“Content is king” is one of the first things we learn when we start blogging.
But what does it mean?
Does it mean our content needs to be consistently stellar? Or can some of it be “less than”?
Today’s Lesson
When I started blogging I assumed great content meant I had to produce lengthy posts filled with useful or educational information.
Not being a wordy person, I tried, struggled and gave up trying to do that.
Instead, I decided to publish short “lessons” in which I share what I’ve learned.
Is it good content?
Some will say “no”, but that’s not the purpose of this blog. What’s good and useful on this blog is found in the comments. In the words YOU share.
When I visit other blogs, I rate “good content” as meaning I leave a blog thinking about what was shared. Or maybe I have an “ah ha” moment.
I like posts in which you share what you’ve learned in your life travels, where you showcase your creative writing skills or you engage your readers in the comment section.
I like articles that teach me, as well as posts which only contain photographs.
To me, content is good when you, as a blogger, show me a little more about who you are. Or content where I can see life through your eyes.
King size content can be good, but I feel there are also times when a few sentences is just enough.
What say you?
Today’s Assignment
How do you define good content?
What type of content do you find on other blogs that keeps you going back for more?
Care to share?
Hi. I'm Barbara Swafford and I'd like to welcome you to Blogging Without A Blog. Grab a seat, share your thoughts and join in the conversation. 
It’s that time again. Time to revisit the topic of blogging myths.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?