by Skellie
This week’s Ask the Readers discussion should be an opportunity to collect a number of profound lessons in one place. The question I’d like you to answer is: what’s the most important lesson you’ve learned about blogging or being a webmaster?
When I sat down to write this, I thought I’d answer the question from my own perspective here. I was worried that it would take some time to nut out a reasonable answer. I’ve learned a lot of things in my various engagements with the web and anticipated that it would be hard to pick out the most important one. Strangely enough, it wasn’t hard at all.
Realizing the importance of giving if you want to receive as a blogger has been life-changing for me. It’s transformed blogging into a passionate hobby and led to some incredible opportunities and experiences (and continues to do so).
That’s the most important lesson I’ve learned. What’s yours?
I’ll be looking for another most valuable commenter this week. Here is a quick summary of what I’ll be looking for:
- Active participation in the discussion.
- Thoughtful consideration of the question.
- Engagement with other commenters and reflection on their answers.
What I won’t be taking into consideration:
- Names, identities and affiliations. I’ll be judging by comments alone.
* * *
I was incredibly impressed by the quality of comments on last week’s question: What does your writing budget look like?
Despite it being a very close race, I’d like to say thank you to Spicepuppy (who highlights some of the best content on the web) for being last week’s most valuable commenter. Her answer to the question was packed full of ideas and tips other bloggers could use. My favorite was to save posts for a specific purpose, rather than hoarding content in a general savings account. Would you be more likely to save content if you were putting it in a ‘one week at the beach’ fund? I think I would be!
To continue the finance analogy, if you want to save up for a specific goal, it often makes sense to create a separate account that will not be touched for any other purpose. If you want to have enough posts saved up for a one-month emergency buffer, then store your extra posts in a separate area and declare to yourself that you won’t touch them unless you really need them. If you don’t enforce this strictly, you may find it too convenient to dip into your emergency fund anytime you have a bad hair day.
You can read the rest of the comment to get some more great ideas.
Spicepuppy stood out for me in that discussion because she phrased her answer in a way that was outward looking rather than inward. It was clearly aimed at helping others as much as it was aimed to express her own thoughts on the question. Spicepuppy had evidently read the comments of others and respectfully engaged with another reader who disagreed with one of her points.
Though there can only be one MVC a week, I also wanted to thank Paidtwice for her continuing engagement in the discussion. That’s a winning quality and I’m sure it will see her take home the prize sometime soon.
Spicepuppy is now eligible to win a one-month featured link in the sidebar. I’ll be deciding on the winner of that prize at the end of December, and the criteria will be based around participation across future Ask the Readers discussions until that time.
If you’d like to be featured in a post on this blog (or go into the running to win a sidebar link) then all you need to do is participate in the discussion on this post. I look forward to seeing you in the comments section.
The question, once again:
What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned about blogging or being a webmaster?
Skelliewag features daily discussions on content creation, great ideas you can use, and design tips. Join the community by subscribing!
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47 Comments, Comment or Ping
Matthew Crist
Blogging has taught us a quite a bit. Most importantly, blogging has told us how to not give up. We’ve seen a few ups and downs, and at times we felt like giving up. Then something would come along and would help reinvigorate our commitment to our sites.
Nov 25th, 2007
Bente Lilja Bye
Blogging has taught me that writing is time consuming but rewarding. Expressing thoughts in writing in a blogg makes your thinking and understanding of a topic deeper. It differs from other type of writing in its semiprofessional yet personal format.
I’ve learned a lot about areas that I’d never thought I’d know anything about.
Blogging is both creative and technical work and it is surprisingly socially rewarding
Nov 25th, 2007
paidtwice
Hey, thanks for the runner up prize
The most important lesson I have learned about blogging is to be true to yourself.
I am me, and i write what I write how I write it. I can’t possibly be someone else authentically and continually, day after day. This does not, at all mean that i can’t continually learn and grow and adapt and incorporate ideas and improve. But what it *does* mean is that honoring my own perspective and style, and not trying to imitate others’ success, is my own surest path to success myself.
@Skellie - I also have found the importance of giving is you want to receive - or even just giving to give. The rewards are sometimes obvious and sometimes they aren’t, but really, they’re always there.
