Following our series about how to make money blogging, we have reviewed how to start a website, choosing a name, domain and hosting, how to make money depending on the hours you are willing to put in (you can also check my July income for both sites). My failed attempts at making money online I failed at making money online, then succeeded, with freelancing and starting my own website. Now let’s talk about a big blogging mistake.
Happy Friday! Today I would like to talk to you about one of my biggest blogging mistakes: blogging in the dark. When I started my first website, Reach Financial Independence a year ago, I spent the first couple of months blogging daily… for no one.
I was hoping my awesome voice would get noted, but making no effort to bring people over! After blogging for a year, I have to admit that some of those first posts were not my finest as a writer. English is not my mother tongue, and writing consistently five times a week for the past year has helped me improve immensely (or so I hope!) in the writing department. In addition to that, I had been reading personal finance blogs for over five years, but am now reading even more blogs, with a new focus on syntax, ways to structure a post, an idea, and trying to learn from bloggers I admire.
Nevertheless, those posts had the energy of a super motivated beginner, they were fresh and lively, and it was a bit depressing to see no one seemed to notice them. How can you do things differently with your brand new website?
Comment
Commenting is one of the most important initial networking you can do with another blogger. Not only will you get noticed by the owner of the site, but your name will be there in the comments for other readers to see and check you out if you said something interesting. Many blogs have the Commentluv plugin enabled, that will link to your latest post below your comment. A catchy title, and chances are readers will click to see what your blog is about.
Leaving a comment like “great post” is not a good idea though. Prove you did read the post. Ask a question. Agree, disagree, make a point, and make it well. Make people want to know you.
Unless you comment on major sites, and your comment goes unnoticed among hundreds of others, the site owner will likely check you out as well. Not everyone will, but some will. Commenting is a time consuming activity, but one of the easiest ways to drive traffic to your site. Don’t expect hundreds of reader for this one comment you left a month ago. Engage daily on as many sites as possible, build a relationship, remember facts, don’t ask a single blogger how his kids are doing, go back to the about page if you are unsure.
It may look like you are helping the other blogger build his site, not yours, but trust me, eventually, you will get some traffic out of it, and one day, you will be visited by bloggers wanting to get noticed too!
I don’t know how many bloggers I “know”. With some, I email weekly, some I read and comment on their sites almost daily, some occasionally, and some I just know are out there because I see their names on sites I visit often, and I see them around. You can be sure I have checked them out, read a bit of their stuff too, and commented a few times on their site, we just didn’t hit it off. But I noticed them and they did me, thanks to commenting. You will never please everyone, but at least you will get a presence.
Where to start? On the blog that made you decide to start blogging, the one you like best and have something to say about, the one who commented on a blog you like, etc.
Guest post
Guest posting is another great way to get exposure for your blog, by publishing a post on a similar or more popular blog. Before you ask a blogger to publish your stuff, you will need to get acquainted with that blogger. So go back to step one and start commenting and interacting with them on their blog.
Bloggers get flocked with guest posting requests from strangers every single day, and most of them will get ignored unless you can prove you are a genuine blogger with a non commercial website. Once you get to know the blogger, check out their guest posting guidelines, they should be on their homepage, or email them to ask if they accept guest posts and what are their conditions. Some will accept any topic, others not. They will have a maximum number of links back to your site you can add to the post, a length specification, etc. Do not add your affiliate links or links that are not natural to the post and may lead to think you got compensated to place.
Make sure you follow the posting rules or ask any questions if you are unsure. Good guest posting etiquette also requires that on the day your guest post is published, you visit the site to reply to comments, and promote as much as possible on your own site and social platforms.
Check my post on rich snippets if you want to learn how to get authorship for your guest post and have your picture show in search engine results as the author of the post.
Link back
This strategy is pretty straightforward as well, and like commenting, it is by helping others that you will help yourself. If you link back to an interesting post, the blogger will get a pingback warning him you did, and may check your site to see what you said about his post, or simply say thank you for the mention. They can visit your about page (so make sure you make it look attractive!) or some of your other posts too. A few bloggers have an eye for an eye linking policy, and will link back to one of your posts the next week, or add at the bottom of the post you linked to that you featured it on your site. Do not start linking in hopes to get links back, we are just looking for exposure at the moment, although this can help as part of a link building strategy.
You can either link to a related post on one of your general posts, if another blogger has talked about it recently, or if you completely disagree with his views, you may choose to write a post as an answer to him and link back to the original post. You can also hold a weekly roundup with a number of your favorite reads of the week. Again, most small and middle sized bloggers will check out your site, but do not expect CNN to come over and say thank you.
You can opt for a list of links, or add a couple of sentences about what the post is about and why you liked it.
Participate in carnivals
Blogging carnivals are like weekly roundups, a selection of good reads in your niche, except that they are not picked by the blogger, you can submit your posts for review, and if they fit the theme, they will be published.
On my other site, Reach Financial Independence, I host a weekly Carnival of Financial Independence, with posts related to that topic. You can submit your post every week and I will feature it on Saturday. You can find carnivals from your niche on Blog Carnival HQ, Blogger Carnivals, etc.
Engage and promote on social media
To get your blog noticed, having a social presence is very important. Create a Twitter account, a FB page, a Google Plus profile or a Pinterest account, and start adding related blogs to your circles. Say hi to other bloggers, promote their posts you liked from them, ask them questions, talk about life and anything else, creating a dialogue with your readership and other bloggers. They will notice you and come over to visit your blog.
Things come and go fast on social media, and most of your Twitter posting may go unnoticed at first. But a post can go viral just as quickly, so make sure you promote all your content to your followers as well. Make a mix of your posts and other interesting reads so your readership considers you as a serious source of information, not just someone who wants his content promoted.
