For many bloggers, writing becomes a task do be done with rather than another opportunity to share something interesting with the world. This is one of the main reasons why most bloggers fail at blogging. When you are having fun while writing, it tells. This post is a bloggers guide to have fun while writing.

“If it’s not fun, you’re not doing it right.” ~ Bob Basso

Write About Topics You Are Interested:

This is the numero uno rule to enjoy writing articles for your blog. When you are interested in the topic you write, the research for it will not really seem like a lot of hard work as it will be a learning experience for yourself. This is one of the main reason why in this blog you will find that most topics are related to “blogging” and “entrepreneurship” – they interest me and I can obsess over them for hours without calling it work.

You Don’t Need To Follow All The Rules:

First off, in blogging their are really no rules. There are just a set of protocols that have been mentioned by pro-bloggers which have helped them make their blog successful. Neither is anyone going to grade you according to the format you have followed. My recommendation is to set your own rules of blogging. See what works for you, change things up a bit. Once you begin to step out of that invisible box you created for yourself, you will automatically find writing much more fun.

Blog at Different Venues:

Don’t have a fixed place for blogging. You can check into CCD (Cafe Coffee Day) or maybe TGI Friday or simply go to a nearby wi-fi zone with a garden to let your blogging energy flow. These days due to technologies such as 3G phones, Data Card and Laptops you can literally blog anywhere you please. Make the most of these and make blogging fun.

Avoid Perfection:

Not every article you write needs to be a masterpiece. You can write an article that is lessn than perfect and still make it viral. Many bloggers begin to hate writing articles because they try too hard to make it perfect – which takes a large toll on their time and effort. Perfection is a word that can bring you down. So try and avoid it.

Play Music, Reward Yourself:

You need not be very serious when you are writing, play some nice music that you enjoy in the background. This can really help you focus. Also, make it a point to reward yourself after a particularly long session of blogging. The personal reward can be something as small as a chocolate bar or an hour of sleep. Its up to you.

These are 5 tips to have fun while writing for your blog, instead of considering more of a work. Blogging is something that was earlier a stress-buster for many. But now it has become a hyper-competitive field. Take the competition and stress out and you will find that you have regained the true joy of blogging.

Hope you liked this post and let me know your comments below.

Guest Post is a concept that has become quite popular in the blogging-sphere. Despite the obvious benefits surrounding guest posts, there are many myths surrounding it. And one of the most feared myth by bloggers is  that blogs accepting guest posts lose their identity.

Some bloggers fear that having guest posts on their blog will cause their readers to unsubscribe. They justify this statement saying that most readers subscribe to read what the author of the blog has to say and not to read content written by third-party authors.This is a big myth regarding guest posts.
The fear of losing identity of your blog will only be present if you are insecure about your blog. Authors who run authority blogs also accept a lot of guest posts and continue to retain huge number of subscribers. Here are examples of such blogs:

• QuickOnlineTips.com – 24,471 readers (Publishes up to 5 guest posts per week)
• ShoutMeLoud.com – 11,478 readers (Publishes up to 7 guest posts per week)

The above two blogs accept so many guest posts and still continue to grow readership each day. This example is illustrative of that fact that accepting guest posts on your blog does not make your lose identity.

The number one deciding factor of the outcomes arising from accepting guest posts is the quality of the guest post articles. Few of the mistakes some bloggers do while accepting guest posts is that they do not proof-read them and check quality standards.

If you have a blog with a pretty good Pagerank then there are chances that you will be flooded with guest posts. So you need to be really selective while choosing which post goes online.

Accepting a lot of guest posts does not kill the credibilty of a blog. However, accepting guest posts that do not provide value to your readers makes them lose interest.

Guest Posting Is Good For Your Readers

It is good because they get a change from the usual style of posts. Each writer provides a new and fresh outlook to each topic. Guest posts are a refreshing change for readers and they will provide more value to your blog if chosen correctly.