@Matthew - Perseverance is key.
That might be my very favorite trait about myself.
@Bente - have you found writing via blogging to be more similar to a teaching/learning role than to a straight writing role? Your response sounds similar to what one gets out of teaching a topic via just learning it. I’ll have to go read your blog now
Nov 25th, 2007
FourPillars
I think the biggest thing I’ve learned as a blogger (so far) is to not to sweat the small stuff like stats and posts that don’t get commented on and focus on content and keeping it fun so that I can keep the blog going for a long time which is one of my main goals.
PT - fancy meeting you here.
By the way - very interesting site.
Mike
Nov 25th, 2007
Lynnae @ Being Frugal
Paidtwice beat me to the punch!
I was also going to say that I’ve learned to be authentic. I’ve found that the posts that seem to resonate with my readers the most are the ones where I tell my story; when I admit that I don’t know everything, but share how I’m growing.
Sometimes people just want the comfort of knowing that someone else has walked in their shoes and survived. And that’s what I try to give them. Hope. Authentic hope.
Nov 25th, 2007
Chris Johnson
Your last “Writing schedule” post inspired me to write this:
http://genuinechris.com/2007/11/24/blogging-more-effectively-wgoogle-docs/
A lifehacker idea I saw this week helped, too–I saw a form for a template, and I thought this was something that would work.
I can tell where I need to focus my attention, and I can tell instantly where I stand. It helps to turn the volume down and get after the posts that I’m supposed to write and care about. Having an inventory of ideas also doesn’t hurt.
Nov 25th, 2007
Mark
For me, it has been PERSISTENCE that has been the greatest thing I have learned as a blogger. As life is full of ups and downs, so is blogging. One of the things you must possess to be successful in blogging is persistence and consistence.
I agree most heartily with you Skellie on your viewpoint,
“Realizing the importance of giving if you want to receive as a blogger has been life-changing for me.”
That is very true. If you give to your readers and your potential visitors, you will definitely receive back. But I love blogging just for the sake of writing. I have always loved writing, and blogging has become an outlet for my writing.
Not only will a giving person be successful as a blogger, but she will also be successful in real life.
Matthew Crist’s comment resonates with me as I have observed time after time when for one reason or another, I’ve felt like just skipping a blog post, but I plowed on determinedly out of love for my readers and for my blog. Then a couple of days later, I’d get more backlinks and some really nice comments both on my blog and on MyBlogLog.
When you feel down or you just don’t want to write that blog post, you just have concentrate and start writing anyway. Those are often the days that once I start writing, the article just flows and I feel so great afterward! Then my readers dash to their feed readers the next day, eager to read my latest post.
I agree with Bente Lilja Bye in that writing is time-consuming but can be very rewarding. Sometimes it is the articles that you write that you don’t think are so hot, that turn out to be the very articles that you see a great deal of reader engagement in the form of frequent commenting and backlinking.
@PaidTwice, I have come to your conclusion as well. I have a great deal to learn about blogging. I also have a TREMENDOUS ways to go in learning about Marketing. As Skellie has noted in an earlier post, If you are a blogger you are a Marketer. I am taking a web course, TeachingSells, and one thing that has become crystal clear to me so far, is the stark fact that I have a TITANIC amount to learn about Marketing. One of the greatest contributing factors to the dazzling success of Skellie’s and anyone else’s blog, is to learn Marketing. Skellie has got that down to both an art and a science, from the look of her blog.
Lynnae @ Being Frugal, I find that personal authenticity can be rewarding. In one of my earlier posts on my blog, I had no choice but to admit that I knew next to nothing on a topic that I had foolishly attempted to blog about. Later on another forum, someone thanked me for being authentic on my blog. The experience was pretty humbling, but now I feel better for having admitted that I really should have done a LOT more research before blogging about that topic.
@Chris Johnson: I get inspiration from those lifehacker blogs. One of the best ways you can get inspired up to write an article, is to read other great blogs. The expertise of the bloggers you read has a way of translating itself into your own writing.
I have received inspiration for at least two of my articles from this fine blog.
Skellie, you consistently write such excellent articles on this, your dazzling blog! Please do keep right on blogging!
