The Quickest Way To Blogging Failure
Aug
I was all set to write a post about hating my job today (shocker, I know), but an interesting thing happened Monday night. I interviewed Marcus From TheSalesLion.com and was really taken with what he had to say.
We had a fantastic conversation about building community and it made me reevaluate my approach to blogging thus far. For the first time, I began to understand the awesome power of relationships as they relate to blogging.
You see, I’ve been of the mindset that I could do everything myself for a while now (have you noticed?). Sure, having contacts and online friends is great but certainly not necessary. Or so I thought.
I didn’t know much about Marcus prior to our call and I was amazed by his mentality towards building his online business. He is all about helping others, building relationships, and interacting with people. He’s built his blog around those things and it works incredibly well for him.
I realized that I need to get better at these things. Much better.
The Selfish Trap
It’s a trap that many bloggers fall into. It’s when we get so caught up in what we need to do that we forget to look outward. We forget that there is life out there. We forget that there are people that can really use our help. And I’m so guilty of these things.
My goal for this blog has always been to have a thriving community of people who care about living life on their own terms. And yet I am doing very little to create it.
I would love to have 100 comments per post and get 50 emails a day but at the rate I’ve been going, that’s not gonna happen. Why? I’m being selfish. I’m focusing only on what I need. Blogging doesn’t work like that and I now see why.
As much as I like to think I’m doing all I can to build my business, I realized that I’m being too selfish and it’s stagnating the growth of my blog. Here’s how:
- I rarely comment on others blogs
- I self promote my posts too frequently
- I don’t often take the time to answer my comments thoughtfully
- I don’t spend hardly any time trying to help people on an individual basis
- I don’t seek out new relationships often enough. Online or offline.
All I can seem to think about is what I have to do today, what I need, what I should be working on. How the hell can I build a thriving community if it’s all about me?!? I can’t!
My results speak for themselves. My comments are down, my email are fewer, and I don’t feel as connected to my readers as I did before. This is what happens when you stop pursuing relationships and go on auto-pilot. Not a good place to be for a blogger…
It’s easy to get wrapped up in our own tasks and projects that we can’t see anything else. It’s killing our chance for growth.
During and after my conversation with Marcus, I thought about what I’m doing differently than him. Why does he get tons of comments, unsolicited offers for business, and the option to pick and choose his clients?
The answer is simple. He cares a great deal about his readers. They become his friends. His goal each day is to help people. Imagine that! I’m so busy trying to help myself that I forget to do the one thing that I need to be doing. And that’s reaching out.
Since I started this blog about 10 months ago, I have had a number of people help me. I was amazed by the generosity of people when I was just starting out. Successful bloggers were actually contacting me to ask if they could help me. I loved it!
When I look back, I see that the reason I had the growth that I did was that I had people helping me get there.
So why am I not doing it myself? No good excuses really. Lack of time, poor time management, trying too hard to do too many things. Are you guilty of these as well?
It’s Not All About Me
Blogging is not about just writing. It’s about being part of something bigger. It’s about connecting with others and making lives better. Here are some of the people who have helped me along the way, some of whom probably don’t even remember doing it. These are not just bloggers. These are real people.
I remember Jen Gresham from EverydayBright.com took the time to help me set up my header categories with my first theme. I was frustrated and didn’t know what to do and she sent me multiple detailed emails with tips and suggestions about how to use them effectively. We ended up chatting on the phone for an hour and I feel like I made a friend.
Then there is Mr. Passionate himself, Jacob Sokol from Sensophy.com. We were both getting started with our blogs and I called him one day. We chatted for a long while about our goals and the fact that neither one of us had much of an idea of how to build a successful blog.
Look how far he’s come. He’s kicking ass and he’s been supporting me along the way. I could drive 4 hours to NYC tomorrow and we would hang out all day. That’s a great feeling to have that connection.
When I started my blog, I was clueless about pretty much everything to do with blogging. I sent an email to Chris Guthrie from MakeMoneyOnTheInternet.com and he was cool enough to give me some very specific advice. Now here’s a guy who makes a nice living online and I’m sure is very busy.
