it makes it extremely hard to think of products to offer.
Thanks again for this post and good luck in the contest!
John recently posted..…Taking it All In
Twitter: Daniel
John, I guess what I meant by narrow was simply the concept – I guess it appeared to be forcing you to write a broad range of topics from a very narrow viewpoint. I see what you mean about it being both broad and narrow at the same time. It does also look like a challenge to find products, but at the same time perhaps give opportunity for some very original products… In any case, the development and journey of a blog is half the fun! And it should be fun… so keep going! Thanks for your comments here… See ya!
Daniel Snyder recently posted..Brand Your blog- “Above the Fold”
Twitter: theeventof
Ahh I see what you mean and I think we were both talking about the same thing lol.
The post you wrote here talks about how the first year of your blog is filled with experimenting, be it topics, colors, themes or adverts. The fact that not only is my blog in it’s first year, but myself as a blogger am in my first year, this certainly has a compound effect on the experimentation going on.
I am eagerly looking forward to seeing my blog and my overall emersion into the blogging world mature over time. It’s going to be a quite the journey!
John recently posted..…Taking it All In
Twitter: maddencorner
Good job Dan. I think there have been so many stories about people blogging and become rich that they just thing anything will do. You definitely have to have a plan to be successful at blogging.
Twitter: Daniel
Thanks for the compliment man, I really appreciate your feedback. You’ve been a fantastic connection, and I appreciated you guest blogging at info carnivore (You’re welcome to do it again anytime!). The get rich blogging stories are awesome, but like Jeffrey said we have to have ‘realistic expectations’ … of course that doesn’t mean aim low – but it certainly does mean be patient, and work hard at it… the money doesn’t come over night!
Daniel Snyder recently posted..Why I never retweet Mashable
Twitter: GrowMap
This post reminds me of the cool image Adotas had created for a guest post I did of a cart before the horse. I hope you don’t mind if I share my few cents based on what I have learned over the years.
First, most of my favorite blogs don’t make much money because the blogger’s goal was not making money – it was more of a calling to share what they learned. If you do not focus on monetizing eventually, no matter how popular your blog, how much traffic you have or what your pagerank is you won’t make any money.
That said, making money is not a great goal to have and may be the number one reason for abandoned blogs. A better goal is to find a need and fill it – and that brings me to what I most want to share. I believe the key to making money with a blog is to position it where the money is.
I wrote a post that explains that concept that is just old enough that I can not put it in CommentLuv. The basic idea is that the path to the most income is to reach the audience that businesses are willing to pay to reach through you. I hope BlogEngage will allow me to share this link so that their readers can easily get to that post about selecting blog niches.
I hope I am not going to anger anyone but I can prove to any blogger that you can easily get your Alexa rank below 50,000 IF you are willing to collaborate with established bloggers, have a decent blog with quality content, and learn just one specific skill that can happen within a few months.
I invite any blogger who wants proof to contact me. I could link to a post here but I am not a regular at Blog Engage and do not wish to run afoul of any commenting policy regarding multiple links in comments they may have. Read the post I’ll put in CommentLuv in this comment.
Contact me and I will send you a link to a post that includes this paragraph (or use a search engine to find it): “Eighteen days into the contest on June 26 she moved her gardening blog to WordPress. Today, less than 3 months later, Stephanie’s blog has a U.S. Alexa rating of 51,403 with 38 incoming links.”
The contest mentioned was the CommentLuv FamousBloggers Cash Blogging contest.
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Twitter: Daniel
Brilliant comment Gail! I really value your input. I completely agree with your perspective that “making money is not a great goal to have” … if that is all that drives you prepare to become frustrated! I heard a saying once “do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life”. I think this can be applied to blogging, if your focus and motivation is on sharing what you know and love – then you can apply a plan and monetize using some of the exact tips you share.
But, can you help me out and expand more on your idea of “positioning your blog where the money is”. This is a pretty broad statement… how can we make this practical, what do you mean?
