inspiration

25 Posts About Blogging that Will Change Your Life

The title of this post might seem a bit dramatic, but I believe there are some truly life-altering posts out there about blogging. These aren’t how-to posts or resource lists, which are wonderful in their own right, but passionate posts from people who are big dreamers and incredible thinkers about the very art of blogging.

And yes, they have changed me. They have changed how I think about the world and how I run my own blogs and what I choose to say online. They’ve inspired me to do better. So today, I wanted to share these posts with you.

(Note: These posts are in alphabetical order by author’s last name, not in order of importance.)

1. The Insidious Perfidiousness of Doubts, Overcome by Leo Babauta (@zen_habits)

There isn’t a single one of us who has overcome the human condition of self doubt. Whether you’re a supremely confident person, a content Zen monk, a successful writer…it doesn’t matter. You have doubts about yourself.

The question is whether these doubts stop you from doing amazing things, from leading the life you want to lead.

2. Haven’t Had Time to Blog by Chris Brogan (@chrisbrogan)

We pick our paths. We decide what we make time to do. We choose our own adventures every single day. Each and every day, we have the chance to make choices.

3. Bonus Post, Also from Chris Brogan: This Post Isn’t Worth Your Time

4. Confessions of a Narcissistic Blogger by Joe Bunting (@joebunting)

I first got into writing because I felt this explosion of feeling, like I could release everything I was on the page and fill it with beautiful and terrible truths. Sometimes I get so excited about writing, my eyes fill with tears. It’s a great experience.

This is life experienced to its fullest. But then I look at my pageviews and my game face goes on. All I care about is the numbers. Immediately, my joy fizzles out like soda gone flat.

5. Is F.E.A.R. Holding You Back? by Brian Clark (@copyblogger)

F.E.A.R. is an illusion. Something we fabricate in our own minds and pretend is real. It’s a fairy tale we tell ourselves that keeps us from doing what we really want.

False evidence appearing real.

The common label for F.E.A.R is anxiety, a less fundamental emotion that arises purely from our own thoughts, not external reality. And 50 years of cognitive psychology research demonstrates that while we can’t always control how we feel, we do have the power to choose how we think and act.

6. Bonus Post, Also from Brian Clark: Do You Recognize These 10 Mental Blocks to Creative Thinking?

7. Managing a Blog Is Great. Managing the Blogger is Even Better. by Brandon Cox (@brandonacox)

Your blogging success isn’t about your next post. It’s about all of your posts. It isn’t about a great headline, a huge list, or sweet graphics. It’s about the total package. Whether your blog is personal, corporate, or one of those that’s supposed to make you a millionaire tomorrow, your blog is really all about you.

8. Want People to Listen? Get a Life. by Jonathan Fields (@jonathanfields)

Fact is, every word you say, write, sing or film and release into the world is judged against a backdrop of who you are, what you’ve said, done and achieved in the past…and what you HAVEN’T said, done and achieved. That’s why one of the first things most people do when they read an interesting post on a new blog is jump over to the “about” page to see who the writer is. They’re looking to frame the message. Because…

Context is as important as content.

9. The Most Important Conversation I’ve Had About My Business Ever by Pat Flynn (@PatFlynn)

How many times during the day are you actually working when you’re supposed to? Probably not as much as you should.

I wasn’t.

In fact, after literally keeping track of everything I did during a normal day, I noticed some rather disturbing issues, especially when it came to checking my emails, checking website stats, opening my Facebook account (personal, not the fan page), and reading the news.

Basically, I did a lot of non-work related things when I was supposed to be working. On the flip side, I was working (or thinking about work), when I probably shouldn’t have been.

10. The Wealthy Gardener by Seth Godin

Sure, people make money growing orchids. Some people probably get rich growing orchids. Not many though. And my guess is that the people who do make money gardening probably didn’t set out to do so.