The fact that he took time out of his day to offer up unsolicited advice meant a lot. You never know how much of a difference a little help can have on someone.
One person who really went out of his way to help me when I got started was Nick Cardot from SiteSketch101.com. Nick and I lived relatively close to each other and we actually met for breakfast a few times. This guy is the epitome of someone looking to offer unconditional help and give back.
A while back I started a mastermind group and was fortunate enough to meet a blogger named Barry Morris. Barry has several blogs, including BookBlogBusiness.com and is an experienced Internet marketer and published author.
Over the course of several months, Barry and I chatted about building my business. We didn’t talk about his business, although I’m sure he would have liked that. He was kind enough to spend several hours coaching me on creating a sales page and giving me advice on marketing.
I feel like an asshole because he had asked me to read his eBook and and give him feedback and I didn’t. I never got around to it. That’s NOT how to build a business. I’m guilty as charged and I told him so.
It still sucks for him but he never complained. My point is: take the time to help someone. Especially if they’ve helped you.
When I was about 4 months into my blog and it was growing quite nicely, I got a Twitter message from Kelly Diels from KellyDiels.com. For those of you who don’t know her, she is a phenomenal writer and is doing quite well for herself as a writer/blogger.
Anyway, she sent me a DM telling me that she dug my site but that it was missing a few critical things. She initiated a phone call in which we talked for about an hour. I can’t tell you how helpful that call was.
It was a very thoughtful gesture on her part and made a huge difference in my approach to building a business.
If there is such a thing as a blogging coach, my friend Ian is it. Ian runs a successful tennis instruction site over at EssentialTennis.com and has really started to dominate his niche. Ian and I became friends a few years ago (he actually lives very close by) and he’s helped me with my blog since day 1.
We were actually riding the DC Metro together coming back from a Redskins game when the idea for this blog came to pass. Ian has a lot of experience with Podcasting, product launches, and, most importantly, building a strong community.
I’ve sent countless emails to him and made dozens of calls to him over the last 10 months and he’s helped me immensely.
The Quickest Way To Online Failure Is Being Selfish
(Side Note) Coming in a close 2nd is being a douchebag. This post details what being selfish and being a douchebag is all about.
For 10 months now I have been doing what I thought I needed to be doing to build a successful blog that is rich with comments and user engagement. I was wrong.
I’ve come to realize that it’s not about us, it’s about others. It’s about helping those that you can.
Why do some blogs have thriving communities who will walk through fire to support each other while others are lucky to get 2 comments per post? Is it because their content is worse. Maybe, but more likely it’s because they haven’t figured out how to get people involved.
If you’re looking for people who are building a community and not just a business, then look no further:
If I (or any of us) hope to succeed online, we need to start building relationships. It shouldn’t even be optional. These are some great people to learn from.
Patricia from Lavenderuses.com is one of the true masters of effective community builders. Her site is about Lavender,which I’ll bet many of her readers probably don’t have a strong interest in.
They read her blog because of who she is. She honestly cares about people and takes the time to show them. Look at her comment to see what I’m talking about.
Benny Hsu from GetBusyLivingBlog.com is a relative newcomer to blogging but has managed to build an amazing community of like minded people on his blog. If you are a regular blog reader, then you probably have seen his face in the comment section. He’s also an extremely nice guy. That does count for something in the blogoshphere.
Marcus from TheSalesLion.com as I mentioned earlier has created an truly awesome community and network. And he has done it the organic way,which is simply by helping people with no underlying motives. Read through his comments and you’ll see exactly what I mean.
Adrienne from AdrienneSmith.net is one of my favorite people online. She’s easily recognizable by her huge smile she always has. She was kind enough to write a guest post for my blog a few months ago (her first) and the reaction she received was amazing!
The post has 160 comments right now which tells you a little something about her readers. They are so supportive and it was an eye opening experience for me to see the comments flood in.
Again, it comes down to her willingness to help people. I’m sure her goal wasn’t to get to get tons of comments on her blog. It came naturally because of who she is and from the fact that she leaves incredible comments on peoples’ blogs!