Daniel Snyder recently posted..Why I never retweet Mashable
Daniel,
Great post! As you know I too just started a blog a few months ago. Didn’t really think about it much, just wanted a way to be able to write about whatever was on my mind at that moment. At first I was super stoked and writing almost everyday. It’s died down quite a bit, but after reading your post here, its motivated me to keep writing. I don’t think I really have much of a plan, other than just to write more. Once again, great read, really encouraged me!! Keep it up Daniel.
Twitter: Daniel
Katee, thanks for your feedback! I really commend people who are blogging with the ‘pure’ motivation of just sharing their heart and being open. It’s not all about money – which is far to much of a driving force for most people. I think the desire for traffic is also a good thing, but at the same time some people just want to write for themselves.
Successful blogging however can be measured in ways besides income. Comments, feedback, words of encouragement, are all things that will determine if you are successful. With a blog such as yours (which I have visited), if you can impact and encourage just one life… you have been successful!
Keep it up… PS. It never hurts to have a plan for your blogs future!
Daniel Snyder recently posted..Why I never retweet Mashable
Nice plan, Daniel!
It well layout and contains very useful information.
Many bloggers ditch their blogs because they want to make money now, and when they see that after some months he still isn’t making any money or not as much money as he wanted, it derails and stops posting.
Your plan should not only be like a guide on how to start a established blog but a guide on how your blog will behave, what can you aspect from your blog in the first months/years.
Hmm, so how does my plan look?
Create blog:
-website, theme, plugins, brand, keyword, etc;
Build content:
– content, interact with other bloggers to get them post guest posts;
– maybe hire some article writers;
Social marketing:
– twitter, facebook, myspace, digg, stumbleupon etc;
– commenting on other blogs, establish yourself in the community, build subscribers;
Link building:
Monetize!
Alex recently posted..Curse de masini tunate
Twitter: Daniel
Alex, I like your thoughts about giving young bloggers an idea of what to expect with their blog as they grow it. I expect it would be quite impossible to give an accurate description of “if you follow these steps after six months here is what you can expect” but we can give bloggers a general idea. I suggest that if you make enough money in your first year to pay hosting and domain fees – than you’re doing okay. That’s really only around $130.00 (give or take). Traffic is a good gauge of course as well. If you can get to around 100 unique visits daily within six months – I think you’re on track. Thanks for your comment… perhaps these ideas (the plan and the expectation) can be combined into a brilliant selling ebook.
What do you say, should we partner and write one up?
Daniel Snyder recently posted..Why I never retweet Mashable
Twitter: thiruseo
Awesome points Dani. Visiting your blog regularly in your blogging portal, but i found different dimension in this blog about planning. you stated the major aspect of blogging success here, Hope it would be helpful for all blogger. Have to follow your ideas to get success in blogging. Thanks.
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Twitter: Daniel
Thiru, you are awesome! You’re such a faithful fan of info carnivore, I give you props! Thanks for guest blogging as well. I wish you luck with your new blogging project at the webapprater.com. I’m glad I can be of help – and you have helped me as well with your ideas! Let’s stick together and see what the future holds in blogging for both of us… to the BIG TIME!
Daniel Snyder recently posted..Why I never retweet Mashable
Daniel, thank you for a very insightful article. It has been shared on Facebook as well. Good luck as we hope to continue reading your articles and tweets about information security.
Twitter: Daniel
Hey my Software Candy friend! Thanks for popping over here and sharing this. That’s super cool of you! Tweet you later.
Twitter: seommotips
I was wondering whey I can’t produce keywords whenever I need to fill up a form to register my blog in some netowrks. Oh, yes, you are right. Keywords will change over age, that means keywords will eveolve as you go on adding content – that will decide your niche and your primary keywords.
The first step in blogging requires to choose a domain name and countless tips suggests to choose domain name so that your primary keyword is included on domain name. I selected a domain name seommotips and the name influences. Shakespeare said – Would rose smell as sweet as if it were not called a rose? But when my domain name include seo, mmo and tips I need to be researching, learning and writing about these topics anyway? Still I believe in you – age will better decide your primary keywords.