Nov 25th, 2007
Mark
Woops, I missed you, FourPillars.
I agree with your post also, keeping it fun and concentrating on content and not worrying too much about stats.
Concentrate on content and on your existing readers and visitors and the stats will take care of themselves.
Great blog, Mike, I am gonna need to start reading it.
Nov 25th, 2007
mariam
I’ll answer this question in a matter of fact manner…
What I’ve learned from blogging is that it isn’t just about the writing!
True, the writing is the foundation, but you also need to market it and present it in a pleasing design manner.
New bloggers need to keep this in mind and not get discouraged if the results are not there at first. Keep plugging at it to manage all these aspects and have fun doing it.
Nov 25th, 2007
Mary Jaksch
Yesterday it hit me: the power of blogging is the power of co-creation.
What happened was that I got some valuable comments in response to a post of mine. These comments added resonance and depth to my original topic. And they triggered ideas for future posts.
I see it like a dance: sometimes I lead; at other times I follow. And I am part of a larger interconnection. For example, I read this blog and now offer a comment to all of you. Together we form a whole that is greater than each of us individuals. We are all strands of a great, colourful fabric.
Yes, that’s what I learn from blogging: We are all in this together!
Nov 25th, 2007
Evan Hadkins
Two things:
1) write for people not about topics, ie. know your audience/market. Common advice, less common is saying how you are meant to go about it if you don’t have much traffic yet. I was lucky I went to a seminar and they gave a name for the group I see myself as part of and who I want to write for.
2) it doesn’t matter if it is a need, people have to want it.
Nov 25th, 2007
Mary Jaksch
@ PAIDTWICE
You wrote: ‘The most important lesson I have learned about blogging is to be true to yourself. I am me, and I write what I write how I write it. I can’t possibly be someone else authentically and continually, day after day.’
Thank you for reminding us of this, PAIDTWICE. To find our own voice and sing, shout, whisper, sob or sigh in our own unique way is the great adventure of blogging.
It’s been a steep learning curve for me. Initially I was quite taken aback by Skellie’s post ‘Writing Dirty’. Putting more ‘me’ into my posts meant stepping off my pedestal. It’s been a freeing experience! Now I try to pour myself into each post as if I was going to die tomorrow and it was my last message.
Nov 25th, 2007
Alex Kay
“What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned about blogging or being a webmaster?”
I have been a “webmaster” for quite a few years, but being a blogger is a whole different thing. Before I started blogging, I never really thought about things such as my audience, which I think is one of the most important things about a website (or blog).
So to answer the question, I think the most important lesson I have learned is that if I give, I shall receive. This actually works for most parts in life, but especially on the web where SO MUCH information is to be found. You need to stand out, and DON’T HOLD BACK.
Alex Kay
Nov 25th, 2007
paidtwice
Yay my blogging buddies FourPillars and Being Frugal have found me!
@Mark - I do indeed have lots to learn about being a marketer. i was never one of those people comfortable with selling myself. i am learning, baby steps. baby…baby…baby steps.
@Mary - my problem was kind of the opposite - I have always written dirty, but I struggled for a while trying to find my “pedestal” so to speak. How do i write with authority when I feel like I don’t have any? But I came to realize over time that my “authority” in itself was my own life experience, and that is what people were coming to read. Learning that lesson (thanks glblguy btw if he comes by here for hitting me over the head with that) really freed me to find my own voice and speak from my own place… with audacity, if i say so myself.
Nov 26th, 2007
paidtwice
@Mariam - so true that it isn’t just about the writing… it is crazy how many other things go into it! And how time consuming those “other” things can be. Although content is still queen.
Nov 26th, 2007
plonkee
The most thing that I’ve learnt that is most important to me, is that I can do something worthwhile. There are other people who want to engage with me and what I think. I can add something of value to someone rather than just consume other people’s content.