Join a network
There are lots of blogging networks out there for every niche, mommy blogs, personal finance blogs, you name it. Again, it is by helping others that you will help yourself. Within the network, members will be committed to help each other out. With a question about blogging or an agreement to tweet and comment on each other’s content as much as possible. Try to give at least as much as you take from those networks. If you know about blog design, give advice on that, you will receive advice on SEO or links back from grateful people you helped. Can’t find a network related to your niche? If you think other bloggers could benefit from being part of one, you may try to create your own.
All those activities are time consuming, on top of writing and promoting your own content. But they are vital to the growth of your blog. Otherwise, you may wonder for months how come no one is visiting your site.
Both my sites Reach Financial Independence and Make Money Your Way were launched in early July (2012 and 2013) and so I will document MMYW’s progress compared to RFI last year, so you can see that doing all of the above got me much further in a month than I did in 3 months with RFI. Just as an example it took me 4 months to break 200K on Alexa with RFI. After 6 weeks, MMYW stands at 118K :).
Do you have anything to add to the list? How long did it take you to get out of your blogging cave?
This post was featured on the Real Simple Finances, Journey to Saving, Freelance Jobs, Single Moms Income, How to Blog Carnival, thank you!
Funny you should say that because I thought you should be my role model in all this 🙂 – I spent much longer writing my heart out for a very small but loyal following. Several months back, I figured that blogginf consists of equal shares writing, technical stuff and networking and networking is the one I am weakest at. Commenting is fine but nothing, I believe, beats just reaching out and sending an e-mail.
maria@moneyprinciple recently posted…Competency Based Tomfoolery – Misdirection of an Interviewer
I like direct emails too and it takes things one step further, but leaving a few comments before shows you did spend some time on the blog and appreciate it to some extent. The 1/3 tech stuff I think is a huge part, I barely spend time on it, a couple of hours a month perhaps, but again I have a huge procrastination list haha.
Great points Pauline! The blogging in the dark I can certainly attest to. I seen some to the best blogs content wise have little to no content. They keep writing their great content but and some even go read other blogs. They fail to comment and reach out to others. The two things I haven’t done is join a network or do guest posts.
For the network i feel that even though I have not joined one I am apart of one huge one. I will start doing guest posts this month but need to get on it. I will say people in general should reach out, talk to others, ask questions and in all help others/be nice! We all started at some point so take the time and answer a few emails here and there.
Thomas | Your Daily Finance recently posted…August Half-Time Update Preseason is Almost Over
You can’t really judge how many visits a blog gets by the number of comments, I get many because I network around but many are artificially maintained, by a reciprocal frequent commenting. Then I have readers who would come and react anyway, and about half my traffic comes from SEO and I rarely get a comment from them. If you are 100% SEO traffic you won’t get a very engaged readership but it doesn’t mean your site isn’t popular.
Pauline,
Your last two posts have been great. As a beginning blogger I see how much time goes into it, the technical component drive me nuts. These tips are very helpful as I have committed to keeping up on my writing and stop lurking on blogs.
I agree with your last post in regards to utilizing debt to grow your wealth. Too often people get into debt that enslaves them, while your debt enriches you.
charles@gettingarichlife.com recently posted…Why You Should Ride The Housing Boom
Hey Charles, if you are bothered by the tech stuff there are a lot of things you can hire out on Fiverr, like I did a server migration, I was really happy to save two hours just for $5.
We were much like you on this. It took us quite a while after starting to blog to figure out how to network, but commenting and straight up emailing bloggers with questions about what they had said on their site was a good step in the right direction. Nonetheless, we still have a lot to learn, I think. =)
Mrs. Pop @ Planting Our Pennies recently posted…Happy Friday! Stretching Boundaries For Tiny Pleasures
you guys are doing great, there is a ton to learn but it depends on where you wish to take your blog. For a fun hobby you are really above average.
Great info, thanks Pauline. Between posts like this and Luke1428’s post on promoting your site using Twitter, I have gained a lot more knowledge than it sounds like you did in your first couple of months. In the blog-promotion arena, anyway. 🙂
FI Pilgrim recently posted…Build A Better Budget Part 2 – Creating Categories
good for you! I hope you have the time it takes to put it into practice, that’s another issue…
For a new blog, commenting simply can’t be stressed enough. It’s so important! It immediately gets you traffic and readers. I always tell new bloggers: comment, comment, comment!
DC @ Young Adult Money recently posted…The Weekly Quick Hits Roundup
it will get you known but it will also be an artificial boost, only with good content can you retain readers and improve SEO traffic.
Great tips, Pauline!
I have gone back and erased a bunch of the first posts on my blog. They were…..scary!!!
Holly@ClubThrifty recently posted…Operation Frugality (Plus This Week’s Frugal Moves)
Holly, since there’s no “Like” button I just wanted to say that I wish many of the other blogs I read would go back and do this. 🙂
FI Pilgrim recently posted…Be Flexible With Your Financial Goals
haha, I may have slightly edited a few too 🙂
Great tips, thanks for sharing! I’m definitely blogging in the dark. I don’t mind this terribly, because I write a lifestyle blog for the fun of it. If I was writing a focused blog (e.g. finance, frugality), I’d be networking more. While I would like more readers, I’m not sure I have such a built-in community available.
LauraGMG recently posted…Dahlias
Hey Laura, wanting more readers is a really valid reason to come say hi to other bloggers whose writing you enjoy. People will check you out, some will stay around, some won’t, you can artificially maintain the relationship by doing all that networking and they will feel obligated to visit your blog too, which is not interesting for you, but if you think some people would find your blog interesting to read you should make yourself known, there are too many blogs around for all of us to notice everyone.