They are great tips, but Daniel don’t you think you sliced the horizontal organs apart to fit them in vertical timeline. What I mean is that those 5 are the aspects of blogging life and in every moment all those five aspects coexists side by side. Yes I agree if you say they are focuses like 1st year – content, 2nd year- promotion, 3rd year – networking, 4th year – monetization, 5th year – enjoy success and reap off the benefits!
Ahh! Thank you Daniel for the wonderful post. Really appreciate the effort you’ve put into it.
Suresh Khanal recently posted..Kittens Content and Kombat
Twitter: Daniel
Hey Suresh, in many ways you are exactly right – the things I list must coexist side by side… my emphasis however was on your ‘primary focus’, what are you investing most of your time into? Of course you can’t promote a blog with no content so we start with the basics. By the end of your second year you need to be doing ALL these things in varying degrees. As long as people get their priorities straight you’ll be okay!
By the way how do you identify the most effective keywords for your blog? Everyone has a different way, I was wondering what you do?
Daniel Snyder recently posted..Blog Engage Contest Entry: Help me Win It
Twitter: seommotips
Its very hard to finalize and settle in a particular word as primary key – at least at this early sate. If it were a niche blogging it would be fairly easy as Patricia is blogging about Lavenders and she is fine. Her primary keyword is Lavenders. In some other cases, like Gera thought of narrowing down his niche and start with his ‘sweet foods’ but I’m seeing his aspiration to break over and cover much broader scope as he ca do it. In my case I happened to choose SEO MMO Tips, though I’m not ignorant of these fields, I wish to talk lot more than just those technical topics. I don’t know yet, what would be my primary keyword except ‘BLOGGING’ for now.
Suresh Khanal recently posted..Are you suffering from blogging fatigue
Twitter: Daniel
Suresh, I think a successful blog really needs to focus on a keyword phrase, as opposed to a single keyword. I utilize keyword phrases in my posts, and do some quick research EVERY TIME before I write an article to make sure I can at least get some organic search traffic on that keyword… My most recent example of this is for the keyword phrase “brand your blog”. I landed on the first page of results with that, and was in the top five for a few days… (noticed today it dropped down a couple). There is far too much competition on single keywords, and especially one like “blogging” it’s simply too general to get ranked (ever).
Daniel Snyder recently posted..Brand Your blog- “Above the Fold”
Twitter: seommotips
Yes Daniel, I understand its truly impossible to compete on single word keywords in blogging niche. Moreover, blogging niche itself is large enough and should select a particular sub-section to focus more on. It might be because I’ve just started blogging, I’m finding hard to stick on a particular aspect. I tend to write whatever interests me. Time will make more mature. Long way to go before I sleep!
Suresh Khanal recently posted..Download RockMelt–The browser re-imagined!
Twitter: alexwhalley23
Finally – an honest and RELEVANT guide to successful blogging. I have been at it for just over 7months now, and although I have come a long way, there is still a LONG way to go.
Ironically, I only wrote up a business plan about a month ago!
Where was this post 7 months ago Dan?!?
Not good enough mate
LOL, awesome read brother
Alex recently posted..Keyword Winner or Keyword Loser A WordPress Plugin Review
Twitter: Daniel
Alex I can’t believe you’ve only been blogging 7 months. You certainly carry yourself as a seasoned blogger, had you not told me I would’ve thought you’d been doing this for years.
With blogging there is ALWAYS a long way to go. There are few experts and many learners. The reality is we are all learning and always will be… or we’ll dry up and get stale, fast!
Thanks for your feedback! Keep on journeying forward with your blog. We’ll get there!
Daniel Snyder recently posted..Blog Engage Contest Entry: Help me Win It
Twitter: alexwhalley23
Thanks Dan! I really appreciate the kind compliment (that’s how I’m taking it lol!) what I have found most surprising about blogging is the doors it starts to open. I remember reading about what makes a successful blogger and ironically it’s only when you stop chasing it that it starts finding you! Eg: I just got a job offer in corporate SEO because of my blog!
Twitter: Daniel
Unbelievable, a job offer as a result of your blog! I think that is a tribute to successful blogging right there. So tell me did you take the job?