Blogging is a very rewarding profession. You get paid to share the knowledge and insights that you have. While there are many bloggers who are enjoying the huge revenue from their blogs there are also a class of bloggers who are really frustrated with their blog. No one is perfect but there are always mistakes that you can avoid while blogging. In this post I am sharing 10 blogging mistakes to avoid. Some of the points I have mentioned are my personal blogging which I try hard to avoid.

Not using your own domain name: Yes, it is free and easy to make use of hosted blogging platforms such as Blogspot and WordPress to start your blog. But you will regret it in the long run, especially if you start to generate some serious traffic. Most people who then decide to shift from Blogspot to WordPress self-hosted end up paying a lot of money to their engineer.

Not investing in your blog: Investing in your blog with both your mind and money. The most important part is to continuously educate yourself on becoming a better blogger. You need to be updated on all the latest trends and demands in the blogosphere. Secondly, you also need to put in some money into your blog eventually. This can be done by perhaps hiring a web designer or buying a new theme.

Writing poor headlines: It is really about time you begin to take writing headlines seriously. A lot of bloggers still squander hundreds of visitors just because of a lousy headline even though the post content is great.

Not interacting with commentators: To be really frank, you need not always make your blog a “do-follow” to encourage comments. Sometimes, if you simply focus on interacting with your commentators it can do the trick.

Thinking and not acting: Many bloggers end up analyzing all the successful blogs and reading all the great content posted. But it is important to implement the stuff that you learned. Simply thinking about it won’t make it effective. Action – is the important task for a successful blogger.

Not branding yourself or your blog: Just hitting your publish button and sitting back is a bloggers route to poverty. The real work and the extent of your success begins when you start work on establishing a strong presence online by leveraging social media such as Twitter. These are not only great tools for branding but allow you to generate good amount of traffic. Other basics of branding include logo, blog theme and a good author profile.

Having a poor posting frequency: Your posting frequency on your blog is really important. Not only from the SEO point of view but also due the fact that most readers lose interest in a blog that is rarely updated or updated erratically.

Blogging without passion: I will confess here that I have started a lot of blogs and very few have actually earned me any amount of money or recognition. After analyzing why some of the blogs get successful while most do not, I came to a conclusion – lack of passion about what I am blogging. Blogging just to make money online is a very weak statement for a good blogger.

Providing no value in content: If your content sucks, then the bottomline is that your blog sucks. Period.

No specific target audience: Every blogger should have a clear picture in his mind about the kind of audience he is catering to. Fans are created when you have a community of like-minded people and you should ensure that your audience is completely compatible with what you post on your blog.

Not managing your time well: Most bloggers have a little amount of time due to a full-time job or such. In that case, you need to be a very good manager of time. It is important that you do not end up wasting all your time obsessing over your site stats. Similarly, reading other blogs or browsing social sites should be strictly timed. Focus your time on promoting and writing.

Lacking Persistence: This is my final tip to you. If you are really passionate about your blog and work hard on it, then you are sure to get successful sooner or later. Don’t compare yourself with other bloggers who may have become blogging stars in a matter of months. Take your beat easy and persist. It may take you a little more time to be successful than others.

So what do you think about these 10 blogging mistakes you should avoid. If you have any more or even if you don’t – I would love to hear your comments.

This post is based on a speech from Bill Gates on the topic: 11 Rules Your Kids Did Not and Will Not Learn In School. The points mentioned by Bill Gates got me thinking on the reality of life and its parallel links with blogging. So here are a few of the points and what they can teach you about blogging.

Rule 1: Life is not fair – get used to it!

This is a fact that some may have realized or others may still be in the verge of realization. Life is not fair, it is very likely that you put in your heart and soul, still you might never make it big online. Your commitment levels may be much higher than some bloggers but you might not be earning as much as them. The reasons for that may vary. But generally, this point should teach you that when you are not successful - pick yourself up and move on.

