Reading time: 3 – 5 minutes
In the past few months I’ve started following several other bloggers on twitter. Its brought me a lot of great information and some insight on what I am doing- both in my life and my blog. I’ve got a long way to go to become one of the medium contenders…much less a big name.
I’ve been blogging off and on for years, mostly as a hobby. I’ve recently started contemplating trying to make money from my blog. I am looking at the e-book route, and maybe some e-courses. However, I want to build a bigger following and more community into this blog of mine. The latter is the most important.
So…why do I have such a lack of community? I don’t know for sure what is holding people back from interacting, but I have a few ideas. The major thing I think is that I don’t post consistently. I can go weeks without posting…Not a good way to keep people reading. You all can’t read what I don’t write…its a pretty simple thing. And something I can correct fairly easily, I hope.
I got some major inspiration from Aaron Pogue at Unstressed Syllables. Another blogger, Dave Doolin from Website in a Weekend, retweeted one of the posts that inspired me which linked to the second one. Those posts concerned how Aaron Pogue used a spread sheet to get on track for the Prewriting Challenge he was participating in.
A spreadsheet to organize your blogging? I was intrigued, especially since Doolin’s retweet said he was using this as well. So, I reread the following two articles and let the idea simmer a bit:
Go take a gander at them, the links so open in a new window..and I will wait……
Done? Great! Now I hope you can see why this idea seems like one that might work for me. I’ve got a spiffy new spread sheet set out to prod me into my new posting schedule. It also has some ideas mapped out too. Check it out.
You can see I started with this week since I needed to get a post for Thursday when I did the sheet on Wednesday. The green days are posts days and yellow are must spend at least some time working on posts. So, my friends, you can expect a post on Sunday and Thursday for the moment. Eventually, I hope to work in a third regular post per week…but let’s cross that bridge if we get there.
I want to know if you would enjoy a “surprise” post or if you would prefer that I stick to the schedule for the near future? I sometimes get ideas that I type up and want out yesterday, but I know keeping a schedule is a habit…not sure how those will work out together. And of course, I want to do what you all want. Without you reading, I am just someone out there typing to herself…Not my goal at all!
I’d also like to know what topics you’d like to see me cover. You can be as specific or broad as you like. I won’t promise to use them all, but I will get to the ones I can and have interest in! Thanks so much for hanging with me as I learn this whole blogging bit!
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About Gurl
Stumbled across your blog from a guest post you wrote I believe. I’m going to try incorporating the spreadsheet idea into my blogging. Thanks for sharing.
Wanda´s last blog ..Nobody Likes Me
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Twitter: southrngurl6489
says:
Hi Wanda,
Best of luck!
I am glad you stopped by. I hope the idea helps you out. Please let me know how it works for you
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Twitter: websiteweekend
says:
Patience is really important!
I set a goal when I first started out to write 101 solid articles on WordPress before I started promoting. I don’t know if that the “right” thing to do, but it felt right at the time.
Now, I can look back on those articles (which I continue to add to) and mine them over and over again for new ideas. I can refer people back to them. I can package them up and sell them.
It’s been a tremendous boon.
Dave Doolin´s last blog ..Blogging Alliance – Which way are you reaching: up, down or across?
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Twitter: southrngurl6489
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I am doing it all a bit backwards…but that’s sort of the way I work best! LOL I will likely begin working on some “pillar” type content in May when I have a break from classes.. two weeks should get 3 or 4 kick ass articles/posts done.
I suppose each blogger SHOULD do what feels right to them. You know how you work best. Doing things YOUR way is probably what works best for each of us. I don’t know if I could go for 101 though!
I appreciate your input, Dave. It shows that successful blogs don’t always have to follow ALL the so called “Blogging rules”. Some are MUSTS, but others should be seen as suggestions.
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Twitter: HeavenandEl
says:
Hi Gurl,
I just wanted to add my tuppence worth on the use of spreadsheets. I started using one as part of Carlos’ challenge and although I didn’t quite get a handle on it during the course of the challenge, it has since proved indispensable. I’ve had occasion to go back and tinker with it a little, added themes for each day of the week and a colour code for other bits.