Nov 26th, 2007
Alfa King
It’s really difficult to single out the most important lesson I’ve learned about blogging. Because there’s no single lesson. Although I’ve started only few months ago. I’ll try anyway to summarise them all as follows:
Blogging has taught me to be patient, consistent, careful and above all respectful in disseminating useful, reliable and authoritative information, knowledge and experiences. Don’t try to act smart. You never know who is on the other side of your screen. I have learnt to share whatever I know and to write (or post) only when I have to say something I trust will be meaningful. It’s no use writing just for the sake. This applies to commenting as well. Blogging helps you hone your writing; and writing helps you discover your creativity, your hidden self. Blogging has also taught me to write no matter if it’s for free. No money can give you the pleasure you derive from exposing your knowledge and skills to the world.
So if you follow me well, I have learnt to write and read in a judicious manner: “Know what you write, know what you read and know that there are real people (not fools) out there reading your stuff.”
Your affirmation: “Realizing the importance of giving if you want to receive as a blogger has been life-changing for me,” reflects perfectly what I aver in the “welcome” page of my blog: “The more you give the more you get.” This is of great significance to me. I note that our thoughts seem to converge on this particular point.
I hope having answered your pertinent question to some extent.
Nov 26th, 2007
Bente Lilja Bye
@paidtwice - blogging differ from any other form of communication I know. In teaching you should try to remain a little distant to the subject. Not include your personal view all that much. Whereas in blogging I believe it’s a key success factor that you become slightly personal but still objectively refer to facts. This might vary with the subject you blog about, but in my case this is the tricky part that I have to learn.
Skellie is a very good example of how you can be personal and factual at the same time.
Otherwise I believe your are right about the point about having to teach somebody inevitably forces you to learn more about the topic - even if you’re already an expert
Nov 26th, 2007
Bente Lilja Bye
@Mark - Yes, I recognize those moments where the writing just flows. That is a great part of blogging! When you’re stuck you think that one day - one day that flow feeling will come back to you - you just have to be persistent.
@Evan Hadkins - having to put yourself in the position of the reader is one of the things I find teaches the most. It is a very good exercise for someone from the scientific community!
@Alex Key - I think your blog has developed to the better the short time I’ve read it. You must have learned a lot while blogging
Nov 26th, 2007
Travel Guy
Probably the most useful thing I’ve learned is that there are a lot of ways to have a successful blog.
I’ve seen people doing it very focused on niches and I’ve seen some that succeed despite the appearance of trying to be all things to all people - or at least a lot of people.
As long as the writer is putting out content that engages their readers, those readers will keep coming back for more, and it doesn’t even have to always be on topic.
Nov 26th, 2007
HEATHER PALACIOS
Blogging has taught me to look at life through a NEW lens:
the lens of story-telling.
When I’m at Starbucks, in car line, at a restaurant–I’m
experiencing these things, WHILE asking myself,”if I grab a quick photo of this right now, how can I spin a story from it later?
It has allowed me to engage wholy in my life.
Because if there’s a story along the way,
it’ll be used to encourage someone (via blog) later on.
Nov 26th, 2007
HEATHER PALACIOS
@MARY JAKSCH:
Your word-picture - “a dance,” is a great analogy for this thing called blogging. Your thoughts really resonated w/ me.
Nov 26th, 2007
FourPillars
Thanks a lot Mark. You’re right about the marketing - very important.
Mike
Nov 26th, 2007
Alex Kay
@Bente, thank you! Well, life is about learning all the time, right? I’ll just get better and better, I can tell you
Nov 26th, 2007
Keira Peney
I’m not sure this counts as a ‘lesson learned’, but one of the best things I find about blogging is the way you can interact with people - to some extent it feels like the evolution of the message board. You can be questioned, sometimes you can be persuaded to change your mind. You’re always learning and developing - especially if you have challenging readers! I think if I had to sum it up in one word, the most important lesson I’ve learned as a blogger is listening. Listening to other bloggers, to your readers, and in my case to my Dad who is my best critic! And really responding and engaging with other people. Being approachable really helps, and I think that ties in with being authentic, and including the personal stories alongside the factual information.
It’s like being at a party - you can either jump in and have a good time, or stand off in a corner mumbling to yourself.
I agree with Mary Jaksch - co-creation is probably the most important thing I’ve learned.
Nov 26th, 2007
glblguy
Does read Skellieway.org count??
Seriously, the most important thing I’ve learned is the same lesson I’ve learned about finances and debt…Slow and steady wins the race.
