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Why Do I Blog? It Is Not What You Think

January 5, 2010 By 7 Comments

A little while back, I asked you guys why you blogged. It is a simple question really…with a more complex answer than “because I want to”. Over the years, I have always said that blogging is truly unique because you can make blogging whatever you want to and that can change with time. Some people blog to share pictures with friends and family while others blog for a full time income. The spectrum is wide open in the pursuit of putting words on a screen.

Before we jump into the poll results and why I think they came out the way they did, I want to tell you guys why I blog.

Why Robb Sutton Blogs

My blogging career started due to one specific need.

I wanted to be a part of the industry I called home instead of just another rider.

In the cycling industry, there are several ways you can be “more involved”.

  • You can own a bike shop. Owning a bike shop is lot of work with little pay, so it really has to be a passion with capital to invest in the process.
  • You can go to work for a bike related company, but I didn’t want another job that would end up putting a sour taste in my mouth in something that I actually liked.
  • And…you can become a part of an advocacy group that promotes cycling.

Instead of going these routes, I started mtbtrailreview.com as a website that would gather user submitted trail reviews. Now, anyone who has messed around online for more than 5 minutes knows that user submitted content is an extremely hard thing to get even when you have traffic. Getting user submitted content when you don’t have traffic is almost an act of God, so I started Mountain Biking by 198 (the blog) to funnel traffic to the trail review site.

Well…2 months in…the blog completely overtook the trail review site and we were off to the races. Now, Mountain Biking by 198 is Bike198.com with sub-domains for other cycling disciplines and the sky is the limit going forward as the site continues to evolve due to user feedback and future planning.

I tell you this story for one very specific reason. My main goal in starting a blog was to become a part of something and that is the driving force behind the growth. I see a lot of people start blogs with the passion to make money online and that is their sole driving force. What ends up happening? They end up making very little in the first 6 months and give up.

Blogging for an income is a by-product of blogging out of passion and the want of being a part of something bigger. This passion bleeds into the other aspects of the business (writing, promotion, etc.) and as people connect with that passion, you see larger traffic numbers, increased affiliate sales, increased direct advertising revenue, etc. Blogging (for the most part) is not driven by only monetary gain for successful bloggers. They actually enjoy what they are doing.

Bike198.com, RobbSutton.com, CoffeeObsessed.net…they are all my outlets to be a part of an industry I love. This passion, plus some smart business decisions and planning, is what brings the income over time. I didn’t want another job. I wanted to write my own ticket on my own terms. Blogging is my outlet to get that accomplished and I love every second of it.

Why Do You Blog Poll Results

Why Do You Blog

I am really pleasantly surprised by the results as they were pretty much what I was expecting with the top spot going to “A place to get thoughts out of my head! and “Creating a Business Online” and “Make Money Online” following suit shortly there after.

While there is a lot of focus on making money through blogging online, I believe that the #1 reason that most bloggers blog (or at least start a blog) is to share their thoughts and experiences with other people. Many of you do not care if you ever get to 100k subscribers as that is not your goal. Be careful though…it could be where you end up if people connect with your writing!

As time moves forward, I would expect to see the “Generate Free Leads for My Business” continue to grow and expand. As more companies look to social media as an outlet for business growth, blogging is going to be the natural progression for organic search engine results.

Some of My Favorite Comments from the Poll

Brandon @ WeBlogBetter.com

Robb, I find that I blog because I want the opportunity to have influence with people. I’m not necessarily interested in quick money, but I’m highly interested in connecting and communicating with people. It’s the community I love.

John Paul

Man I blog for about 4 of those reasons..lol

It’s about making a living, at same time helping people to the best I can.

Nothing wrong with making money as you help people. problem is making money off of people.

Srinivas Rao

Rob,

When I originally started my blog it was so that I would have tangible asset demonstrating my skill set to share with potential employers. But as I’ve grown as a blogger, it’s become about much more. It’s allowed me to learn about interesting people, connect with people from all over the world, and come with new ideas for business. BTw I’ll have a review of your Ramped reviews ebook up sometime after the New Year. Using your methods I’m already ranking #1 organically in Google for one of the surfboard companies I reviewed. So it’s funny to see my blog come up before their site for their boards.

Sarge | BeginnerBlogger.com

At first I started blogging just to see if I could make a website that people actually visited. I experimented a lot.

Then I realised how powerful a site is when you get visitors. I really underestimated how awesome blogging is. I love connecting with people.

I want to make money, sure but I want to make money so I can continue blogging and growing and experimenting and having fun online and not have to work because I ‘have to’. It’s the lifestyle, freedom, interaction and personal growth I’m after :)

Mike

I am actually kind of new to blogging. My site is about 2 weeks from launch. I decided to start a blog because for the longest time I’ve always tried to keep a diary or a set of notes.

Recently, I picked up the hobby of homebrewing. In homebrewing, it is important to keep track of all your notes when you do recipes, to either improve the drink or prevent something from happening again. So I find that blogging allows me to keep track of that. Not only recipes though, I like to keep track of everything I know about homebrewing, everything I see about homebrewing, and some things just in general that are funny or cool associated with beer and brew. My blog allows that.