11. Bonus Post, Also from Seth Godin: Do It Wrong, Relentlessly

12. What’s Next? It’s You by Mitch Joel (@mitchjoel)

It was bound to happen. We were heading for a place where “top ten” and “how to”-types of blog posts may become redundant or rudimentary. We’ve come to a place where those who were never going to stick it out with blogging for the long haul are busy on Twitter and Facebook, where they can share without the burden of having a passion for writing. So, in the end, maybe what’s new for blogging is a place where the real bloggers step in and create a new type of copy for the world to consume. A place where more and more creative thinkers get to tinker with words in new and interesting ways. It’s a place where you (and everyone else who wants to write and have a voice) gets to be free to try it out and see what kind of audience their words, images and even video connects with.

13. Passion over Perfection. Love over politics. The Story of Mrs. Mulvey. by Danielle LaPorte (@DanielleLaPorte)

And that was a moment. One of those world-stops-for-a-nanosecond-so-you-can-glimpse-the-future kinds of moments. And I realized that I could do it. I didn’t know what “it” was, but I knew that somehow my passion was going to count.

14. Have Faith in Yourself and Your Writing by Ali Luke (@aliventures)

Faith doesn’t mean you never give up. Faith means that when you’ve fallen down – again and again – you get up and carry on.

I can’t tell you that the writing path is an easy one. I can tell you that it’s worth travelling. And if you want to be a writer, if your life doesn’t feel complete without writing, then you already have the faith that you need.

15. It’s OK to Give a Crap by Ian Lurie (@portentint)

It’s OK. Take this opportunity to feel good about it. You’re in a shrinking population of People Who Actually Give A Crap About What They Do.

I, for one, am sick of people telling me I should delegate everything, find someone offshore to do SEO for me for $10 a day, take my own work ‘less seriously’, blah blah blah blah. Screw that. And you, if you’re one of those people.

16. Important by Anissa Mayhew (@AnissaMayhew)

If the worst thing that happens in your day is that someone sends you an ugly email, try waiting for a call from the doctor to give you results you’re pretty sure you don’t want to hear.

If you’re going to argue about who makes money and if they’re doing it right, you’ve never sat in front of your checkbook and wondered what you weren’t going to pay so that you can afford to give your child the treatments they need AND keep a roof over their head.

If you can talk about your mafia, feel slighted because you weren’t the center of attention, or fret about your PR connections, you’ve never had to sit and contemplate the moment when they cut into your child’s brain to see what the tumors are doing.

17. How to be Unforgettable by Jon Morrow (@JonMorrow)

If we’re being honest, I think maybe that’s one of the reasons many of us start blogging. There’s something immensely comforting about knowing your thoughts are out there for the whole world to read. You could kick the bucket tomorrow, but your words will live on, teaching, inspiring, and taking root in the minds of readers for generations to come.

Or at least that’s the idea.

What really happens, of course, is that you pour your heart and soul into a post, and no one seems to care. No comments, no links, no nothing. Come on over, friends, and check out my blog. We’re watching my ideas die in real time. Yuk, yuk, yuk.

And it’s disturbing.

18. Let Them Love You by Elizabeth Potts Weinstein (@ElizabethPW)

You refuse to share your gifts with the world, just because you are not perfect? Because you are human? Because you don’t have ever answer to every question even invented, because you have flaws, because you are still growing and learning yourself?

Stop wasting yourself on all that crap.

19. When it Feels Like Nobody is Reading Your Blog by Darren Rowse (@problogger)

As I would preach to the empty pews and as my word echoed around the room I found that I learned so much about the topic I was exploring and how to deliver it. I also learned a lot about preaching. New ideas would come, I’d try different ways of expressing it and slowly the final version of the sermon would begin to form – to the point that when I got up in the same room on Sunday to deliver the final version it would flow.

20. See The Rats For The Fleas by Joey Strawn (@joey_strawn)

It’s so easy to look at a situation, see something we are already afraid of and place the blame there. How much more often could we investigate further and find the little things being ignored are the real issue?

You complain that your blog isn’t getting the audience you want or that not enough people are subscribing to your amazing feed, but are you looking at the right things?

21. 106 Excuses That Prevent You From Ever Becoming Great by Tommy Walker (@tommyismyname)

Be honest. How often do you sabotage yourself?

On any given day, you have tasks you’d like to finish because you know they’d positively impact your business, and tasks you actually do.

You trick yourself into thinking that keeping up with industry news, and reading the latest “10 tips to ______” post is “working.”

