Whilst anyone can start a blog, the trickiest part of it all is actually surviving the first few weeks or even the first four weeks of blogging. It’s important to understand that if you’ve just started blogging and you are struggling to get through the first month or so, you’re probably not going to make the long haul; to me it’s simple as that!
In this post I’d like to share with you some simple tips and tricks that I’ve used myself and have frequently recommended to other budding newbie’s out there, on how to get through the first 4 weeks of blogging. The tips and ideas will set you up for the course of the duration of your new blogging career, and for life… Yep, blogging is a lifetime commitment just in case no one told you.
Getting Started On Your First 4 Weeks of Blogging
Have a Plan, Know What, Where, When and How…
Nothing in this life works the way it should do without proper planning; there is no exception in blogging. Have a plan and I don’t mean have it bouncing around in your head either. Have your plan written out on paper so that you can see first hand where you are, and where you’re hoping to go…
Why do you want to start a blog? What do you want to achieve from blogging? What kind of audience do you want to attract with your blog? What will you talk about? Etc.
Planning ahead will give you a clearer picture about the course you’re taking in your blogging career. If you plan well and understand what it is you’re doing, your path to successful blogging won’t be so much cluttered with question marks over yours and your readers heads, and when you’re asked, you can simply give an honest answer to what, where, when and how…
Get Organized
Being organized from the get go is so important in surviving the first 4 weeks of blogging, just as planning is. In the beginning everything is so overwhelming and you’ll hit instances where you simply won’t know where to start. In short you’ll be running around like a headless chicken… that isn’t good.
So it’s all good in me telling you to get organized but how? Here’s how…
- Invest in a day book or a diary
- Get a white marker board, I have one and it’s one of the best investments I’ve made yet…
- Hang a calendar above your work desk
- Know what day of the week it is, you’ll be surprised! I’ve met some people working from home that can’t remember whether it’s Monday or Friday…
Use these tools and any other tools as means to organize and mange your time better, you’ll be more aware of where you are with everything, and have the feeling of being in complete control.
Have a Schedule
Time management is essential in blogging and the lack of it is perhaps one of the biggest reasons why new bloggers don’t get anywhere. I’m guilty myself, there have been instances in the past that I’ve spent endless hours bouncing around on the web, wasting time on Facebook and YouTube, not actually getting anything productive done.
This is where scheduling comes in. Plan your schedule so you know what needs to get done and when it needs to get done by. Create yourself deadlines; be regimental if you have to. Here are some examples…
- Schedule the time you need to write your post and get it published in time.
- Schedule the time you want to spend on social networking.
- Schedule the time you want to spend replying to emails, comments etc.
- Schedule the time you want to spend promoting your blog.
I think you get the general idea here.
Build your Resources
Building your own resources will help you become a better and more efficient blogger. For example, when you’re doing blog commenting and guest posting or engaging on forums, make a record of all the sites that you engage with so that you can refer to them later.
Any online tools that you come across and find useful, bookmark them and make a backup of your bookmarks. Download eBooks to read later, find information in print media, simply build your own little resource of information that you think will be useful in your blogging journey.
Get Inspired
Doing all of the above will certainly keep you motivated and focused through the first 4 weeks of blogging. But what about getting inspired? Inspired to keep going, to keep writing etc, to keep persevering…
Regularly visiting and reading your favourite and bookmarked blogs is a great way to get inspired. You should also try and engage with other more experienced bloggers like Ms Ileane Smith here on Basic Blog Tips, Adrienne Smith from AdrienneSmith.net, and Ana Hoffman from TrafficGenerationCafé.com. There is a wealth of information to gain from these bloggers and I’m sure they’ll welcome you just the same. Join forums, groups on Facebook and LinkedIn and regularly check to see what topics are being discussed.
Work Rest and Play
Blogging is fun I don’t doubt that one bit, but it can also be demanding and taxing on your general health and well-being; which is why there should always be time made for resting and playing, this can be seen as an opportunity to give yourself a break from blogging and inspire you to come back with new ideas. I hear stories of people staying up until ridiculous hours of the morning working on their blogs, or spending the whole weekend blogging and shutting out their social life, friends and families. Not eating well or taking regular exercise…
Understandably most of us have jobs and family commitments, in which case it’s an exception if you only have evenings and weekends to work on your blog as a newbie. But ensure you make the time to rest, recharge those batteries and still have a social life. The online world is a wonderful one at that, but it can never replace real friends and families.
My Final Advice for Surviving Your First 4 Weeks of Blogging
Don’t Assume to Know Everything
One last thing I’d like to leave you with is don’t assume to know everything straight away. The road to blogging success is a long and endless one, and you’ll learn new things each time you turn a corner. Be the best you can be, have fun and I wish you the very best of luck in surviving the first 4 weeks of blogging.
image credit www.istockphoto.com
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{ 111 comments… read them below or add one }
Twitter: ABloggers
July 11, 2012 at 4:36 AM
Hi Fab,
When I created all my first blog over 5 years ago, I think I was put too much pressure on myself and when I didn’t see the results I was looking for. The 4 weeks, as a newbie do seem like an eternity and creating a plan will help you keep organised but also keep you sane and prevent you from feeling dejected.
Simmeon Joseph recently posted..Why Your Blog Must Use Mobile Advertising
Twitter: vanmarciano
July 11, 2012 at 5:35 AM
Absolutely Simmeon, I was kind of in the same situation. My first blogging venture is was hard simply because I didn’t have the experience and knowledge, I was fresh to everything. Planning certainly helps to map out the route much better.
