Lose Weight and Blog
549 words | Last Updated: December 1, 2008 |
I see so many people trying to juggle the three areas of internet marketing all at once: Writing, Technical, Promotion. Sometimes, people end up getting stuck in the technical part, and waste time changing, tweaking, and revising the look of their blog. Once in a while, however, I get inspired by people who actually go out and blog. Yes, I'm talking about Dinah...
I've worked with Dinah several times in the past, and I was happy to find out that she started a blog in To Be, To Be. Tutubi. ("Tutubi" is Tagalog for "dragonfly.")
Several folks have asked how they can make money online by blogging, and I tell them that it depends greatly on what your blog is all about. The thing is, a lot of bloggers want to cover many topics because, hey let's face it, our lives deal with many things, right? We don't live a "niched" life now, do we?
As far as "my life" types of blogs are concerned, the prospects of earning from those are quite low. Yet there are times, as you will see, when blogging about things in general can lead to some amount of e-revenues. For example, Dinah blogged her story in How I Lost 23 Unwanted Pounds.
Can you see now how you can blog about your life (and not get limited by a single niche topic), and increase your online earnings at the same time?
Consider the following elements of that successful blog post:
1. It answers a question that a LOT of people ask.
2. It attracts people whom advertisers want to reach (the weight loss market).
3. The story in the blog post entertains people.
Do you see it now? Not only is the post useful, it is also entertaining. It tells a story, and people are looking for your stories online. If you have worked with Dinah as I have, then you will understand the dramatic changes that she has undergone. Her weight loss blog entry, however, does not have "before and after" photos, so that kind of decreases the impact.
(The beauty about blogs is... you can edit them later and add photos. Hint, hint!)
Anyway, the whole point of this post is that you need to create content if you hope to earn online. Please avoid the temptation to jump on the outsourcing bandwagon immediately. Instead, give writing a shot. Go ahead and try it.
There are many stories in you that people are waiting to hear and read.
What are you stories? Are you trying to lose weight? Are you getting physically fit? If you sit back, take three cleansing breaths, and think about it, you will be able to find stories in your life that deal with struggle and triumph. And you know what? You are not alone.
There are others like you. There are people who want to succeed like you, or who wish to be inspired by you. Write for them. Take a break from your fascination with WordPress installations, techie matters, or SEO and social media marketing fixations. Produce content today, and write your heart out.
And after you've published useful or entertaining content? That's when you go after TRAFFIC. 
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"Lose Weight and Blog"
First Posted: November 29, 2008 | Filed in: Writing
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I'm quite speechless here, Manuel. But I will try to talk after I catch my breath....
This post really hit me, as I am being torn by blogging what I like most and what I think could make money. Plus the fact that I am technically ignorant, and I admit it.
Anyway, I really want to blog about family as I feel that it is my advocacy - because I had none, even worst than the literal meaning. But then, I was sad that I feel I cannot make money out of it.
This is when I decided to make a separate blog about blogging. Although there are tons of blogging tips blogs, the result was better than my first blog. However, I cannot afford to maintain 2 different blogs. So, I made a tough decision. I combined both topics in one blog, in which Father Blogger was born. I asked some friends and even top bloggers about their opinion and unfortunately, most of them advised me to go back to have 2 separate blogs. Obviously, I did not follow their advise. I cannot live without fulfilling my advocacy, so I have to live with the consequences.
Now, I am trying to get the most of both worlds and it feels good. I am not making money online the way I dream of, but I am not giving up. I am always trying to find answers to the questions - why and how. Why am I not getting high traffic, and how can I achieve it?
The answer eventually came to an end. Earning traffic the most natural way - "Inspire others, and be useful to them. This is the best strategy so far, even better than search engines and all the social sites you can find."
Apparently, the quoted line opened a big window for me. I won a Problogger Book in which Darren Rowse, the Problogger himself was the sole judge. The question was to give the best blogging tip.
Now, I realized that I was not wrong. All what I have been doing is right since the start. I am doing what I love to do, what I know I can do, and what I think readers really need - inspiration.
The road is stiff, but I am not rushing out things. I know that time in blogging is very important but I believe that to maximize it, we got to do only what we have to do.
Whew! I can't believe I can talk that much here.
Thanks for inspiring me, Manuel.
sounds interesting manuel. try ko ngang mag-lose ng weight tapos i-blog ko. ^_^
@Angel - Congratulations for winning the Problogger book. You'll find lots of good advice that will help you achieve your problogging dreams. Keep on writing and sharing, and discover the inescapable law: you reap what you sow.
@Snow - Yes, people want to read your stories. Don't be surprised when you see your blog traffic increase. (Steve Pavlina would do certain experiments related to Sleep and Diet, which he would then blog about. The result? Massive web site traffic.)
You're right, Manuel. I will keep on writing then. As I have mentioned to you, it's Steve Pavlina's way that I really admire. By the way, I invited Darren Rowse to check out my gratitude post to him. Let's keep our fingers cross that he will do it.
By the way, don't believe Snow about her weight. She's sexy for a mom. We had a photo together during the last blogging event when I first met her. (Peace!)
WOW! Thanks for writing about me, my blog and my topic , Sir Manuel! Coming from you, it means so much! You know that my choice to start my own blog has a lot to do with what you told me about where I may get my content, content and content. And you are right, our own life are full of stories that we can share with other people. Some of them interesting, some inane
But I am getting the hang of this, though I still lack the courage to show some aspects of my life, like, ehem, the before and after photos. Also, like what Sir Angel wrote above, it is always tough making the choice to write about the things we love and to ride the bandwagon and just fill our blog with mmo's and seo's.
Again, thanks a lot Sir Manuel for giving me the push I needed to start my blog and for thinking that at least my blog is worth a read
@Angel - I wouldn't be surprised if Darren does check out the gratitude post.
@Dinah - You don't have to, and neither should you, show all or too many aspects of your life. Leave some room for mystery, imagination, and more interesting conversations in blogger events, for example. As far as writing about MMO and SEO are concerned, nothing's stopping you from launching more than one blog, right?
Manuel,
What a coincidence that you wrote this article. I am thinking of e-mailing you for advice 'coz I had some idea of what to write if I eventually decide to blog.
I am never an expert on anything. I know something about many things...which is often a dangerous thing
But there is one subject that I really know very well...and that's ME!
Your article just put everything in perspective for me. It inspired me. It nudged me a little more to just do it...
Angel's and Dinah's stories are very inspiring as well.
So, for my New Year's Resolution: get my blog going!
Talk to you more soon!
Robert
@Robert - I look forward to reading your blog. Here's to a blog-prosperous 2009!