Finding balance is ideal, but where do we start?

Today’s Lesson

Listed below are a few blogging tips to help save time and find balance.

1. Write mission, vision and value statements.

A clear blogging focus will help to keep us on track.

2. Evaluate how much time is spent on social networking sites.

Social networking is a great activity if we want to get, and keep our name out there and catch up with our online friends. However,  it’s often unproductive time. Reducing the amount of time we spend on social networking sites may be beneficial.

3. Ask, “what can I automate?”

With WordPress there are many plugins we can use to save time. Take, for example, the WordPress database backup plugin. We set the schedule. It does the rest, automatically.

4. Reduce the amount of time spent checking statistics.

I used to be a stataholic and would check my statistics WAY too often. I finally realized it was a waste of time. Now when I look at my stats, it’s to see what search strings visitors used to find my blogs and where the traffic is coming from i.e. social networking sites, search engines, direct.

5. Access what blogging activities are helping to get our blog found.

If visiting other blogs and commenting is helping, concentrate on that. What about social networking? Is it beneficial? What about  SEO (search engine optimization) work?   (This information can be found in your stats.)

6. Quit guessing. Time yourself.

Use a timer to check exactly how much time you are spending on blogging activities. I timed myself on Twitter and although I guessed I had only spent fifteen minutes socializing, it was closer to an hour. Yikes!!!

7. Trying to make money with a blog? Start simple (or wait).

When I started blogging, I wasted many hours placing and changing affiliate ads on my blogs. Little did I know spending that much time trying to make money on a blog which got very little traffic was worthless.

8. Give ideas time to work.

Impatience can be our enemy. Let’s say we decide to try something new on our blog. After a week it’s not getting the results we expected, so we drop that idea and go to “plan b” or “plan c”. In blogosphere (as in life) new ideas take time. Practice patience.

9. Ask for help

Like many of you, I don’t like to ask for help. However, it’s tough to do it all and do it good. Asking others for their suggestions or hiring a professional to handle specific aspects of our blog (such as coding or design) will allow us to spend time on that which we enjoy.

10. Have fun.

It’s easy to get so wrapped up in our blogs we forget to enjoy the blogging journey. Make time to get away from the blog. Introduce yourself to other bloggers. Jump on a social networking site. Exchange ideas. Share a joke. Have a laugh.

Your blog will wait.

Control your blog. Don’t let your blog control you (and your life).

Today’s Assignment:

How do you find time to do it all?

Do you have any time-saving tips or ideas of how to gain balance?

Or do you have a question either I or someone else can answer for you?

Care to share?

Photo Credit: SeeMidTN.com (aka Brent)

Although I don’t think about it often, I still do.

I was scared to hit “publish” the first few times, and I worried because I kept switching my theme.

I didn’t know any of the blogging terms either.

Being self taught, I spent most of my non-writing time searching for help, but even when I found help, I usually didn’t understand what to do with it.

I was pretty naive.

Today’s Lesson

When I think back to when I first started blogging, I didn’t have too many expectations except for thinking I could make lots of some money by having a blog.

• I wasted a lot of time signing up for affiliate networks and tweaking my Google AdSense ads.




• I didn’t know that without thousands of visitors a day, making a decent income from a blog was out of the question. When I figured it out (that I needed traffic to make money), I wasted time trying to get more traffic, too. Instead, I should have been learning more about SEO (search engine optimization) and spending less time looking for an “easy way”.




• I wanted comments. Little did I know I should have kicked the “If I build it, they will come” attitude and should have spent time visiting and commenting on other blogs.




• Although I worried about changing my theme so often, I should have realized without a steady stream of visitors, it really didn’t matter.




• I love numbers, so for me checking my statistics became a daily obsession. Instead of wasting time watching the numbers rise and fall, I should have spent time either writing and publishing or learning techniques which would take me closer to my goals.




• Social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook can be fun, but they can also be addicting. Before signing up, I should have asked myself if the benefits of participating in social networking will outweigh the investment of my time.

Truth be told, I wasted a lot of time on blogging activities I should have postponed until later or maybe not even got involved in, but that’s in the past.

What about you?

Today’s Assignment

Looking back, if you had to do it all over again, where would you have spent more time?

Where would you have spent less time?

Care to share?

Buried in the archives you’ll find a previous post on blogging myths. Today we’ll expand on them and add a few more.

Today’s Lesson

1. We can blog for free.

It’s true. In some instances we can blog without spending any money, however, bloggers often forget to put a price on their time.

If blogging is taking us away from an opportunity that can increase our income, or is jeopardizing our career or real life relationships, than the cost to blog just went up.

2. Spend time visiting blogs in your niche.

I think it’s important to see what other bloggers in our niche are doing, however to ONLY visit blogs in our niche can be detrimental in the event we’re attempting to sell a product or service. Trying to sell a product or service to someone who does exactly what we do is like trying to sell snowballs to an Eskimo.

Branch out and introduce yourself to your potential audience, not just your competition.