Steve from NerdFitness.com has one of the best communities I’ve come across. Steve is a fitness blogger who LOVES what he’s doing and it shows. He calls his readers the Rebel Army and has a very active forum. Go check out what he’s up to, you probably will pick up a thing or two.
There a many more people I could mention here but this post is already over 2,100 words…
Are You Building Your Community?
If you’re a blogger, what are you doing right now to build your community. A few retweets aren’t going to cut it. Are you looking to forge new relationships on a daily basis? You should be.
Just like with most anything, it’s about who you know. Blogging is no different. The caveat is that it’s not wise to name drop, ask for “favors”, and expect things in return. Remember, it’s about giving, not getting.
If you don’t believe me, you need to contact Marcus Sheridan. Talk with him for a few minutes and you will understand the power of networking and relationships.
Going forward, I plan to change my selfish ways and start giving again. How about you? What will you do?
Marcus Sheridan-The Sales Lion
Steve, holy cow brother, this was so passionate and moving my friend. I felt like after you wrote his you let out a big sigh of relief—whewwwww!
I clearly understand where you’re coming from though bud, and just keep in mind that I was not even close to where you are now after my first 8 months and so there is so very much that is awaiting you, just keep referring back to your thoughts in this post. As you seek to help others, more and more inspiration will flow into your life and into your writings as well. You’ll tend to write more about people and experiences and less about generalities, which is the key to great content that’s built to last.
Proud of you man, and a pleasure to have had such a nice conversation with you. π
Marcus
Steve
Thanks Marcus!
Our conversation totally inspired me to write this. If we hadn’t had our chat, I might have spent the next year doing things the same way. I’ve learned a lot from your approach to business and I think it will help me immensely.
I’ll keep doing what I do here if you promise to do the same π
Ryan Hanley
This is an amazing piece because it speaks to what social media, the internet, being a human being is all about. It speaks to community, giving, and friendship three value briefs I firmly believe in.
I have recently started following Marcus Sheridan’s work and I can honestly say that in a matter of days he became one of my favorite sales/motivational content creators on the internet. Just an amazing talent…
Thank you!
Steve
Hey Ryan,
To be honest, I didn’t know a great deal about Marcus before our interview, but I am now a converted fan! He’s as genuine and sincere in person as he is on his blog. I can see why he’s got such a great following..
Marcus Sheridan-The Sales Lion
Dang Ryan, that’s incredibly kind of you man. I’m floored. Seriously.
Joe @ Not Your Average Joe
Steve, gotta admit, guilty as charged on all the above counts π I think we’re all concerned with our own little world at first (human nature, right?) but then realize the true way to growth, on line or off line, is to give others a helping hand.
But you’re so right…sometimes life, and our other projects, gets in the way. I’m just starting to get the benefits of giving link love, and this post you’ve put up here will obviously help others tremendously. Don’t be surprised if this one is overrun by comments!!
Steve
Joe,
Another guilty party, huh? It’s so common to fall into our own blind world. Glad to see that you understand the power behind sharing and building relationships!
As far as the comments, I’ve braced myself for the onslaught. Bring them on!!!
Morgan
Steve, so true. We tend to get so caught up in the whole blogging process that, like you said, we forget to look outward. It’s so important to get involved in the community. We’re not competing against one another, we should be praising one another and helping each other out. π
A really great reminder! Cheers!
Steve
Morgan,
That’s a good point about not being in competition with each other. The blogosphere is big enough for all of to succeed! We’ve heard it before-the best way to succeed is by helping others get there first.
Thanks for stopping by π
BethanyBob (@bethanybob)
When I started reading, I really liked the personality that came out through your writing. I know I’ve pointed out that there’s been less “you” to your work, lately. I look forward to having “you” back! π
And now I need to work on putting “me” back into *my* work.
Mwahs!
