8 Action Tips For Guppy-Bloggers In An Ocean Of Sharks

Table of Contents What To Do When You Feel Like A Guppy and Blog In An Ocean Of…
Guppy blogger surrounded by blogger-sharks

This is a guest post from Lorraine Reguly, who is a freelance writer/blogger and one of the winners of the Aha!NOW guest post giveaway. You would love her tips for bloggers shared in this post.

Have you ever compared yourself to others and felt like they had it all… and you had nothing?

Have you ever wondered how (or why) so many other bloggers became so popular?

Have you ever turned green with envy when you watched someone else succeed, and wished it was YOU that was experiencing success?

Basically, I’d like to know this: Have you ever felt like a guppy in an ocean of sharks?

If you’re nodding your head right now – or thinking, “Yeah, I have…” – I can relate; I’ve been there, too.

I have done all of the above at some point during my online career, and today I’m going to share some words of wisdom and some of my experiences, as well as empathize with you.

I’m also going to offer some insights and advice that you can use to arm yourself so you don’t drown or get eaten alive.

By the end of this post, you’ll feel better about yourself. Guaranteed.

Plus, you’ll learn a few strategies that will make you a better blogger and a more understanding person.

As a bonus, you will be enlightened to some of the tips and tricks that others seem to know about – that you don’t.

Here A Blog, There A Blog, Everywhere A Blog-Blog…

As you already know, there are millions of blogs in the blogosphere, and some blogs are more popular than others.

How do you make your blog stand out from the rest? How do you grow your blog – or business? And how the heck can you stop feeling inferior or like a guppy who blogs in an ocean of sharks?

What To Do When You Feel Like A Guppy and Blog In An Ocean Of Sharks

There are several things you can do to alleviate these feelings and grow as a blogger.

1. Determine the Type of Blogger You Want to Be

There’s a difference between simple blogging and successful blogging. Knowing the difference will help you decide which type of blogger you want to be.

Bloggers who blog as a hobby view blogging as something fun (and maybe even relaxing), and as a way to connect with like-minded people.

Bloggers who blog for a living can also view blogging as a fun activity (and probably began their blog as a hobby), but somewhere along their way, they learned how to make money.

If earning money is your end goal, you need to determine which ways will work for you.

The possible ways you can earn online include: through affiliate links, through sponsored posts, through Adsense or other types of ads, through selling banner and other types of advertising on your site, through promotion of products using Amazon Associates, through writing and selling your books or ebooks (or both), by selling products and/or services, and by accepting donations. (I’m sure there are other ways, too. I might just not know about them yet.)

For the majority of these ways, you need to learn something about business and marketing to be successful in your endeavours.

Regardless of what you do, heed Danny Iny’s advice: “Pick what really connects with you.” (Quote taken from interview with Adam Franklin on How to grow your online audience with Danny Iny)

2. Make Time For Learning

Making time for learning is, perhaps, the most difficult to do because of the amount of time it takes. But it’s worth it to gain the knowledge others have acquired… even if it takes you ten times longer to do.

Case in point: When I first started blogging, I used to see “Click-to-Tweet” links in blog posts everywhere! I asked several people how to do this on a free blog (mine was not yet self-hosted) and I ended up having to go through a whole bunch of steps in order to achieve the desired result that a simple plugin will do for you.

Geez. I guess I should’ve listened to the “experts” after all and gotten my own site right away! I would’ve saved myself a few headaches for sure! Plus, I wouldn’t have felt so much like a guppy in an ocean of sharks. 😉

FYI, I wrote a 10-step tutorialon how to create a Click-to-Tweet link. Ana Hoffman wrote a two-option post on Google+ about this, Ramsay Taplin wrote one after seeing this strategy used on Neil Patel’s blog, and Adrienne Smith wrote a post about how to do this, too.

Depending on the type of blog you have (self-hosted or not), one of these posts is sure to help you!

Quote of Einstein on background of sharks

3. Stop Comparing Yourself to Other Bloggers

To be successful and grow as both a person and a blogger, you need to do is stop comparing yourself to others and embrace your uniqueness.

You are unique; you have your own attributes and talents. No one is exactly like you, and therefore cannot offer your experiences to others.