Fabrizio recently posted..How To Improve Your Blog’s Bounce Rate
Twitter: bihar
July 11, 2012 at 4:42 AM
Good tips in order to survive, even those who are not beginners can take these tips. I think organisation and planning is the key to success in blogging. There is no point thinking about it all the time and not doing anything about it. The best strategy is to keep yourself organised, maintain the timings, go for breaks and plan ahead. The main thing is to have fun. Thanks for these great tips.
Shalu Sharma recently posted..How to use the Indian squat toilet
Twitter: ABloggers
July 11, 2012 at 4:52 AM
Exactly right.
Don’t think about it all the time, its can cause you to become anxious, which is not really helpful as you will be stressing out as it is.
Simmeon Joseph recently posted..Which Is Better Guest Blogging or Blog Commenting?
Twitter: bihar
July 11, 2012 at 5:11 AM
I know what you mean. The thing is, when one starts out, many are anxious and they can’t help themselves thinking too much about it which is the cause of stress and anxiety of starting something new. This happens to the bests of the people, its a natural evolutionary survival process.
Shalu Sharma recently posted..How to wear saree
Twitter: vanmarciano
July 11, 2012 at 5:39 AM
Shaula, the thing is a lot of newbies want to see results straight away, so they plod on and think about it 24hours a day 7 days a week, not really giving themselves time to flourish. Being stressed out leads to poor productivity I think.
Fabrizio recently posted..How To Make Your Project Successful
Twitter: seobloggerstips
July 11, 2012 at 7:02 AM
Hi Fabrizio/Shalu….
One important benefit of keeping you organised is you know what you have to do….when you have to do….how you have to do and whn you get result…..
So no need to thinking all the time about it….
Sandeep Kumar recently posted..Is removing Ads can Improve your SEO
Very true Fabrizio, most newbies wants to see result really fast and give up easily if they don’t get what they were expecting. You have to wait for some time to see the results.
Rehan recently posted..Gaming War Infographic: The rise of PC gaming
Twitter: ivinviljoen
July 11, 2012 at 5:11 AM
I probably sound like a broken record when I say this, but commenting has been a great way for me to expose my brand new blog to other bloggers and not only has traffic been good for a start, but we’re averaging about 5 comments a post. Which I’m happy with. But yes, Fabrizio, you’re right when you say you have to have a lot in place when you start and a guide from a pro is probably a good way to know how to get started properly.
Ivin recently posted..Spam On an Unmanaged Blog
Twitter: vanmarciano
July 11, 2012 at 5:52 AM
Hi Ivin, thanks for stopping by and commenting
you don’t sound like a broken record at all. We’ve all seen great results from effective commenting and averaging 5 comments per post is not bad at all. Thanks for thinking of me as a pro by the way, I don’t think that I am at all, but then again I’ve always found it hard to accept compliments lol, all the best mate.
Fabrizio recently posted..YouTube’s New Concept: The Video Creation Marketplace
Twitter: ABloggers
July 12, 2012 at 8:10 AM
I can not agree more, commenting will help you get the activity people yearn for.
Without a plan, We plan to fail.
Simmeon Joseph recently posted..Are You A Blogger Or Someone Who Blogs?
Twitter: davesnape
July 11, 2012 at 5:15 AM
Wow! thank you Fabrizio for these great tips on surviving the first four weeks.
I don’t remember and can only imagine what the first four weeks of having a blog would be like now. But I can understand that it could frightening and scary to some people.
Thanks for writing a good post on blogging!
david recently posted..My Google Plus Account Is Suspended
Twitter: vanmarciano
July 11, 2012 at 5:54 AM
Hey David yeah it’s a scary and daunting time we’ve all been there, the great thing is through when you do it for the second and third time around it should be a lot less stressful and a lot more exciting right?
Fabrizio recently posted..How To Improve Your Blog’s Bounce Rate
Twitter: davesnape
July 11, 2012 at 8:37 AM
Yes, that is absolutely true!
david recently posted..Building Your List
Twitter: RyanBiddulph
July 11, 2012 at 6:01 AM
Hi Fabrizio,
Rest, rest and more rest. By resting amply you remain receptive to creative ideas. Smart tips here.
The urge is to work like mad as a newbie. Mistake #1. This results in blocking creative ideas, which extends your learning curve and leads to sustained failure. Take a deep breath. Work slowly, patiently, calmly, and you will be ahead of 99% of the bloggers out there, sprinting through the day making mindless mistake after mistake.
Thank Fabrizio!
Ryan
Ryan Biddulph recently posted..Cash Gifting Mastery – Do You Stick Out Like a Throbbing Sore Thumb?
Twitter: vanmarciano
July 11, 2012 at 6:20 AM
Hey Ryan I couldn’t have put that better myself lol. One of the things I’ve started to refrain myself from doing is working through the endless hours of the morning, I use to do this a lot in the first year of blogging. I realize now that it was probably the worst thing I could have done, mistakes are prone to be made and the level of concentration is low too. So yes I completely agree, rest plenty.
Fabrizio recently posted..2 Year Anniversary Blog Contest: Win Resizable Theme by Theme Junkie
Twitter: TechInitio
July 11, 2012 at 6:08 AM
These 4 weeks that are mentioned here is the most important time period for a blogger. This is where you let readers know your opinions, set your goal and generally try to win some people’s trust. Great read as always!
Rashmi Sinha recently posted..New SEO Tips & Tricks After Google Penguin Update
Twitter: vanmarciano
July 11, 2012 at 4:21 PM
Hi Rashmi thanks for your comment. You’re correct in saying that the first four weeks is the most important time to make some kind of impact on your audience. Trust goes a long way from the start in blogging. Glad you enjoyed the post.
Fabrizio recently posted..My Monthly Traffic and Income Report for June 2012
Twitter: TechInitio
July 12, 2012 at 5:51 AM
Keep up the good work with this blog, definitely worth reading both article and comments!