3. The blog with the most comments is the most popular.

Most bloggers love to see large comment counts on their blog, however the success of a blog is not measured by the number of comments it receives. Success is often measured by the number of visitors, subscribers, page views, Alexa rating, Google page rank, incoming links, money earned, etc. A successful blog can have all of these yet have very few comments.

4. You can make lots of money blogging.

Truth be told, without a readership of thousands each day, our chance of making an income (from AdSense or affiliate links) large enough to quit our day job is slim.

That said, a blog can be a fantastic stepping stone from which to launch a business.

5. Online thieves and spammers are not interested in small or new blogs.

It doesn’t matter if your blog has ten posts or ten thousand, if an online thief or spammer wants to steal from or spam your blog, they will.  They do because they can. No one is exempt.

6. Freedom of speech allows a blogger to say whatever they want on their blog.

Many bloggers believe because it’s their personal blog, they can publish whatever they want. If a blog post or comment contains false information about another person or a business, you could be sued. For more information on this topic, I recommend becoming familiar with the Electronic Frontier Foundation website, plus blogging responsibly.

7. You must update your blog daily.

It’s your blog. If you don’t feel like publishing a new post, don’t. According to the Technorati State of the Blogosphere 2010 report, the average amount of times a blogger updates their blog is 2-3 times per week. That said, some have reported they publish up to 14 posts per day. Whew!

Find a blogging rhythm and publishing schedule that works for you.

8. The best way to have a successful blog is to copy what the A-list bloggers are doing.

Although we can learn from those who came before us, being authentic will get us further in the long run and will make it easier for us to remain genuine. Dare to be different.

9. No one reads our “About Me” page.

Truth be told, our “about me” page is often the first thing a visitor looks for and reads. This is especially true when fellow bloggers land on our site. Not only does the “about me” page tell a reader who we are, but it can set the tone for our entire blog.

Take time to construct your “about me” page so it’s a true reflection of you and what a reader can expect if they subscribe to your blog.

Today’s Assignment

When you started blogging, what blogging myth(s) lead you down the wrong path?

Can you think of other blogging myths new bloggers should be aware of?

Care to share?

Being in the construction industry, we know those who prefer to rent won’t need our services. And because we don’t have the man-power and equipment, we know those who need huge jobs done, won’t be our customers either.

Hence, when we advertise, we choose resources we believe are being viewed by the clients we are targeting.

It’s not always easy, but through trial and error, we hit the mark .

Today’s Lesson

Building a blog is very similar to building a business. First and foremost, we need to know who our target audience is.

Secondly, in order to reach that audience, we need pick our blog post topics accordingly.

Similar to advertising, by using SEO (search engine optimization) we can tighten the gap, just as we can by sharing information we feel would be beneficial to our target audience.

However, problems can emerge when we throw comments into the mix.

Truth be told, it’s often other bloggers who are commenting on our blog posts, and not the readers we’re writing for.

I believe it’s easy to start blogging with a target audience in mind, only to forget whom we’re blogging for when other bloggers begin to show up.

Bloggers will always support other bloggers. That’s a given.

However, if we inadvertently start writing for bloggers and NOT for our target audience, not only can our readership suffer, but so can the growth of our blog, as well as potential earnings (if applicable).

Today’s Assignment

In an effort to receive more comments, have you changed your writing style or blogging activities in order to attract fellow bloggers to your blog, instead of your target audience?

If you’re not attracting your target audience, what is your biggest challenge?

Care to share?

If we optimize them with keywords or keyword phrases, we could possibly attract more search engine traffic. If we make them catchy sounding, others may click to read more.

When I published the Lose Weight While Blogging?” post, I later said on Facebook, “maybe I should have named it, “Can’t Stand Blogging?””

Today’s Lesson

The above mentioned post links to an article which states how sitting more than six hours a day can possibly cause health problems plus lead to an earlier death. As a solution, I shared how I decided to build myself a work walk station for my treadmill even though there are prefab ones available.

My comment on Facebook made me wonder, “If that same topic had been written by other bloggers, what would they have named it?”

Here’s what I’ve come up with based on what fellow bloggers blog about, and how they could formulate their titles.

I know my outspoken blogging friend Cath Lawson would chose:

“Get Your Rear In Gear”

And she would include the acclaimed photo of  Betsy Wuebker’s derriere (which can be found on Cath’s homepage)

Friar, who is also an artist and cartoonist would include sketches of Vikings and name his post:

“Don’t Say the Vikings Didn’t Warn You”

Patty of “Why Not Start Now? might  name it:

“Why Not Start Now?”

Public Speaking Expert and blogger Keith Davis,

“Step Up To The Podium”

Chase March, teacher and hip hop blogger,

“Hip Hop Your Way to Health”

Proofreader and writing coach Davina,

“Treadmill Walk Stations – Rendering The Right Impact”

Vered, professional blogger would use keywords:

“Use A Work Walk Treadmill To Extend Your Life”

Patricia of Patricia’s Wisdom would keep it simple.