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After reading your post, I realized I have been doing something wrong. I have been trying too hard to write good content and promoting them. And to be honest, the daily analytics is not really encouraging me but I shouldn’t be too hard on myself considering my blog has only been on the web for a good 2 weeks.
Twitter: Daniel
If your blog is only 2 weeks old then cut yourself some slack and relax. Your domain is new to the web and it will take a while to get noticed. Focus on your content, and the best thing you can do to promote your blog right now at this early stage is visit other blogs and leave comments. Good luck! Glad this post was a help to you.
Daniel Snyder recently posted..Blog Engage Contest Entry: Help me Win It
seriously, this post is insightful. it’s only one month of setting up my blog and i’m already getting distracted with promoting it. of course i’ve read a lot of articles on building great, original content which is exactly what i wanted to do with my site. but the craze to get more visitors sometimes makes me begin to forget that people want to visit a website that is “worth it”.
thanks for explaining this stuff. it has put me back on track
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Twitter: Daniel
Jovie, I really am encouraged when people tell me they found a post I wrote insightful or encouraging. I can’t stress enough (to you, or anyone else, including myself!) how important focusing on quality content is. If people come to your site they need something to keep them there! Keep your focus on!
Daniel Snyder recently posted..Blog Engage Contest Entry: Help me Win It
hey, well im a brand new blogger, but my website is SELF BUILDING.
my content is not written by me, but by users.. its been a week its running now, should i implement a BLOG section somehow? i just dont know how to help my site grow, i dont know how to even set goals since its a user built content site.
any tips are appreciated, (to understand, one must visit my blog, its a question and answer type of site)
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Twitter: Daniel
Adry, we’ve chatted through email now – and I’ll share some of my thoughts with you about your website that way. But while we’re here on the blogging topic, yes I think it would be a key aspect for your concept to include a blog on your website. You’ll have to separate the two entities… consider the size of the project you’ve undertaken – I always encourage people to dream big – but in order to get there we need to start with what we know and can do. “Baby steps” as my good friend BOB always used to say.
Twitter: samdof1
Great article, Daniel. I too am a newbie of about four months and this and articles like this are extremely helpful. I’ve been concentrating on content but was a little worried about diversity as most blogs I’ve read seem focused on a narrow field but I gotten over that (a little). Yours and other boggers suggestions have helped a great deal. I haven’t yet discovered the secret to attracting commentors but I’m working on it hard.
Dave recently posted..Contrasting Views of the Western United States
Twitter: Daniel
Dave, there are a lot of posts that talk about the ‘secret’ or ‘key’ to attracting comments on your blog, and it comes down to a lot of varying factors. The first and foremost is going to be traffic, since a very small percentile of blog visitors actually leave comments. When you begin to network with other bloggers you’ll find that those that own blogs are going to be the most likely to comment! Take a look over at info carnivore and you’ll see some of the things I’ve done to increase commenting. The top commenters side bar widget, using comment luv, a subscribe to comments plugin etc… all these things help. Asking questions that promote thought and answers of course is important too! Make sure to end your content with a valuable question. What do you think?
Daniel Snyder recently posted..Promote your blog by Promoting Others
Interesting article, I am one of those who started, had a good 8 month run and then suddenly petered out.
Twitter: Daniel
Well, glad you gave it a shot Dustin. If you ever start again – now you know the value of a long term plan!
… thanks for the comment!
Twitter: lavenderuses
Hi Daniel
Wow there is so much here including in the comments from your commenters! What an excellent post. And I just learned something about my fellow Aussie Alex…..I too thought he had been blogging for years. He is someone I look to for advice about blogging. Thanks for sharing. I will bookmark this as being a newbie blogger I have heaps to learn and there are some gems here.
Patricia Perth Australia
Patricia recently posted..Lavender Products-cheap but not so cheerful
Twitter: Daniel
You know Patricia, I’ve learned that blogging “expertise” isn’t always about having years of experience. The web evolves so quickly, and those who understand some basics of online marketing and social media can pick up on blogging super quickly… I think that is how Alex has jumped ahead in the game so quickly. I’m glad this post was able to help you! I’ve visited your blog before and am just wondering which tips did you find most helpful for someone in your niche?