Rashmi Sinha recently posted..Infolinks:- Alternative to Google Adsense
I just want to say to have patience in the start. Just start writing detailed posts and take care of all the SEO for all the posts.
Twitter: seobloggerstips
July 11, 2012 at 6:58 AM
Puneet…..rightly said bro…
PATIENCE is the key to success in blogging…if you don’t have patience then blogging is not your type of game…..
Sandeep Kumar recently posted..Is removing Ads can Improve your SEO
Twitter: vanmarciano
July 11, 2012 at 4:24 PM
Absolutely guys, I think newbies feel as if they’re going nowhere when they start out because progress is slow, as long as the work you put in is worth the while then it’s definitely worth being patience for.
Fabrizio recently posted..My Monthly Traffic and Income Report for June 2012
Yes, If you cannot do hard work and can’t have patience then Blogging is not for you.
Twitter: lifenleisure
July 11, 2012 at 6:37 AM
Being kind to myself was the very first thing that I’ve learned when I started blogging. In the first month alone, I’ve made quite a lot of mistakes, including accidentally deleting the index file of my entire blog. During that time, I barely had any visitors coming to my blog. You’re right to say that blogging is a lifetime commitment. It’s not something that you set up and expect to be a success overnight. It takes a lot of time and dedication, and the amount that you invest will be the amount of success you’re bound to receive in time.
Adeline Yuboco recently posted..5 Reasons to Visit Boracay
Twitter: seobloggerstips
July 11, 2012 at 6:57 AM
hey Adeline….
I have read your comment and i think you must share your story as a newbie bloggers mistake in the form of an article……that will be quite interesting……
Deleting the index file seems very interesting to me…..
Sandeep Kumar recently posted..Is removing Ads can Improve your SEO
Twitter: lifenleisure
July 11, 2012 at 7:30 AM
Thanks for your suggestion, Sandeep. I think I actually might do that.
Adeline Yuboco recently posted..What to Do Before Choosing Your Investment Options
Twitter: vanmarciano
July 11, 2012 at 7:03 AM
Hi Adeline wow, you know something, I did something similar, after about 4 months of starting my blog, one morning I woke up to find my site not loading at all. Panicking as usual, I went straight into my cpanel and started messing around and ended up deleting something I shouldn’t have. Later on I found out that it was a malfunctioning plugin and all I had to do was remove it in the plugins folder directory. Thanks to my web host I was able to recover a backup copy of my blog.
I’m glad you are leveling with me on blogging being a lifetime commitment, a lot of newbies have this belief that they can achieve blogging success in just a few months, where in fact it comes with time and patience and an immense amount of work
Fabrizio recently posted..2 Year Anniversary Blog Contest: Win Resizable Theme by Theme Junkie
Twitter: lifenleisure
July 11, 2012 at 7:38 AM
I completely agree with you, Fabrizio! I’ve come across quite a lot of people that have tried to start blogging and then complain and give up after just about a month or so that they are not getting a result that they want and start comparing their blogs to more successful and established ones without even taking time to check how long these blogs have been up.
Adeline Yuboco recently posted..A Taste of Exotic Filipino Cuisine at Everybody’s Cafe
Twitter: seobloggerstips
July 11, 2012 at 6:43 AM
hey Fabrizio….
Good job man……
I would suggest that its a must read article for newbie…..
I would like to few more points to your article…
1- Know and Accept the reality – Every new bloggers must accept this reality that you will not going to become a successful bloggers overnight…. no matter how good you write untill people know that you exist nobody going to read your blog except your friends and family (even they stop reading it after few days)… so you have to accept this realyti and work hard to get visitor to your blog.
2- Interact with fellow bloggers – Interacting with fellow bloggers is great way to keep you update with latest trends. You will know how they promote their blog, how they select their toics etc.
3- Know your Passion – Before creating your blog you must give 1-2 weeks to yourself to decide what is your passion. In the starting you find that you know lots of thing and you can write lots of stuff but as soon as you dive into blogging you realize that…people have already covered all your topic and then you start facing writer block situation…
but if you know your passion very well then you can add value to existing matter as well and can give it a new look.
4- Accept the criticism – When you start blogging then few people will appreciate your effort and few people will criticise you and your blog…..don’t discourage from it….take all the feedback positively and work on them….it will help you to understand your mistakes.
5- Celebrate your each success – Don’t forget to celebrate your each success in blogging it will keep you motivated. celebrate your each achievement whether it is your first comment , your first 10 post, your one month blogging, your first 100 unique visitor…celebrate everything and share it with your readers. habbit of celebration motivate you to achieve it again in next effort.
Sandeep Kumar recently posted..Is removing Ads can Improve your SEO
Twitter: vanmarciano
July 11, 2012 at 7:10 AM
Sandeep my friend, thanks for the elaborated points, I absolutely agree that understanding and accepting the reality of it all that bogging success takes time. It takes years and years… Know your passion? I like that one too. You know what, I enjoy blogging that much that it really wouldn’t bother me if I suddenly stopped making any form of income from it! It’s the building of a community and engagement that drives me and I think if a blogger can accept that and feel this way, they’re on the right path for sure.
Fabrizio recently posted..2 Year Anniversary Blog Contest: Win Resizable Theme by Theme Junkie
Twitter: divyanshojha
July 11, 2012 at 7:09 AM
That was a nice article.
i have a friend who made up 3 blogs in 10 days but because he lacked passion for it and also bcause his only motive was money he failed to post anything and was always struggling and asking others how to get more traffic (that too without content) .
So new bloggers should focus more on content and then on traffic and then money.
