7 Simple Tips For Blogging Faster [Without Caffeine]
We all know that content is important in blogging. Most bloggers are under pressure to produce more blog posts.
I’m not sure why, but I can generally produce a blog post pretty quickly. In most cases, I can write a typical post in 15-20 minutes. To me it is normal.
When I talk to other bloggers, I get varying levels of speed. Some bloggers are fast while others struggle to get even one post per week out the door. Couple into this the demands of normal life, and it is easy to conclude that time is the major bottleneck to your blogging success.
A Viewpoint on Time
The way I see it, time is completely arbitrary. It is in the eye of the beholder.
Have you ever seen a person who gets one task done in a day, then sit back, act tired and act like their day was full? I have. Grocery shopping seems to be the day’s goal. Time to relax after that.
On the flip side, you’ve got people who just get things done all day. They are fast. They are MACHINES. And others marvel at their productivity.
Same exact day. But, one person tackles the day in a completely different way.
Look at the hummingbird. The hummingbird flaps its wings 8-10 times per SECOND. Everywhere it goes, it goes fast. Another example: the common house fly. Wonder why you can’t ever catch the damn thing? Its concept of time is different than ours. We probably look like we’re moving like turtles comparatively.
So, the way I see it, it isn’t that we have a finite amount of time per day and it is a fixed quantity. It is our viewpoint of time which makes the difference.
It might be easier said than done, but I think its true to say this: Just change your viewpoint! You’re the one who makes time scarce for yourself!
Now, let’s put aside philosophy and talk about this more practically.
7 Tips For Faster Blogging
Here are some simple tips that I have found helped me over the years:
Why The New FTC Guidelines Are A HUGE Opportunity For Bloggers
While so many people are getting their tighties in a bunch over the new FTC guidelines and how it affects our industry, my opinion is that you should not be concerned.
In fact, you should be THRILLED.
Better yet, you should be using it as a huge kick in the ass to put on your A-game, get into gear, and start creating a real business.
I’ll go more into this in an upcoming report I plan to write (stay tuned for it), however let me give you the long-and-short of it.
Blogging as a business is RELATIONSHIP MARKETING. If you want to make money as a blogger, this is the short version of what you do:
- Create a product line.
- Attract people to you through quality content.
- Get people into your sales funnel. In other words, capture them as a lead. Get ‘em on your list.
- Build the RELATIONSHIP. Get them to know, like and trust you. Be a real person. You want them to trust your expertise, but also view you as a friend.
- Sell them things by providing quality recommendations they can trust.
Now, traditional internet marketers are all consulting their lawyers over the new FTC regulations. One of the biggest things that will affect the industry is the use of testimonials to sell. To make a long story short, you will not be able to throw out a bunch of glowing testimonials, throw in a “results not typical” footnote in tiny print at the bottom of the page, and move on with your life.
In fact, in a recent report put out by John Reese, he said to forget using testimonials! That’s right. No testimonials. By not using testimonials, you just avoid that whole FTC mess.
Why is this a huge piece of good news for smart bloggers? [MORE]
A Word of Thanks
I just pinched myself. Yeah, it hurt a little, but I needed to make sure this life I have is real.
My life is awesome. The fact that I make my living doing THIS for a living? [pinches self again]
Most of all, I’m thankful for…
My family is always top of the list for me. Unpictured is my son, who is due in February. I’m thankful for him, too. Can’t wait to meet him.
I’m thankful to all of my readers and subscribers – that’s you. It is you guys who continue to support me in this business. Without you, I wouldn’t have a business.
I’m thankful for living in a country where we have the opportunity to prosper and make our own way. Let’s hope we can keep it that way despite some efforts to the contrary. This is a great country and there are a lot of other countries where doing what I do for a living would be much more difficult.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone. Let’s not forget what this day is really about.
Aweber Got Even Better: New Form Generator
My long-time readers know that I am an avid supporter of Aweber as a mailing list solution. There just isn’t a better option, in my eyes.
It just got better, too. They are rolling out a brand new web form generator. The new generator will allow you to create great looking opt-in forms and hover forms without knowing a lick of HTML.