You know better, but some part of you believes that simply reading the article will help you move forward.

22. Bonus Post, Also from Tommy Walker: Blogging and the Definition of “Insanity.”

I’ll humbly add to this list, two posts I’m extremely proud to have written, one here on the NMX blog and the other on my blog, Blog Zombies. I hope they have really affected my readers and changed them for the better:

23. Does Your Blog Just Tell People What They Want to Hear? A Honest Look at Social Success
24. Don’t Be a Scumbag (And Other Advice I Can’t Believe I Have To Tell You)

Where’s post #25? Well, I leave that one up to you. I hope you take a moment to leave a comment with a link to the best post you’ve ever written, a post that you hope has changed the lives of your readers.

If you’re having trouble thinking of a post that fits into this category, maybe it’s time to write one. Give me your best!

Three Words that are Killing Your Blog

Author: elkecarvosso6

A few months ago, my mother started blogging.

To put things in context, until this point, my parents still had dial-up Internet, and my mom would log on once or twice a week, tops, to check her email, print coupons, or look for a recipe. She doesn’t have a smart phone. She doesn’t have an e-reader or tablet. My mom’s interests in life have very little to do with the Internet.

So, asking her to start blogging with me and my sister wasn’t an easy sell. But she’s doing it, and I think she’s rocking as a beginner. It’s all because we encouraged her to banish three words from her vocabulary.

Although no study has been done (that I know of at least), I suspect that these three words account for more blogging failure than just about anything else. You can overcome a lot of blogging problems, but not if you allow these three words to rule you. Even if you’re finding success as a blogger, these three words can hold you back from being even more successful.

These three words are: I. Don’t. Know.

When you’re faced with a challenge, you have two options: you can face the challenge or you can quit. Way too often we use the excuse, “But I don’t know how to do that…” as a reason to justify giving up. The truth is, you can learn how to do just about anything if you really want to.

Sometimes, you’ll need help, Googling the problem. But in both cases, success starts with believing that you can solve the problem.

Think about any skill you have, anything you know how to do. At some point in your life, you were a beginner. You aren’t anymore, simply because you didn’t let “I don’t know…” be an excuse.

When you own your own blog, you have to wear many hats. You have to be a writer and a marketer and a community manager. You have to deal with tech problems and customer problems. You have to care about your blog more than anyone else, and you have to be willing to learn. It’s hard work, but the only way you’ll be successful is if you are willing to take on every challenge that comes your way.

So resist the urge to say, “I don’t know…” the next time a problem arises on your blog. Unless, of course, it’s followed by “…but I’m going to find out.”

Three Secret Ways to Find Post Ideas for Your Blog

Author: elkecarvosso6

Earlier this week, I posted 44 Brilliant Bloggers Talk About Finding Post Ideas, where I featured hundreds of tips from bloggers across the Internet. Coming up with post ideas is one of my favorite things to do, so here’s the post I promise you – my own techniques for finding post ideas!

There are some very tried-and-true methods for beating writer’s block if you’re a blogger, which most of the other bloggers at Brilliant Bloggers have covered so eloquently. Here are a few techniques that I think most of them missed that I personally use to come up with post ideas:

1) Current Events

It’s no secret that you can blog about the news happening in your industry. We do it all the time here at the BlogWorld blog, but even if you typically don’t cover news stories, when you’re in a pinch, voicing your opinions about current events a great way to go. That’s not the secret method I’m talking about here, though. One of the ways I personally come up with post ideas is to look at what is happen in the world in general and build a post that works for my blog from there.

It’s all about finding a metaphor or spin on a popular news story to make it work for your niche. For example, let’s say that you’re a food blogger, but one of the major news stories is that so-and-so celebrity just has a baby. You could write about meals that are nutritious for expecting mothers or how to make your own baby food. Or let’s say you blog about movies, but one of the major news stories is the upcoming World Series. You could write about the top ten baseball movies. I mean, get a little more original than that…but you get the point! There’s always a way to tie together your niche and the general news. You just have to think outside of the box!

2) Stories, Fables, and Parables

One of the best ways to teach others is to use stories. Lots of really smart bloggers have talked about story-telling as an effective blogging method. But what if you don’t have an especially interesting stories to tell about your life? Or what if you don’t feel comfortable sharing such personal information on your blog? You don’t have to use your own stories. Sometimes, fiction works well!

