Julianne Wish, Member Contributions
Blogging is fun and also pretty easy. It can be equally easy to make mistakes. No worries, though. Here is a list of common blogging mistakes so you can easily avoid them.
- Not being original. Many bloggers are hesitant to be themselves online. However, your personality is what will attract readers and attention. Don’t hesitate to be yourself…whether it’s funky, serious, controversial, etc.
- Not giving credit where credit is due. If you borrow ideas from another blogger, writer or anyone else, make sure you give them the credit. It will not weaken your own credibility. On the contrary…your credibility will be enhanced. If you do not give the proper credit, you can also get in trouble legally.
- Not responding to comments. If you set up your blog so your readers can leave comments, you should be social and respond to them. It helps to create a sense of community on your blog and your readers get to interact with you. Not only is it the right and friendly thing to do, it motivates more comments.
- Giving up too early. Blogs do not achieve success overnight. By blogging about a subject you are passionate about, you will stay motivated to write and post and stick with it. Blogs require a commitment if they are to be successful. With consistent care and attention to your blog, your readers will grow.
- Not posting enough. Many bloggers think you have to post daily. In the very early stages of building your blog this is a good idea. Once you have established a consistent readership, you can post less often. At least weekly, or two to three times per week, is a good idea. If you do not post for a week or two, you are very likely to lose readers.
- Not having a well defined topic. Make sure your topic is obvious. The more specific your niche, the easier it will be to attract a following. For example, instead of blogging about exotic pets, narrow it to blogging about sugar gliders.
- Not choosing a topic you can sustain. By choosing a topic you are passionate about, you can write consistently and maintain your motivation. If you choose a topic that you are not very interested in, you will be fortunate if you can come up with a post per month.
- Having too many ads. Make sure your blog is content heavy. If your blog is more focused on ads than content, you will not be able to attract a loyal following.
- Forgetting value. Make sure your posts offer something of value to your readers. Readers are looking to be entertained, gain information or be educated. Your posts should accomplish that. If they do, you will attract readers.
- Not promoting your blog. You must promote your blog! How else are readers going to find you? Comment on other blogs and leave the url to your blog when you do. Participate in social networking. Become a guest blogger. When you write as a guest blogger, be sure to include your bio along with links to your blog, facebook page and twitter.
Blogging is fun, a great way to connect with people online, a great way to grow a business and even a way to earn money. Avoid these ten common blogging mistakes and you can achieve blogging success quicker and easier!
To your success!
Julianne Alvarez-Wish is a military wife, mother, business owner, professional writer, blogger and legislative advocate. She is the Director of Communications for Our Milk Money, the Colorado State Leader for the National Association for Moms in Business and the owner of Buy By Mom and Buy By Mom Blog. She is the Colorado Springs Stay-at-Home Mom Examiner for Examiner.com. She also blogs at A Wishful Thought. Her passion, purpose and goal is to help parents work from home so they can be home with their children.
Julianne Wish, Member Contributions
Have you ever wondered WHY so many people blog? It seems like there is a blog per person! What’s the big deal? Here are six benefits of blogging:
- Blogging is easy. One of the reasons so many people blog is because it’s really easy to get online. With all of the tools available, you can have a really professional looking blog in just a few hours. There are thousands of blog templates that are well designed and many can be modified with just a few clicks. You can also add plug-ins to help create a blog that will do just about anything you’d like it to.
- Blogging is inexpensive. You can easily spend several hundred dollars on a website that is very basic. A really professional looking blog can cost you less than twenty-five dollars and that includes the domain name and the hosting.
- Blogging is profitalbe. You can make good money with a blog. Many people who began blogging about their passions for personal reasons soon found themselves in the limelight. They also found themselves making some good money from their blogs. For example, the movie Julie & Julia was about a real blogger who cooked her way through Julia Child’s cookbook. The blog ‘*&^@ my Dad Says turned into a television program starring William Shatner. Your blog may not get you in a movie, but you can still make good money from it. You can promote products you love and earn affiliate income…you can promote your own products or services…you can earn money from advertising revenue. Blogs with a lot of subscribers can demand high rates for ad space.
- Blogging connects. Blogging is a way to connect to other like minded people. You can get online and share your passions and by doing so attract and connect with people who are interested in the same topic. Blogging is a great way to ‘meet’ people all over the world. You can share, learn and grow.
- Blogging can build your career. You can use your blog to promote yourself. For example, if you are a sales person you might create a blog about sales strategies. You can then use your blog to establish yourself as a subject matter expert. It can help you move up in the company, land your dream job or gain further exposure for your own business.
- Blogging builds business. Many businesses use blogging as a means to market, grow and profit. If y
- ou have thought about starting a business online, you could launch it with a blog.
Blogging is popular for many reasons. It’s easy. It’s inexpensive. It can be profitable and it’s quite fun! Start your own blog today!
Julianne Alvarez-Wish is a military wife, mother, business owner, professional writer, blogger and legislative advocate. She is the Director of Communications for Our Milk Money, the Colorado State Leader for the National Association for Moms in Business and the owner of Buy By Mom and Buy By Mom Blog. She is the Colorado Springs Stay-at-Home Mom Examiner for Examiner.com. She also blogs at A Wishful Thought. Her passion, purpose and goal is to help parents work from home so they can be home with their children.
Julianne Wish, Member Contributions
Like any job environment, working from home requires a certain type of individual. There are skills and characteristics of the home employee that may or may not fit your style. So if you are considering working from home, you might want to ask yourself if it’s right for you. Here are some things to consider.
The Work Day
Do you value the time when the work day is over and you can go home and do what you please? If this is a valuable aspect of your outside-the-home job, then think carefully if you want to work from home. Setting your own hours sounds wonderful, but it is not as easy as it sounds. You don’t go home from your home office!
Computer Knowledge
If you are going to work from home, you’ll need a working knowledge of computers. You don’t have to a software designer, but knowledge of the basics is important. It’s also a good idea to have resources you can turn to, such as technically savvy friends.
There’s no IT department to turn to in the home office, and computers require maintenance and updates. If you have trouble downloading software, or if your machine freezes up, you will need to have some knowledge at your disposal to fix the problem. Also, you are undoubtedly using an internet connection to work from home; find out if a back-up plan is feasible for you in case you can’t get online.
Task Orientation
Some people are more task oriented than others – that is, some people find great satisfaction in making a list and getting everything on it done. Others find staying on task difficult, and may get distracted easily with other interests and ideas. You don’t have to be naturally task-oriented to succeed at working from home; but you do need to be honest with yourself about your abilities in this regard and plan accordingly.
Motivation
Remaining self-motivated can be challenging for some. Again, you can’t rewire your brain to be the personality type you need to succeed; but understanding your limitations and strengths regarding motivation can help you put safeguards in place before you begin.
For example, if you have trouble staying motivated, you can ask a friend to hold you accountable periodically. He or she can check up on you weekly with an email or phone call, asking you if your’re on task and if you’ve reached your goals.
Perks
If you already have a day job, carefully consider the perks that job offers and decide what you will do about providing those yourself. Health insurance and taxes, for instance, are often things an employer takes care of behind the scenes. You’ll want to look into those things on your own before starting out in the work at home world.
Julianne Alvarez-Wish is a military wife, mother, business owner, professional writer, blogger and legislative advocate. She is the Director of Communications for Our Milk Money, the Colorado State Leader for the National Association for Moms in Business and the owner of Buy By Mom and Buy By Mom Blog. She is the Colorado Springs Stay-at-Home Mom Examiner for Examiner.com. She also blogs at A Wishful Thought. Her passion, purpose and goal is to help parents work from home so they can be home with their children.
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