Rule 2: The world doesn’t care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.

If you feel that there are some things that you are expected to receive without effort, then you are in the wrong place. The world is such a place that a person is only given respect when he has accomplishments. No person with a mediocre life will be treated like a VIP. He will be treated as a mediocre only, until he himself decides to change it.

Rule 3: You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school. You won’t be a vice-president with a car phone until you earn both.

This is a truth that many bloggers need to acknowledge, no blogger will start raking in hundreds of dollars in  few months into blogging. Neither would you be a recognized problogger with a team to do research work for your articles. You need to yourself work continuously to reach that level. No one will hand it over to you, simply because you desire it.

Rule 4: Life is not divided into semesters. You don’t get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you FIND YOURSELF. Do that on your own time.

If you are looking for a relaxing lifestyle and great emotional stability as you blog to riches then you will be very disappointed. Perseverance is  the key to success. And if you have problems in your personal life, never let them come into your professional area. If you have to come out of some kind of emotional setback, then it is your own responsibility to pick yourself up.

Rule 5: If you mess up, it’s not your parents’ fault, so don’t whine about your mistakes, learn from them.

Your success or failure is your own responsibility. It is totally up to you to work and make yourself successful. And if you do mess up with things. It is very much possible that you ruin your blogging career, but you should be mature enough to accept it as a learning curve. Don’t try to put faults on your parents or your friends. It is the first sign that you do not deserve success in the first place.

Entrepreneurs Bill Gates may look like a nerd, but when it comes to business acumen and wisdom there are very few people in this world who match up to his level. Hope this post was motivating to you all.

I have always liked this two-faced personality of blogging. On the face, blogging looks pretty simple – write a few words as an article and post it. But as easy as blogging looks, it is among the most tedious and lonely jobs a person can opt for. In this cut-throat competition, bloggers are getting lonelier than ever due to the endless Guest posting, Commenting on DoFollow Blogs, Link Building and SEO. I am sure many will feel that it is never enough. And no matter how much you have improved your traffic and income, you will always feel thirsty for more.

So if you really want to put your blogging on the fast track then it very important that you do more and think less.

Most bloggers waste a lot of time, simply thinking things that are generally not even productive. Right from, what content to write on to what theme to use on the blog. The fact is that, the more time you are simply going to sit and think about the topic – the more counter-productive they have become.

Also, minimize browsing every successful blog. Have a particular set that you like to vist, subscribe to their feed if you want to save even more time. It is a good motivation to see other successful blogs but if you simply watch them every day then you are wasting many hours of a month which you could have been invaluable for your own blog. I had this bad habit of opening up successful blogs and then looking around it and pondering how he achieved it. Don’t waste your time, learn from my mistake.

Day-dreaming is another big issue for bloggers. Particularly, because I am a serious victim of this myself. Whenever, I am doing even some other work I will begin to daydream about having a very profitable blog that has become so popular that it basically doesn’t even need to me to write an article because I am flooded with guest posts. It feels good I tell you – but it is also a big distraction because currently there are a lot of other things that are of much higher priority than my blog. So if I am day dreaming then I am affecting my productivity in other areas of my life.

It is much wiser to keep your blogging enthusiasm till you actually sit down to blog. Once you do that, you will automatically find perspective into things. Have a fixed time to do your blogging, and in that time do the best damage you can and make the biggest dent possible in the blogosphere. Trust me, most big guys reach there like that. Life is not fair, so you need to be flexible to challenge it and win against it.

Hope you liked this post. I would really like some comments, at least this time.

I am sure the title is pretty self-explanatory. This is a basic blogging tip which explain bloggers the need to empty your blog from all the unwanted trash. If your blog carries a lot of unwanted baggage then it is automatically affecting the efficiency of your blog. To make sure that your blog is swift and responsive – which makes it very attractive for readers, it is important that you cut out all the trash out of your blog.