You can retell stories that are already written if you can relate them to your niche, or you can write your own parables if you’re so inclined. It’s an easy way to make a “lesson” post a little more interesting to readers so you don’t come off as preachy, and it’s definitely good for getting the creative juices flowing when you don’t know what to write.

3) Pets and Kids

I don’t have kids yet, but I’ll put them in the same category as pets for this tip because the idea is the same. Sometimes, my cat does funny things or even profound things that translate well to my blog for a post. You don’t have to be someone who blogs about pets or kids for this to work. I certainly don’t, yet my cat, Godiva, has made several appearances in my writing. And yes, she’s a total diva about it.

This isn’t so secret, but I also like to keep a document on my desktop so I can brainstorm when I have time or write down post ideas as I think about them during the day. That way, when I’m stuck for an idea, I can just go to my list and pick something. I also typically have several posts outlined or started within WordPress, which is great for busy days.

What are your best post-idea-finding tips?

44 Brilliant Bloggers Talk About Finding Post Ideas

Author: elkecarvosso6

Brilliant Bloggers is a weekly series here at BlogWorld where we look at the best posts from around the web all surrounding a specific topic. Every week, we’ll feature three of the most brilliant bloggers out there, along with a huge list of more resources where you can learn about the topic. You can see more Brilliant Blogger posts or learn how to submit your link for an upcoming edition here.

This Week’s Topic: Finding Post Ideas

Cue me rubbing my hands together and licking my chops.

Usually, I use Brilliant Bloggers as an excuse to write about topics where I don’t personally have much experience. This week, the topic is my jam. I love coming up with post ideas and spend a lot of time brainstorming for my various blogs. I’m not going to tell you how many blog posts and articles I write or outline every month, for myself and for clients because it might make your head explode. To do that, I’ve had to get really good at coming up with ideas. At least, I think I’m good at it. *pats self on back*

So, tomorrow, I’m going to post my own secret tips to help you come up with ideas for your blog when the well runs dry. I hope you’ll stop back to read it!

But for right now? Well…I have to admit, even I have ideas when finding inspiration is a challenge. We all deal with writer’s blog (or podcaster’s block or vlogger’s block or whatever) from time to time. So even though I hope you will come back to read my idea-finding post tomorrow, it’s even more important that you check out the brilliant bloggers I’ve featured here. These are some smart cookies, y’all – much more brilliant than I am! Check out these awesome posts – and then list one of your own tips for finding post ideas when you’re lacking inspiration by leaving a comment.

Advice from Brilliant Bloggers:

What Topics and Content Should I Include on my 3DS Blog? by Dave Taylor

Okay, I know most of you out there probably don’t own 3DS blogs, but stay with me – although he’s answering the question of someone who runs a video game blog, the techniques Dave talks about for finding post ideas can really be used with any kind of blog. Using a search engine is not something I’ve done in the past, so it was an interesting new tool to add to my repertoire. After reading the post, you can find Dave on Twitter @davetaylor.

Finding Blog Post Ideas in the Most Unlikely Places by Murray Lunn

While a lot of blog posts about finding ideas go over the same old tips, this post by Murray Lunn actually covers some really interesting new ways of finding inspiration for your next blog post. I especially love his tip for using eBay and Amazon – that’s something I hadn’t heard of before that I’m definitely going to use! Check out the entire post and then find Murray on Twitter @murraylunn.

How To Get Killer Blog Post Ideas…Even If You’re Not RVing Full Time by Eli Sorenti-Burns

Eli is an 8-year-old who gives crazy good advice. Like, seriously, when I was eight, I could barely handle brushing my teeth and he’s writing complete blog posts! Now, I suspect that he has some help from mom or dad, but it’s pretty cool to read some awesome advice about finding post ideas from someone who hasn’t been jaded by the world yet. :-p Eli’s going to be an online millionaire by the time he graduates. I’m calling it now. He’s too young to be on Twitter, but you can follow dad at @ralphhb to learn more about this cool RVing family!