Divyansh recently posted..Send Password Protected Emails for Secure Discussions
Twitter: vanmarciano
July 11, 2012 at 7:16 AM
Divyansh, thanks for stopping by. I feel for your friend, and I know the first 4 weeks of blogging is not easy. Lacking passion and using Money as the reason to start blogging is an absolute no go. Also starting one blog from scratch is hard work as it is, why on earth start three? I think it’s important to focus your attention to one area, points 1 and 3 of Sandeep’s comment above should be taken into consideration carefully. I wish your friend better luck for the future.
Fabrizio recently posted..Can Drinking Water Really Help You Blog Better and Lose Weight at the same time?
Twitter: realtraffsource
July 11, 2012 at 7:22 AM
Good post! If you’re using wordpress as your blogging platform, there are also a few plugins that can help you to plan and schedule your posts. Let’s say you already have a few posts, then you can make the plugin post them at specific dates. Just go to wordpress.org and seach for schedule posts plugin.
Rick recently posted..Advantages Of Forum Signature Backlinks
Hi Fabrizio,
Blogging has opportunity to you connect with world, improve skills and can make you money.
This is why I love blogging so much. great explanation and unique content.
For blogging it is very essential to do your own research and write your own contents. Read a lot and do a lot of brain storming before writing killer contents. People will visit your blog to read new contents.
Twitter: bxunet
July 11, 2012 at 7:45 AM
I agree with you sir.. the first stage of blogging is really tiring as most of us want to get on the top as fast as we can. This is really an eye opener sir. Thanks a lot for sharing this. I will surely share this to anyone.
Cheers!
Herbert recently posted..Should A Business Rely Too Much on SEO?
Twitter: vanmarciano
July 11, 2012 at 4:29 PM
Hey Herbert, I’m pleased the tips here today will be helpful.
Fabrizio recently posted..My Monthly Traffic and Income Report for June 2012
Twitter: marcie_hill
July 11, 2012 at 7:55 AM
If I could add one more thing, visit other sites you like whether they are in your niche or not and watch comments on other social sites for inspiration. I promise, someone is going to say something that you like, something you don’t like and something you cannot believe they said. This is all great for blog survival.
Marcie recently posted..What Are The Best and Worst Excuses You’ve Ever Told or Heard?
Twitter: bivori
July 11, 2012 at 8:21 AM
Great post and true suggestions. Most of the times when I discuss with wannabe bloggers, I can’t resist their enthusiasm. They are too much hurried as I was when starting my blog, and this results the birth of pre-mature blog – huge promises and almost negligible work on it. Anybody after reading this post, I believe will be able to make a strong starting rather than heavy work after commencement.
Suresh Khanal recently posted..Blogging Your Way to an Online Fitness Business
Twitter: vanmarciano
July 11, 2012 at 4:36 PM
Hey Suresh great comment mate, I completely agree. The great thing is these days with so many successful bloggers, newbies do have access to all the tips and advice they could possibly wish for. Let’s hope this post will help them also.
Fabrizio recently posted..How To Improve Your Blog’s Bounce Rate
Twitter: bivori
July 12, 2012 at 6:22 AM
Sure Fabrizio! It does!
Suresh Khanal recently posted..5 Places to Find Free Photos for Your Blog
Fab you have said one of the important things about the early blogging period! In Actual view, this early blogging time is the only one responsible for the blog’s success! If we get organized and conserve and optimize our energy with inspiration , definitely it makes us leading to reach our goal for better blogging! But I admit ,that early few weeks of blogging are quite volatile ,at any moment we could lose our interest and definitely we need to stay focused and of course a mild rest is needed as well! Thanks Fab for this real time experience of early blogging weeks the tips!
I started a new blog from last month. I feel everyday is a learning experience. The first couple of weeks of blogging is very tricky as there are hardly any readers, and even search engine listing of new pages takes time. Having a schedule like you mentioned is the key as a lot of initial tasks need to be completed to make the website visible.
Arun recently posted..FB Status Quotes
Twitter: vanmarciano
July 11, 2012 at 4:44 PM
Hey Arun, I’m glad you read this post mate. The learning process never ends my friend, even when you’ve been blogging for 2 or 3 or even 5 years there is always something new to learn, but I guess that’s the beauty of it all. In the beginning you will have few readers, little traffic and even few email subscribers, but with hard work and patience these numbers will grow. Best of luck for the future Arun.
Fabrizio recently posted..My Monthly Traffic and Income Report for June 2012
Thank you Fabrizio! I am going to give my best at blogging and see how it goes.
Arun recently posted..Facebook Status 123
Twitter: timsminions
July 11, 2012 at 8:51 AM
Great post thanks Fabrizio, the hardest part for newbie bloggers can be ‘rocking the boat’, many newbies will have day jobs, they will have family or at least a partner who not only deserves but expects you to spend time with them. Why else would they be in a ‘Relationship’ with you. Trying to get the time to blog, write comments, promote and do social media is hard, juggling the day job which can be 8 or more hours, the travelling, spending time with family/partners, eating and other needed chores is not easy! it can lead to stress and arguing.
Thinking long term and trying not to get stressed and demoralized is a seriously important tip. All newbie bloggers should be made aware that 4 weeks in reality is absolutely nothing in the blogosphere! Follow your lead about planning and organising and it can be made easier. Knowing what you are going to do and when you can/will do it is easier than trying to get a more supporting and understanding partner lol. Think long term. The only way.
Cheers
Andi
Andi the Minion recently posted..Internet Business Opportunities: Turning $5 into $50 and more.
