First off, I’m frustrated! Frustrated with putting a lot of effort into blogging and not having anything to show for it.
Sure my site’s (yes plural) get visitors, but they’re not growing at the rate that I want them to. While it’s exciting to see the monthly visitor count climb, I’m left to wonder how all these other bloggers do it.
How do they get the subscribers they claim? What’s their secret to getting followers on Twitter or Google Plus, and how in the world to they get all of those comments?
I want this for my blogs, and I’m sure you do to.
My Epiphany
It turns out I was going about things all wrong.
My epiphany happened after reading a blog post. The topic was about creating blogging milestones (you’ll have to browse my blog to get more information on this). As I started doing a little bit of research on the author, I came across a few other posts that really put things in perspective for me.
Which leads me to…
Blogging Flail
When I first created Blogging Flail, I was struggling a bit with the focus. I knew I wanted to write about blogging topics, but there are 1000’s of other blogs that were already covering this. How do you break into this niche, when there are so many well established bloggers?
So I tried to focus on Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Not just any SEO site, as there are plenty of those in existence, but one that focuses on case studies of various SEO strategies.
This came with some success, but it’s just not enough. A handful of subscribers over 7 months of work leaves a whole lot to be desired.
So I decided to do something a little different.
My Name is Craig Emerson
Let’s be straight, I’m a techie. In my professional life I’m an Information Technology Development Manager, working in the security space. So yea, I have a day job.
I know, I know, just because I’m in IT doesn’t mean I’m a tech head. At least it started out that way. I’ve written code on the mainframe (yea I’m older), created client/server applications, heck I even taught myself PHP because I was bored. So bored in fact, I created my own social network. But that’s a whole other story.
Back to this blogging thing.
I’m re-branding Blogging Flail to focus on the flailings of myself as a blogger. You see, I take this personal being a techie. It irks me to no end that I’m struggling with this blogging thing, when I consider myself to be a very strong technologist.
How difficult can it be? You write a few quality posts, and people should flock to your blog. Right?
What’s In It For You?
So if I’m writing about my flailings as a blogger, what’s in it for you?
You’re going to learn from me!!!
There are so many opinions from the so called experts (and I mean no disrespect by that), that you can drive yourself crazy trying to figure out what you are supposed to be doing. Each blog you visit contradicts the previous blog…
Focus on SEO / Don’t worry about SEO
Build your social network followers / Don’t worry about social networks until you get over x subscribers to your blog
Guest Posting / Guest Posting is dead
STOP!!!
Remember that epiphany I was telling you about earlier? That’s what we’ll be focusing on here.
Is it going to work? Beats the hell out of me, but I’ve got a strategy and I’m sticking to it. Which is something I really didn’t have before. If it works you’ll be the first to know, well technically second since I’ll be the first, but you get the idea.
So take a look at the blog and follow along with my plan, and we’ll find out together what works and what doesn’t.
One more thing. I’ve sort of done away with posting to this blog on a regular basis. That day job I was telling you about earlier, well it keeps me rather busy. I am maintaining this blog, and you may find some new things from time to time.
Other Blogs
If you’re interested in visiting some of my other blogs, here’s a few to get you started:
Craigerson: My personal Blog. I kind of blog about anything that’s on my mind. However he focus seems to be on Motorcycles, mainly my Triumph Thruxton, some blogging stuff that doesn’t have a fit here, and technology.
BrewGinner: My latest venture. I like hobbies, and the latest is homebrewing. I’ve become kind of obsessed with brewing my own beer since I got started with this hobby in the summer of 2018. Why not write about my brewing adventures, and help out new homebrewers.