Even More Brilliant Advice:

3 Tips to Get Killer Blog Post Ideas by Mani Viswanathan (@mani0993)
4 Blog Post Ideas to Get You Unstuck by Kristina
5 Best Ways to Find Ideas for Blog Posts by Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen (@QuipsAndTips)
5 Places To Look At For Your Next Blog Post Idea by Tushar Agarwal
6 Places to Find Ideas for Blog Posts by Grandma Mary (Andrea Vahl) (@AndreaVahl)
7 Blog Post Ideas For When You’re Staring At A Blank Screen byDavid Santistevan (@dsantistevan)
7 Ways To Get Endless Ideas For Your Blog Posts by David Risley (@DavidRisley)
8 Ways to Collect Enough Blog Post Ideas for the Next 100 Years by Judy Dunn (@CatsEyeWriter)
9 Tips on Using Forums to Get Blog Post Ideas by Tristan Higbee (@tristanhigbee)
10 Killer Post Ideas by Chris Garrett (@chrisgarrett)
20 Blog Topics To Get You Unstuck by Chris Brogan (@chrisbrogan)
20 Different Blog Post Ideas by Jonathan (@blogpassion)
23 Great Ideas For Blog Posts by Pat Doyle (@patdoyle)
25 Ways to Use the Web to Find Content for Your Blog by Danny Brown (@DannyBrown)
33 Blog Post Ideas for the Personal Brand-Building Blogger by Jacob Share (@jacobshare)
37 Viral Post Ideas You Can Use Today by Skellie (@skellie)
45 Blog Post Ideas That Always Generate Buzz by Adam Singer (@AdamSinger)
50 Blog Ideas to Help You Keep Your Blog Fresh by Wendy Wood (@wendywood)
50 Blog Post Ideas for Business Blogging by Tad Chef (@onreact_com)
50 Can’t-Fail Techniques for Finding Great Blog Topics by Carol Tice (@TiceWrites)
52 Blog Post Ideas for Business Blogging by Cheryl Liquori (@cherliquori)
100 Ways To Find Ideas For Your Blog Posts by Steven Aitchison (@StevenAitchison)
111 Instant Blog Post Ideas by Easton Ellsworth
353+ Blog Post Ideas to Inspire You by Amy Schmittauer (@schmittastic)
The A to Z of Blog Post Idea Generation by Danny Iny (@DannyIny)
Are You Running Out of Blog Post Ideas? by Sonny Lanorias (@sonnylanorias)
Finding Post Ideas by Matt Cowan (@matt_cowan)
Finding Blog Post Ideas in Unusual Places by Kiesha Easley (@weblogbetter)
Five Blog Post Ideas When You Have No Idea What to Write About by Mack Collier (@MackCollier)
Five Places to Find Blog Post Ideas by Alyssa Gregory (@alyssagregory)
How I Generated One Years Worth of Content Ideas in One Hour; And You Can Too by Glen Allsopp (@viperchill)
How to Get Blog Post Ideas for Your Blog by Onibalusi Bamidele (@youngprepro)
How To Get Blog Post Inspiration In Your Niche by Lee Ka Hoong (@BloggingWP)
Stumbling for Blog Post Ideas by Justin Germino (@dragonblogger)
Ten Easy Blog Post Ideas For When You’re Lazyby Max Miroff (@MaxMiroff)
Uncovering Awesome Blog Post Ideas by Drew Berman (@drewberman)
Unusual, Cheeky and Fun Ways To Get Inspiration For Your Blog Posts by Michael Dunlop (@michaeldunlop)
Want Infinite Blog Post Ideas? by Andrew Hanelly (@hanelly)
Where Do You Get Your Blog Post Ideas? by Brad Harmon (@brad_harmon)
Where Do You Get Your Post Ideas From? by John Chow (@johnchow)
Where to Find Blog Post Ideas by Andrew G. Rosen (@jobacle)

Did I miss your post or a post by someone you know about finding post ideas? Unintentional! Help me out by leaving a comment below with the link!

Next Week’s Topic: TBD

I’d love to include a link to your post next week – and if you head to the Brilliant Bloggers Schedule, you can see even more upcoming posts. We all have something to learn from one another, so please don’t be shy! Head to the schedule today to learn how to submit your post so I won’t miss it.

