For Many People, Wanting To Blog Is Like Kids Wanting A Puppy

“For Many People, Wanting To Blog Is Like Kids Wanting A Puppy. Exciting idea, but no one wants to do the hard work.”- Chris Voss

I get this many times in consulting for social media and blogs: “I’m so excited, what ads shall I use, how shall I make money, what companies should I get to pay me?” One thing I NEVER hear spoken is: “I’ve already written a few posts having dedicated to writing one post daily or consistently as my goal.” Everyones focused on how to quickly monetize, and make the kinda money one can make after years of blogging, somehow overnight. You can put all the ads you want on it and no one will see them because you have no content or audience.

Regardless of what you hear from hype artists ironically also looking to make a quick buck, anything worthwhile in life takes lots of time and WORK. “WORK” is our society’s newest hated four letter word.

For success, you need:
1. Consistent Steady Content
2. Distribution

Consistent Steady Content: A personal blog is you professing or selling to the world that you are a leader and thinker in your field of endeavor. Content is the thing that attracts your audience to decide whether or not to listen to you and tune-in. The hardest thing is making the seemingly thankless content day in and day out for years to build your reputation and audience. THEN one has to make it consistent. Just like a radio show, TV etc. you have to keep a schedule and be consistent to hold your audience. If not, they wander off to someone who is more professional with their content. You have to work you butt off making content and sweating through writers block or lack of motivation many a time. Welcome to life.

When I get an excited “child like” call from someone saying they want that new shiny blog (puppy), I say “The hardest part of a blog is making consistent regular content. If you want a blog first sit down and hammer out 3 posts in 3 days on a word doc. If you can do that you have a chance, you should do a blog. Until then save your time, money and just keep reading mine.” Like any great author will tell you, it’s about the discipline to sit down and write.

I had someone write me the other day saying mass traffic is no longer going to their blog. I replied, “Well you haven’t written anything new in 2 years, what do you expect. You’re audience has read it all and moved on.” Consistent Steady Content.

People ask me how I got successful. WORK. I worked on my blog with blood, sweat and tears for 2 years with only Google Analytics telling me some folks were actually reading it. It was dark and lonely, but I kept on working it and building my audience. Its not easy. Welcome to life again.

Distribution: One could write the greatest blog posts in the world, but if you don’t focus some of your time on distribution, its likely no one will know. I had a friend do 200 podcasts, and I asked him what his Google analytics distribution results were. His site averaged 10 people a day. 200 shows for 10 people, that’s a ton of wasted work and time. Do you know how many blogs I see where the people are pounding out content and only a handful of people are reading or sharing it? You have to spend time on social media getting your distribution up and expanding the readership. Yes, more work. Welcome to more of life.

Anything of real value in life comes from hard work. If you want a blog, sit down and write some posts in a word doc or do some videos. If you can’t do the disipline of making content without a blog, you likely won’t do it with one.

My consulting firm helps companies and people be successful in social media and blogging. If you are looking to invest in your success give us a call. 702.997.5747.