There seems to be a great deal of competition in the blogging world, everybody trying to get more RSS subscribers than the other, have more page views, higher technorati rank, etc. What’s important is that you just stick with it. Don’t try to win the raise, just blog slow and steady. Doing so will make you successful.
Although I was kidding about reading readying Skelliewag.org, to be honest Skellie your blog has had a significant positive impact on my blogging. Guessing many others would say the same.
Nov 26th, 2007
paidtwice
@Bente - I think there is an element of oneself in teaching as well. Well, I would guess it varies dependent on what you teach. I teach taekwondo and I inject my own experiences in learning the same things my students are learning all the time. Making it relatable when it is difficult, helping them know that even if they are struggling, with perseverence they too can master the technique.
@Heather - I am glad to hear I am not the only person who experiences life through a slightly different lens now and turns all sorts of experiences into blog posts in my head. Sometimes I think I am just a little crazy
Nov 26th, 2007
Elliott
Blogging has taught me to slow down and take a look inside of myself. This has allowed me to really examine some core values of mine, and reinforce them to myself.
Blogging has allowed me the ability to refine my thoughts and to be able to improve my writing. This has also helped me in my career by helping me to be a better personal communicator with others. I now have more confidence in relating information to other people.
Blogging has shown me that it truly is more blessed to give than receive. I have found an outlet for the knowledge that I have learned, all of the pages of notes I have taken, and my thoughts on new information in the ever changing world of the blogosphere.
Overall, blogging has helped me to communicate to others more clearly and concisely the information that I have learned and benefited from over time. It has made me a better person and allowed me to learn more about myself.
Nov 26th, 2007
Mary Jaksch
@ Mark:
Your idea that persistence and consistence are important as bloggers made me think that writing a blog is like falling in love. When we first meet someone we can’t stop thinking about them. They are perfect! This is the blogger’s phase where we are on fire, want to write all the time, keep running to our stats to check them, and talk incessantly about the wonders of blogging. In a relationship the initial shine wears off and you have to come to terms with the fact that you don’t always see eye to eye. In terms of blogging this is the phase of slog. You keep on going but it’s a slow grind. That’s the phase where we need Mark’s ‘persistence and consistence’. In a relationship, if you are lucky, you finally learn to love and accept the uniqueness of your partner. I don’t know what that phase of blogging is like yet, but I guess blogging finally becomes a part of you. You do it because it is you.
@ Mariam:
You make the point that good design is important. That’s true—but difficult. I’m a writer and feel at home with words. But I don’t have an eye for design or any training in that field. I’m reliant on others to help me out. For the moment I have to make do with a website that is still ‘work in progress’. As a recovering perfectionist that’s good medicine for me ?!
@ Alex Kay and @ Alfa King:
Both of you make the point that you need to give in order to receive. I agree with you: kindness is never out of place. Alex, you also mention that it’s important not to hold back. Yes, writing a generous post is like standing in the middle of the road, stripping off your clothes and throwing them to a bystander, then giving away your wallet, and finally handing over your carkeys to the person next to you - until there is nothing left to give away!
@ Plonkee: You say, ‘I can add something of value to someone rather than just consume other people’s content.’ That’s an interesting thought. It’s easy to sit in the shadows and consume what others offer. It takes courage to stand up and offer something of value that may change a life.
@ Bentje Lilja Bye
You make the point that a blog needs to be personal and factual at the same time. That’s something I’m experimenting with. Skellie’s is a good role-model in that this blog has a personal touch and yet offers high-value information. Something to aspire to!
@ Heather Palacios
You say: ‘Blogging has taught me to look at life through a NEW lens: the lens of story-telling.’ That’s a very interesting thought, Heather. I’ve written it on a sticky note and stuck it to my laptop. There is a fantastic book called ‘Stein on Writing’. It’s mostly for fiction writers but he also has great suggestions for writers of non-fiction. Amongst other things, Stein reiterates, ‘tell the story!’ I’m going to take a good look at my next posts to make sure they not only inform or inspire, but also tell a story.
@ Keira Peney
You said that ‘the most important lesson I’ve learned as a blogger is listening’. I find that interesting, if a bit strange. This virtual world is not yet one I am at home in. I’m used to actually seeing people or listening to them on the phone or on skype. When I listen to people face to face my whole body is tuned in to what they feel and think. On the ‘net people seem a bit face-less. Or is that just because I’m still a newbie blogger?