What Motivates You?

Author: elkecarvosso6

Earlier this week, I posed the question, “Where are the Remarkable Bloggers?” and it’s been nice to see some readers replying. For those who haven’t yet, I hope that post helped to inspire you to examine what you’re doing as a blogger and how you can move from “just” a blog to something much more. Blog posts (and comments) can definitely be inspirational!

Motivation makes your ideas grow.

But inspiration and motivation aren’t the same thing. I’m inspired all the time, but it takes something more than inspiration to actually motivate me to do something.

Inspiration makes you say, “I want to…” or even “I’m going to…” but motivation makes you actually do those things. We all need the spark of inspiration, but that spark will die without motivation. I would definitely argue that you can’t have motivation without inspiration, but few people understand that inspiration also depends on motivation if you actually want to move forward.

I’d like to talk to you a little about what motivates me most, and then turn over the floor to you. So get your fingers ready to leave a comment about your personal motivation.

My Motivation

Today, someone called me a failure.

I’ve felt like a failure many times. I think we all have, and that’s not limited to bloggers. I tweeted about it, for two reasons: 1) It hurt to hear that, regardless of whether or not I believe it and 2) I fires me up to want to prove the person wrong.

As is usually the case with emotional tweeting, I got some responses, including one from Andy Hayes (@andrewghayes), who I’m quickly learning is one of the most supportive people on Twitter and possibly in the whole world.

@allison_boyer: When people call me a failure, it just makes me realize I’m not.

@andrewghayes: eww! who said that? 🙁

@allison_boyer: Someone who I will prove wrong, one step forward at a time!

@andrewghayes: you dont have anything to prove to them.

You know what? He’s right. I was being motivated by an extremely negative comment, from someone I consider a friend, and turning it into more negativity. Ha! I’m going to prove you wrong!

But I don’t have to prove him wrong. I could work and work and work and at the end of the day, what I do may never be good enough for this person to consider me anything but a failure. Or if not him, someone else might call me a failure. I can’t control others’ reaction to me.

So what motivates me is not the negativity of wanting to prove someone wrong. What I’m allowing to motivate me is the drive to be better for myself. Someone thinks I’m a failure, and I may never be able to convince him that I’m not, but I can use that as motivation to be better than I am right now, to take steps forward, to always reach for success, whether I can prove it to him or not. And more than that, I can surround myself with people who cheer me on, rather than break me down.

So what motivates me is the need to be better, and the reminder that it isn’t ok to stand still. What motivates me is not the need to do more and more and more and more so much that I can’t slow down, but to be better at the things I do choose to do. What motivates me is people like Andy Hayes and all the other wonderful supporters I have on Twitter and otherwise, telling me that they believe in what I’m doing.

Your turn – what motivates you?

Where are the Remarkable Bloggers?

Author: elkecarvosso6

Many of us started blogs to get out of the rat race, but I’m noticing more and more that there’s a blogging rat race all of it’s own. We fall onto this treadmill of needing to post, post, post, post. And it goes beyond writing posts. We fill our hours to the brim with answering emails, tweaking site design, replying to comments, reading posts from other bloggers in our niches, writing guest posts or editing guests post that people have submitted for our own blogs, and on and on and on and on.

But what are you doing, right now, that is truly remarkable?

Yesterday, Nathan Hangen tweeted something that made me extremely sad.

I’m desperate from something new, innovating, or fresh – what’s the most amazing piece of work you’ve seen lately?

Why did it make me sad? Because I honestly couldn’t think of anything to recommend to him off the top of my head. I know people who are running awesome blogs that I enjoy reading, but that’s part of the blogger rat race. I know people who are interesting on Twitter, but that’s part of the blogger rat race. I know people who have amazing ideas, but…well, you get the picture.

What project are you working on that’s going to change the world?

Perhaps that seems a bit intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be a plan to end world hunger or cure cancer. Your remarkable project could be something that starts much smaller, changing the lives of those around you in your niche. But if you create something remarkable, you will start to see that ripple effect.

