5 Lessons I’ve Learned for Blogging Survival

Posted: 07 May 2010 09:46 PM PDT

This is a guest post from Walter Adena. If you want to guest post on this blog, check out the guidelines here.

When I started my blog seven months ago I was not aware of the challenges I will be facing. I thought that having the essential knowledge in building a blog and basic writing skills was enough to bring me to success. But I was dead wrong! Never would I have imagined that maintaining a blog is hard work requiring strict discipline and unbending will to keep on going.

Many times I felt like giving up. I feel depressed knowing the fact that I'm the only audience of my own blog. Nobody seems to care about what I write. Not even a single comment was received to encourage me to pursue. I'm sure established bloggers have experience this scenario once in their blogging careers.

Fortunately, I never give up. Instead of wallowing on a perceived defeat I studied why I am not making any progress; it's amazing how one can learn if he truly seek. The reason most bloggers fail is that they don't take the necessary moves to study their approach concerning the ineffectiveness of their methods. As I learn from my mistakes, my blog evolved.

Here are the lessons I've learned that have benefited my blogging endeavors tremendously:

1. Learning to see what works and what doesn't. And doing something about it

In our efforts to build a successful blog, we implement methods to put us closer to this end. However, most of us fail to see that some of the strategies we use does not work for us in any way. Expecting that our methods are full proof, we are under the impression that it will work. And when we finally realize that it doesn't, we stop without reconsidering our approach. It is wise consider the fact that what works for others may not work for you. Many otherwise successful bloggers commit this fatal error.

2. Discouragement is part of the struggles of blogging

Discouragements will always be a part of any struggles to succeed. The catch though is not to wallow on it. Instead of harboring the feeling that our efforts seem not to fruitful, we should find ways to make us more effective in our blogging endeavors. Looking for ways to fortify our endeavors could prove helpful than entertaining the "fact" that we are failing.

3. Giving up is the greatest mistake you will ever make

One powerful attitude of a successful blogger is perseverance. Unfortunately, few are wise enough to accept this challenge. Who said success would be easy? If we want to achieve our goals, we have to face the struggles inherent in its pursuit. As we work our way through, there will be times when all our effort seems to be not paying off, and the idea of giving up beckons its comforting release. But we should be smart enough not to fall for it. What most of us don't realize is that every difficulty we face is a test of our determination. Giving up easily means we are not determined enough to make an achievement.

4. Allow time to do its work. Never fall for instant gratification

In these fast times, most of us want immediate result. But never attempt to employ this kind of rush in blogging. Every road to success requires time to achieve. Every method we use in enhancing our blog needs time to arrive at an ideal result. Impatience on this aspect leads to unwise decision making. In whatever endeavors we are working with our blogs—be it community building, social networking, link building, site promotion—always remember that result comes with time.

5. Hard work pays off

We will never know how good it feels like once we enjoy the fruits of our labor. While most inexperienced bloggers run from the idea of hard work, some are wise enough to take its challenge; these kinds of blogger knows what it takes to succeed online. Building a solid foundation on our blogs requires hard work, but the reward we get far exceeds the sacrifice we have given.

There are still more lesson I will learn along the way, but the learning I have acquired above are the most important. Success is an option available to us all. By choosing to succeed in blogging, we commit ourselves to take on the responsibility of facing all the challenges that will come, and winning at all cost.

About the Author: Walter Adena is the author of the blog LionSlinger.com. His compositions circle around life, blogging and personal growth.

Original Post: 5 Lessons I've Learned for Blogging Survival

Why You Should Get Your Own Domain Name

Posted: 07 May 2010 06:47 AM PDT

questions and answers This post is part of the Friday Q&A section. If you want to ask a question, just write a comment below.

CaptiousNut asks:

I've been blogging for 5 years but have never really, until last week, looked into “professional strategies” to increase my traffic. I am using Blogger, and it looks like no one else is using it.

Am I handicapping myself with it?

I have been saying that getting your own domain name is a must for a long time, but many people still ask that question, so let’s talk about it once again. More specifically, let’s list the three main reasons why having and hosting your own domain is important.

1. You don’t really own your Blogger blog.

If you read Blogger’s ToS, you’ll discover that you don’t really own the blog. You do own the content you’ll write there, but the domain and the platform are properties of Google. The first consequence of this if that if you violate any of the service policies your account might get suspended and you’ll lose your hard work.

The second consequence is that you won’t be able to sell your blog, should be become popular and profitable one day.

2. Having your own domain gives you credibility.

Since Blogger is a free platform, you’ll find all sorts of blogs there. Sure, there are some good ones, but the majority is low quality, and you’ll have a lot of spam blogs that are created just to manipulate search engines, too.

As a result most people get suspicious as soon as they see the .blogspot on your domain name. That is why having your own domain will give an immediate dose of credibility to your site.

3. Hosting your own domain gives you more flexibility.

When you host your own domain name you’ll have complete control regarding the software and the setup that will be used there. You’ll be able to use simple HTML pages, to load a CMS like WordPress, to add special scripts and so on.

As your blog grows you’ll find that this flexibility is vital, as it allows you to expand the scope of your site and generate more traffic and money.

Would you add any other reason as to why getting your own domain is vital?

Original Post: Why You Should Get Your Own Domain Name