In my 8 months of blogging I’ve learned a few things. Here are 20 of them.
1. Nothing is too personal to write publicly about. There will always be someone who will be grateful you shared it. As for the rest, they don’t care as much as you think they do. That soul-baring post is probably only embarrassing to you.
2. If you have a post you’re afraid to make public, make it public anyway (see #1). It’s okay to run naked in public sometimes. You’ll feel freed.
3. You are going to have haters. It’s unavoidable. If you can’t handle people hating you or your blog, you have no business blogging.
4. If your blog starts getting popular, your haters will be more numerous and more vocal. It’s okay to have haters. Love your haters. They’re obviously obsessed enough with you to visit your blog and that increases your views.
5. Some people you thought were your friends or supporters are not. Be careful who you trust.
6. If you write about a serious or dark topic, break it up with a little fluff sometimes. Or write about something else. But don’t lose your focus.
7. Trolls are easily controlled. Just don’t approve their comments or send them to Spam/Trash.
8. Be agreeable. Don’t attack commenters who disagree with you. Most people are reasonable and disagreements can lead to some interesting debates where both of you may learn something.
9. If you decide to run ads, you’re not selling out. If you’re serious about blogging or writing, it’s a good idea if you have enough traffic.
10. You do not need to pay for SEO. All you need is patience. If you post often enough and your blog starts getting enough hits (USE THE SHARE BUTTONS–or at least have them available under your posts so others can do your dirty work for you), those hits will eventually lead to more hits, and this keeps feeding on itself. Eventually you’ll find some of your posts appearing at the top of the search engines, and once that happens, the sky’s the limit.
11. You can’t “make” a post go viral. There is absolutely no way to tell what article of yours may go viral or when. It could be one you never expected to, or it could happen months after you first posted it. When it happens, it’s a complete surprise and a completely amazing feeling.
12. Don’t write something just because you think it’s popular if it isn’t something of interest to you. Don’t try to be cool–people can always tell if you’re trying too hard. You’re either cool or you’re not, but you don’t have to be cool to have a great blog. (I’m definitely not cool).
13. You are going to lose followers. It’s inevitable. As long as you are gaining more followers than you’re losing, then there’s no problem. The people who are unfollowing you are probably not people you want to have sticking around anyway.
14. You will change in ways you never expected. Blogging is an adventure.
15. Don’t beat yourself up if you miss a day and don’t post. We all have those days we need to take a break or just can’t think of a good idea. If it really bothers you, reblog someone else’s article or post a funny picture or inspirational saying. People always love those.
16. When all else fails, post a picture of a cat or a cat meme. Cats on the Internet are like sex in the movies. They attract viewers. Kittens are even better. Everyone loves kittens, even people who hate cats.
17. Use pictures and graphics, especially in long posts (but don’t use so many your post looks like the cover of a supermarket tabloid). No one wants to read a wall of text, even if you’re the best writer ever. But they want a clean look too, so be careful how many graphics you use, especially if you are running ads too. No one likes a cluttered, messy looking blog that makes their eyes hurt or gives them flashbacks to the MySpace era.
18. You don’t have to be a great writer. You just have to be original and willing to take a few risks.
19. Always be honest even if your opinion might be controversial or unpopular. Controversial posts may get you more haters, but they’ll also make your views soar.
20. Haters can make good fodder for new posts. Sometimes those posts will be your most interesting. But be careful about calling out specific people by name; you could get in trouble for that.
This is a great compilation! I can especially relate to the #1 item on your list. I feel pangs of fear when my finger hovers over the “publish” button. Will anyone care about this concept or topic at all? As you say, there is always someone out there who can relate. Great advice for bloggers new or old. Thank you for sharing!
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Thanks for the kind remarks. 🙂
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You have listed some interesting points in this 20 truths. Check mark on all of them.
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OM’s blogging articles sort of inspired this one. Thanks!
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Your 20 Truths is a Perfect 10. 😀
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Great points!
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Some really great tips here! Particularly about the haters; you can’t let them get you down. thanks!
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It’s hard when you first become aware there are people hating on you or what you have to say, but after awhile it bothers you less and you grow a tougher skin. You have to! You’re welcome.
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Reblogged this on alltheeabove.
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Reblogged this on ButchCountry67 and commented:
Great Post by a Great Wordsmith , and all around Great Person 🙂
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So so true Sire
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Thanks, Butch! 🙂
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you’re most welcome 🙂
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Pingback: 20 truths of blogging. | ButchCountry67
Thanks for the share..
Very helpful.
Just followed your blog, hope you keep amazing me dear.
Great work on your blog, hope you do follow back. Bless
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Thank you for the follow. 🙂
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Thank you for following back.
Looking forward to sharing in your thoughts.
#WeHereForAllOfUs
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Reblogged this on INK AND QUILL and commented:
Great tips about blogging! My favourite number 16 ! Keep a lookout for a cute cat picture coming up on Ink and Quill. ☺
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Thank you, I am following your blog now too. I like #6 too. *insert cat smilie*
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I probably won’t be running around naked, but I have been known to let it all hang out… and write openly.
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Same thing really!
