Category Archives: Problogging

Working as a Problogger

My current job is Director of Communications at Bloggy Network. It is a career that took a long time to get to. Though long is rather relative. I have been working for Bloggy Network for nearly two years now, and I have learned so much, not only from doing the work, but also from my bosses, and the contacts I have made.

Networking

Networking is really the number one tip I would give to any would-be Problogger. Finding people that can help you in your journey is the key to success. It isn’t just enough to work hard, and write exceptional content, you also have to get people to read what you have written, give you pointers on how to do better, and talk about how great you are.

Without great contacts, there will be a plateau you will hit, and it will be very frustrating. I know what it is like, as I have been to that point before. It almost made me give up, but then I started having conversations with the people I admired online, and they helped me get past that point.

Time Management

Time management is another skill that all the top level Probloggers seem to have in common. They know that the more posts they do that appeal to their audience, the higher their stats will be. Part of my day is spent organizing a break down of time and duties that I will need to perform, both over the course of the day, the week, and the month. I strike things off my list, but don’t remove them, so that I have inspiration, and a sense of accomplishment.

Some might think I am wasting time by making lists and organizing my work, but I know for a fact that I am getting a considerably larger amount of work done than I was before. This preparation time can be very powerful, and almost as difficult as learning how to network properly, especially for those that aren’t natural organizers.

Filtering Data

Another trait that is important when working as a problogger is the ability to deal with massive quantities of data. For some probloggers, this might not be an issue, but as you grow either in a network, or on your own, you will find yourself covering more topics, or diversifying more and more. You will also be dealing with site statistics, different software, e-mail contacts, spam, advertising, and of course finding great stories for your blog.

You will have to be able to quickly filter out information that is not important, and move on. I was able to pick up this skill over time, thanks to reading through hundreds of feeds in Bloglines, in a set period of time.

and Many More…

Of course there are many other skills a person needs to become a Problogger, and the process can be filled with many roadblocks, but over the lifetime of this site, I will attempt to shed some light on my experiences in the world of blogging, as well as teach using the words of others. If you are wondering if Problogging is the job for you, continue to read eXtra For Every Person, and I will be covering more on what it takes, and what it is like to be a Problogger.

Originally posted on August 23, 2010 @ 12:52 pm

Hard Part of Problogging: Writing Content Constantly

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One of the hardest parts of my career has been the continual production of content in an almost conveyer belt style processing system removing a great deal of the creativity and enjoyment that goes into creating something.

It can be hard to produce enough content to make it full time because if you are paid a rate for each post, or for each word, or even a flat rate salary with certain expectations behind them, it can all come down to producing thousands of words each day, which for some people is easier than others.

What it all comes down to is that the more content you produce, the more search engines will have to find your site, as well as the more opportunities you create to build an audience, gain inbound links and build your brand.

From what I have been able to see, producing around two or three thousand words a day is the minimum of what it can take to propel your site into a success, and that isn’t easy.

As I have gone further in my career, I have found the raw production of content to become more and more difficult, especially if I am not well versed in the subject to begin with or can’t focus on my thoughts, opinions, and views.

If you are having problems creating content, then you have to understand that you are going to have a hard time being noticed, recognized, and gaining traffic.

The sites that become a success with one post a week are the exception, not the rule, and so find ways to put content together in an efficient way, and publish it to the world.

I would also recommend finding a balance where here and there you get to spend some extra time in writing a post so you can truly add in your raw emotions, but when you have to get a good three thousand words done each and every day, it can be quite difficult sometimes to give any more to your writing.

The biggest takeaway from this post that I want you all to have, is that you need to be persistent, and constantly producing compelling content. It isn’t easy, but nothing worthwhile ever is.

Originally posted on November 30, 2010 @ 11:47 am

Pros of Being a Problogger

Making Your Own Hours

Sometimes I get up bright and early and get to work, other days I lounge around and focus all evening. The flexibility in my work allows me to get many other things done, and removes a fair bit of the stress from my job.

I know I have to put in a certain amount of time to see rewards from what I do, but I can spread it out over the course of the day, allowing me to do bursts of high productivity times split up with times of relaxation, reflection and some gaming.

Writing About Your Passion

Most people that become probloggers make it to that level by writing about their passion, and to be honest, there is nothing better than spending all day researching and writing about the things you love the most.

Early on in my problogging career, I was able to write about technology all day, and so I was more knowledgeable in that area than I ever had been before, and it was a great feeling to be so well informed. It is like taking a class in something you’ve always wanted to know more about and getting paid for it.

Online Community

There is a diverse community of bloggers online who are looking to connect with other bloggers. If you can find a few people that your personality meshes well with, you will find your time online that much more enjoyable.

I have been fortunate enough to work with, meet and talk to numerous people online who have been an inspiration to me, as well as supportive in my online ventures, and a great sounding wall stopping me from making mistakes.

Low Cost Business

I put this last on my list because it is one of the least important “pro’s” I could think of, but it is worth mentioning that problogging is a low cost business. If you have a computer, an internet connection, and something to write about, you are pretty much set. You don’t need an office, expensive equipment, or tons of other overhead.

This means that whenever I want to start a new project, or a different project, I don’t have to empty my pockets, and that most of what I make through blogging goes right to paying my mortgage, food and other such things.

Conclusion

Blogging professionally, be it part-time or full time has many advantages over the traditional nine to five style job, and what I have listed here is only a small bit of what could convince you that this is the right job for you. But before you leap into becoming a problogger, check out my con’s list.

Originally posted on February 22, 2010 @ 2:10 am

Optimize your blog post titles in two easy steps (Part 2)

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I previously discussed the important first step in naming your blog post titles – addressing your readers.

When the posts are now in the archives, you will now have to consider how other readers will discover your posts. And this is through the help of search engines. This is where the second step comes in, which is to address search engine users. The titles you compose should be sensitive to the requirements of search engine bots so that you get the coveted first SERP.

So how do you compose your blog post title to take advantage of search engines?

* Put important keywords in the title. From the first step you have already added a few relevant keywords that will appeal to readers who are on the lookout for words that will appeal to them. Now you have to beef it up some more by adding a few more keywords. Don’t overdo it though, your title should still be interesting and not losing its target.

* Mix up the word order. Changing the word order in your title could actually help you gain a few extra places in SERPS. The trick to rearranging the title is by making sure the beneficial keywords are closer to the start of the title.

* Fix the TITLE. One other thing that you should consider fixing up is the TITLE or the title tag. Usually the blog post title will be similar or will match the title tag. But when you’re already on the second step, you can tweak your title tag some more so that it is more optimized to be noticed by search engine bots. One easy way to do this if you’re using WordPress is by installing and using the SEO Title Tag plugin.

* Leave slugs alone. Even though you are tweaking the title tag and the blog post title, you should not do anything with the actual page slug. Avoid doing things to it at all costs.

Originally posted on May 22, 2009 @ 12:39 pm

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