On top of all that, homebrewers are some of the nicests more giving people I have met in my life thus far. Everyone seems to share an unwritten code of conduct. Personally, I enjoy it and I really think connecting with that community will be fun and interesting all while making me a better beer.

So I accumulate this knowledge and I’m trying to help pass it along. That is what most homebrewers do, they pass info along, they help each other out. So I’m trying to help newbies, just like me out.

I guess that is why I do it. Making a living would be nice, or finding a job in marketing for a brewing company or becoming a brewmaster would be an end goal I suppose. Really though, I’d like to eventually open my own craft brewery / restaurant!

Wow, that is a lot of reasons to blog…

Mike Crimmins

I blog for money and hopefully I can turn it into a full time business. However, there’s other ways to make money. I blog because I love to write.

Gordon

This post made me think about why I actually blog. My blog was such an unplanned venture. It was basically an extension of my Knowledge Reactor tutorial website where I wanted to provide some free IT and multimedia knowledge. Since I learned so much online, I wanted to give something back.

The blog was more like a place to allow my users to connect and I guess make a community around my brand. It really made me happy.

Filed Under: Blogging Tagged With: , , ,

Blogging, Life and a Chick Flick

December 30, 2009 By 18 Comments

Last week, my wife and I picked up a Sony Playstation 3 and a Netflix account to start having Blu-Ray date nights at the house. With the price of actually going out to see a movie making it all but not worth it…it made a lot more since to have the latest gaming system that also happens to play Blu-Ray movies (see how I pulled that one off!).

Besides, I had a bunch of Visa/Mastercard/American Express gift cards to blow, so it seemed like the logical course of action anyway.

What was the first movie on the que for Netflix? Julie and Julia. Besides being a movie that my wife has wanted to see for quite sometime, it also sealed the deal for her when my parents said, “It’s like you guys…just reversed!” Julie and Julia hit the Netflix que, arrived on our doorstep yesterday and made its way to the TV last night with a fire in the fireplace and a lit Christmas tree. The two dogs were ready to curl up, so we hit play and started to watch the flick.

Now…other than being a typical chick flick and a brilliant display of acting from Meryl Streep (you actually forget that you are not watching Julia Child), there are some actual blogging lessons filled within the movie that all bloggers should realize as they continue to grow their audience and success. I was actually pleasantly surprised on some the “blogging lessons” accuracy that was played out during the film. After hearing some bloggers irritated attitudes on how bloggers were displayed in the movie, after actually watching it…I thought it was pretty damn accurate…to a point.

What We Can Learn from Julia and Julia About Blogging

So as I watched this crazy movie, what did I rip out of the movie that are heart felt, meaty, blogging tips for your guys?

  • I Can Blog! – The whole reason Julie starts a blog is because a so-called friend did. The trick…she found something she was passionate about (cooking) and formatted it in a way that people would find interesting (524 Julia Child recipes in 365 days). Now…she didn’t do this intentionally…but it is something you need to consider as you develop your blog topic. And yes…you too can blog…but you actually have to put words on a screen and not procrastinate!
  • Setting Deadlines and Sticking to Them – In the movie, Julia sets the 524 recipes in 365 days as a deadline for herself. Throughout the movie, people tell her that she does not have to stick to the deadlines or she can just lie. In blogging, you are your own boss and you are only accountable to yourself. Deadlines are a great way to make yourself accountable so that you can actually realize your goals. Without deadlines (that used to be determined by your boss…now you are that boss), you are just floating in the wind without any real direction.
  • Writing When No One Is Listening – In the beginning of the movie, Julie gets really excited when she gets her first comment. Of course, that first comment goes something like “I don’t know why you are doing this, it still appears that I am the only one reading this thing. -Mom”. When you start a blog, you have to be prepared to continue writing even when no one is listening. Just because you put your blog out in cyberspace, that does not mean that people are going to gravitate to your words instantly just begging you to keep going. You have to put in the sweat and tears even when there is little to no external reward.
  • Late Nights – Blogging is filled with a ton of late nights in the beginning years. You are just bleeding for extra hours in the day as you continue to write early in the morning or late at night when you can just find 20 extra minutes in the day to put up content without being interrupted by work, family and friends. Julie is up late cooking, writing and doing other blogging activities to get the job done.
  • Flack from Work – Your office or place of employment may have zero clue you have any life online…or even care. For some of you, that might be a real problem as employers do not get “the whole blogging thing”. During my beginning blogging, there was some heat from the powers that be in my office. They are going to assume you are using their company time to do your work or you are skipping out on their work to do yours. They also might be worried that they are going to show up in your online exploits (like her boss was worried about in the movie). Be ready to catch heat from those that do not understand. They are going to make assumptions without asking and you need to be prepared for that conversation should it come up at a future date.
  • Cooperation from Spouse - In the movie, her husband is extremely cooperative (to a point) with the whole project. Julie does step into a narcissistic phase as bloggers sometimes do due to the selfish nature of always talking about yourself or your opinion. The cooperation of your family and…specifically…the one you choose to call your wife or husband…is essential to beginning success in life and in your new business. There is not a single blog on the net that is worth ruining life at home, so you need to make sure you work out the kinks beforehand.
  • Mental Breakdowns – Throughout the movie, Julie goes through several “mental breakdowns” in the search of completing her goals. Blogging can be really stressful at times as you deal with your readers, deadlines and other owning a business stresses. Remember…we have all hit that at some point in time even if it does not appear to be like that on the outside. Keep pushing towards your goal and you will make it there.
  • Dedication to the Cause – The entire movie is based around Julia Child’s life and Julia’s (the blogger) dedication to completing her year long project. While I do not recommend creating a blog that will be dead in 365 days, I do recommend staying dedicated to your cause and continue pushing forward. Both Julie and Julia in the movie were extremely dedicated to their task at hand.
  • Your Industry Might Not Be So Accepting – (spoiler alert) At the end of the movie, Julie finds out that the real Julia Child does not like her…or her blog. While this can be extremely devastating for bloggers, it is a lot more common than you might think. You need to be prepared for the realization that your industry is not too fond of what you are doing online even if you are seeing a massive amount of success. Many people do not understand blogging and think that it is just playing online. They are going to make assumptions about your motives and your dedication. They might even try to put you down or even bring a stop to your achievements. Having a successful blog does not mean that your industry is going to accept you with open arms.
  • Be Yourself – Julie’s blog was successful because of the extreme transparency she used with her life and her writing. When Julia Child wasn’t so accepting of her blog, Julia asked, “Is it because I drop the F-Bomb from time to time?” It is crucially important that your readers are connecting with you and not who you think they want to connect with. You can not fake it…it has to be real.