@ GLBLGUY
Oh good, GLBLGUY. I’m happy to read that ‘slow and steady wins the race’. My blog is still young and it can sometimes be a bit disheartening to shade my eyes and look up to those on the pinnacle of blogging. Slow and steady—yes, that I can do!
Nov 26th, 2007
Ivy
The one thing I’ve learnt about blogging is strangely not associated with blogging itself, but with human nature. I have always thought that blogging was very much a one-way communication (I was reading and journaling a lot back in 2005) where it seemed rude to “intrude” into someone’s thoughts or personal lives.
However, what I learned was that the need to form relationships and to bond with people with similar needs, thoughts, interests would always supercede any form of new technology. And that is what has led to the popularity of blogs over websites as blogging gives people the opportunity to share your thoughts, perspectives and life experiences with each other for a particular topic.
It was mind boggling to learn of the social networking models like Digg, StumbleUpon, FaceBook. Where they may be classified under social networking communities, the demographics of the communities are vastly different.
To be honest, I thought it’d be cool to be a blogger, just sharing my thoughts and ramblings to an audience that I could be anonymous to, which was appealing when I first started blogging - I’m the shy attention seeker that avoids the limelight at all costs, but needed an outlet to share all the thoughts and ideas that were banging around in my head where I knew someone out there was reading them.
It was a bit of a shock to discover that to be a successful blogger, I had to consistently reach out, both as a writer, as a commentator, and in active participation of all sorts of communities for the purpose of enriching each other. But having said that, blogging has grown me tremendously as a person. I have learned from the marketing savvy and business strategies of great bloggers, learned the skills and knowhow of creating content that will be popular with readers, and more importantly learned about the generosity of bloggers and their willingness to share.
I’m not exactly sure if this ideal state will continue, as in recent years there have been Internet Marketing blogs that are hardselling the “business” of blogging, and who are charging for information and training that many bloggers are offering for free. In this move toward commercialisation and monetary profitability, I can only guess that perhaps this ideal state will remain for a number of years before commercialisation completely changes the scene.
To summarize my rather long train of thought: The greatest lesson learnt from blogging is about people’s behaviour, and my own as well that has led to much insight and personal growth.
Nov 26th, 2007
Keira Peney
@Mary Jaksch - Well, I don’t think listening online is anywhere near as good as communicating face-to-face, but it does have certain advantages. I think a lot of connected blogs have a conversation, they talk about the same ideas, but from different perspectives. They reflect on each others posts, add in their own ideas and thoughts. I think it’s easy for new bloggers (certainly me) to see their blog as a competitive platform, existing in a vacuum. They comment on other blogs, sure, but they think on some level as the activity being about expressing their view, rather than also being about developing and exchanging ideas (exchanging being about receiving as well as giving).
Example: I see a lot of self-development blogs going up, that repeat mantras and advice ranging from common-sense to kooky. But the ones that work the best take really deep ideas, explore them in detail, reference them to other blogs, books, other periods of history, place everything within some kind of context.
I think the web is a kind of nodal system. The more connections you have, the better. But the quality of the connections is important, and they have to flow both ways.
I think Ivy is saying a similar sort of thing, especially with “It was a bit of a shock to discover that to be a successful blogger, I had to consistently reach out, both as a writer, as a commentator, and in active participation of all sorts of communities for the purpose of enriching each other.”
It’s not just about the individual blog, it’s about the whole social aspect, the community, the exchange… and the ability to listen, grown, develop and change your ideas when you come across new information.
Nov 26th, 2007
Sean Hodge
As a webmaster I’ve learned that by participating in different online communities and blogs customers find me. They contact me through my contact form because they liked something I wrote on a forum or a sample of my design work in a community. I haven’t started blogging yet, but plan to take the plunge soon.
Nov 27th, 2007
Alfa King
Very thought-provoking ideas. Skellie deserves a big hand.
PAIDTWICE: That’s very important: “to be true to yourself”, and “authentic”.
Very poetic and interesting analogy to “dance”, MARY JAKSCH.