Here are 5 ways to take out the trash from your blog:

Unwanted Widgets: This is perhaps the most common kind of trash most bloggers harbor in their blog. Choosing such widgets that are more oriented towards pleasing yourself (webmaster) rather than the reader is a big mistake. There are many amateur bloggers who make use of the geographic maps that show the location of the visitors to your site. They are quite useless technically and will increase your page load time. Such widegets should be avoided if you are serious about becoming successful in blogging.

Social Media Icons: Bombarding your post with a Re-tweet button, Facebook Like button, Digg and a Stumble button is a bad idea. The whole things begins to look congested and doesn’t allow the readers a clear vision. Also, there is a high probability that you end up looking like a promotional maniac. Take the whole thing easy, you can use the Sexy Bookmarks plugin to show all the social media icons you want either above or below your post neatly in an expandable manner.

Blogroll: This is a very personal choice for each and every blogger. So my suggestion is to only place such links in your blogroll that actually give you benefit in some kind of way. Also, to many bloggers the blogroll is a way of showing appreciation to other bloggers. Blogroll is not bad, just make sure that it is not redirecting visitors to your competitors or ending your site with a high bounce rate. FYI, John Chow uses a blogroll on his blog.

Pages: It really is time that you remove all those extra pages that are uselessly sitting on your blog. Only put pages that are an absolute necessity. You should begin to delete pages that do not provide you any kind of advantage.Having pages that are sitting idle with almost no views should be your first target pages for deletion.

Ads: This has always been a touchy subject for bloggers. How many ads is too much? Well, I would ball park the number of ads you can put on your blog depending upon your traffic. If your blog is really popular and gets a monstrous figure in traffic, then you can be very liberal placing ads. On the other hand, if your blog is still in the growing curve then my sincere advice would be that you become frugal while placing ad slots (eg-www.collegefallout.com).

There are many more ways to make your site a much cleaner and have more white space to improve the readers experience, but the above 5 are the general 5 ways to take out the trash from your blog.

“Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.”

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Rarely have people gone onto achieve something outstandingly successful without inspiration and being self-motivated. All individuals have the capacity in them to earn what they desire but the first step does not come without inspiration. Fortunately, the internet being what it is today – you will find no lack of inspirational examples.

1) Look at hugely successful blogs that began around the same time you started blogging. This way you will find that people have achieved success in the same time frame as you. While you have remained mediocre, another blog has become successful in that time period. This should give you a jolt and your mind will immediately get to work as to where you are going wrong. Also, it will give you hope that your target is very much achievable. Normal people like you are earning hundreds of dollars from the internet.

2) Another way to find inspiration is to connect with successful people in your domain. You can connect with them through Twitter or Facebook. This way you can get a great daily update into the progress which they are making everyday. Also, through a more personalized medium like Facebook, you can also understand the personal qualities which make him successful. Such as, you may find out that for a particular blogger his socializing nature is getting huge rewards. On the other hand, another blogger may be successful because of his great focus on quality. The bottom line varies, connect with big-shots to see how they are among the best.

3) Break your targets into bit-sized pieces. In my experience where I have found a lot of inspiration and motivation when I have achieved targets – it may be big or small, that has never mattered.  So similarly, it is a great idea for you to set small achiveable targets and then complete them. It will give you great inspiration and momentum to continue setting higher and higher targets.

“Success is peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you did your best to become the best you are capable of becoming.”

Do you blog when you are drunk? It is a very valid question. Most bloggers know that they are all alone when they work their way up to the internet lifestyle. However, I am not going to criticize bloggers who booze and blog on this blog. CollegeFallOut avoids such practices. There are many other posts which will do that and tell you to get over it, such as “Why Bloggers Drink and How To Avoid Drinking?” at ShoutMeLoud.

Do I Drink And Blog?