Twitter: vanmarciano
July 11, 2012 at 4:51 PM
Great comment Andi and you know what I understand that completely. I work from home full time so I schedule the time I spend blogging around running my other online businesses. I also now have new commitments since my son was born a month ago, so I understand it isn’t easy at all. At times it can feel as if everyone wants a piece of your time when all you want to do is get some peace and quite to work on your blog. You’re right 4 weeks is nothing… a lifetime? Well that’s a whole separate post altogether.
Fabrizio recently posted..My Monthly Traffic and Income Report for June 2012
Twitter: timsminions
July 12, 2012 at 10:41 AM
Hi Fabrizio, thanks for the reply and congratulations on the birth of your son, you will know first hand what time scheduling and organising is all about
Andi
Andi the Minion recently posted..Protected: 10 Real Make Money Online Ideas eBook
Twitter: khajamoin1
July 11, 2012 at 8:57 AM
Getting started with a blog is so easy, but to survive its difficult.
this is very useful post for all who are starting or just started blogging!
Khaja moin recently posted..Create Custom 404 Error Page for WordPress Blog
HI Khaja,
Absolutely! The things we can understand now easily were difficult to get somehow at then.
Blogging has opportunity to you connect with world, improve skills and can make you money. This is why I love blogging so much. Thanks for your view Buddy.
Twitter: internetdreamof
July 11, 2012 at 9:03 AM
Everything takes planning.
Don’t overdo some areas of work and look for the area where it is most productive.
Work should be fun, and growing your blog should be top priority.
Samuel recently posted..Top WordPress Plugins To Reach The Top!
Twitter: RyanHanley_Com
July 11, 2012 at 10:07 AM
Fabrizio,
One of your very first sentences is by far the most powerful… “Blogging is a lifetime commitment.”
Nothing could be more true. Once you stick your foot down the rabbit hole you have to be willing to go all the way…
Thanks,
Ryan H.
Ryan Hanley recently posted..How-to Use Google Keyword Tool to Dominate Search Traffic for Free
Twitter: vanmarciano
July 11, 2012 at 4:54 PM
Great philosophical thinking Ryan, sometimes that rabbit hole might seem daunting, and overwhelming. But if anyone makes the commitment to start a blog whole heartedly, then it’s worth working your socks off to get it off to a great start. Best wishes my friend.
Fabrizio recently posted..My Monthly Traffic and Income Report for June 2012
Twitter: AnaTrafficCafe
July 11, 2012 at 11:57 AM
I’d add another one to that list, Fabrizio – KNOW that you’ll feel like a failure at one point or another and be prepared to get up, dust yourself off, and keep on moving.
Honored to be mentioned – thank you.
Ana Hoffman recently posted..Why I Will Never Comment On Your Blog (A.K.A. Die, Akismet, Die)
Twitter: vanmarciano
July 11, 2012 at 4:59 PM
Hey Ana, very well said. There have been many times when I’ve felt like this and I’m sure many have too. The honor was mine to mention you
Have a great day.
Fabrizio recently posted..You Got Deindexed By Google? No Problem!
Hi Fabrizio, I have been working on a website for 2 months and your tips are going to help me a lot. Is hard to keep motivated, but something that helped me was to read one inspiring quote at the beginning of the day.
Jennifer recently posted..Natural antibiotics or synthetic ones: learn the differences
Twitter: abhibalani
July 11, 2012 at 12:08 PM
Hey Fabrizio,
I wish I would have read this article before one and a half year before I started blogging. It was really difficult for me to understand the rules and regulations of blogging. It took more than a month when I understood everything.
I am gonna refer this post to many newbies out there.
Abhi Balani recently posted..Giveaway ($98): 2 MusicNews Magazine WordPress Theme by Magazine3
Twitter: vanmarciano
July 11, 2012 at 5:09 PM
Hey Abhi, thanks for stopping by. I know where you’re coming from mate, I was in some way the same boat. I’d been blogging on sites like HubPages and Squidoo for sometime before I decided to start my own blog with WordPress a little over 2 years ago, and I can tell you not being tech savvy back then it was difficult to grasp everything.
Fabrizio recently posted..My Monthly Traffic and Income Report for June 2012
Twitter: abhibalani
July 12, 2012 at 12:04 AM
Absolutely! The things we can understand now easily were difficult to get somehow at then.
Did you see the giveaway on my blog? You may wanna check out..
Abhi Balani recently posted..Giveaway ($98): 2 MusicNews Magazine WordPress Theme by Magazine3
Twitter: vanmarciano
July 12, 2012 at 9:45 AM
I’m heading over there now to check it out Abhi, you know I’ve never actually taken part in a giveaway lol
Fabrizio recently posted..Google Input Method Takes Translation To The Next Level
Twitter: kenpickard
July 11, 2012 at 1:33 PM
Fabrizio,
This is sound advice for any new or struggling blogger and each of the sections in your post could turn into another full length post.
The concepts of having a plan getting organized are straight to the point. I would only add that as bloggers we need to identify who we are, what our platform is and who are target audience is. It’s not easy to do all this is the first 4 weeks thought.
But over time we need to strengthen our position as a leader / go to person in our niche.
Ken Pickard
The Network Dad
Twitter: GuideAndNews
July 11, 2012 at 2:22 PM
Hi Fabrizio,
Awesome post bro, I like the all tips you mentioned, specially the last advice you gave to us. We can learn new things in every step of Blogging.
Thanks for the post.
Ehsan U.
Ehsan recently posted..Starting a Blog – Which Blogging Platform To Choose
Twitter: myspalmer
July 11, 2012 at 3:45 PM
Another awesome post on BBT!
Fabrizio, i love the insight that “blogging is a lifelong commitment”. I think people forget that. We become vehemently engulfed in gaining readership, our marketing efforts, hell even earning a buck that we forget – this is going to take a while.
