Apr

Top Challenges to Creating a Blog – 1 & 2

I postponed creating a blog for my business because I didn’t know what a blog was. Plus, I didn’t feel like I had the time to learn. When author Debra Oakland suggested a blog for our Guide to Home Based Business eBook 11 months ago, I could feel my shoulders scrunch and all the stories why this was not a good idea came flooding to the surface.

So, the greatest challenge for me was creating time to learn.

Recently, I asked participants in a “blog creation” sneak preview to tell me what their greatest challenges are for creating a blog. Here are two that I will paraphrase and answer.

CHALLENGE #1 – TIME

I hear that once you start, you have to commit a certain amount of time every day. How do I find time to do it with a full time job and other commitments? (Jim, from Reno, NV)

Great question, Jim. Most of us commit to creative projects when we have deadlines and the material engage us. Here are two suggestions:

1) Create a deadline with specific goals, like every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, I will spend one hour on blog-related play. Then, hold yourself accountable. One way is to tell another person. Then, report back to that person once a week with how you did.

2) Spend most of your time at the beginning “commenting” and writing “posts”. Doing this will engage you with others. Comment on other blogs in your niche market at least 1-2 times per week, like Monday and Wednesday. Post on your blog at least 1-2 times a week, like Tuesday and Thursday. Do these first, then reward yourself with Internet play.

CHALLENGE #2 – HOW

How do you create a blog? (James, Spanish Fork, UT)

I teach 4 basic steps to creating a blog:

Get Organized & Prepare For Success – This means putting into your schedule time for learning, organizing files on your computer and creating a folder in your email box for the information you will receive. Choose the perfect URL. Learn basics of the anatomy of a blog. For example, there is some WordPress-specific terminology that is helpful to know, like dashboard, sidebar and tags.
Build Your Site – I recommend WordPress, the most popular blog creation system in the world. Building your site involves learning about and trying out widgets, themes and plugins that you like. Learn to crawl; then, you can walk and run.
Strengthen Your Site – This is the “walking” stage. In addition to more plugins and widgets, that are really just plug-and-play gadgets (most free), learn the power of commenting and attracting people to your site.
Convert Prospects into Paid Customers – This is the “running” stage. There are some simple proven ways you can start to make money with your blog. Popular methods include Google Adwords, affiliate programs, special events, and upselling products and services. Learning conversion secrets will help you make money faster by converting traffic you attract into paid customers. Once you make your first $1 dollar, you are a pro. So, put a $1 bill on your computer monitor or on the wall. That’s the goal: make your first $1 dollar!