Being based on two true stories, Julia and Julia is proof of just another way bloggers can make it big online and off. After her article in the New York Times, Julie hit it big through her words and her online blogging. The key is finding something that people can relate to…and then help them and help yourself at the same time. The rest will be history.

Filed Under: Blogging, Content, How To Start A Blog, Lifestyle Design Tagged With: , , ,

A Look At RobbSutton.com in 2009

December 29, 2009 By 12 Comments

2009 was a HUGE year for RobbSutton.com. There was a lot going on in front of and behind the scenes to continue to bring valuable blogging and lifestyle design content through the air waves and to the screen of your computer. As we look forward to the promising year of 2010, I wanted to take a quick look back on 2009 and what exactly went on during this great blogging year. But…before we jump into some of my favorites from this past calendar year, I want to take the chance to thank all of you for supporting this site (and my others if you follow those) over the past year. It has been a blast interacting with you as we both work to grow our blogs.

Ebooks…Ebooks…Ebooks…

It was a busy writing year for me! With 2009, there was the introduction and publishing of 3 ebooks on RobbSutton.com and 1 ebook on Bike198.com. I made it a goal to get these informational products done this year, and I achieved that goal plus 1. These ebooks have been an integral part of the success of RobbSutton.com over the past year and I have been incredibly happy with the result.

In July, I released the premium eBook, Ramped Reviews, that gives you all the industry secrets…ins and outs…and how to contact companies…so that you can start to get in free review product on your blog. Review product was a HUGE part of Bike198.com as we saw over $100k worth of review product come through the front doors.

Later that month, I also release Ramped Mindset as a free download through the newsletter subscription. Ramped Mindset helps you improve your way of thinking so that you can realize success. It all starts with your mindset and Ramped Mindset kicks that into gear!

The goal of RobbSutton.com is to help other bloggers see the same success I have through blogging, so in October of this year, I released Ramped Blogging…The Ultimate Blogging Guide. Ramped Blogging takes you from step 1 to step 1,000 in the pursuit of having a successful, money making blog that is growing a bigger following by the day. It is also free via the newsletter subscription, so if you haven’t picked up a copy…click here and get it today!

As a bonus…if you pick up a copy of Ramped Reviews before the end of 2009…I’ll give you 25% off using coupon code “2009″. Click here to pick up your own copy!

Guest Posting On Other Blogs

I really like connecting with readers on other blogs. It gives you a chance to get your voice heard to a new audience and it is a very rewarding experience to interact with new people. This year, I made it a focus to really hit guest blogging hard with some high quality posts on other bloggers sites. Here are some of the best of 2009.

Interviews from 2009

One of the other things I have really enjoyed throughout 2009 is getting interviewed by other bloggers about blogging and reviewing. Here are my favorite interviews from 2009.

Note: I was also named #30 on IncomeDiary’s Top 50 Most Influential Bloggers of 2009 which was a HUGE surprise and honor to be listed with that group of bloggers.

My Favorite Content from 2009

As we continue to pump out blogging and lifestyle design content…here are some of my favorite from the last calendar year…

Favorite Blogging Articles
Favorite Lifestyle Design | Personal Articles
Favorite Making Money Articles

2009 Was A Big Year!

Looking back at 2009, I am extremely happy where things headed with RobbSutton.com. As I look forward to 2010, there are several more projects I am going to launch on this site to further the content production and interaction with you guys as we continue to search out success in our own lives. Hopefully, you have received as much has I have from you this year as we look forward to the next.

Just remember…success is up to you…no one is going to hand it to you on a silver platter. And if they did…you wouldn’t appreciate it anyway. Go out and get want you want in life and leave the begging and hand holding out to those that want to complain about their spot in the world. The rest of us will enjoy this one and only life that we are going to create for ourselves.