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Perhaps with a little kaftan to cover some of things you don’t need to see…
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Reblogged this on Live Love Laugh and commented:
great post
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Thanks! I wrote it on a whim. I had no other ideas and thought it kind of sucked at first but when I read it over, I thought, “hey, this is pretty good.”
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Reblogged this on galesmind and commented:
Excellent post!! I see you are also learning and sharing your knowledge. We can all learn more. Specially about haters and how to make them useful.
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Almost anything can be put to use in some way. 🙂
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I hope when I release one of my songs it will go viral. Your going to love the name of our band. Its called NARCISSISTIC MARY.
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That’s is a fantastic band name. I love it!
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This is a great post!
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Reblogged this on Life of an El Paso Woman and commented:
This is a great post!
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Good. Thanks.
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A great post. Thoroughly enjoyed your points. This is my second year and I’m still learning. Thank you.
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Thank you so much!
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You are welcome. Thank you for the follow. Always happy to receive new followers and visitors. Please feel welcome. Milanka 🙂 🙂 ❤
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Your blog looks delicious! You may be interested in my most recent post. Hopefully you haven’t already posted this recipe. I do occasionally blog about cooking/baking.
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I will visit shortly. Just updating a few bits and pieces on my blog. 🙂 🙂
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Fantastic list . Only 12 I don’t agree with. We all know you’re too kool for skool!
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Awww thanks. 🙂 But if you met me IRL you might not agree. I’m shy and awkward.
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Excellent post and well written.
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Reblogged this on living in stigma.
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Thank you. 🙂
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Reblogged this on Surviving PTSD .
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You forgot to mention some people take things all out of context, I’ve had police round my door at 11pm one night, and have also lost access to my son as my blogs were used against me by people with a vendetta.
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OMG. Taking things out of context. About a week or two before I wrote this, I had a run in with several bloggers who were ENRAGED about something I wrote that was taken COMPLETELY out of context– I didn’t have police at my door, but I was practically crucified on their blogs. I wrote several articles about that incident. Here are two of them:
and
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I am so sorry you lost access to your son because of your blogs. That must have been devastating. 😦
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I’d past my sell by usefulness date, and they were looking for any excuse.
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That really sucks. 😦
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OMG were you that person who had a blog and you talked about your ex and someone thought you were talking about your baby? Then it took you eight months to get your kid back? My mom told me this story two years ago. I speculated that it was the mother’s ex that saw the blog an decided to use it against her because he could easily twist it to use in court. But yet the baby ended up in foster care somehow instead of in the dad’s hands. Was that person you?
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No, that wasn’t me, but what a horrible story. 😦
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Hi, No not me. Sorry.
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Enjoyed your post. Thank you for sharing!
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Great post! I’ll be reblogging!
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Go at it! 🙂
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Reblogged this on Romance Done Write and commented:
Here’s a great post on the other side of blogging. Not just about increasing your traffic, but things to consider as your blog gains momentum. I’m not quite there, my akismet has only picked up about 30 odd spam since I started back in February.
Keep blogging!
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Thanks for reblogging, following you too!
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3. You are going to have haters. It’s unavoidable. If you can’t handle people hating you or your blog, you have no business blogging.
Or just turn off your comments or make your blog private.
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Some people have done that, but I won’t disallow comments or set this to private. If they want to hate, whatever.
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I wasn’t telling you to do it, I was just saying what else you (Not literally you, just people in general who blog) can do that option instead of not blogging.
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Oh, I know.
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Thanks for the tips. I’ve been blogging for nearly 5 months now. Different and new prospectives are always welcome. I agree with many of them and some I haven’t come across yet, thank goodness. Thanks again for sharing. I enjoyed reading your blog. 🙂
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This is one of the best posts about blogging I’ve yet to read.
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Thank you! 🙂
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It is factual and helpful information. I agree completely with #10. One shouldn’t pay for SEO to get more stats and hits. One thing I dislike is a few of the blogs from the many I read ask for donations. As a writer and author, I never ask for donations. For one thing, it’s dishonest to me. Another, blogging is for the freedom of writing and enjoyment. I shouldn’t have to pay to see a site. If one is that hard up for money, get a real job.
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Well, I actually have a donation tab here too, but I don’t push it and I never got a donation and never expected to anyway. But I don’t think there’s anything wrong with asking for donations as long as the donations go to the expenses of maintaining the blog itself (or Internet access for some). What I don’t like is people who ask for donations and then use it for other things that have nothing to do with their blog, like paying their bills. Then it’s like begging for money.
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Reblogged this on Art by Rob Goldstein and commented:
Excellent
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This is some really great advice! Thanks for sharing 🙂 I really love the kittens idea!!!!!! 🙂
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That was one of my favorites too. Meow!
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:-))))
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great advice, thank you for taking the time to write it and share it.
Kim in Australia
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Pingback: Getting side tracked… | Kim L Hine
Thanks for the advice! I will definitely add more pics n graphics. FYI I still keep going back to look at that adorable friggin kitten lol I’m such a sucker!
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Which kitten? 🙂
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LMAO the white adorable upside down one that I still can’t stop smiling about!!!!
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Oh that one! Kittens are all so adorable. ❤
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They really can just turn that frown upside down so thnx!
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