Now I’ve finally got a way to easily organise my posts. Prior to the themes and spreadsheet I would decide on a day by day basis what to write and when. Now at least I have a general idea in mind before I even sit down to come up with a title.
As for writing ideas, I had the same problem when faced with the prospect of writing two weeks worth of content on top of my normal output. But I’ve come to conclude that put under pressure, you mind will do you proud. Have you tried making a list of every single little spark of an idea? The other thing I love to do if I’m having a slow day is do a search on Google news. Because we’re a charity blog I usualy start with that but I also search on children, teens and the elderly because they’re in our remit. One post that came about as a result of this method turned out to really tug a few heart strings, something I hadn’t expected when I sat down to write it
And as for building community, I would keep doing what you’re doing. Write, write and write some more. Find the blogs you enjoy reading (Dave, Aaron and Carlos are all stars in my eyes so you’ve clearly got great taste already) and start talking to people on there. I would never have known of your blog had it not been for the comment you left at Dave’s place. Now I’m going to add your feed to my email so I don’t miss your post on Sunday
Apologies for the epic nature of this comment but I trust you’ll understand why.
Best wishes,
Eleanor
Eleanor Edwards´s last blog ..Friday Friends: Blogging 3D style with a difference #ff @TylinaVespart
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Twitter: southrngurl6489
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Eleanor! I am tickled to see your comment! First of all, thanks for subscribing and for your tuppence
I do tend to jot down ideas when they niggle, assuming I have writing utensils and paper around (which make up about half of what over stuffs my purse lately!). Sometimes it helps, sometimes the idea lays around. I have two half done posts that are just lying around. One is a video that needs editing…the other I just lost my fire on. Good thing is, stuff like that is usually cyclic with me. So the fire will come back and something will come up to push me to edit that dang video..its a pretty good screen cast too!
I am still tweaking my sheet too. I moved my ideas to its own sheet within the workbook (I am using excel so I have it available when I am offline!) and added Dave’s maintenance tips from his website in a weekend series (which totally rocks!). I figure it will take several months to get it “perfected” and then a few months after that I will start tinkering again.
Thanks for the encouragement on building community here. I am glad we connected via Dave’s blog. We seem to have a good bit in common, just based on the few comments I’ve caught from you there. I am totally looking forward to getting to know you! And maybe Dave, and Carlos, and Aaron..and Kelly D. Who knows how far my networking will extend? It would be awesome to have some up and comers who are newer to blogging than I am to add to this getting to know ppl thing I am doing
Okay now I am rambling, but that’s just how I am sometimes. I hope you enjoy my Sunday post (I think my reply to Dave ^^^ sparked an idea!
). OH…and I like epic comments, when they are warranted and/or add to the discussion. Yours definitely hit both, so no need to apologize! 
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Twitter: writingadvice
says:
Thanks for the link! I only just enabled trackbacks, and I’m glad I did. I love to hear that I was able to help.
Or…that I sounded helpful, anyway. I hope it works as well for you as it did for me.
I hadn’t even considered the community angle (I had to do the scheduling just to write at all). It makes sense, though. I usually feel the same way you do, though. I see my friends with blogs about as old as mine, with about the same number of regular visitors, but they’ll get tons of conversation, and I get one or two comments. It’s distressing, because it’s so hard to guess what it is you’re doing wrong.
You’ve definitely got my sympathy. I’m glad you’ve got a plan, too. With any luck, your community will respond to it, and take off in no time. Let me know how that goes!
Aaron Pogue´s last blog ..The Art of the Plot Synopsis
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Twitter: southrngurl6489
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Thanks so much for the comment! The worksheet definitely makes sense, though–as I write this–I am struggling for writing ideas. One problem at a time though.
I am sure both our communities will grow over time…I just have no patience! At least with RSS feeds and their counters we can see that at least some people are interested and possibly reading. I will do an update from time to time I am sure. I need to look at other things that are less than encouraging for would be commenters. Onward and upward…We will both eventually find just the right formula for what we want to do with our blogs.
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