Steve
Bethany,
I have to agree that I’ve been “off” for a while. Stress is taking its toll on me and I forgot about everything and everyone. Back on track now! Thanks for keeping me straight π
Caroline Leon
Steve I love this post and it just so happens to be exactly what I needed to hear right at this point in my blogging journey. Thank you so much for such an inspirational kick up the back side π
Steve
Caroline,
Consider yourself kicked π
Are you struggling with something I can possibly help with?
Benny
Those are some wonderful people you mentioned and I’m glad to have gotten to know some of them.
We definitely can’t be in our own bubble focused on what we’re doing and trying to attract people to us. We’re not Steve Pavlina who has a ton of followers on Twitter but follows no one.
Plus to me making the connections with people is one of the best parts about blogging. I know I wouldn’t be nearly as motivated if I just wrote and didn’t respond to comments or read other blogs.
Definitely glad to hear you want to connecting more. I know reading posts and commenting takes up time but it’s a great way to strengthen relationships with bloggers.
As for Marcus, he’s a machine. I don’t know how he runs a business, takes care of his family, writes amazing posts, replies to every comment, and then reads and comments on other blogs. It’s amazing but he probably just makes the time for it.
Glad you joined our Tribe in Triberr!! It’s an easy way to share people’s new posts. The next step would be to create own tribe. That’s a fun part.
Thanks for mentioning me here Steve!
Steve
Benny,
Hello my new Triberr buddy!
This post wouldn’t have been complete without your name, my friend. You are everywhere, spreading your insights and thoughts with so many. There is nothing more depressing to me than thinking that nobody cares about what I’m doing with this blog. There have been plenty of days when nobody is commenting, tweeting, or contacting me. It’s a shitty feeling.
I see people like Marcus who no longer have those days and I’m sure it’s a great feeling knowing that you have that support. We talked about his lifestyle and how he handles his workload in our interview the other night. Make sure you listen to it when it goes live. It’s actually one of the best ones I’ve done. He had a ton of great info
Benny
I will do it! In fact you have so many podcasts of yours I haven’t listened to yet but I definitely want to. Gotta find the time.
Having that group of people who support what you’re doing is amazing. I was talking to Adrienne and she said before she hardly commented on any blogs. So her posts had very few comments. Then when she started to make more of an effort to comment, she got more comments. Now every posts gets so many comments. I’m still amazed by how many she got here! That’s the power of her supporters who love her and what she does.
Steve
Yea, it’s tough finding that kind of down time with a restaurant job. Since you’re the boss, you could always go hide in the back office for a few hours!!
Adrienne is a perfect example of what I’m talking about. And with your tenacity, you aren’t far behind…
Steve
Brad,
I appreciate your support and you’ve been a great member of my small community. I always love to hear your feedback. Now it’s time for me to do the same for others…
Lindsay
Great points! It is easy to get sucked into your own “to-do” list and stop thinking about how to add value for your readers and develop an interactive community. I’m guilty of falling into that trap myself.
Thanks for the reminder to avoid selfishness and connect with others!
Steve
Hey Lindsay,
Glad this helped you get back into the loop π
You’ve got a great blog, now get out there and let the world know it!
Barry
Hey Steve – You’ve come a long way in a very short time and I’m happy to have spent what little time I did together with you as you charted your journey. It’s been a great ride thus far and I look forward to reading you for a long time to come. Rock on! π
Steve
Thanks for that Barry, I appreciate that.
You have helped me a great deal and I won’t forget it (although I did manage to drop the ball with your eBook). Sorry about that.
I plan on us being a part of each others communities for a long time as well.
Until next time…
Jk Allen
Hey Steve,
Marcus is a good friend of mind and I must say that I’ve learned a lot from him too.
And on to your questions…
Yes sir, I have a blogging community that I continue to build. The challenge is that it’s reached a level where it’s really hard to stay on top of all the comments, but I still do so, albeit slowly. Here are some of the things that I do to build my own community:
-Stay active in other communities by reading and interacting on other blogs. This is very time consuming for me because I find it hard to create short-widened comments.
-I respond to all of my comments. I figure if a person is kind enough to leave a comment to something that I’ve written..I can be kind enough to respond with more than a thanks..but a thoughtful reply to their comment.