Daniel Snyder recently posted..Promote your blog by Promoting Others
Twitter: Ileane
Daniel, I see this post like a blogging blueprint. Some bloggers try to fast track their success by skipping some of these steps trying to get rich quick.
You started with what needs to be done in the first year and it is so true. But I would like to add that building your brand and “street cred” starts on day one. The very first thing bloggers need to do is get a gravatar!! I mean this is so very important because you can’t stand out in the crowd, you can’t make yourself known around the blogosphere without one.
For most of us it seems like such a basic thing but even in scrolling through comments on a post like this (where there are over 40) guess which comments I skipped over? You got it – I skipped over shadow man. So it would be really embarrassing if they mentioned the gravatar thing too, but embarrassing for them not me
Hate to dwell on this, but here’s a tip that might help some people out, when you leave a comment be sure to use the same email address you have registered with your gravatar. If you use more than one email address for comments, make sure each one is added to your gravatar account. Use that same image as your avatar on Twitter.
Not on Twitter yet?? Get a glove and get in the game pal!! (I know baseball season is over but I just had to use that one.)
Have a great day Daniel, I’m going to follow your blueprint!
Ileane recently posted..Your Blog Is Your Baby Treat It Like One
Twitter: Daniel
Ileane, I love the straight up in your face advice you offer. Yeah, sometimes it is the simplest stuff that holds people back! I can’t comprehend why people avoid getting a gravatar and things such as that. I agree, be consistent on the web and stick to the same email address! So thankful that you took a moment to comment here! Chat again soon.
Daniel Snyder recently posted..Promote your blog by Promoting Others
Twitter: JohnAguiar
Dan..Great post.. I agree with most of what you said. But the timeline doesn’t have to be so long to find success.
With the tools and know how, you can be successful with your blog within 2 yrs. But I do agree that the longer you are here the longer more success you will have.
It takes hard work, put into the things that have the most result..and your blog will kill it.
John Paul Aguiar recently posted..What Your Traffic Numbers Really Mean
Twitter: Daniel
John, yes I totally agree that the timeline doesn’t have to be so long. In fact I have high hopes of fast tracking my blog – of course it is going to be dependent on how much time I can put into it… that for me is my biggest challenge. I appreciate the advice you offer, and hope to glean more insight from you in the future! Thanks for visiting and commenting as well.
Daniel Snyder recently posted..Promote your blog by Promoting Others
Twitter: newbizblogger
Hi Daniel,
Great plan you have here! I totally agree with you…you have to be in it for the long haul! Think about it realistically. If you had a brick and mortar store in the “real” world, how long would it take you to ideally start seeing some ROI? You would be extremely fortunate if you managed to break even after one year!
Same applies online. The only difference is that you can get a business up quicker (usually) and a whole heck of a lot cheaper.
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Twitter: Daniel
Michele, thanks for the comment! I wish more people had the common sense you have when it comes to blogging success. Why do people still think you can get rich quick? Where does this mentality come from… it’s simply defies logic! I appreciate you popping over and commenting here! Thanks.
Daniel Snyder recently posted..Promote your blog by Promoting Others
Twitter: maidoesimple
I completely agree on focusing on content at first, but I spend a lot of time on social media promotion as well, just ’cause it’s a natural part of my company’s social media strategy. I believe that promoting others’ content goes alongside with promoting your own stuff, and they are both part of a successful engagement.
Gabriele Maidecchi recently posted..Breaking News- Social Media Is Officially A Thing Of The Past
Twitter: Daniel
Gabriele, thank you for commenting! You have a fantastic attitude, aware that you can promote others – and how that comes back to you. Nothing wrong with focusing on promoting on social networks early on… as long as you keep your focus on! For me social media can be a distraction from blogging that hurts me, I have to keep my priorities in order!