Happy new year and thanks again for the continued support!!

Filed Under: Blogging, My Life Tagged With: , , ,

A Look Back: 2009 Blogging and Social Media Recap

December 28, 2009 By 4 Comments

Now that we are all fat and happy from the holiday season, it is time to look forward to 2010 and our blogs. As RobbSutton.com continues to poor high octane content into the cranium of bloggers, lets take a look at where 2009 brought blogging. 2009 was a huge success from both a social media perspective and for blogging as a whole. While the HUGE paydays of Google Adsense are gone for big bloggers (really left earlier than 2009), those unrealistic expectations were replaced with solid business models that will bring the blogosphere into a legitimate money making and business growing strategy. So what happened in 2009?

Twitter and Facebook

Twitter is now a household name. Even if you are not using – or understand – Twitter, you know what it is at the end of 2009. From a social media perspective, Twitter saw a massive amount of growth in 2009 that was unmatched by any other social media outlet. More people are throwing out 140 character blasts than ever before, but that growth will not be sustainable over the long haul…2010 is going to continue the decrease in growth as nothing can keep that kind of rapid growth over time. During 2009, Twitter gave smaller bloggers a wider spread and another outlet to get their voice heard. This meant faster growth outside of search engines for bloggers looking for traffic and connections within their niche. This was a HUGE win for the beginning and small niche blogger as you no longer have to rely on unreliable search engine results to find readers.

Facebook started off as a college student social media site and has grown into the most reliable way to connect with friends, family and other like minded individuals on the net. I know that Facebook is now widespread because even my dad (who said he never would) created an account during 2009. With spam riddling MySpace and LinkedIn keeping its professional atmosphere, Facebook as filled a niche all to its own as the place to hit up to keep your friends, relatives and whoever else in tune with what you have going on in your own life.

Both Twitter and Facebook began this massive growth before 2009, but during this calendar year, they saw numbers that are unheard of globally. As we enter in to 2010, I see individuals, firms and online entrepreneurs finding more inventive and lucrative ways to convert these massive communities.

Blogging In 2009

Blogging is inching its way forward as a mainstream form of communication. What used to be online diaries are continue to grow into full fledged businesses accepted by the general public. Often times, visitors of many blogs might not even know they are reading a blog as the line between full CMS and blogging platform continues to get blurred. As businesses and individuals continue to use blogging as a source of communication and income, we are going to see the line between website and blog continue to merge.

With Julia and Julia, 2009 brought the first mainstream, successful Hollywood movie centered around the theme of blogging. Regardless of your feelings on how blogging was portrayed in the movie, it brought legitimacy to bloggers in the eyes of many individuals who believed that blogging was just a place to rant on the internet.

In 2010, I expect to see more large firms implement blogging and other social media into their business strategy. As of this point, they are still not really sure how to tackle this large consumer base, so there is a lot of testing going on behind the scenes. As Twitter, Facebook and other social media outlets continue to grow, we are going to see companies use these as a way to increase their spread on the net. With bloggers attacking the top results on search engine rankings and news media, companies are going to have to rethink there web strategy to stay in tune with the times.

What do you think?

What do you think was the best accomplishment or setback in 2009 for blogging? Where do you think things are headed for 2010? As blogging and social media continue to take shape, your guess is as good as any…so let’s hear what you have to say…

Filed Under: Blogging, Social Media Tagged With: , , , ,

Happy Holidays from Robb Sutton

December 24, 2009 By 3 Comments

Happy Holidays from my family to yours this holiday season. Thank you for the continued support and a fantastic year as we look forward to 2010.

I hope it brings as much joy, happiness and success as you have supported me with over the past year.

Keep at it and happy blogging!

Robb Sutton
info (at) robbsutton.com
—
Bike198.com
CoffeeObsessed.net
RobbSutton.com

Filed Under: Lifestyle Design, My Life Tagged With: , ,

The Truth On Posting Frequency – Blog Article Schedule

December 22, 2009 By 31 Comments

There is a lot of talk that goes around the net about blog article posting frequency and how many times a week you should keep your blog updated. In all seriousness, it is a real stress for beginning bloggers as they want to find success online and they are looking for input from other successful bloggers. It seems like the going rate around the blogging niche is expecting new bloggers (and experienced ones) to publish an article on a daily basis. At least that is what it seems like most bloggers are recommending these days…

The Truth On Blog Posting Frequency

While it is incredibly easy to throw out a stat like “post on your blog daily if you want to be a successful blogger”, it is actually more complicated than that, and – personally – I find that statement rather reckless. It puts an un-needed amount of stress on new bloggers as they feel they have to post on a daily basis or they are wasting their time blogging.

First and foremost…it is and always will be quality over quantity. If you are ever posting a subpar article just to satisfy some schedule you have set for yourself, you are missing the boat entirely. Blogging is about providing value online and connecting with people through your content…not about sticking to schedules and dropping in articles that could potentially put off visitors. If you are ever sacrificing the quality of the articles on your blog just to post something up that day…slowly step away from the keyboard…

Why Do Bloggers Say “Post Daily”?