Forgetting to rest and play is, uhm, yea kinda regular among our community. I think it helps to remember that we all need a break. Even if it is just a one day a week to ourselves. Kick them heels up.
Mys recently posted..I misplaced my mojo : /
Twitter: internetkhazana
July 11, 2012 at 4:01 PM
Fabrizio i used to bring traffic mostly from facebook and some ads website when i started my blogging career. At that time i was happy with that but now after 3 years even 2000 visitors per day look less to me.
Mohsin Ali recently posted..Giveaway – 10 Internet Download Manager 6.11 Full Version Serial Numbers
Twitter: carollynnrivera
July 11, 2012 at 4:14 PM
Fabrizio you made me laugh when you said people who work at home don’t know what day of the week it is – sooooo guilty. The only thing I can tell you for sure is it’s NOT the weekend! I keep three calendars just so I don’t forget where I am. As far as I’m concerned there are only 2 days in a week “Holy crap, it’s Wednesday already??” and “Holy crap, it’s only Wednesday?”
Your tips are good for the first week – and the four hundredth. (yikes, that’s a lot of blogging….) You need to stay focused, stay motivated and keep learning – I don’t think we can ever assume we know everything, especially with how fast things change on the internet.
Looking forward to reading more on your blog!
Carol Lynn recently posted..You Clearly Don’t Know Anything About Marketing, You Twit
Twitter: LogAllot
July 11, 2012 at 4:29 PM
Not an easy task for newbies and these were excellent tips. I love how straight to the point you were and honest about what you really need to do. Having a plan helps to guide you in the right direction for your topic or niche because I think new bloggers have no clue what they want to blog about in the first place. I see some try and mimic ones they either like or follow and their blog ends up coming off fake and not genuine. This is where newbies get off the bus, hang up their spurs and abandon their blog completely.
Sad as that sounds, its true and a quick way to discouragement. Taking it slow and really deciphering what works for you….your passion, will help new bloggers on the right path for consistency. Not success…that happens later and over time. This is the most important factor to figure out and some don’t get it. If you can’t see yourself writing about a topic every day, you will run out of things to say.
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Twitter: richescornercom
July 11, 2012 at 7:05 PM
My first foray into blogging, I didn’t really know what to write. It’s a bit daunting feeling like you are sharing with the world. My advice would be to try and imagine yourself having a conversation with someone about your topic and then free write.
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Twitter: vanmarciano
July 12, 2012 at 9:44 AM
True Richard, my first post was the same. I always tell newbies now to write their first post introducing themselves well, and explaining what their intentions, goals and ambitions are for their blogs.
Fabrizio recently posted..Revealed: The Real Way To Make Money With Articles
Twitter: suejprice
July 11, 2012 at 8:48 PM
Hi Fabrizio and Ileane
What a great post and good advice for anyone starting out. There is also some reminders about scheduling in there that are good for some of us that have been blogging for a while. I must confess to sometimes forgetting what day it is
– but I do use a planner.
Also engaging with experienced bloggers is very important. I have learned so much from people like Adrienne.
Thanks for a great post.
Sue
Twitter: vanmarciano
July 12, 2012 at 9:41 AM
Hi Sue, great to meet you. It’s OK we all forget which day it is sometimes
I too have learned a great deal from the likes of Ileane and Adrienne. I hope one day that I’ll be able to provide such great insight to others as they have done for me. Have a great day 
Fabrizio recently posted..My Monthly Traffic and Income Report for June 2012
Twitter: dietfitnessdeck
July 11, 2012 at 11:08 PM
We hear time and time again that blogging is not a get-rich-quick scheme. Yet so many people forget that very fact every day.The first few weeks are the toughest part to cross and I’m so happy you came up with this topic Fabrizio. It is painful to see many new bloggers popping in and popping out like wind!
Working at home = not knowing what day of week it is
So true! It happens to me on days when I’m on leave!
Jane recently posted..What Topics Potentially Become Killer Posts Without Much Effort?
Twitter: vanmarciano
July 12, 2012 at 9:38 AM
Hey Jane, absolutely right, back when I began I connected with a few newbie bloggers and we were all pretty much in the same boat. I’d chat to some of them on Facebook and I remember a couple of them clearly telling me they felt like giving up even after 6 months of working so hard on their blogs, and shortly afterwards they had indeed given up. It was sad to see of course and all the encouragement couldn’t help them. They wanted to make money from blogging so desperately that they inevitably failed. But I look at it like this, like all journeys in life you come across people who will make a small impact on your journey, then never see them flourish.
I’m glad I’m not the only one not able to cope without a calendar, especially working from home lol
Fabrizio recently posted..Google Input Method Takes Translation To The Next Level
The initial stage of blogging is really tough. When one starts a website or a blog, he has to keep a lot of patience because that time, ths blog is new and there not much traffic and more people dont know about it. That moment hardwork, tactics and a correct posts is what helps.
Twitter: ayaz1988
July 12, 2012 at 4:00 AM
Hi Fab!
Certainly time management and planning plays very crucial part in every blogger success but for me the consistency to keep these things going is really hard to do it but once you are managed to do it than you can easily survive not only first 4 weak but also can do 4 years as well.
Thanks for sharing great tips
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Twitter: vanmarciano
July 12, 2012 at 9:30 AM
Hello there Ayaz, me to mate, my girlfriend sat me down about a month ago and told me if I didn’t learn to organize myself properly as I did when I started out, I would be running myself into the ground, especially running several online businesses. You’d think things would get easier even after a few years but it doesn’t. Each morning I wake up, I face a new challenge, we all do I guess that’s the beauty of blogging huh?
Fabrizio recently posted..Google Input Method Takes Translation To The Next Level
Twitter: DesignWebKit
July 12, 2012 at 5:58 AM
I fully agree with you! Thank you for the useful data!