Daniel Snyder recently posted..Promote your blog by Promoting Others
Twitter: maidoesimple
Well I agree with you on this: if I have to produce some content for my blog, I take a couple hours off promoting others or me and I just write
Gabriele Maidecchi recently posted..Aboutme- The Future of Business Cards
Twitter: Daniel
I’m with you – I have to basically shutdown the browser in order to focus on content creation, or it becomes to easy to get distracted! (Getting better at this though).
Honestly, i did not plan anything with my blog when i started it.
I wish i did! I wish i have read some blog tips around.
I guess this is why, my blog is growing, but slowly
I have a few traffics from Stumble Upon or other social media, i guess because i don’t really use them.
My visitors usually submitted my posts, i did not.
I should consider it though.
Thanks for sharing, Daniel
Kimi recently posted..Incompatible Archive- Plugin Install Failed WordPress
Twitter: Daniel
It’s never to late to start planning! But realize Kimi you’ll never get your blog out there if you don’t interact socially! Commenting like this is a fantastic start (the benefits are that you get your name out there, and now I’m about to visit your blog just to check it out!) … Start using twitter (if you’re not already) to get your name out there and connect with other bloggers. Blog Engage here is a great place to start as well! Chat soon.
Twitter: andrewrondeau
Daniel
I totally agree, we all should have plans. We should be treating our blogs as business and every successful business has a 3 to 5 year plan.
I agree with the contents of your plan but I do have concerns over the timeline. My latest blog is 18 months old and my plan in that time included all the things you mentioned plus creating my own products.
I would just speed things up a little.
Andrew
Andrew recently posted..Blog Statistics- Pro Blog Stats WordPress Plugin
Twitter: Daniel
Andrew, you’re not the only blogger to mention the lengthy timeline. And I agree on both sides – it can be done shorter, and be sped up… it can also take time. I suppose it depends on the individual blogger and the time they are able to invest in their blog. My timeline however was more of a sketch, kind of the seasons of blogging (which could take years, or months), and the areas of focus during each season. Many people talk about success in blogging in only a few months. I wanted to try and give a more realistic perspective. I also feel the long term plan sets in motion something that will last… people that intend to achieve success in shorter, if they fail – will get discouraged and perhaps give up. Knowing that you have a journey ahead of you will potentially motivate you to keep going.
In any case, I’m totally encouraged to know so many bloggers who have achieved success in a shorter time – though I have a long term plan, I also intend to fast forward my process and be successful sooner as well!
Thanks for your feedback, and for visiting. Chat soon!
Daniel Snyder recently posted..Promote your blog by Promoting Others
Daniel, great article for those of us starting out blogging and veteran bloggers as well. I have found the toughest part of my blogging career is coming up with quality material on a consistent basis. Getting people to comment and repost or share your blog articles can also be tough.
You hit the nail on the head with a long term blogging strategy. I think you are right that many people get into blogging and expect quick results in the form of money or followers but like anything in life, it takes time, patience and a determination to keep blogging and moving forward.
Thanks for another great article.
Steve
Twitter: Daniel
Hey Steve, thanks for the compliment! Absolutely agree, writing quality content is the biggest challenge – if you can’t do that, you’ve got nothing. Once you build your network, and have a solid community and following the blog promotion will ultimately take care of itself. That is something that will be forever growing and developing, so as long as you get your focus on the content early – you can let the promotion grow over time… of course you must work at it, and develop relationships through various social networks, but it will also begin to drive itself… (eventually)
Perseverance is often the name of the game.
Daniel Snyder recently posted..AVG 2011 Antivirus Review
Twitter: vijayrc
I am into the way for the long term blogging person. My idea is only blogging and I need to achieve something from blogging. Hope this article will help me to track my goals. Thank you.
Vijay recently posted..All in one SEO plugin for your WordPress Blog
Twitter: Daniel
Thanks Vijay. What are you hoping to achieve as a blogger? What kind of goals do you think you might set for yourself? As much as money is a measure of success for bloggers, I always encourage people not to allow that to be the driving force! Blogging has to be a passion.