-I never rush my writing. I take my time and take a quality over quantity approach. Throwing the blogging schedule rule out of the window has been the absolute best thing I’ve done since starting my blog. It’s allowed me to write pressure-free, and take the time I need to network and spend time in the bloggosphere.
-I don’t just interact with people in comments…I get on the phone, chats, skype, email, etc. I’ve found that the more personable I am and accessible I make myself, the more people take interest in what I’m up to.
-I write for others (to make a difference) and not myself. I’m all about promoting the positive, although my topics can be viewed differently at times. But writing for others means that I’m more solutions oriented rather that complaint driven. But I DO NOT write fluffy stuff!
I just realized that I can go on and on…but I’ll cut it where I left off above.
I wish you the best in your new found realization. I’m sure a guy like you will find a way to maximize any situation.
PEACE
Steve
JK,
I can see by the sheer number of your comments that it’s going to turn into a full-time job answering them all soon π
It’s apparent that you care about your community and they do you. A lot of time and effort goes into it but it’s well worth it.
The biggest problem I face is time. It’s so hard for me to take 5 full minutes to write a single comment. I feel like I constantly need to be doing something else. That’s where my poor time management skills fail me.
I’ve gone through short periods when I was talking to people on the phone, Skyping, and interacting and that’s when I had the most momentum. Obviously that is no accident.
I do appreciate your kind words and support and I’m sure I’ll be seeing more of you…
Jk Allen
Steve,
That’s the challenge. If you take look at my most recent post (that I posted almost 3 weeks ago…don’t laugh at my production…I’ve been SO busy) I have about a 140 comments (including my replies), and I still have a good 30-40 that I haven’t replied to yet. Why? Time. I have kids, I coach sports, I work full time (new job) and everything else going on…so it’s been challenging.
I’m not a full time blogger. Not even close. So I have to make sure that I spend my time appropriately. So I know what you mean by the challenge. If you figure it out – don’t forget about your boy (me)…cause I need the formula! LOL
PEACE
Steve
JK,
If I ever figure it out, you will be the first to know! Do you think you will ever transition to blogging in lieu of your day job?
Fred @ SoloBizCoach.com
Steve,
This is the best article I have read this week. It looks like you too are a follower of Marcus now. Just don’t drink the kool-aid. LOL.
Marcus is such a great guy, and his advice is spot on. Build your blog one person at a time. When I catch myself looking at my traffic stats, I sometimes forget that each one of those visitors is a real person who took time out of their day to see me. I so wish that I could great them in person when they entered my site. This is the downside of the online world.
I can’t wait to get to know you better.
Steve
Hey Fred,
The best article, huh? How many articles have you read this week π
No, seriously, that’s awesome and I appreciate that very much. I find that when I write very openly, I get the most feedback.
I haven’t spent too much time on Marcus’ blog, but the 7 or 8 articles I’ve read were incredible. More impressive is the comment section. What a great place to learn about your business and about others.
I’m sure I will be seeing much more of you!
Walter Pollard
Steve – I want to go back to Marcus for a moment. I called him out of the blue back in April. He had no idea who I was from Adam, but took time from his busy schedule to talk with me. Long and short, I was heading up the HubSpot user group in D.C. and asked him if he would be willing to join me in leading the meetups. Without hesitation he said yes. He drives three hours each way for every meeting. That’s building community and dedication.
The great thing about Marcus, he’s always true to form. 100% committed. Helping others is in his blood.
For me, I know I have a friend for life. That’s building community.
Steve
Hi Walter,
That’s an incredible story and worthy of a post by itself! From everything I’ve heard so far, he is a top notch guy. I’m glad I found him (and was fortunate enough to interview him). By the way, when I post our interview, definitely give it a listen. He shares some really great stuff. Probably the best interview I’ve done so far!
Brankica
I am embarrassed and I am sure you know why π
I never paid attention to the fact that you don’t comment often. I know of few people that don’t and it always made me think why don’t they. Some “give back to the community” in other ways but some just don’t do anything and still succeed.
I think there might be a secret recipe to being a duche bag and selfish and still succeed, lol.