I think the best way to keep your blog alive and interesting for your readers is to write as many as possible articles before its launch. So you can add new posts within every two or three days.
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Twitter: faissalhaithami
July 12, 2012 at 7:18 AM
A consistent writing schedule is important whether it’s about the first 4 weeks of blogging or the first few years. However, the first four weeks are vital as it’s a phase when you’ll face most difficulties without getting substantial results.
Thanks, Fabrizio!
Faissal Alhaithami recently posted..How to create and effectively promote your facebook events
Twitter: vanmarciano
July 12, 2012 at 9:27 AM
Thanks Faissal, in many cases complete newbies have very little knowledge about where to start. I can’t imagine having to start all over again and learning what WordPress is, I remember so well how so overwhelming everything was.
Fabrizio recently posted..Google Input Method Takes Translation To The Next Level
Twitter: wajahath_ali
July 12, 2012 at 10:12 AM
Hi Fab, the road to blogging indeed is tough and maintaining a schedule and having a plan will go a long way. Being a student for life will give us an advantage to learn at every step and implementing successful and unique ideas to get the edge. Thanks for the great post.
wajahath ali recently posted..2 Email Accounts which you need in your lifetime
Twitter: adriennesmith40
July 12, 2012 at 2:10 PM
Hey Fabrizio,
Great post and as I was reading through this I was nodding. I saw right off the bat one of the things I did not do and that was plan. Heck, I was just told to put up a blog and start writing about my niche so I did.
But, creating a schedule and writing everything down is what keeps me on track. I make sure I accomplish what I set out to do so that helps me stay focused. I’m already annoyingly organized so that’s never been an issue with me.
Educating yourself about your niche is not only important to your overall business but it sure does make for some great posts. I love writing about what I’ve learned.
Thank you so much for mentioning my blog here. I’m so very honored and I appreciate that so much. To be among these other so very special ladies is flattering to say the least.
Thank you again for such a helpful post. I know where I’m going to be sending some new bloggers.
You and Ileane have a wonderful day and enjoyable weekend. I appreciate you both.
~Adrienne
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Twitter: vanmarciano
July 13, 2012 at 5:24 AM
Hi Adrienne, thanks for your comment and you’re most welcome, I for one have certainly learned some great tips from you. But really, who could resist listening to that gorgeous accent of yours
Anyway I too love writing about things I’ve learned, and learning I think is the most exciting ability in the blogging field. Have a great day too Adrienne and I’ll be heading over your blog shortly.
Fabrizio recently posted..2 Year Anniversary Blog Contest: Win Resizable Theme by Theme Junkie
Twitter: sylviane101
July 12, 2012 at 4:25 PM
Great advice Fabrizio,
I am sure that having a definite plan for a blog is a great help for newbies starting a blog, unfortunately, realistically, most don’t.
On the other hand, here I am going to play the advocate of the evil a bit
I’ve seen new bloggers having a plan for their new blog, but when things started to happen that they didn’t like or expected they got discouraged and dropped the blog.
On the other hand, there are those, many as a matter of fact, who started blogging without knowing exactly what they wanted to do and eventually found their true niche and blossomed.
This, said, however, your tips are great and should be followed by any new blogger.
Sylviane Nuccio recently posted..Why Are You Blogging?
Twitter: GeraldNitram
July 12, 2012 at 9:26 PM
Having a plan is going to help you travel smoother along that road towards blogging success. It can also apply to starting a business. When you have a plan, the amount of bumps on the road that you’ll encounter will be a lot lesser. When you’re jumping in with just the idea of doing random stuff, you might end up running out of good ideas of keeping things alive.
= Gerald Martin =
Very good advice Fabrizio. I have done the diary, or rather notepad thing that I took with me everywhere. I just get ideas out of nothing and if I don’t write them down I completely forget them.
Oh, and about forgetting which day of the week it is, I’ve had that quite a few times before:)
Mariella Lombardi recently posted..US Marine Replaces TRX Destroyed By a Roadside Bomb – The Benefits of Using the TRX Suspension Training!
Building your own resources will help you become a better and more efficient blogger. For example, when you’re doing blog commenting and guest posting or engaging on forums, make a record of all the sites that you engage with so that you can refer to them later.
Any online tools that you come across and find useful, bookmark them and make a backup of your bookmarks. Download eBooks to read later, find information in print media, simply build your own little resource of information that you think will be useful in your blogging journey.
I didn’t understand about this paragraph will you please explain it little more.
Artists at Inky illustration agency.
After create a new blog site,most people likely fall in confuse(mostly beginners)how could they run their site.You have given a clear indication of survival of first blog time.Your post is highly recommended.I hope your post will help those people who are in confuse about their blog site.
Twitter: jonnalarajkumar
July 13, 2012 at 6:35 AM
Nice article mai ……now i started to keep notepad or memo in my phone …….its really a helpful tip …….thanx alot for sharing
Rajkumar Jonnala recently posted..5 Important tips to increase your facebook Security
There is no good thing in working for 16 hours a day in the hope that things will change when the result would appear. From my own experience, I say that we should have a healthy lifestyle and try to keep a balance between the social life and our work.
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Twitter: vineetsaxena4
July 13, 2012 at 8:24 AM
Hi Fabrizio,
Time management is one of the most crucial things for new bloggers who are yet to make a mark with their blog. I myself that admit that I used to spend a lot of time browsing over the internet which was good for nothing. Nice tip thanks.
Vineet Saxena recently posted..Jumped to Authority 403 in Technorati!!!
thankyou for these great tips, i`m new to blogging so need all the help i can get, i`ve taken on board what you said about having a lot of ideas and plans in place when you start, that coupled with time, patience and dedication. I have always thought that if you`re following your passion then things will fall into place, how wonderful to start earning money from something you love doing rather than because you have to.