“My Review: The TrekDesk Work Walk Station”

Debbie, mommy blogger and author of Three Weddings:

“Who needs a treadmill when you have three kids?”

Silly Girl,  a reporter in real life,

“Reporting Live From The Office of the Future”

Tom Volkar, author of Delightful Work and life coach might use:

“How A Treadmill Could Improve Your Life”.

Barb Hartsook likes to serve imaginary coffee on her blog.

“Sip, Standing”

Singer, songwriter Jannie could write a poem or song titled:

“The Wedgie Work Walk Station Blues”

Hilary, our resident historian,

“How the treadmill was invented.  How it’s helping people to stay fit. And its Place in the Office”

Colleen, blogger and Realtor from Washington State,

“Kennewick Realtors Stand Behind Their Listings”

Julie Walraven who provides a resume writing service:

“Stand Up For What You Believe”

Heather Villa, business coach and blogger,

“Don’t Take It Sitting Down”

The Bold Life author Tess, being true to her blog name might choose:

“Be Bold – Take A Stand”

George Angus, writer and author of Tumblemoose.com could title the post,

“We’ve Got A Standing Date”

Lori Hoeck, martial arts expert and author of Think Like a Blackbelt,

“Kick it Up A Notch! “

Sara Healy of Sharing Connection would include a photo and a challenge.

Story Photo. What Does This Look Like To You?

Tracy would tie in a link to her post which went viral.

What Does A Chicken in a Can Have To Do With a Treadmill?

Raul of Alien Ghost might title his,

“Don’t Just Sit There”

J.D. Meier of Sources of Insight would go all out.

“2000 Lessons Learned While Using The TrekDesk Treadmill Desk*”

Tony Single  of Trottersville would  include a cartoon in his post,

“How I Killed My Treadmill”

Evelyn Lin’s blog concentrates on abundance, awareness and self alignment:

“Forge Your Own Path With A Walk Work Station”

Mike Goad blogs remotely as they travel.

“Put Some Miles Behind You”

Linda, our resident  “green blogger”,

“Environmentally Friendly Desk Option Could Save Millions in Health Care Costs”

Joy over at Unfolding Your Path To Joy,

“Find  Joy, Stay Fit While Blogging”

Joella helps new bloggers on her blog,  Blog with Wings,

“Stand Up For Your Writes”

Zeenat of Positive Provocations always has encouraging words for her readers,

“Positively The Easiest Way To Take A Stand”

Lisa does intuitive readings and blogs at Practically Intuitive,

“I See You Standing”

Mandy Allen likes to ask questions on her blog.

“Is Your Job Killing You?”

John Hoff, author the fabulous blog security book and video series WordPress Defender*,

“Stand Up To The Bullies“

Junk Drawer Kathy would come up with something funny.

“What I’ve Gained From Blogging Besides Thirty Pounds”

Kelvin Kao, is a puppeteer who also likes to make videos, He might make a video of a puppet on a work walk station and title it,

“It’s So Easy, Even A Puppet Can Do It”

Jay Schryer of Porsidan is in a wheelchair, and since a treadmill work walk station wouldn’t be conducive for his life style, he might teach others with disabilities how to stay fit.

“Alternative Ways To Incorporate Exercise Into Your Day”

Patricia Singleton of Spirtual Journey Of A Lightworker would share more of her knowledge,

“How To Stay Fit As You Journey Through Life”

Jodith of Administrative Arts could teach office managers,

“How To Improve Productivity In The Office”

Walter of Lionslinger shares life lessons on his blog,

“Another Lesson In Life. Don’t Sit. Get Fit”

Chania Girl shares happy thoughts at Living Happiness,

Don’t Worry! Be Happy! Work Standing!

Julie is always so cheerful as shares her thoughts from Italy. She might title hers,

“Hello Gorgeous, Wanna Go For A Walk?”

Miguel de Luis could do a post in Spanish.

“Si Si” (Sorry Miguel, that’s all the Spanish I know )

Lance might turn this into a “Sunday Thought For The Day”,

“Embrace Life, One Step At A Time”

Lori at Jane Be Nimble shares wonderful stories on her blog,

“Be Nimble. Be Quick. Blog Your Way To Fitness”

Wendi Kelly at Life’s Little Inspirations blogs to inspire others,

“Latest Innovation Sparks Creativity”

From Roses to Rainbows author Linda might title hers:

“From Flab To Fab – Stand Up And Blog”

Julie, author of Random Meanderings enjoys hiking.

“Take A Hike”

Evita at Evolving Wellness would share her wisdom on health.

“Easily Fit Fitness Into Your Day”

Eliza of Silver and Grace who writes for women over forty, might title her post:

“Stand and Stop That Middle Age Spread”

Angela Sims at Living, Loving, Laughing… might say,

“Don’t Laugh, It Works”

So, there you have it. How one blog title could be written fifty-two ways.

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Today’s Assignment

How do your choose your blog titles?

Do you try to use catchy ones? Or do you prefer using keywords?

Care to share?

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