Although I love you Marcus is doing it and would never do it differently.
Brankica
there is a typo π
It was supposed to be:
Although I love what you and Marcus are doing and would never do it differently.
Steve
I liked the typo better π
“I love you Marcus” was good!
Steve
B,
No worries! You are mega busy so I’ll cut you some slack..
The funny thing is that most people aren’t even paying attention to what I’m doing but I still feel like a selfish bastard for not reaching out more. I’ve got all these awesome peeps coming to my site and I usually don’t take the time to visit their sites and leave them comments.Shame on me…
Hmm. I think you might be onto a new blogpost “How to be a selfish douchebag blogging superstar”!!
Jen Gresham
Steve, I think you’re being a little too hard on yourself. We all have moments when we need to pull back and focus on ourselves for a while. It’s not being selfish, it’s taking care of yourself. You know the advice on the airplane, “Please put on your mask before assisting others”? It’s spot on. You can’t effectively help others if you’re totally frazzled.
So look at the past few weeks as just a period that you needed some you time, and now you’re in a better position to get back in there and make a difference. That’s what blogging is all about, and clearly you’re doing a great job of it!
Thanks for the mention and for keeping in touch. I always enjoy our chats. π
Steve
Hey Jen,
Maybe I am being a bit too hard on myself but after I spoke with Marcus, I knew I was waaaay off base with building my community. I can understand the need to withdraw and handle your stuff but I wasn’t doing that. I was really not engaging at all.
As for being stresses, that’s going to be a constant. Life, family, money, business, job, etc. will keep me frazzled for a long time…
Thanks for the comment and I hope things are going great for you!
Eugene
Look at the bright side, now when you will be reaching out and making new connections…you have an absolute AWESOME blog to introduce them too.
It’s definitely time consuming to do all that. I’m really not sure how Marcus does what he does. Maybe I need to take up a speed-reading course.
Steve
Hey Eugene,
I do appreciate the awesome compliment dude! I really thought I was doing OK until I interviewed Marcus. That guy can build one hell of a community! It made me realize what I’m missing by not reaching back out. And yes, it’s so time consuming to do it, but clearly it’s a highly valuable time investment.
Hector Avellaneda
Steve, I can tell this definitely came from the heart brother!
Marcus is an awesome dude and he definitely seems to have that kind os effect on everyone that talks about him.
He definitely understands and “get’s” people and I think that when you can master that, you can build the relationships you look for and get the results you desire (business wise) effortlessly.
I am right there with and definitely have some improving to do in connecting better with my readers as a whole, although I do think I am getting way better at it.
There are definitely some challenged in making this possible, one of them being time, as you mentioned, but we must learn to manage ourselves in time, better.
Great stuff, Steve!
Steve
What’s up Hector??
This post definitely came from the right place. I’m telling, Marcus is a freakin genius! I can’t wait to post his interview. I listened to it again today and keep picking up more things.
As for you my man, you are one of my favorite commenters. I see you all over the place and your comments are fantastic. I have a feeling you are building a lot of friends online this way, which is awesome.
I think it’s about time you wrote a guest post for me now π what do you think?
Hector Avellaneda
Thanks for the words, Steve. I definitely appreciate it man! Oh, and ABSOLUTELY would love to write a guest post for ETG.
I’ll connect with you offline and send you a message.
Steve
Hey Zirk,
Thanks and I’m glad to hear you enjoyed it. How’s your community coming along?
Justin | Mazzastick
Hey Steve,
Loved this post man. I was fortunate enough to be able to work on my blog full-time for the first three months.
After that my business started back up and it was back to part-time blogging.
It really is all about being consistent with blogging. From writing posts, to commenting, to re-tweeting, liking, and so on.
I read the post by Marcus about the young kid who had little respect for himself. I’ve only had 2 comments on my blog out of a couple of thousand that were egregious. Almost all of the commenters on my blog are loyal and come back again.
Like anything else it takes consistent focus and action in order for it to succeed.
