What Have Learned About Blogging-Part 2
About six months ago, I wrote a post that attempted to compare blogging to running a business and freelancing. When writing the first post, I was a newbie blogger with a puffed up chest, an ego and confidence on steroids about blogging. This actual post was delayed deliberately to help me learn more about blogging. And now six months down the line, I have more insights into my comparisons.
Before I begin my comparison, I would like to say blogging has been a way for me to write in a non-formal style and tone that am not used to in my ‘other life’. As you all know am a writer who also dabbles in editing and proofreading. In my ‘other life’ I tend to find an irresistible attraction to business writing in whatever form it presents itself. But, this right here, gives me a chance to-well-write how I feel like-easy, conversational and relaxed tone while passing on a message.
Patience
Just like in business/freelancing, it requires an enormous amount of patience, diligence and a ‘never die’ attitude to sustain a blog. Granted, there are days, weeks or months when no posts are published due to work pressures, negligence or even lack of blog ideas, the passion to keep going is what sets you apart from others. From finding a steady flow of clients, work/projects, payments on time to seeing your marketing efforts converted to real money, you will need to work harder than ever to make your freelancing work, fruitful and rewarding.
Communication
Imagine you walk into a store where the attendants see you but proceed to ignore you as though you are not there. This is the same in blogging. I have learned that in this forum, you have to keep track of your commenters, fans, followers and other metrics that reveal everything about your blog. You have to be out there, for people to ‘see’ you, feel you, learn from you and eventually agree to be your ‘friend’, fan or follower.
In business, your marketing efforts and advertising will yield the same. Knowing who, what, when, how and even why people buy or pick a competitors’ product or service boils down to having excellent communication channels.
The Village
It takes a village to raise a child, so goes the African saying. This blog is like my baby. The villagers are the readers, commenters, other bloggers and advertisers (if you are a problogger). To make this baby grow, one needs to interact, accept criticism, critique, praises or love for how a baby is growing or why the child is becoming malnourished.
In business, one needs to form alliances, friendships and networks with other people in business. From people within your industry to people in an unrelated field, these can offer valuable insights into a growing and/or a successful business.
Recap
In my first post, I talked about blog marketing and techy stuff. As far as blog marketing goes, am getting there. This is partly to understanding why I write this blog. Reasons range from inform, stretch my creativity to presenting the blog as my canvas of my work to potential clients. As for the techie stuff, I had to learn a bit (though ‘twas mind boggling). See all the widgets/plug-ins, hacks and modification on this blog, I did them all without any techie hand 
.
.What lessons have you learned from your blogging endevours?
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