Great tips Pauline, I remember my first month or so of blogging where I felt like I was just talking to myself – and I was… It wasn’t until I started commenting on other larger blogs that I started to get any traction. I didn’t do my first guest post until about 3-4 months in (I think it was a blog swap with you on RFI actually).
Being active in the community is without a doubt the most important thing you can do – something I am struggling with at the moment 🙁 I find I am spending too much time answering emails from people looking for help than I am getting back to other bloggers on my site or on their blog posts. I am sort of at a crossroads where I am too busy to do everything I want to do and I need to work out what is the best use of my time.
Anyway, I wish I had read a post like this when I first started out as things would have gotten going a lot faster than they did.
Glen @ Monster Piggy Bank recently posted…Has it been 1 year already?
Wish I had read that too haha but you can only move forward. I am glad I took a VA to help with the basic tasks otherwise I would spend way too much time on the blog.
Great tips Pauline! The commenting can’t be stressed enough when you’re starting out. As you grow in that I’d say start networking with some you like and reach out to them as you never know what’ll come from that. I pretty much was out in the open to begin with, but my writing was absolutely wretched.
John S @ Frugal Rules recently posted…Frugal Friday: Should We Sue PayDay Loan Lenders?
It is pretty painful to re-read old posts isn’t it? haha I hope it gets better with time too, and next year this year’s posts are just as painful.
Love this, Pauline. Excellent tips here. It didn’t take me long to get out of my blogging cave, only because I was totally intrigued by you and others who were successful so quickly, and it was easy to see that your support of other bloggers and engagement in the PF blogging community were probably a big part of your success. You’ve been an awesome example to me and so many others – thank you for that. 🙂
Laurie @thefrugalfarmer recently posted…7 Tips to Ensure You Never Pay for Shipping
thank you Laurie! well done on getting out of the cave early.
I love reading articles and commenting is something I’ve been doing way before I got into personal finance so I am glad continuing this habit has benefits. 🙂 Some of the greatest tips I’ve heard from others about freelancing is to look outside of the PF sphere… something I never thought about doing. I’m a fan of a local news blog in my area and that site always asks for freelance writing–now I’m motivated to try them out!
Tara @ Streets Ahead Living recently posted…YAY it’s Friday – What you may have missed last week:
good luck! I don’t think the PF niche is crowded but it is hard to reinvent the wheel every day and you may get burned out or the site tired of you. Writing a good PF post for a non PF blog is a really great idea.
These are good tips. I feel as if I am still in the blogging cave, but i have joined some groups and been engaging other bloggers. I have even developed some friendships with other bloggers. The one tip I would like to add is you have to get in your 10000 hours. Basically you have to put the time in before you get noticed. most of the successful bloggers out there it took them at least a year to get their act together, and a couple years to really develop a readership. It just takes time and interesting posts!
Ed recently posted…Color Me Rad 5k Review
tons of time, and the more you focus your efforts the better the results. If you just want a few people around to read and engage with you don’t have to do all that, if you monetize however you need better stats, which means better traffic, which means getting out there and promoting your blog.
These are some great tips. Many of these I didn’t do right away, but I do most of them now. I’ve learned that it’s really important to network and get your name out there just about any way you can.
Jake @ Common Cents Wealth recently posted…Weekly Recap – August 16th, 2013
it is vital to kick start your blog otherwise you can stay for months with little progress.
Great tips! Since BATB wasn’t my first rodeo, I knew to do all those things, but for some reason my old blogs just never took off until I did my current one. But the biggest thing I agree on is commenting when you’re new (and I still do it, even though it gets even more time consuming). Your blog will almost certainly not take off unless you do (unless you’re a celebrity starting a blog).
Budget and the Beach recently posted…What’s Your Money Mindset?
Yes if you don’t tell anyone but your mom chances of success are really slim.
I actually did a guest post before I even had a blog. I guess seeing that it wasn’t that scary inspired me to go ahead. Commenting is really the best way to get noticed at first. I think Joe when he was only on Average Joe’s Money Blog was the first person to ever link to me. I didn’t even know what it was when I got the pingback! I think my first real guest post was on Modest Money, which brought a lot of traffic. I had been commenting on that site long before I had a blog as well. I think if people know you aren’t just trying to add a spammy link, they are more than helpful. Lately, I’ve been getting lots of requests to write for various sites, as a guest poster, but they are not sites I read and are not personal blogs, more like review type sites, and I’m not sure if there is benefit to that. What do you think?
Kim@Eyesonthedollar recently posted…Bees in My Hummingbird Feeder-How To Deal With a Money Crisis
I wouldn’t put up anything I don’t think would be a fun read for readers. I have seen a guy around who works for a mortgage firm and writes REALLY great guest posts, while linking to his mortgage site, and I would put that kind of posts up because they help readers, and a mortgage site is not too bad. I had a decent post from a girl who pretended to be a real blogger then linked to a payday loan site, even though the post was ok I didn’t publish so it is up to you, generally infomercials I’d stay away from as well as anyone putting his own affiliate links in a guest post.
I think the biggest key in all of this is SINCERITY. Sure, you can go through the motions of doing everything above and benefit from it. But if you REALLY want to achieve results, you have to be sincere in everything you do. Spend time supporting others and they will support you back.
Nick @ AYoungPro.com recently posted…I Was on the Chelsea Krost Show
yes they sure will. or you will weed out the bad seeds early on anyway.
I can totally relate to this Pauline, just sitting back hoping your blog will kick itself off. I try harder now than I ever have before but I still know I could do more, I think you’ve shown us all a thing or two about starting a second blog with what you’ve done here. Great work!
Adam @ Money Bulldog recently posted…Creating the Ideal Premier League Kick-off Weekend
right back at you!