Btw, after adding commentluv to my blog, comments increased by 1000%
Steve
Justin,
I would kill for a chance to blog full-time for 3 months…Did you see a huge difference in your results during that period?
I try to be as consistent as I can with writing/posting but the commenting and tweeting sometimes takes a back burner. My chat with Marcus opened my eyes to some things and I have a newfound appreciation for networking.
I also love the CommentLuv plugin although it doesn’t work with Internet Explorer…
Adrienne
Stop being so hard on yourself Steve. Marcus is right, these things take time but we learn from our experience and here’s the thing, you learned.
You are right, I get the comments because I care about other people and when you reach out to help others without expecting anything in return, it will come your way. Plus it’s a huge rush to know that you did something nice to help someone and they really appreciate it because they really needed some help.
I have a feeling that we are going to see a big shift pretty soon with not only you but your blog. I for one will really look forward to that.
You always know if you ever need any help or advice, we are ALL here for you. Hey, you’ve got my number young man! π
Keep your chin up Steve, you’re doing a wonderful job here. We all love your blog.
Adrienne
Steve
Adrienne,
Thanks so much for the encouragement!
I’m not trying to beat myself up, I just realized that what I was doing was waaaaay off base from what I need to be doing in order to reach my goals here.
I certainly hope your prophecy is true and this turns into a HUGE success. I can’t wait for the day I can quit and never return to the cube!!
Thanks for having my back and being there for me π I’m incredibly lucky to have some great people like you around.
Jk Allen
You know Steve, if I can find a way to switch over my income to blogging – dollar to dollar…I’d be all for it. What I’ve found that a lot of folks who blog full time make just enough to get by – barely. Having kids and all that – I have to be very careful in the moves I make because my decisions don’t just affect me.
Make sense?
So I would – but I can’t see it happening anytime in the near future!
Steve
I hear you , Marcus. Blogging is not an easy way to make a living and certainly lacks the stability of our paychecks. I often think about this and wonder what exactly it will take to bring in enough income to support my family of 4. I’m actually getting ready to write a post about this because it’s a very real concern for guys like us.
If you were able to blog full-time, just imagine what you could create with an extra 40+ hours added to your week. How awesome would things be for you?
Justin | Mazzastick
The three months helped a lot. I was able to get comfortable not only with blogging but with the techie stuff too.
If I didn’t have those three months available I probably wouldn’t have started my blog.
I need consistent time with something before I feel totally comfortable with it.
Steve
I can imagine that those 3 months played a huge role in what you’re doing now. I think the learning curve can be hard for a lot of people with no background in this kind of stuff and without a block of time to figure it out, it can be overwhelming. I think a lot of bloggers quit early on because they get frustrated. I know I hated the tech stuff because I just wanted everything to work the way I wanted.
I’m glad it worked out for you the way it did!
Jens P. Berget
Hi Steve,
Wow, you talked to Marcus! This guy is offering so much free advice, it’s incredible how he has time to do it all.
Before I started reading The Sales Lion, I had a completely different view about marketing. I thought about self promotion a lot, and it didn’t sound right to do so many things for free. But, inbound marketing is what I firmly believe in.
I’m not sure what you’re talking about when it comes to your community though, because to me, it seems that your community is strong and awesome π
Jens
Keith
Dude, this was an AWESOME post! David Risley once told me you will have to give away all your best sh*t before you ever THINK about charging for something. It really didn’t make much sense at the time but I get it now.
I have thoroughly enjoyed watching you and this site evolve (downloaded your interview with Pat Flynn but haven’t had time to listen yet), and I know Nick Cardot well, he was who told me about you.
Keep up the good work and believe me when I say you will end your grind in due time brother!
Steve
Hey dude,
Thanks for stopping by-it’s been a while!
I really appreciate the encouragement, it definitely helps. I feel the same way about giving away your best stuff although I’m often conflicted about the best way to go about it.
Nick’s been someone I’ve looked to for guidance on multiple occasions and I’ve learned a lot from him.
Hope to catch up soon!
Keith
You already have it figured out man, you are providing great content which is where you start to build authority, look at Pat Flynn!