If you have ever managed to find time to browse my About page, you will notice that I have mentioned about the tragic loss of love I experienced due to my obsessive blogging habits. I loved the girl with whom I was in a relationship for 2 years. But I was a complusive blogger, I used to spend hours at a stretch on blogging without going on dates, finding time to talk with her on the phone etc. She felt neglected and she left me.

This incident made me miserable and I realized how much of a shell I was ending up in. My social life went for a toss after I started blogging professionally. At least when I was in a relationship I was not depressed, but when I got single – I got very upset. Even today I am unable to focus completely on blogging due to this loss of relationship.

Eventually, I tried drinking to keep the loneliness away. And personally my creativity level take on a whole new high when I am boozing. I am sure my fellow-drunkards would agree. Unfortunately, that creativity becomes very difficult for me to convert into anything useful because:

• My typing speed begins to suck. I start to have a total misplacement of fingers on the keypad.
• I am unable to do any kind of research. After I am drunk I keep browsing latest headlines from BBC UK.
• Complete loss of focus. I once remember typing out health articles for CollegeFallOut. Since, I have no health blogs I am stuck with some real dumb health articles in my post drafts.
• Long hours of sleep the next day. I try to sleep off the “high” which affects my productivity the next day as well.

I hope you enjoyed this post where I give a first hand experience of blogging drunk. Alcohol is okay if used in moderation, smoking is definitely not cool. Blogging is good. Do more of what is good and the outcome will definitely be good.

P.S. – I am not writing this post drunk.

Today on the internet, blogs are the source of information for most search engine users who are looking for specific information. A user is spoiled for choice as far as knowledge/information is concerned. Due to the information overload on the World Wide Web there is an important question which you needs to get answered: Would You Read Your Own Blog?

This is the all important question that a blogger needs to ask oneself. Suppose you wrote an article on SEO, you know that there are a million other articles competing with you to provide the same information. Now suppose that you are the reader, would you read your own article on SEO for gaining knowledge related to SEO? Or would you rather prefer to read the article on the same topic by another author – if yes, then it is safe to say that it is highly unlikely that any one else on the internet would bother to reader the article written by you.

Your readers time is too precious for them to read an article which is of sub-standard quality. Writing articles that you yourself would never care to read is a sure-shot route to failure. This can also be the logic underlying the fact that duplicate or copied articles never click with readers. Such posts never help your blog in getting authoritative.

I hope that this article was thought-provoking for you.

The internet being what it is today, there are millions of blog on each niche. So it become important to make your blog stand out in a crowded blogging niche. These are a few techniques listed below to make your blog different from the rest of the crowd in the niche.

Don’t Follow a Pattern: Always avoid following a pattern. It is easy to get pulled into the me too mindset in a crowded blogging niche. One blogger posts an article and then all the other blogs have the same topics with modifications and editing. This is on no way going to make you stand out of the crowd.

Have a Unique Angle to Things: Always be unique in your views. Try to look at a different angle of things. For example, if all bloggers are saying that the Aweber mailing list is the best one to use on the internet, then may be you can come up with a post that claims the difficulty which many newbie bloggers face trying to build an email list with Aweber. Think different and offer your readers a new and fresh angle which they have not.

Your Blog’s Theme: Have a high quality and unique blog design. It is very important if you ever wanted to create a brand out of your blog and it is this brand which make you stand out of the crowds of blogs in the blogosphere. Invest wisely in a theme and create a killer impression on your readers.

Consistent: Be really consistent when it comes to the delivery of articles on your blog. Most bloggers post randomly on their blog. So if you are consistent then you will be ahead of a lot of blogs in your niche anyways. Your blog’s success will depend on how consistent you are.

Guest Post A Lot: Create a list of popular blogs based on your niche. Then go ahead and create stunning articles. Guest post these articles on the blogs and enjoy. Guest posting IS the most effective way to create back links, readers, reputation etc. This will contribute in helping you display a perceived authority in your niche to many readers.

So hope you put these techniques to practice to finally make your blog stand out of all that crowd!