Thanks for this! This post was incredibly helpful! I’ve been going back on forth about whether or not to make a Facebook page for my blog, but now I’m leaning more towards actually doing so. I also had no idea what a carnival was until now even though I’ve seen many already – I just didn’t know what it was exactly! So you better believe I’ll be submitting my posts to a few carnivals soon!
Quick question – what is an Alexa rating and how does it work? I’ve always seen it mentioned, but I still don’t know what it is.
Lisa E. @ Lisa Vs. The Loans recently posted…Links Lisa Likes – 8/16/13
Alexa is a popularity metric of your website, the more visited, the lower your rank. For example MMYW has a rank of about 100,000, that means there are 100,000 websites that are more popular. You can check it on alexa.com, I will have a post soon with more details and how you can lower it.
Oh okay that definitely clears up my confusion. Thanks!
Lisa E. @ Lisa Vs. The Loans recently posted…Weekend Recap: Blurred Lines
To be honest this was really great and comprehensive. I wish when I first started I had someone to explain everything this straightforward. Instead I fiddled around and didn’t really build relationships but focused on the social media portion a lot instead. I’ve recently started commenting on blogs from different “worlds” so to speak outside of personal finance, we will see if that strategy works out. Thanks for the comprehensive review
Lauren @Cheapstudents.ca recently posted…Verizon Coming to Canada-What It Means for You
Thanks Lauren, getting out of your niche is a great idea too, I have been really comfy in the PF niche but should expand more as well.
I am a huge fan of networking with other bloggers through commenting. Not only do you get to read other points of view but you are helping them out and getting to know them. I was blogging in the dark for awhile too but luckily the electricity came back on 🙂
SuburbanFinance recently posted…Ways to Save on Car Rentals
good for you haha!
I was about the same, blogging for about 3 months before Holly found my site and gave me most of these tips. Commenting was definitely the single biggest step in terms of getting traffic. But like you said, you have to comment on small and mid-level blogs. I originally started commenting on the biggest, which was pretty fruitless. You want to build relationships, and you can’t do that when you’re one of 100 commenters.
Matt Becker recently posted…Roth IRA as an Emergency Fund – Is it a Good Idea?
depends on the blogger behind the site, but true, your best bet is with middle level blogs.
One of the things that struck me when I first stepped into the PF blogging world was how friendly the bloggers all were with each other. All of your tips really encourage that camaraderie, which I love! I have only been around a month and a half, and I can already see how commenting, having weekly roundups and being active on Twitter have helped me develop a readership that is small but interactive. I can’t wait to see what another 6 weeks does to help me become a part of the community!
Alexandra @ Real Simple Finances recently posted…Networking for Fun and Profit
true, the PF niche is really nice, and as long as there is space for everybody it will remain this way.
These are helpful strategies, Pauline. Any advice on what to do when you try to make a connection by promoting other bloggers via social media and they don’t respond? Taking twitter for example, I understand the established bloggers have thousands of followers and likely are following lots too. So perhaps not every retweet, mention, or share is noticed. What do you do if you interact or promote posts and don’t receive a response though? Be persistent and keep on trying? Is that rude?
Mr. Utopia @ Personal Finance Utopia recently posted…Job Burnout is Brutal
If you just click on the tweet button and share my post, I will probably not say thanks, if you make a personal tweet like “Pauline really has some good tips here, etc” I will. If you mention a post on your site and I get the pingback, I link back to your article on my site. I know I am bad with social media but there are only so many hours in the day, and tweeting a post is great but not a very personal way to interact with a blogger. If you want to get closer to a blogger you should comment on their site or send them an email directly. Or even a tweet but a direct one. If they don’t respond yes that is pretty rude so you can move on to someone who will. Don’t get bitter over it, a small proportion of bloggers are weird, stick with the ones you like.
Thanks, Pauline. That totally makes sense. I was just uncertain of the proper protocols.
Mr. Utopia @ Personal Finance Utopia recently posted…Job Burnout is Brutal
Thanks Pauline, this is great for new bloggers. Although I’ve done some of the suggestions above, I could definitely do more. Time is the major issue for me, but I don’t want to make excuses.
In a comment you say that about half of your traffic comes from SEO, that’s something I’d be very interested to learn more about. Although I do some keyword research I’m not sure what else to do. Just if you’re looking for future topics 😉
GamingYourFinances recently posted…How To Pay Off The Mortgage Early?
I don’t do much keyword research, but I look at my most popular articles and try to expand on them. Blogging has to remain fun for me and keyword research is not my definition of fun, I write about things I enjoy and think people would too, but will try to have my VA optimize the popular posts in the future maybe.
Pauline! Ha! I needed to read this post a year ago, but you were just starting yourself! And now it is plain to see how much smarter you are than I am given the success of your site(s);) I love commenting, I mean I make it an event. It is one of the funnest things I can imagine. It’s social, intellectual and gives me an opportunity to share my off the wall thoughts. I might add to your fine list: take care of your readers. Ours are gold and we really try to roll out the red carpet for them. That too is BIG fun and it is a nice opportunity to get to know someone we like,who has some similar values, and think more like we do. What fun and what a great way to meet like thinkers or even alternative views that we did not know we liked!!! Have a snicky snack weekend!
cj recently posted…Grateful for My Lovely Hair and Nails Wife
it is obvious that you have lots of fun commenting around and on your site. Yes readers are really important, especially when they come over the first time, and you want them to stay around. It is nice to see some share your atypical views of the world.