Suzanne
Hi Steve, I am taking your advice and commenting on another’s blog. I really enjoyed your post as it oozed authenticity. I am nothing but authentic except when it comes to my blogs. I feel stuffy. My information is all fact based, albeit in story form but somewhat stuffy. Face to face,I am a story teller,so much so, that when I tell a story to people of something that really pissed me off, they are killing themselves laughing. I keep insisting it’s not funny but they keep laughing! Next thing I have random people coming to me asking to hear about my ‘story’. (oh shit, I am making this about me)
Anyway, I personally am taken by authenticity and honesty so allow me to thank you for giving me this push. I have been struggling today writing a post which rarely happens, I always have something to say. This quite possibly is the reason.
Keep Up The Good Work!
Suzanne
Jared Kimball
Steve,
Great post! I’ll be honest I haven’t read all the comments on this post, but I did read a few.
Believe me when I say this, “I’m not trying to be a negative Nancy”. I’d like to share some of my experiences with trying to help others.
I run a blog about email marketing, and I love sharing information about email marketing and helping others find success with their email marketing efforts.
However, on a number of occasions I’ve offered to help acquaintances in the past (at no charge), only to be rejected. I have a small subscriber base on my personal email list and I’ve offered to help them with any of their email marketing questions, and again no responses or replies.
I’ve even experienced situations where I offered to help close friends with tasks or problems they were experiencing, and they turned down my offers.
I find it remarkable how often people turn down my help. Many people want to do things on their own and “make it work”.
After looking back at these situations of helpful rejection I’ve come to realize that some people can’t except help, because they have the mentality that there’s a catch.
Another way of looking at it is from the perspective of “reciprocity”. People in general want to return a favor with another favor. However, when I make an offer to help a friend, acquaintance, or complete stranger they feel that nudge in their gut that if they except my help that they’ll now owe me a favor in return.
When the truth is that I could care less about them returning the favor. I just want to help them out. No strings attached.
Have you ever experienced similar situations where you offered to help someone and they turned you down?
On a lighter note…I have to tell you that when you said, “I donβt spend hardly any time trying to help people on an individual basis” it struck a cord with me. That little phrase made me realize that I need to take extra initiative and reach out to my few subscribers and reach out to them on an individual basis.
Thanks for the inspiration and I apologize for the negativeness of this post.
Congrats on hitting 50+ comments on one post.
Jared
Joanne Cipressi
Steve,
I just found your blog retweeted on Twitter by @dancristo. Awesome post! I am fairly new to blogging–about 10 months now…and the ride has been exciting. I am enjoying the connections I have been making in the blogging community–there are some really intelligent, sweet and funny people in it. You mentioned Adrienne above and I love her energy. I will have to check out the rest. π
Steve
Hi Joanne,
Glad you found me π
I’ve been fortunate to meet some truly awesome people in the 11 months I’ve had this blog and Adrienne is definitely one of my favorites! Just gotta love her π
Prince
Hi Steve!
Prince here! Today I took time to dig into your blog.I was fascinated and loved your honesty.
It’s true that wrapping ourselves with ourselves gets us nowhere. The reason why se are here is so we can assist each other. Personally, I care-less about the TRAFFIC in my blog; than the many lives I will IMPACT.That said, I am a human being;and sometimes we ALL do the RIGHT THINGS for the WRONG REASONS . We get Side-lined about the Most Important things and veer-off the RIGHT PATH. Building others is the ONLY Short-Cut to building ourselves.
I have also read the post on ‘Calling The Crap Out of Yourself’ ; it’s we all need close amd honest friends to succeed; follow through on what we say. Brutally honest friends who will tell us straight up “Hey…dude! You know you are my friend, right? But I am no longer interested in your ‘talks’ until you take ACTION; because you SUCK”
Cheers!
Steve
Prince,
You are going way back into the archives for this one, man!
I have to admit, I was totally consumed by the numbers and doing everything “right” in the online world. I’ve learned a lot and have realized that the best way to become successful online (for me anyway) is just to help people. That’s my business and it’s #1. All the others stuff will come if I just focus on them..