Daniel Snyder recently posted..AVG 2011 Antivirus Review
Twitter: vijayrc
Yes, you are right. Blogging has to be a passion. I am planning to make a successful blog for each category. In future, the internet users were increase day by day. So I am planning to get successful blog for each top categories. And blog updates will be more than the speed of newspapers. So that peoples can easily subscribe their news and hot topics according to their interests.
Twitter: Daniel
Vijay, sounds like an inspired plan – with a lot of work! You gotta be on top of that one 24/7… good luck! Tweet me out some links when you get things up and moving. Thanks for your comments! And remember, persevere for the long haul.
Daniel Snyder recently posted..AVG 2011 Antivirus Review
Twitter: kikolani
Great layout of a blogging plan! I eluded to creating one in my post as well, but mine is more financial than what to do, although I have a similar plan written on a posterboard in my office at home.
Kristi recently posted..The Truth About Making Money Online
Twitter: Daniel
Thanks Kristi! I’ve visited your blog, and see the success you’re having as a blogger. Clearly your plan is working! Thanks for your feedback.
Great article. Planning for a blog does require a clear strategy, a strategy to acquire popularity over a period of time. A blogger gains reputation by way of his or her writing style and interactions through various posts. Each post when written with the objective of enlightening the readers by way of sharing useful knowledge will gain more subscribers and add value to your blog.
Online Strategies recently posted..New Breed Of iPhone Applications
Twitter: Daniel
Thanks, for the compliment, as obviously you are a strategy expert! Writing style is one of my keys to success I am certain, as I’ve been writing for many many years, and am transferring my style now to the online/blogging realm. I am also quite keen on sharing knowledge and valuable advice, hence the name of my blog ‘info carnivore’. As my name gets out there I am finding things growing at a very steady rate! Thanks for your feedback!
Daniel Snyder recently posted..Brand Your blog- “Above the Fold”
Twitter: bizchickblogs
Wow. So many bloggers have Year 1 completely misaligned and I did, too! It’s only after 10 months that I’ve refocused on readership and content (I think readership comes even before content) and not so much on promotion.
Promotion will get you a high Alexa, but it doesn’t sustain over time.
3-5 years is about right. My guesstimate is that 90% of bloggers would quit before starting if they thought it would take 3 years to really become successful. Yet, that’s what we see with all of the great successful bloggers out there.
People want the instant gratification!
Really good post, my friend. Good luck to you. I look forward to continuing to learn along with you.
Cheers,
Tia
Tia recently posted..5 Ways to Improve Blog Readership With Simple Design Changes
Twitter: Daniel
Tia, thanks for visiting and confirming the message of my article. Yeah, I’m so stunned at how gullible and dreamy many bloggers are about the early success of their blog. Even what you mention in your comment about how so many bloggers strive for ‘a high Alexa’… seriously, that’s not a good goal to have (it’s not a flat out bad thing of course), but focus on content is missing from a vast majority of blogging about blogging articles.
I’m glad we’ve connected, and look forward to blogging together… on the journey! Here’s to success.
Daniel Snyder recently posted..Brand Your blog- “Above the Fold”
Twitter: sfihomebizz
Conngratulatios Daniel for your amazing article at the contest. You have written very nice points that should be followed by all baby bloggers. This is my 1st year and I have to concentrate on content. Thankyou for tips.
Kavita recently posted..How to Use Custom Fields for Meta Description-Keyword Tags
Twitter: FamousBloggers
Nice write up Daniel !
I always make a plan, not necessary write it down or document it, but I love planning my way flexible as possible, this is why I do a 5 year plan, and then divide it to 1-2 years small plans , this makes me avoid changes in the niche when it become unstable! This helps me a lot to avoid stress and fail!
I planned my blog last year and I almost hit all my goals, this time for 2011 I have bigger plans, especially for my marketing strategy and design project!
To your success this 2011
Hesham recently posted..Awesome Options Control Panel For Thesis Theme
Twitter: markmapstone
Hey Daniel,
I just read your blog post and all the comments. If I’m not mistaken, based on everything you and your commenters have conveyed, no-one has been blogging past 5 years. I didn’t even spot anyone blogging past 2 years and even you admit to only blogging for 6 months. Which is both admirable in the scale of most blogs abandoned after a couple of days and interesting, because you advise from the theoretical rather than the actual.