Your advice is spot-on as usual! I was a lurker for months before getting the nerve to start my own blog, and the way I discovered blogs was mostly through the comments of others on the blogs I liked to read. I figured I should start commenting right away because if that was my method, surely others were doing it as well. It was a little scary at first, but I’m so glad I did it. I love interacting with other bloggers. That said, you should also make every effort to comment back to those who took the time to comment on your posts. It’s definitely a two way street – at least when you’re starting out. I realize that for blogs that get 50+ comments a day it’s a little unrealistic.
E.M. recently posted…One Financial Lesson Learned from NCIS
I still try to comment back to everyone, even if that is just with “thanks”. You made the effort to take time and write something, you deserve a reply. Sometimes there isn’t much to say but the reply says “I read your comment and thank you for it”.
I’ve been around for over a year, but unlike most bloggers I didn’t really tackle it head on right away. It was more just a try it out and see how it goes. In the past 6 months, I’ve been going back and forth on whether or not I want to get serious with it. Only within the past month really, (I’m not even sure what caused my decision, maybe frustration but at the same time, determination) I’ve made the decision to come out of the cave and start to get serious with it meaning not being afraid to ask questions, seek help where needed and really focus on my goals. It’s time to get relentless with this thing!
MakintheBacon recently posted…Kid Couture
yeaaaaah! it can be hard at times but at least in the PF world only a few bloggers bite, 99% are really nice and helpful so you only win by saying hi and asking stuff.
Another option I have seen as an alternative to guest posting is post exchanging – essentially an agreement to both write a post for each others sites. The benefit of this is that both parties end up with new content – a new blogger doesn’t need to decide between dedicating time guest posting or building their own content. The downside is that a reciprocal link is unlikely to provide the same SEO boost as a one way link. Perhaps a 3 way post exchange might be an option?
Financial Independence recently posted…BitCoin Investment: The case against it
3 way could be, although if you are going to guest post as a new blogger you should target bigger blogs, and it is unlikely that the bigger blogger will want to reciprocate. I just guest posted on Get Rich Slowly for example, and doubt they would have swapped content! I did a few swaps with some blogging friends and it was fun but as we already gravitated in the same places it didn’t bring many new readers.
Awesome! When I started, I was so concerned about getting great content out there and like you said, no one was reading it. Now that I have my social media going and a couple of guest posts (looking for more guest posting opportunities now!), I’m seeing more traffic. I must say, I love the network!
MonicaOnMoney recently posted…How To Be Frugal When You’re Not
let me know if you would like to guest post on RFI or MMYW Monica! MMYW gets a bit less pageviews but you get double exposure (and links) on both sites while on RFI you just get links on that guest post. It is a great way to build your links and put your name out there.
Great tips Pauline! Interacting with other bloggers is a must 🙂 There is so much to learn from each other and we really have a great community!
Mackenzie recently posted…Oh, Hello Frugal Decorating!
yes, it is a nice little group and we are lucky. I have not ventured much outside but the travel niche was quite weird, I prefer PF.
Great tips Pauline. I love commenting. I love reading them and posting them on other sites but I simply don’t have the time to dedicate to it like i use to which makes me sad. I try and do a few per day but it’s tough.
I’ll keep an eye out for other posts in your series!
Catherine recently posted…The Most Expensive Part Of Childhood
thanks! It is time consuming but necessary at first. Then you can relax a bit without suffering too much for it.
Pauline,
Great post! There are ton of good tips here. I realized pretty quickly that I was blogging for no one after I first got started. I think currently I spend just as much time commenting/networking as writing articles. Does this seem right to you?
I will look into the carnival sign-up. That sounds like a fun way to get additional exposure and read other’s work. The carnival also sounds like a good way
Derek @ MoneyAhoy.com recently posted…Save Money on Cable – How to Watch Cable TV for Free by Switching to Online TV
I have no idea Derek of what is right for you, I can spend a week without writing and then write 10 posts in a day because that is how they come out, on other posts I can spend 2-3 hours so yes, maybe half writing half networking is what will work for you, others will write crazy researched posts with graphs and calculations and it will take them 70% of their time. The more networking you can do without affecting your site the better.
Btw carnivals won’t get you a lot of clicks and visitors, but they will help your link building and put your name out there.
Pauline,
Thanks for the response. Very helpful advice!
Derek @ MoneyAhoy.com recently posted…Selling a Blog or Business – When is the Right Time?
What thorough and great advice, Pauline. For me personally, authentic comments mean a lot. I sometimes see people “around town” who seem to be taking a drive-by approach, and I’m quite sure they haven’t read the post on which they’re commenting. I think that building relationships has been so much fun for us, and I agree that you’ll hit it off with some people and not others, and that’s ok! I don’t invite everyone to my birthday party either. (Actually, I don’t have birthday parties as I’d rather go away with CJ!) Hope you’re having a great day and thank you for sharing!
Tammy R recently posted…Extremely Important Priorities
I don’t like birthday parties either. Yes, you see those who leave a “great post! I totally agree” comment and the others, by wanting to be everywhere you end up being nowhere. But it will print your name on more pages and maybe get you a temporary spike of traffic, that will fall flat as soon as you stop your efforts. Better build less relationships that will be stronger.
Loved your post! When I finshed reading it seemed so obvious, but it’s perhaps the most obvious things we can so easily forget. I haven’t really started down this path yet but my girlfriend and I are both making early steps toward building our blogs. Thanks for the great write up.
Thanks Isaac, yes it is obvious but not for newbies, now I feel like teaching people how to ride a bicycle but I had no idea about all that when I started. Good luck with your blogs!
This is really a good post. Very informative indeed. People can really learn something from this. Thank you for sharing this.
Thanks for your post and your tips for getting noticed! Online marketing is successful when intention and effort are expended. I appreciate the reminder and the tips.
Val Sanford recently posted…Squirming eels, frogs, snails and even skinned dogs at the local Yangshuo market
Thanks Val!