Here is a video to show it in action:
If you don’t have a proper mailing list on your blog, you are leaving a TON of money on the table. You should run, not walk – right over to Aweber and sign up for an account. You can get a 30 day trial for only $1.00.
Top 8 Mistakes Of Blogger Newbs
Every new blogger makes mistakes. I made tons of them when I got started.
Here are the top mistakes I see out there that you should avoid:
- Not selecting a market. For your blog to succeed, it needs to have a point. An online journal, where you write about whatever crosses your mind, is not conducive to growth or making any money one day. Choose a market where the people in it (a) have a motivating, emotional driver to do things, (b) you have something to contribute.
- Not interacting with others. Guess what, the secret to blog traffic is NOT posting more crap to your blog! Instead, it is in forming relationships with people, referring them to the blog, and then giving them a reason to stick around. You need to be active in social media, interact with others and build real connections. This is a people business.
- Not starting an email list. You should start your email list from day #1. A Feedburner RSS-to-email list does not fit the bill. I’m talking about a REAL mailing list where you can send them anything you want.
- Not using Wordpress. Don’t build your blog on a crappy platform. Don’t use some free blog service out there where they own your content and they could turn it off at any time. Get a real web host, install Wordpress, and build on a stable, supported platform.
- Not writing very well. Writing for a blog is very different than the way you learned to write in school. Learn how to write in a compelling way.
- Not getting a good blog layout. Serious bloggers will INVEST in a decent layout. Yes, that means pay out a little money to have somebody do it for you if you don’t know how. Cookie-cutter themes scream amateur because people see the same theme on other blogs. And amateur graphics make your blog look cheesy. You need to convince new readers that your blog is quality within SECONDS of them getting there. Trust me, a decent theme which is unique and backs up your personal brand is VERY important. If you’re not super technical, check out Headway.
- Overuse of Ads. Bloggers who wish to monetize often make the mistake of (1) limiting themselves to banner ads, and (2) overloading the site with them. Look, the reality is that banners are a SSLLLOOOOWWWW way to make a buck with a new blog. You’ll be better off just concentrating on building a solid following, then pitch relevant offers to them as your own personal recommendations. Or better yet, create your own product. Don’t be a crappy business person.
- Not Being Real. You want people to know, like and trust you. That’s not going to work out very well if you’re being fake or if you’re being as boring as an accountant watching paint dry. Blogging isn’t a college lecture (we all fell asleep in there). It is about being a REAL DUDE (or gal, if you’re not a dude).
Show some personality!
Are you still making any of these mistakes? Do you have any you want to add from your own experience?
Why You Need A Mastermind Group
Yesterday, I was over in Celebration, FL for a meeting of the minds. It was a mastermind meeting. Several people in internet business gathered in a board room and talked shop for several hours.
The way it worked was this:
- First, presentations. Nothing formal, but if any of the group members wanted to present some useful information, that would happen.
- Hot seats. Each of us would take our turn on the hot seat. We could talk about our businesses and our challenges, and get help from the rest of the group.
It is incredibly powerful.
In 2009, one of the biggest contributing factors to my business has been the power of others. I routinely mastermind with folks here in the Tampa Bay area and occasionally from elsewhere in the state.
Forming A Group
I highly recommend that you work to create a circle of people around you who are doing the same things. If you are interested in growing your blog, then find others in your area who share similar interests. Namely, bloggers.
Are Bloggers Just Crappy Business People?
The question had to be asked. In fact, a few of us were even discussing this very question when I was in Vegas for BlogWorld Expo.
Most bloggers wonder how to make money with a blog. The default answer seems to be to write a lot, build traffic, then sell ads. That blogger thinks he’s building his “business” by writing even more. Problem is, it oftens leads to this….
So, the plan is that you’ll start a blog, write a lot, write some more, get famous and then sell a few ads on the blog. Attract sponsors and cash in, right?
With so much competing noise out there, this kind of expectation would be like waiting for a blogger fairy to come out and sprinkle some problogger fairy dust on top of your head. I’m not saying it isn’t possible, but that it is an uphill fight for a new blogger who doesn’t really engage in marketing.