Before we jump into how many times a week you should post articles on your blog, let’s take a look at why a lot of bloggers are telling you to post daily on your blog. In all reality, it is not bad advice for a number of reasons if you have the time and energy to make it work.

Even Your Most Dedicated Readers Do Not Read Every Article – It’s true…as much as you want to think that everyone that visits your blog is soaking up your content on a daily basis…they are not and never will be. You are in a constant dog fight for readers as you post your articles and potential visitors scan headlines to see what they want to read that day. That is why there is so much emphasis on attention grabbing titles in blogging. A lot of your readers might not even open their RSS feed reader that day (ever wonder why your rss feed count fluctuates…that is why)! When you post daily (about 5-7 times a week), you are increasing the chances of grabbing your readers attention. You are also more likely to hit on a subject they want to read. It is simply the law of numbers and the more quality content you have out there…the more it will get read.

More Content = More Search Engine Visitors = More Linked Content – This should be a pretty simple one to figure out…the more content you have out there, the easier it is to get found. You will be covering more subjects and releasing more search engine friendly articles. Just imagine if your blog had 5 articles hitting per day! Can you imagine the amount of growth you would see?! But…if that is all crap content, you are not going to retain any of those visitors…which should be your ultimate goal.

When You Say Post Daily, You Get Several Times A Week – When bloggers throw out advice like “post daily”, they know that only about 15% of the bloggers that read that line will actually follow through with it correctly. The rest will do something close with the excuse in their head that at least they are doing 75% of that. Blogging is nothing without action and a lot of times…throwing out a goal like posting daily gets a result of 3-4 times a week.

So…as you can see…there are real, valid reasons behind the advice of posting daily on your blog, but now we need to take a look at how you can determine how many times you should be publishing articles every week on your blog.

How Many Times Should I Be Posting A Week On My Blog?

The moment you have been waiting for…the secret to posting frequency that will bring you more blogging success than you could ever imagine. Ha! I wish it was that easy! But…here is what you need to look at on your blog to get the answer to this question.

Quality, Quality, Quality – If you can not post quality content (note: quality has nothing to do with length), then it is not worth publishing. You should only post as many times a week that you can publish quality content for your readers. Ideally, you want to accomplish this on a consistent basis every week. The idea is to give your readers something they can depend on (consistency) every week out of your content.

Prevent Blogger Burnout – Even if you are able to post quality content on a daily basis, are you going to be sick of it after 6 months and get to the point that you do not even want to blog anymore? The stress and effort that it takes you to blog on that schedule might not be worth the aftermath. You need to find a schedule that you can stick with and still enjoy blogging.

What Are Your Readers Telling You? – I am all about watching stats and seeing how different actions affect those blog statistics. If you change your blogging schedule, do you see more pageviews per article? There are documented cases where decreasing posting frequency actually increased the success of blogs (same is true of increasing), so you need to watch your stats carefully to determine what you readers want to digest on a weekly basis. If you are overloading them with content to the point they just leave and head somewhere else that is not so chaotic, then you are still not accomplishing your goal. Aim to please the needs of your readers, not other blogging about blogging bloggers.

Experiment With Post Length – As you experiment with post frequency, also experiment with post length. Your readers might do better with 400 word articles over 1,500 word essays. As always, you should only use the amount of words it takes to get the job done (ignore that word count in the bottom left of your draft screen), but…if you are finding that your readers are taking in shorter articles over longer ones, split the longer articles into a series for easier digestion. You will get more content and more of that content will actually get read. On the other hand, maybe your readers like 3 long articles a week over 6 shorter ones…it is all about testing the waters.

Final Words On Posting Frequency On Your Blog

As you can see by the info above, I consider a lot of factors when publishing articles to my blogs. Typically, I publish 5 articles a week because that is what I feel comfortable with given quality, frequency and statistical results. How many times you should publish articles on your blog is a factor you need to determine for yourself and the success of your blog. Before you just jump into hitting the publish button on a daily basis, take a good look at what will be the best for both your and your blogging in the long run. Just because someone else told you to write daily, that does not mean it is the best solution for your needs.

Image by Crashmaster007

Filed Under: Blogging, Content Tagged With: , , ,

Why Do You Blog?

December 18, 2009 By 23 Comments

One of the fantastic things about blogging is that it can mean different things for everyone. Personally, I blog to connect with people, connect with companies in my niche, create community, earn a living and get my thoughts out of my head and onto a screen! (I know…that is a lot of reasons)

I am curious…why do you guys blog? Are you looking to make money, connect with other bloggers and readers or just want to get your ideas and thoughts out there for everyone to see? The best part about this poll…there is no wrong answer!! You can also check more than one answer as you…me included…might have multiple reasons for hitting that publish button in your blogging. (hit up the comments section of this article to explain your answer…we want to know!)