Thanks for sharing. I had the same problem when I started – lots of writing, no one reading. I thought I understood organic search and the traffic would come once my content was good enough and deep enough. Wrong.
Now I spend more of my time marketing than I do writing, to make sure what I’m producing is getting noticed. It’s hard work, but I’m learning more every day. At some point, hopefully, I’ll find a good balance between creating, marketing, and all the rest.
Jack recently posted…The Minimalist Guide to Cashback Rebates (or Coupons Are For Suckers)
I have a VA spending 20 hours a week on post promotion, finding pictures etc. and still I need to do some of it myself, starting with writing comments which is time consuming. it never stops!
I hear you.
I don’t have much trouble finding images, but I can see how time consuming the content promotion is, and will get bigger over time. Once sufficient revenue starts coming in, I’ll have to look into an assistant to help with the marketing side.
Jack recently posted…The Great TV Conspiracy (or How To Earn $80 A Month Forever By Cord Cutting)
I just recently started my own blog, and have been blogging in the cave as you put it. This has some great tips for newbies like myself. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
Sassy Finance recently posted…Penny Wise and Pound Foolish!?
Welcome out of the cave, hope you enjoy the sun! 🙂 It is not rocket science but if you are blogging in your little corner you need someone to list it down for you!
Once I joined a network things really started picking up. Commenting is huge, too. I started a weekly PF link up (Financially Savvy Saturdays) that is pretty mutually beneficial to the hosts and the people who contribute, too.
femmefrugality recently posted…Financially Savvy Saturdays Nineteenth Edition
Sure a great post.I wonder why my alexa rank is dropping like crazy though my traffic is increasing.I have been commenting on few blogs but I think I should do even more networking.All your posts are of great help,book marking the site 🙂
Harini recently posted…Thengai podi(Coconut powder)
This design is wicked! You certainly know how to keep a reader
amused. Between your wit and your videos, I was almost moved to start my own blog
(well, almost…HaHa!) Excellent job. I really loved what you
had to say, and more than that, how you presented it.
Too cool!
Tiens medycyna naturalna recently posted…Tiens medycyna naturalna
Thank you for sharing your advices i like your blog.
Thanks for sharing these valuable tips. We just started blogging about 2 months ago and I try to comment on other blogs. I like the fact that I enjoy what I read so commenting becomes easier. We have yet to implement other tactics. With full time jobs for the next 4 years, this is a hobby with a very long timeframe.
Mr. Enchumbao recently posted…7 Tips for Visiting Miami Without Breaking Your Budget
Nice Post, helpful for me, now i’m gonna start by commenting on yours, lol!
http://iphonetips.info
Gabriel Carrillo recently posted…Copy your old data to your new iPhone 5
Sorry messed up in my last comment it was typo
http://phonetips.info
Gabriel Carrillo recently posted…Apple iPhone 6 vs Samsung Galaxy S6
Btw in my above comment I changed my site to .net
Gabriel Carrillo recently posted…6.1B Smartphone Users Globally by 2020
Great post! I started another blog less than a month ago. I have heard so many takes on whether or not you should rely on “content marketing” or actively self-promote your blog through commenting and guest posting.
Some people say that content marketing can kick in at 55 to 70 posts (provided that your blog has great content). Pauline, do you think that this approach is legitimate? I have always been worrying about whether or not I should actively build links because you can easily get penalized by Google nowadays.
After reading this post, I feel that you have to have a self-promotion strategy because it seems that no matter how long, often, or “great” your posts are they don’t seem to get much organic traffic without reaching out. What’s your opinion on the content marketing approach without building links actively?
Wow Pauline – thank you! I know this post was written a couple of years ago but it is still so, so helpful. I’m quite new to blogging, so all your pointers are welcome – especially learning about the commenting, guest posting and social media etiquette.
Very soon this website will be famous among all blog viewers, due
to it’s good content
hi!,I really like your writing very much! share we be in contact more approximately
your post on AOL? I need a specialist on this space to resolve
my problem. May be that is you! Having a look forward
to look you.
Hey there outstanding blog! Does running a blog similar to this take a massive amount
work? I have very little understanding of computer programming but I had been hoping to start my own blog in the near future.
Anyways, if you have any suggestions or techniques for new blog owners please share.
I understand this is off topic however I simply needed to
ask. Kudos!
Yes! Finally someone writes about przedszkole i zloebk.
This is really interesting, You are a very skilled blogger.
I’ve joined your rss feed and look forward to seeking more of your
fantastic post. Also, I have shared your web site in my social
networks!
Hello! I know this is kind of off topic but I was wondering which blog platform
are you using for this website? I’m getting fed up of WordPress because I’ve had issues with hackers and I’m looking at
alternatives for another platform. I would be fantastic if you
could point me in the direction of a good platform.
Way cool! Some very valid points! I appreciate you writing
this write-up and also the rest of the website is also very good.
This info is invaluable. How can I find out more?
Today, I went to the beach with my kids. I found a sea shell and gave it to my 4 year old daughter
and said “You can hear the ocean if you put this to your ear.” She put
the shell to her ear and screamed. There was a hermit crab inside and it pinched her ear.
She never wants to go back! LoL I know this is totally off topic but I had
to tell someone!
I don’t even know how I ended up here, but I thought this post was good.
I don’t know who you are but definitely you’re going to a famous
blogger if you aren’t already 😉 Cheers!
I think this is among the most vital information for me.
And i am glad reading your article. But wanna remark on few general things,
The website style is ideal, the articles is really great : D.
Good job, cheers
Very soon this site will be famous amid all
blogging people, due to it’s fastidious articles
I’ve been exploring for a bit for any high quality articles or blog posts
in this sort of area . Exploring in Yahoo I at last stumbled upon this website.