Great Article! I know how hard it is to start blogging. I got hit by panda update and lost some of my revenue, i was so sad. But i don’t give up and i keep blogging , it is hard work which take all my time. I think to start a blog about internet marketing too!
Twitter: TechTricksWorld
July 14, 2012 at 4:36 AM
Patience is the key to success. So Don’t loose patience in the start when you don’t get enough visits after much of hard work. remember hard work never fails, It can give you fruit later for sure.
Atish recently posted..Basic Guide For E-Commerce SEO
Hey Fabrizio,
As a new to creating blogs, I really find this post very useful. I’m grateful that found this blog. I laughed about forgetting the day of the week when blogging. I haven’t gotten that far yet but I’ll make sure I have calendar hanging above my desk.
Cheers,
Lester J.
Twitter: xlimderek
July 14, 2012 at 6:04 AM
I totally agree with the part you wrote
“Don’t Assume to Know Everything”
The More you Research the more bearable your 1st four weeks
Derek recently posted..How To Add New Sounds To Microsoft Word
Thank you for sharing these great points of creating a blog. I admit when I was starting to make one, it was really difficult for me especially when it comes to organizing stuffs…I appreciate sharing these stuffs to everyone.
I remember when I started blogging I didn’t even realize I was living a sedentary lifestyle until a friend told me I never went out of my room anymore. I still go through this phase every once in a while, so these tips don’t just apply to blogging newbies.
Twitter: SoCalMobileAuto
July 23, 2012 at 7:06 PM
Aint that the truth. If you really get into this blogging thing it can and will affect your home life. The wife lets me know all the time. Lol
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Thanks for the insights Fabrizio. Although it is important to read as many good quality blogs as possible to get a feel for technique and possible topics, sometimes the tough part is having the confidence to just get started.
The biggest problem most new bloggers seem to have, is generating quality content on a consistent basis. This becomes more of an issue when you dont get a lot of traffic in the beginning (understandably), and new bloggers simply fail to produce content on a daily (or regular) basis. Thanks for these tips btw!
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Twitter: abdurrazaq19
July 19, 2012 at 12:35 AM
thanks for fabrizio . i want to build my new blog with this tips …
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Twitter: SoCalMobileAuto
July 23, 2012 at 6:21 PM
This is very helpful. I am in my second week of blogging. I got into to help with new content for my website. But I am actually enjoying the process. I just can’t figure out how to get people to the blog. But I guess time and lots of reading will help. Thanks for the good read.
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Twitter: basicblogtalk
July 26, 2012 at 12:42 AM
Great tips, I thinks. The newbie blogger gave up their blog too fast when the cannot earn in short term. but this can help them to continue their blog. Anyway, thanks for sharing
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Twitter: showappeal
July 26, 2012 at 9:25 AM
Thank you for the advices, by the way, these tips are also useful for those who would like to be successful in their work, social life ect. Being organized and scheduling time are the most important. I wanted to read your article, because I am also thinking about blogging. Thanks again
Twitter: NoypiGeeks
July 30, 2012 at 11:24 PM
Great tips for bloggers who are still finding their way out of the uncomfortable zone of blogging. I also experienced hardships during my first few months but I conquered them all with the help of perseverance and dedication. Now, I’m starting to get my readers.
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Twitter: zapby
July 31, 2012 at 2:14 AM
Great resource. I have just started out blogging, it’s been just over two weeks. Still really enjoying it, haven’t had any comments or email interaction yet. Every blog is different, hopefully my hard work will pay off somewhere down the line.
Keep up the good work.
Twitter: IGBALAYEOLAYEMI
August 1, 2012 at 9:05 PM
That’s awesome post with great points. plan for what you intend doing, be time conscious and learning those not end in one place, so continue learning new tips. thanks for sharing
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Twitter: Smartways2makemoney
August 17, 2012 at 8:16 AM
Its been very hard on my first week itself , i thought Blogging on Wordpress will be smooth , but here comes the sad part , i dont know how to get my blog indexed by google , and even though i followed some of the Tips , installing Plugins , i’m bit de-motivated..
Your article is long but very informative for sure..
Thanks,if you can give me any advice of getting google to our blog , i would be glad..!
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Twitter: afsalrahim
December 17, 2012 at 2:23 PM
Yeah I do agree making the blog is really easy. But its really hard to get visitors to blog and have some readers for the posts. Anyway I’m getting organized myself and scheduling everything now so that I get time for everything.
Thanks for the tips, Fab.
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Some great tips here, thanks. I’ve done a lot of guest blogging before as part of my job but have only just decided to get a blog of my own up and running. Knowing where to begin definitely feels like the biggest challenge!
Twitter: Cav_912Mgisft
February 12, 2013 at 9:07 PM
I knew it! Even blogging requires pre-writing. Alas, I am in my fourth week as a blogger, and I feel like I am already falling behind for lack of one. Like you said, I need to manage my time better and create a schedule. But my current blog is about this new blogging experience, so hopefully it will survive the glitches of launch-off.
In any case, my current research has been to find out whether blogging needs preparation or is simply an impulsive online diary. From your post I’m gathering you consider it to be more the former?
Cheers
Christina
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Twitter: mchhimwal
April 28, 2013 at 5:23 AM
Hello
Ya you are absolutely right.The initial time for a new blogger is very disappointing,as I didn’t get search traffic.I take help from a lots of blogger by reading their post or personalty asking them .These initial 4 weeks are unforgettable. You share really nice tips for all newbie in blogging.
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this very nice site, giving lot of things, that helping me, Thanks Admin
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