HEATHER PALACIOS’s “look at life through a NEW lens: the lens of story-telling” sounds interesting.
KEIRA PENEY: at least somebody mentioned about listening, which is vital in self-development.
Nov 27th, 2007
paidtwice
@Ivy - do you think the commercialization will win out? Or will the commercialization fail in the face of so many others offering what is being sold for free?
(I think) there will always be someone out there willing to impart their soul for the joy of doing so vs to make money. I am not completely (or even close to) altruistic - my blog has advertisements on it and will continue to do so until i am out of debt - the blogging habit has to be self-supporting for me right now. And I don’t mind advertising on other blogs at all. But I haven’t gotten to the point where I feel a need to pay for content directly.
But on the other hand - there are people who put a LOT of time and effort into honing their expertise - and do they deserve compensation? Books sell, as do newspapers. is electronic media a completely different animal?
Nov 27th, 2007
HEATHER PALACIOS
@ Elliot:
Blogging has shown me that it truly is more blessed to give than receive.
That is SO true, man! And its precisely that kind of mentality that prevents me from getting all hung up on the #s (of comments, of hits, etc.).
I blog because I am grateful to have a venue where i can GIVE encouragement to the world.
Nov 27th, 2007
SpicePuppy
Thanks for the mention, Skellie! I have to give credit to personal development blogger Steve Pavlina for getting me to think about providing value to others as a top priority.
And that actually leads into my answer to your question. The most important lesson I’ve learned is that you have to focus on others first and foremost. Let’s face it, there are just so many blogs and websites out there, and if you just try to do what millions of other people are already doing a better job at, no one will notice.
Putting others’ interests first means a few different things. It applies to choosing the topics you write about, in that you need to first understand your target audience before you can help solve their problems. It also means writing in a way that speaks to them and clearly shows how your post gives them what they want. It also means listening to commenters and acknowledging their thoughts or taking what they say into consideration. I see the “give, not receive” principal espoused in Skellie’s posts as well as in the many thoughtful comments.
I’d say the second most important lesson I’ve learned is persistence, which has already been mentioned as well. Just when I was wondering if leaving comments on other blogs matters that much, I received a nice highlight on a PR 5 blog!
Nov 27th, 2007
Alex Kay
Mary: Maybe I wouldn’t take it THAT far. But I do see your point!
Nov 28th, 2007
Julie
Wow, I’ve learned so many lessons about blogging that it is hard to pick out the most important one. That is why it has taken me so long to learn this blogging stuff … there are so many lessons to learn. I do tend to agree with Skellie, Alex Kay, Elliott, Spicepuppy, and others that the lesson of giving to others ranks right at the top. But I’ve learned so many other important lessons as well and I’ve tried to find a way to sum it up. The best way I can see to sum it all up is to say that the most important lesson I’ve learned is to learn from the failures and successes of other bloggers. There are so many great bloggers out there willing to share with us beginners their trials and errors. For us to try to figure it out from scratch is like re-inventing the wheel. They’ll share with us all the things we should and should not do. Yet, we’ll read their blogs and many of us will go away and make the same mistakes (at least I have on more than one occasion). The best lesson I have learned is to read their advice, and then read it again and again.
Alfa King … I really like your comment, “Don’t try to act smart.” If we are not experts on a particular topic, we should say so when posting about it and allow our readers to share their expertise with us. Kudos to Mark in his response to Lynnae@Being Frugal for admitting on his own blog that he posted on a topic for which he lacked the proper knowledge and then coming to skelliewag and sharing that error with us. That’s one of those mistakes which we can all learn from.
I’ve spent quite a bit of time checking out the blogs of other commenters today (which I often do) and found lots of interesting posts. While we all have our favorite bloggers, it is nice to stray away once in a while and learn a few things from other bloggers.
Nov 28th, 2007
Ann
Let’s see…the most important lesson I have learned? I think I’m learning that blogging is relational…it’s about community. I have been very surprised to learn how much you can really come to know a person by reading their blog…and their comments on other blogs!
I “met” Lynnae@beingfrugal by randomly surfing personal finance blogs and was amazed at how much she and I have in common…it’s kind of eerie. Or weird. Or providential. I visit her site at least once or twice a week and can identify with so much of what she writes about.