Reading this information So i am satisfied to show that I’ve
a very just right uncanny feeling I found out just what I needed.
I so much no doubt will make certain to don?t overlook this site
and give it a look regularly.
Definitely imagine that that you said. Your favorite reason appeared to be on the net
the easiest thing to be aware of. I say to you, I certainly get irked whilst other folks think about
concerns that they just don’t understand about.
You managed to hit the nail upon the top and defined out the whole thing without having side effect , other folks can take a signal.
Will probably be again to get more. Thank you
I read this paragraph completely about the
resemblance of hottest and preceding technologies, it’s remarkable article.
Hello there! Do you know if they make any plugins to
assist with SEO? I’m trying to get my blog to rank for some
targeted keywords but I’m not seeing very good gains.
If you know of any please share. Many thanks!
I blog frequently and I genuinely thank you for your information. Your article
has truly peaked my interest. I will book mark your blog and keep checking for
new details about once per week. I opted in for your RSS feed as well.
fantastic put up, very informative. I ponder why the other experts
of this sector don’t realize this. You must proceed your writing.
I’m confident, you have a huge readers’ base already!
Hi, I do think this is an excellent website. I stumbledupon it 😉 I may return once again since I
book marked it. Money and freedom is the best way to change, may
you be rich and continue to guide others.
Greetings! I know this is kind of off topic but I was wondering if you
knew where I could locate a captcha plugin for my comment form?
I’m using the same blog platform as yours and I’m having
trouble finding one? Thanks a lot!
Hello just wanted to give you a brief heads up and let you know a few of the images aren’t loading correctly.
I’m not sure why but I think its a linking issue.
I’ve tried it in two different web browsers and both
show the same results.
My spouse and I stumbled over here by a different website and thought I might check things out.
I like what I see so now i am following you. Look forward to
going over your web page for a second time.
Normally I don’t read post on blogs, however I would like to say that
this write-up very compelled me to try and do so! Your writing style
has been amazed me. Thank you, quite nice post.
Hi there, I enjoy reading through your article. I wanted
to write a little comment to support you.
Thanks for ones marvelous posting! I actually enjoyed reading it, you might be a great
author. I will make certain to bookmark your blog
and will eventually come back later on. I want to encourage that you continue your great writing, have a
nice morning!
Do you mind if I quote a couple of your posts as long as I provide
credit and sources back to your blog? My blog site is in the
very same niche as yours and my users would certainly benefit from a
lot of the information you provide here. Please let me
know if this ok with you. Thanks!
Hello there! This blog post could not be written much better!
Reading through this article reminds me of my previous roommate!
He constantly kept preaching about this. I’ll send this post to him.
Pretty sure he’s going to have a good read. Thank you for sharing!
Its like you learn my mind! You seem to know a lot about this,
such as you wrote the e-book in it or something.
I believe that you just can do with a few p.c.
to pressure the message home a bit, but other than that, this
is excellent blog. A fantastic read. I’ll certainly be back.
Does your website have a contact page? I’m having
trouble locating it but, I’d like to shoot you an email. I’ve got some recommendations for your blog you might be interested in hearing.
Either way, great blog and I look forward to seeing it develop over time.
If you wish for to obtain a good deal from this
piece of writing then you have to apply these
methods to your won blog.
It’s awesome in support of me to have a website, which is helpful in support of my know-how.
thanks admin
Unquestionably believe that which you said.
Your favorite reason seemed to be on the net the easiest thing to be aware of.
I say to you, I definitely get irked while people consider worries that they plainly do not know about.
You managed to hit the nail upon the top and defined out the whole thing without having side effect , people could take a signal.
Will likely be back to get more. Thanks
Hi there! Someone in my Myspace group shared this website with us so I came
to check it out. I’m definitely enjoying the information. I’m book-marking and
will be tweeting this to my followers! Terrific
blog and amazing style and design.
I’m not sure where you’re getting your information, but great
topic. I needs to spend some time learning much more or understanding
more. Thanks for fantastic information I was looking for this info for my mission.
Fantastic beat ! I would like to apprentice while you amend your web site, how could i subscribe for
a blog site? The account aided me a acceptable deal. I had been tiny bit
acquainted of this your broadcast provided bright clear concept
I needed to thank you for this very good read!! I definitely enjoyed every little bit of it.
I’ve got you book marked to look at new stuff you
post…
I like the valuable info you provide in your articles.
I’ll bookmark your weblog and check again here regularly.
I’m quite certain I’ll learn a lot of new stuff
right here! Good luck for the next!
At this moment I am ready to do my breakfast, after having my breakfast
coming over again to read more news.
Terrific work! This is the kind of information that should be
shared around the net. Disgrace on Google for not positioning this publish upper!
Come on over and consult with my web site . Thanks
=)
Good info. Lucky me I ran across your blog by accident (stumbleupon).
I have bookmarked it for later!
Thanks on your marvelous posting! I actually enjoyed reading
it, you can be a great author.I will be sure to bookmark
your blog and may come back from now on. I want to encourage you to definitely continue
your great posts, have a nice holiday weekend!
Hello! I just wanted to ask if you ever have any trouble with hackers?
My last blog (wordpress) was hacked and I ended up losing months of hard work due to no backup.
Do you have any solutions to prevent hackers?
Hey I know this is off topic but I was wondering if you knew of any
widgets I could add to my blog that automatically tweet my newest twitter updates.
I’ve been looking for a plug-in like this for quite some time and was
hoping maybe you would have some experience with something like this.
Please let me know if you run into anything.
I truly enjoy reading your blog and I look forward to your
new updates.