I have been frequently blogging for 7 years now. One specific blog I run is in its 5th year. I’d like to challenge you, that a plan isn’t needed at all. Only Passion, Patience & Persistence.
One don’t even need patience and persistence really. One’s passion should persevere regardless of the appalling stats, lack of comments and loneliness of one’s own social echo. In the absence of Love for what one has chosen to blog about, any direction will not necessarily fail, but definitely need revising time and time again, probably reach the point where one fails to bother with it anymore and use one’s instinct and gut reaction instead.
(I used the context of ‘one’ in the above, as I feel you are doing really well in comparison to many bloggers)
I know you cite money only as an example based on what you see as many peoples motivators to be. But unfortunately you do not cite any other motivators for me to challenge you on… so bear with me
…
Money as a motivator will fail, as money doesn’t give you direction – only desire to reach a financial state. What happens when you have that financial state? (either through blogging or a real world job). Money won’t be the motivator anymore, the blog risks dying. Some people start blogs because they want to have a voice, because they don’t feel they are being heard in their real lives – what happens when they get in a relationship with a partner or grow a family, with all the ears required to fill that need? Again the blog risks dying.
The only thing I see (from an experience perspective) as a solid grounding consistent motivator long term is an unachievable goal: educating people, sharing knowledge, fighting for a massive global change – being part of a movement that transcends beyond money, fame, material possessions, a sense of belonging, love for a person, or a change of job. Anything that can easily be achieved, you may achieve…. then what reason is there to continue blogging? The goal dissipates.
Money is simply a by-product of doing what you do really well… and wealth (& opportunity) arrives in directions that you cannot plan for.
Can I suggest Chaos as a ‘plan’ (strategy or guide)? Following your gut instinct for your natural enthusiasm for a goal so big that it will be with you forever, well after social media has died, facebook has changed and twitter is nothing more than a flashback to that quirky time when we thought 140 chars would ‘change our world’.
Now I’m not suggesting just Chaos, as that too will fail in the absence of Passion – but at least you won’t need to worry about sticking to your 3-5yr strategy, which was typed up on some blog (and/or) post somewhere 3-5yrs ago, or printed out and faded on the notice board by the window.
Does Passion & Chaos deliver results? It does. Oh damn it does… and it isn’t forced, fretted over, the causation of stress, or even the worry of appearing ‘unprofessional’ to your peers. It just delivers… massively. I can tell you more about what worked for me and the evidence I have to back at the above waffle up too. But we’ll need a skype chat for that.
So, sorry to challenge you… I hope you enjoy reading my thoughts…. but from an old blogger to a young one – plans are the last thing you need to worry about.
All the best – Mark
I agree with this comment btw: http://bit.ly/fzwBL9
Twitter: Daniel
Hi Mark. Thanks for your lengthy comment! WOW! Where to begin? Firstly, you’re very observant in noticing the short life of many bloggers – it is true, many drop off soon after they begin – and what you’re mentioning is right, if money is the driving force then you’re sure to become discouraged and that is simply not a strong enough motivator to keep people passionate and pursuing their goals.
Though the post outlines a long term plan which I have yet to experience, it is based on the knowledge of other successful bloggers who have made similar plans work. Still it is only a blurry map which is sure to change and develop. I fully believe blogging is a journey so a static plan will certainly not work unless it evolves with you.
All in all, I agree with your perspective entirely, I even write in that style more often than the static blogging advice given in this post (you must remember it was a contest entry, and as such was carved to get the attention of bloggers who will vote and comment!) Although I still stand behind everything I said, there are many more factors which will play into the long term success of a blog.
I appreciate your challenge, though I think I’m already living that out on a day to day… I’m not one that sticks my ‘goals’ up on the wall to be faded by the sun, as my goals seem to evolve and develop with my passions which are never static!
I’m grateful you took the time to write such an extended comment! It seems there is no word count limit on the comment, as there was on the post.
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