Other lessons I’m learning?
I have tons of ideas to write about and keeping my little notebook with me is very important. I have a very random brain…my thoughts will bounce from deep theological concepts to humorous quotes from Will Ferrell movies to ideas for any number of lists I like to keep.
I’m very visual…I liked Lynnae’s original site design, but I l.o.v.e. her new, sleek one. I tend to gravitate towards blogs that are simple, clean, unflashy, unadvertisy, and pretty.
I have issues with time management & productivity. My husband insists I live in my own time zone (I do)…so I am learning that in order to be consistent in blogging the rest of my life has to be more consistent, too. The family doesn’t appreciate it much when they are starving for dinner and I’m slugging it out on a post at 6pm.
Nov 28th, 2007
Keira Peney
@Julie - Agreed, I love hopping through blogrolls sometimes, just surfing to random sites. You can find some great new blogs that way (and sometimes see a few terrible ones… but you can learn from those too).
@Ann - I know what you mean about being consistent. Part-time work, plus twenty thousand other projects means the blogs sometimes get neglected, or added to at 2am with some sleep-deprived ramble. I really should finish that work schedule I keep promising myself!
Nov 28th, 2007
paidtwice
@Ann - I love the “I live in my own time zone” comment! If my spouse thought that up he would say it every day.
Nov 29th, 2007
Melissa
I think the most important lesson I have learned is that writing in a blog and knowing that others are reading it has encouraged me to seek out other articles and blogs about writing better (like this blog). The quality of my writing has improved dramatically not only on my blog, but everywhere. I am even getting better grades on my papers in school! Yea!
Nov 29th, 2007
Alfa King
I’m pretty much impressed with the level of discussions going on here. Viewpoints are quite unique and diverse. Great to share experiences. Very enriching. I couldn’t imagine how blogging could bring people from scattered corners together.
JULIE: This is not a return of compliment. Thanks anyway. But: “…to learn from the failures and successes of other bloggers” sounds quite interesting. It’s even more interesting if you can use them to identify your own flaws and build up from there. Don’t bother too much about failure and success (especially of others). These are subjective, the more so when we relate to others. As long as you know what YOU are doing, how YOU are doing it in relation to what YOU are capable of doing, you can gauge your own failure or success. Learn but don’t compare with others. And don’t be scared if you fail, for failure leads to success. Success will show itself when you’ve achieved the objective(s) you’ve set. This is yet another lesson I’ve learnt.
ANN: You make a good point with “blogging is relational…it’s about community”. It’s amazing how we relate to each other and how we build up a community of bloggers around the world without even knowing (visually, physically or whatever) who we are talking to on the other side of the screen. The words we put here create such a wonderful affinity that goes well beyond the simple act of writing to link up people with diverse thoughts from diverse places into a unique community of virtual (but real) beings with common purpose and mutual understanding. This is a great lesson of unity in diversity.
Nov 29th, 2007
Nathan Ketsdever
Time management. I’m still learning this one. But managing media and writing requires you to have (or create) great time management.
Live in the real world. Living in the real world (aka meat space) makes blogging so much more easy. Its far easier to get ideas.
Mentors & networking & the importance of community
Nov 29th, 2007
Mike
This may sound prosaic in comparison to the many inspiring comments above but one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned over the last four years of blogging is how to refine the role of blogger as publisher. Anyone who creates a blog immediately joins the ranks of the myriad of micropublishers. Yet, only a small fraction treat their site as anything other than an public diary.
On the other hand, a growing contingent of writers prove daily that blogs are versatile publishing platforms capable of delivering content as engaging as found in any other medium. The realization that a blog can serve a niche as well as a magazine or radio show or newsletter was, for me, transformative. That was the moment that I realized that the micro doesn’t always belong in micropublisher.
As a publisher, I’m motivated to educate, entertain, and enlighten my audience in a creative, professional fashion. As a publisher, I’m responsible for expanding my audience and accruing success to my advertisers. My blog has a brand that means something to my readers, a brand that has the potential to be extended into non-blog media. After all, as a publisher, I don’t have to limit myself to a blog alone…
Nov 30th, 2007
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