I think this mentality might stem from the days of the old media. In the old media, this is how they sustain themselves. Build an audience, scare the crap out of them so they’ll keep watching, and turn around and sell the eyeballs to companies who want more customers.
However, there’s a reason why the newspaper industry is failing. If you enter the blogosphere with this same mentality, you’re not going to make any money.
Return From Pukecon
Sometimes things just don’t go according to plan.
As my subscribers know, I flew to Las Vegas last week for Pubcon, a leading conference for the search marketing and SEO industry. I had high hopes and was expecting a good time.
Day 1 went well. Picked up some good tips, took some notes and met up with a few people. That night, I decided to get some work done rather than attend the Pubcon party because they were doing it at a night club. I don’t care how cool people think they are at parties at a night club, I find it counter-intuitive for a conference built around networking. It is so loud you can’t talk to anybody. So screw it.
I decided to hit the Grand Buffet at the MGM Grand for dinner that evening. Yes, I overate. But, damn was it good. I even picked up a ticket to see Cirque Du Solei Ka at the MGM the next evening.
Fast forward to about 3AM the next morning. Nausea. Vomiting. Living over the toilet and holding a lot of unflattering body positions. Not cool. I was sick as a dog. I got no more sleep because I literally had to get up every 20-30 minutes to puke.
The next day, I was clearly too sick to attend day 2 of Pubcon, so I camped out in my hotel room all day. I “enjoyed” some personal time… just me, the bed, and my hotel toilet. That toilet and I got to be friends.
The only time I stepped out of my hotel room during the day was to walk over to the CVS in front of the Monte Carlo to buy some water. I thought going for a walk might be therapeutic. Well, I ended up throwing up on the street. That went well.
The Secret To A Huge Mailing List – EXPOSED
This is the secret to list building that they don’t want you to know.
- Find or create something which people in your market will find valuable or helpful,
- Give it to them in exchange for their email address.
- Do this a lot.
Now you know. If you tell anybody else this secret, be sure to whisper.
P.S. Oh, just one more thing. It also helps to have a mailing list solution worthy of building a big list with. and for that, I recommend Aweber. That one isn’t any secret because most people worth their salt like Aweber, too.
Tweet or Die, Big Corp
Back in 2008, I was walking inside the Luxor hotel in Las Vegas. I was heading over to a party thrown by B5 Media inside one of the many restaurants inside Luxor. I couldn’t find it. I was straight-up lost.
Just to vent, I took out my phone and tweeted about it. Within a couple of minutes, I got a Twitter reply from the Luxor telling me where to find the restaurant. I was so damn impressed, I tweeted about it. They replied:
I am heading back to Vegas yet again (I seem to go there a few times per year for various conferences). I had reservations at Bally’s. Well, in following the #pubcon hashtag on Twitter, I saw the MGM Grand tweet about a special room rate.
I upgraded. I canceled my reservation with Bally’s (who has no Twitter account, BTW) and switched to MGM. Its a better hotel anyway, but I like how MGM is actually actively interacting with their clientele.
I’ve had other similar experiences with Twitter:
- I was bitching about AT&T Wireless a few weeks ago and I had one of their company contacts tweet me and help me via Twitter. I was impressed given the ineptitude of the people on the phone.
- Made a comment about Aweber on Twitter recently and one of their guys replied.
- Made a comment about the Headway theme on Twitter and it ended up with meeting the guy in person at BlogWorld and getting an inside demo of the new version.
I’m Impressed, But I Shouldn’t Be
I shouldn’t be surprised when a company replies to me this way. It should be normal.
Big corporate, wake up!
Your customers are talking about you out there. Monitor the conversation and interact.
The days of finding corporate success by looking big and official are over. We don’t like calling on the phone and ending up in a phone maze. We’re not a case number. Companies that throw up those kinds of barriers are obviously TRYING to avoid their customers.
I think its about time to say this: Big companies… you better get active on Twitter or your days are numbered. Tweet or die.
I'm David Risley. I've been making my living as a blogger for over a decade. Blogging is my business and how I support my family. With this blog, I'm just gettin' REAL and telling you how this business works. 