And this all could start with an awesome blog post or interesting tweets or great ideas. Even the biggest forest fire starts with a single spark. The problem is, few people expand upon those remarkable sparks. If you’ve ever been a scout, like I was, you know – when you build a campfire, you have to baby those first few smoldering wisps of smoke. You nurture the flames until they grow and even though it gets easy, you can’t stop feeding that fire unless you want it to die.

Are you feeding the fire?

It’s easy to watch top names in any industry release products, create new blogs, start membership sites, and so forth, but you have remarkable ideas too. It might take you a little longer to complete, and it might take a little longer for you to see an outpouring of supporters, but if it’s something that you’re passionate about, something that you truly believe in, it’s worth doing. And worth promoting.

Today, I released a product at After Graduation that I think is remarkable. It isn’t relevant for everyone, but it is for writers. BlogWorld encouraged me to take the spark, that product idea that I was throwing around for over a year now, and develop it into not just a few pages of notes, but a real ebook. And I’m going to fan that fire, growing from this product to make more that help people in the freelance industry.

I’d like to invite you to share your remarkable products, ideas, and sparks. I was so sad at Nathan’s tweet not only because I think there’s a lack of remarkable things happening out there, but also because the things that are remarkable? I don’t know about them or realize people are working on them. And that’s partially my fault. I feel like lately I’ve been needing to slow down a bit and support others, rather than just plowing ahead with my own remarkable projects.

So… leave a comment! Tell me what you’re doing right now or planning in the future. Tell me what makes you remarkable. Tell me what you have for sale or for free that is going to change the world, or at least the lives of those in your niche. Or tell me what you’ve seen out there from other people. Link for me (and other readers) all of your glorious remarkable-ness!

Is your Blog Thunder or Lightning?

Author: elkecarvosso6

The “perfect storm” for a blogger is a combination of traffic, community, and sales. You want bodies in the door. You want them commenting and interacting. You want them buying items from you. It isn’t easy to work to this level, but answering one question can help you figure out where you need to improve as a blogger: Is your blog thunder or lightning?

The Thunder Blogger

Thunder is loud and scary, or at least it was to us as children. It can make a lot of different noises, from rumblings in the distance to firecracker booms that feel like they’re right on top of us. What thunder doesn’t do is have any kind of tangible effect. Thunder can’t kill you. Thunder isn’t even a physical thing.

Thunder bloggers are vocal. Their posts are consistent, interesting, and engaging. These bloggers are awesome at social networking and often participate on other blogs by leaving comments or using forums. Unfortunately, thunder bloggers also don’t have much of a tangible effect. They aren’t seeing their readership grow, and they aren’t making money. They’ve got great ideas, but they aren’t putting things into effect to create real physical results.

The Lightning Blogger

Lightning isn’t as common as thunder, both in nature and with bloggers. Unlike thunder, you can actually see lightning and it is extremely dangerous. Lightning doesn’t actually make any noise, but it can kill you (or destroy something, like a tree) when it strikes.

Lightning bloggers have awesome ideas, too, and unlike thunder bloggers, they actually know how to make people want to buy. They’ve created products. They’ve monetized. They have the potential to make a lot money. Yet, they have no presence. They don’t make noise on their own blogs, because they don’t post consistently or about interesting topics (ie, every post is just a sales pitch). They also don’t make noise on social networking sites, again through inconsistency and bring too sales-y.

Creating the Storm

The result of being a thunder blogger or lightning blogger is the same – you don’t have traffic, community, or sales on your blog. Instead of being a hurricane of success, your blog is just…well…a light drizzle. And let me tell you, a springtime shower isn’t going to pay the bills, nor is it going to make any kind of impact in the grand scheme of things.

It isn’t random that some bloggers are more popular than others. Maybe you’re just as good at social networking, but do you treat your blog as a business? Do you focus completely on content and forget that you’re trying to earn money? Maybe you do a great jump monetizing, just like popular bloggers out there in your niche, but do you engage the community? Do you focus so much on making money that you don’t have the free content on your blog to back up whatever you’re selling.

There’s a reason thunder and lightning come as a pair. If you aren’t as successful as you’d like to be, take some time to analyze your approach to blogging. All of us lean one way or the other (thunder or lightning), and we need to objectively figure out what we can do to be closer to that happy, perfect medium.

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