[poll id="2"]

Image by Kristina B

Filed Under: Blogging Tagged With: , ,

Top 10 Ways To Lose Subscribers To Your Blog

December 17, 2009 By 24 Comments

Blogging is all about attraction. You have to attract readers to your content, make a great first impression and then hope that they subscribe to your blog. There is a lot of talk on the net about getting readers to hit that rss feed or newsletter subscription, but there is not as much discussion on how to keep those readers once the conversion process is done. Online…you only really get one chance. I don’t want to put a lot of unneeded pressure on you…but once you lose that rss or newsletter subscriber…it is incredibly hard to get them back for a 2nd round. So…in true “don’t do this at home” fashion, let’s take a look at the top 10 ways to lose subscribers to your blog and have them running away with no hope of coming back.

Top 10 Ways To Lose Subscribers To Your Blog

  1. Frequently Go Off-Topic – Going off topic every now and then to give your readers an insight into your life or interests is one thing, but frequently going off into unrelated topics on your blog with no rhyme or reason can kill your chances of retaining consistent subscribers. Readers subscribe to blogs for a number of reasons, but the #1 reason is to get relevant, up-to-date information on a given topic…even if that topic is the blogger (applies to personal blogs). Have a defined topic to your blog and stick to that subject matter. If you are going to ADD your blog into randomness…do not expect people to stick around. They will just find someone else that will.
  2. Inconsistent Content Quality – There is a lot of talk in the blogging world about posting frequency. For new bloggers, this puts a lot of pressure on them for a schedule, and – often times – I see new bloggers (and some experienced ones) sacrifice content quality for a schedule or the feeling that they have to post so many times a week. It is and always will be quality over quantity in blogging as it relates to content. Do not sacrifice the quality of your articles to satisfy some random post number or schedule. It is not worth it.
  3. Performing the Hard Sell – We all know you want to make at least some income from your blogging. Hell…these days it is pretty much expected! However, honesty and transparency still rule when it comes to quality blogging and no one wants a used car salesman in their face when they are trying to get real information online. I have seen bloggers lose a massive amount of subscribers by getting desperate for the almighty dollar, and…by doing that…they post up questionable reviews and content that are a vain attempt at converting content into dollars. Be patient…money comes with successful blogging and them more you push affiliate advertising on your readers…the less success you will have.
  4. Changing Topics Frequently – Throughout the course of your blogging, you are going to see or come up with more great blog topic ideas. Just like the blogger that frequently goes off topic, you also do not want to change the direction of your blog frequently or chase other ideas on other blogs. You have to give one blog a real run at it for at least 6 months before deciding to change topics or dropping it completely. There is no quick and easy way to get a ton of subscribers and traffic within the beginning stages (unless you already have a massive blog in a related field), so stick with it and try not to chase every “great idea” out there…you will lose the subscribers that brought you your beginning success.
  5. Changing Designs Frequently – There are a ton of WordPress designs being released every week. Every 6 months, there is some new, hot theme that everyone just has to have. This is not going to change. Especially if you do your own design work…you are going to be the most critical when the readers of your blog probably don’t even notice the aspects of your design that just get under your skin. If your design is performing as it should…leave it alone. Do not add every single new, hot plugin or theme as you will start putting off readers with clutter and ever changing environments. The key to successful blogging is consistency.
  6. Forgetting To Interact With Your Readers – Readers will subscribe to your blog to connect with you as the blogger (even the lurkers). You have a comments section and contact form for a reason. Connect with your readers by responding to comments and answering emails. This task will get more daunting with more success, but even the most successful bloggers answer their emails…so you can to. If you want to lose subscribers…show how much you really don’t appreciate their efforts to help promote your content by ignoring their emails and comments.
  7. Not Providing Value and Uniqueness – So you created one incredibly valuable blog article that is converting casual readers into subscribers…great! But…now you are getting lazy and your content is slipping. Instead of creating unique, valuable content, you are just regurgitating the content of others and posting up sub par crap that your readers just could get better somewhere else. You absolutely have to provide value with a unique angle to be successful in blogging. If you are expecting to copy the success of others, the few subscribers you do get will leave in search of the real thing.
  8. Too Many Ads – Just like the used car salesman, no one wants to be bombarded with a bunch of banner advertisements on your blog. Your readers will understand (and appreciate) well placed, relevant advertising, but they will not tolerate in your face ad placement. If you want to lose subscribers…and quickly…blind them with ads. It looks cheap and actually converts a lot lower than well placed, relevant ads due to “ad blindness” (so many ads that they do not look at any of them).
  9. Negativity and Ranting (online arguments) – No one wins online arguments…ever! Yes…you can reach a lot of people at once and tell them how much you hate someone else…but the reality is…if it is not related to your blogging topic…your readers don’t care! Public bashing for the pure reason to just show your ass will drop subscribers faster than you will be able to recuperate from it. Keep the ranting and online negativity to a minimum…especially if it has nothing to do with what you are blogging about. You know you hate that co-worker that does nothing but bitch all day, so why are you going to be that person online?
  10. Becoming Bigger Than Your Blog – You start to see success, things are going really well, you have made a little bit of money and…all of the sudden…your head has gotten so big that you can’t fit through the doorway. Online ego’s and the feeling that you are not better than your readers will drop subscribers like crazy. You are never bigger than a single one of your readers and if you start to grow that online ego, it will come through in your writing. Humbleness breeds success in blogging. Even if you have succeeded in positioning yourself as the expert in your niche, there will always be more that you can learn and you will never know everything. The day I know everything about blogging, cycling or coffee…will officially be the stupidest day of my life. Always be learning and always be humble.

