What would I do if I was starting my blog all over again? My blog is almost three years old, there’s a nearly endless list of things that I could do better, with 20-20 hindsight. But, the honest answer is that I’d do some things the same, and some better.
I’m not displeased at the progress my blog has made. I never started out to become a pro-blogger, and still don’t have that goal in mind. Some of the things I know I could do better, I probably wouldn’t. For example, I could post more. Certainly, I’d be more successful as a blogger if I posted once a day or more. Keep up the pace of two or three insightful posts every single day is nearly a guaranteed recipe for success, but I won’t do it. Not to pah-pah at anyone who’s been a success as a blogger, but I just have other things that interest me more.
I could put up a better design, and integrate ads and bring in some income. I have a few hundred people visiting per day and a nice PageRank. Certainly, I could monetize that. Perhaps I will someday. But, I’m glad I didn’t have that as a goal when I started out. I think I would have disappointed myself, and given up long ago. Not that it’s impossible, or even difficult to make good money off a blog, it’s just as websites go I know of many other ways to produce that are far easier than blogging. If I had gone into this as a point of making money, I would have realized this at least as soon, and been disappointed and abandoned the project. So, this is another thing I would not have changed.
Ok, I can hear you asking, what would I have changed? Sure, lots. I’d be more of a link hound. I’ve been doing that more this year than in past years and met with some success. I’d have started that earlier. I’d do more networking with bloggers who are interested in the same topics. I’m not an island. I’ve been making far more efforts this year to reach out and make connections with other bloggers than ever in the past. I enjoy that part of blogging.
I’d stay more with the unique stuff. Blogging about what everyone else blogs about isn’t interesting. Well, this topic is, but I feel I have something unique to say about it, and that it’s worth saying. I rely heavily on Bloglines to read my most favorite blogs. I get rather tiresome when I see everyone writing the same topic. I’ve been guilty of that too. My goal is to only post something if it seems remarkable and if I think the people reading this blog will find it useful and haven’t already found it on another source. Sure, that makes it more difficult to come up with interesting posts, but I’d rather stick to my couple of posts a week and make them count than be a “me too” blogger.
This is in response to Darren’s call for people to discuss this topic. I really like the idea and the subject, and decided to participate. Here are a few other blogs posts that I read who jumped into the discussion.