With havin so much content do you ever run into any issues of plagorism or copyright
infringement? My website has a lot of unique content I’ve either authored myself or outsourced but it looks like a lot
of it is popping it up all over the web without my authorization.
Do you know any solutions to help prevent content from being ripped
off? I’d really appreciate it.
I am curious to find out what blog system you happen to be
using? I’m experiencing some minor security problems with
my latest website and I’d like to find something more risk-free.
Do you have any recommendations?
Very energetic article, I liked that bit. Will there be a part 2?
I am sure this post has touched all the internet users, its really really good piece of writing on building up new
web site.
Thanks in favor of sharing such a nice thinking, piece of writing is nice, thats why i have read
it fully
I blog quite often and I really thank you for your information.
This great article has truly peaked my interest.
I’m going to book mark your site and keep checking for new details about once per week.
I opted in for your RSS feed too.
WOW just what I was looking for. Came here by searching for edukacja
I simply couldn’t leave your web site prior to suggesting that I
really enjoyed the standard info a person provide to
your guests? Is going to be back frequently to check up on new posts
Wow, wonderful blog layout! How long have you been blogging for?
you made blogging look easy. The overall look of your website is great, let alone the content!
Hello, i read your blog from time to time and i own a similar one and i was just wondering if you
get a lot of spam remarks? If so how do you reduce it,
any plugin or anything you can recommend? I get so much lately it’s driving me mad so any
help is very much appreciated.
I’m curious to find out what blog platform you have been using?
I’m having some small security issues with my latest site and I would like to find something more secure.
Do you have any solutions?
Hey I know this is off topic but I was wondering if you knew of any widgets I could add to my blog that
automatically tweet my newest twitter updates. I’ve been looking for a plug-in like this for quite some time and was hoping maybe you would have some experience with something like this.
Please let me know if you run into anything.
I truly enjoy reading your blog and I look forward to your new updates.
Pretty nice post. I just stumbled upon your weblog
and wished to say that I have truly enjoyed surfing around your blog posts.
After all I’ll be subscribing to your rss feed and I hope you write again very soon!
Nice blog here! Also your website loads up
very fast! What host are you using? Can I get your affiliate link to your host?
I wish my site loaded up as quickly as yours lol
Informative article, just what I wanted to find.
Wow, that’s what I was looking for, what a material!
existing here at this website, thanks admin of this website.
Hi there, I log on to your blogs daily. Your story-telling style
is awesome, keep up the good work!
Its like you read my mind! You seem to know a lot
about this, like you wrote the book in it or something.
I think that you could do with a few pics to drive the message home a little bit, but
instead of that, this is wonderful blog. A great read. I’ll definitely be back.
Hi there, I do believe your web site could possibly be having web browser compatibility issues.
Whenever I look at your website in Safari, it looks
fine but when opening in I.E., it’s got some overlapping
issues. I merely wanted to give you a quick heads up!
Besides that, excellent website!
Great beat ! I would like to apprentice whilst you amend your site, how could i subscribe for a weblog site?
The account helped me a acceptable deal. I were tiny bit acquainted of this your broadcast
offered vivid clear idea
Appreciate this post. Let me try it out.
Thanks to my father who informed me concerning this blog, this blog is truly awesome.
I do not even know how I ended up here, but I thought this post was
great. I don’t know who you are but definitely you are going to a famous blogger if
you are not already 😉 Cheers!
I was able to find good info from your blog posts.
Hi there! I know this is kinda off topic nevertheless
I’d figured I’d ask. Would you be interested in trading links or maybe guest
authoring a blog post or vice-versa? My website
discusses a lot of the same topics as yours
and I feel we could greatly benefit from each other. If you’re interested
feel free to send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you!
Awesome blog by the way!
I’m truly enjoying the design and layout of your blog.
It’s a very easy on the eyes which makes it much more enjoyable
for me to come here and visit more often. Did you hire out a developer
to create your theme? Exceptional work!
Good day very nice website!! Guy .. Beautiful .. Superb ..
I will bookmark your web site and take the feeds additionally?
I am happy to seek out a lot of helpful information here within the submit, we want develop extra techniques in this regard,
thanks for sharing. . . . . .
This piece of writing is really a good one it helps
new net users, who are wishing in favor of blogging.
If some one wants expert view regarding blogging and
site-building afterward i recommend him/her to visit this webpage, Keep up the good work.
Hello! This is kind of off topic but I need some help from an established blog.
Is it hard to set up your own blog? I’m not very techincal but I can figure things out pretty
fast. I’m thinking about setting up my own but I’m not sure where to begin. Do you have any ideas or suggestions?
Cheers
Your method of telling the whole thing in this paragraph is genuinely good,
all be able to effortlessly understand it, Thanks a
lot.
I’m gone to say to my little brother, that he should also visit this web site on regular basis to take updated from newest reports.
This site was… how do you say it? Relevant!!
Finally I have found something which helped me.
Appreciate it!
What’s Taking place i am new to this, I stumbled upon this I’ve discovered It positively useful and it has aided
me out loads. I’m hoping to give a contribution & assist other users like its aided me.
Great job.
I’d like to thank you for the efforts you’ve put in writing this blog.
I really hope to check out the same high-grade content from you in the future as
well. In truth, your creative writing abilities has inspired me to get my own, personal website now ;
)
Wow, that’s what I was searching for, what a information! present here at this webpage,
thanks admin of this web site.
Wow, wonderful blog structure! How long have you been running a blog
for? you made blogging glance easy. The entire look of your web site is wonderful, let alone the content!
Incredible points. Outstanding arguments. Keep up the good spirit.
I had them in pewter, purple, crimson and black. Crafted in shining
silver , your Mum may put on it with simply any style.