There you have it! The top 10 ways to lose subscribers to your blog. If you want to keep and attract subscribers to your blog…do the opposite of every single one of these top 10 items.

Image by Pippybug

Filed Under: Blogging, Tutorials/How To Tagged With: , , ,

Why You Don't Have To Like Writing To Be A Great Blogger

December 8, 2009 By 13 Comments

On Sunday, Darren Rowse over at Problogger.net published a guest post I sent him on “How Getting An F On Your School Paper Makes You A Better Blogger” (you can check that guest post out by clicking here!) Throughout the article, I went into detail about how we are conditioned…for the most part…to become boring, research paper writers from the moment we put words on a page. Now…I know the teachers and professors were trying to teach us fundamentals that I am probably using as we speak, but I do believe that the strict structure and forced context really puts off a lot of students that would normally enjoy reading and writing.

The pure fact that I am sitting here as a blogger, publishing ebooks and writing over 2,000 words a day is mind blowing. I am that guy…the one that shouted to the heavens how much he hated reading and writing. If I could have gotten away with it, I wouldn’t have written another word for the rest of my life! Every time I sat down at the screen, I could physically feel the teeth being pulled. Any distraction was welcomed with open arms as I was looking for anything to whisk me away into another world away from words.

My economics senior thesis at the University of Georgia was actually one of the hardest things I have ever had to accomplish (professionally). Not because the content was hard…not because I wasn’t capable…it was because I actually had to sit down and write the longest piece (at that time) of literary work I ever had and get graded on it! It was terrible! I was dreading it from year 1!

So…how is it that I can sit down on a daily basis and crank out articles and actually enjoy it? What is so different now that I actually choose to accomplish the same tasks that once before would put me in an early grave?

Why You Don’t Have To Like Writing To Be A Great Blogger

First…I am not alone. There are a lot of bloggers that felt the same way I did and are now every successful all thanks to their words on a screen. Yes…there are those that have loved writing from day one and now blogging is there outlet to share those words with the world, but I was not one of those people.

An interesting thing happened several years ago that opened my eyes to show me that I could actually enjoy writing. I started writing on a subject that I was passionate about. Once I made the jump into blogging about cycling, I found that I actually enjoyed writing and sharing my thoughts with others. Bike198 was started on the premise that I wanted to be apart of the industry instead of just another rider spinning the pedals. By jumping in head first and sharing my opinions…I was able to accomplish this and grow a business at the same time.

There are bloggers out there that have been very successful on subjects they have zero passion or interest in. While I commend these bloggers for their success, this is not a road I would be able to take. Being a born again writer…I would have thrown in the towel without a second thought because of the pure nature of writing about a topic I in which I have zero interest. Could it be hugely profitable? Sure…but why spend your life making money at something you don’t even like? I might as well just sign up for a 9-5 if that is going to be the case.

Absolutely not! Part of the appeal to blogging is connecting with individuals who all have different styles and tastes. The conventional way of thinking as it relates to writing is typically thrown out the window in favor of personality.

Does this mean that you can get away with 34 typos per article and just throw everything out the window? Not at all…but it does mean that rigid sentence structure and references at the end of every article are not necessary. If you really want people to connect with you…and not how smart you think you are…the more personality you bring through in your writing, the more success you will see as a blogger.

My typical mode of operation as I draft up blog posts is to write as I talk. After all…you are soaking up what I have to say, so it might as well sound like me! After I have gone through and thrown down all of the content, I go back and edit through the entire article looking for the glaring mistakes. While it shows character and personality to write as you talk, it shows a lack of attention to detail and seriousness about your content if you let obvious errors slip through the cracks.

Do I have typos, misspellings and other formal writing automatic point deductions make it through to the publish stage from time to time? Of course…but I am pretty sure that you guys are aware that I am not an uptight novelist or literary scholar, so it goes excused as long as it is not in excess.

When I first started out…

…I had zero clue what I was doing. WordPress code might as well have been in Chinese…my writing was choppy and unorganized…luckily…there was no one reading my blog at that point in time because everything was a complete mess. But, there is something that began to happen the more I wrote and hit that publish button. I started to get better…and then started to grow an audience.

It is natural to think we should be great at blogging right away. We have been writing our entire lives, so what is different about blogging and getting people to actually read our words splashed up on the screen? Should be easy right? Like anything else in life, you are not going to be great at blogging right out of the gate even if you are a great or accomplished writer. Blogging is a skill and it takes practice to really get into your grove.

Some of you may be sitting in your grove right now and loving every second of it. Some of you might be struggling to find your rhythm and your voice that will connect with the masses. Either way…practice makes perfect and your writing will continue to evolve over time. You do not ever have to be a perfect writer and I would actually recommend that your goals should never include that bullet point. You want to be getting better with time without a ceiling.

I am not some fantastic writer…but I like to think of myself as a pretty good blogger that continues to practice and enjoy his skill. From one guy who used to hate writing…I can now say that it is my outlet for expression and I truly enjoy laying down my words. For those of you that were once in my shoes or are sitting in them right now, know that it gets easier with time and you too can enjoy a creative outlet that used to be a headache.

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Turning Negative Blog Comments Positive – A "How To" Tutorial

November 19, 2009 By 12 Comments

Over the past 2 weeks, I have been capitalizing on a negative comment left on Bike198.com by turning it into conversation and positive outcomes. During your blogging, you are going to come across differing opinions. That is normal! The trick is how to turn the blatantly negative comments into positive assets on your blog. Now…before we jump straight into this and I show you exactly what I did and how I accomplished it…there needs to be something clarified…

I ignore 99% of rant comments in my emails and comments sections. I get a very small amount of these types of comments and emails, but there are some people in this world that are just out to bring others down. Most of the time, it is better to just ignore them and move on unless you think by answering them…you can bring value to your blog. They have nothing to lose by spouting off and you have everything to lose by reacting in a way that can lose you credibility in the long run.

My Negative Rant Comment on Bike198

As most of you already know, I am an Aweber cheerleader for newsletter distribution. Part of Awebers features provides you with quality feedback on why a reader unsubscribes to your newsletter by providing that reader with a comment section. Once they unsubscribe and fill out that comment section, you get the info so you can better tailor your newsletter. Here is the comment I received from the reader that started this story.

I am unsubscribing because your website is just another commercial website. I am tired of commercialism; I prefer bicycles as a utilitarian vehicle, not a two – wheeled sport utility vehicle where the price of Chinese – made frames and components continually escalates. I think the founding fathers of mountain biking never wanted mountain biking to become the plaything of a small group of capitalists.

You have to admit…the amount of force and anger in this comment is pretty laughable on its own, but – like any cycling based blog owner – I had a defined opinion on his rant. Once I decided that I wanted to answer this reader back on his claims, I also decided it would be great feedback and conversation to post on the blog. The next day, I posted up this readers comment and my response.

You can find that response article here…The #1 Most Interesting Comment Left On Mountain Biking by 198

By reading that article, you can see I did one of a couple of things.

I did not jump into the mud with him – I created a well structured “you are allowed to have your opinion, but here is mine” response that did not flame the commenter. He can have his opinion, but that doesn’t mean I can’t have mine! So…I responded in a way that was not antagonistic…just a response.

I invited the opinions of my readers – By increasing the conversation around the subject, you are further engaging your readers on your blog. Controversial topics in your niche can be a huge source of traffic and comments when done correctly.

The Short Term Result Of The Response?

That article got a ton of traffic as my readers spread it through the web on Facebook and Twitter. I also got some of the most involved/deep responses out of my readers as they responded to the commenter with their own opinions and ideals. These comments ranged from just a difference in opinion to some readers really getting irritated that the guy would even type something like that!

One of my readers even went as far as saying…

Robb you are doing a great job here and may you make millions or at least a very good life for you and yours from this little verbal adventure you have here.

(See…your readers do want you to make money with your blog!)

By creating a conversation around a difference of opinion, I was able to create a valuable asset to my blog that brought my readers closer together. As a blogger, that should be your goal as you continue to grow a community around your words. In the short term, the article was a huge success and I gained a lot more than the 1 reader I lost.

The Long Term Result – You Never Know Who Is Watching…

In the long term, this article and my response benefitted my blog in a HUGE way and this is a perfect lesson in “you never know who is watching your blog”. Several days after I posted the article, I received an email from Breezer Bikes. In this email, one of the employees (who follows my newsletter and blog) thought it would be a great idea if I interviewed his boss about the comment left on my blog. For those of you that do not already know, his boss is Joe Breeze who is the founder of modern day mountain biking. Joe was the first one to make an offroad specific bike frame back in the ’70′s.

I was stoked!! I wanted to take the opportunity by the horns, so I drafted up my questions and shot them off. After several emails back and forth, we got to talking about the direction that Mountain Biking by 198 was heading. I sent him over my new logos and we talked about my expansion into the other cycling disciplines. Breezer Bikes happens to make some of the best commuter bikes on the market, so…due to the article and conversation…I know have a fantastic $2,000 commuter bike in my garage to review on the new urban section of Bike198.com getting released next year!

You can find the interview with Joe Breeze here…Interview: Joe Breeze – Founding Father of Mountain Biking

What Should You Take Away From This Story

Negative comments are not a bad thing. Sometimes there is a little bit of truth in  negative rants, but you need to get a thick skin and realize that negative comments are just part of blogging. Sometimes, like in this case, you can actually turn those negative rants into quality content that can be a real asset in your blogging. If the comment is a hot button topic in your niche, capitalize on the opportunity and structure a well educated response. The communication with your readers will be amazing.

The part that makes me laugh through this entire ordeal is that the reader was trying to bring me down with his rant…but instead…he actually helped me by doing the following:

  • Increased my traffic through 2 high profile articles that increased subscribers.
  • Gained me another valuable industry contact for review product and networking.
  • Got me another expensive bike to review on my site.
  • And most importantly…opened up the chance for me to talk to one of the founding fathers in my niche.

So…a huge thank you goes out to my rant comment leaver…you brought me a lot these past two weeks through your several lines of words.

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