Only you can do this! Embrace yourself and your uniqueness, and stop comparing yourself to others! (Yes, I know I said this twice. That’s how important this point is.)

Instead of making comparisons, the important thing to do is to express your gratitude, whenever and wherever possible, for the talents, resources, and relationships you have.

The simple fact of the matter is this: people need people, no matter who you are. No one can dispute this.

Comparing yourself to others is pointless. It’s not going to make you feel better if you compare yourself to some of the sharks, even though it will make you feel a bit superior if you compare yourself to some of the guppies. So why bother at all?

Besides, each person’s journey is different. No shark began as a shark. Growth takes time.

4. Realize that Blogging Growth Takes Time

There are two different types of growth I’m referring to here. One is how to grow a blog. The other is your own personal growth. The two are often tied together; as you learn more about blogging and become a better blogger, you’ll grow as an individual.

When I first began blogging, I knew nothing about it. Seriously. Absolutely nothing. But that didn’t matter.

I was still able to amass a following. I learned many things along the way, too, including things I didn’t ever want to know, didn’t think I needed to know, and I am learning more and more all the time.

As a self-proclaimed non-techie, I struggled with what others perceive as “simple” things. But I had a desire to learn, to be better, and to grow.

I also asked a lot of questions. I was always asking others “How do you (blank)?” or “How can I (blank)?”

Case in point:  I once thought of Dear Blogger’s Greg Narayan as a bit of a shark. I’ve learned a lot from Greg. As a self-proclaimed non-techie, I was surprised that Greg was able to teach me some html coding!

Even though I don’t fully comprehend the intricacies of it, I now know how to make neat things I can include in my blog posts, from colourful boxes to how to highlight text to how to create and code page jumps.

The great thing about most people is that they are willing to share their knowledge. Sometimes getting the desired results is free; sometimes a price tag is attached to it. There are some free workarounds for bloggers on a budget.

If you are trying to grow a blog or a business, there are many different ways you can grow.

5. Write Well and Own Your Own Voice

This tip is obvious and should go without saying, but I’m going to say it anyway. You need to write well. There are no ifs, ands, or buts about this.

Why?

At the most rudimentary level, a post riddled with typos, or one that has no discernable flow, is difficult to read. It shows that you don’t care enough to be bothered with editing your posts.

While I am not going to delve into the numerous ways that you can improve your writing (there are entire blogs devoted to this topic!), I will suggest that you employ the four ways you can improve your writing skills outlined by the lovely lady who has been freelancing longer than I.

If you need some help with Point #3, I’d suggest subscribing to sites that offer writing tips – like Daily Writing Tips .

Each writer I know has his or her own voice, and it’s important that you find yours, own it and love it. Don’t try to copy someone else’s. Be unique. Write from your heart, and enjoy it.

Readers like to see fresh, new voices, not imitations of other people. Have you ever eaten imitation lobster or crab? Does it taste the same as the real stuff? No, it doesn’t! It may taste… alright… but it’s not the best.

To be the best, be yourself. You are the best person for that job! Let your writing reflect this.

6. Build a Support System of Your Own and Engage With Others

Building a support system is something that takes time. Don’t expect to have a relationship with everyone you meet, but do work on building relationships.

Join groups on Facebook and LinkedIn. Join communities on Google+. Participate in discussions. Find other like-minded bloggers in your niche to connect with. Reciprocate comments.

Engage with your community of readers not just on your blog but also on the various social media sites where they are found. This takes time, but each interaction serves to cement the relationship or connection.

If you know anything about marketing – or even if you don’t – you will know that word-of-mouth marketing is one of the most effective ways to sell your “stuff” (whether your “stuff” is a product or service, or even one of your blog posts).

How can you build these relationships? For starters, read the blog posts of the bloggers you want to connect with, comment on them, and share them. Tell your friends about them. Link to their posts from yours.

Eventually you will evoke curiosity from that blogger-shark! The shark will notice you, and instead of eating you alive, might just become your friend, take you under his/her “fin” (not wing – we’re doing a fish analogy here, not birds!) and help you grow.

7. Position Yourself Properly and Support Others With Gestures of Appreciation

Position yourself among those you admire and can learn from. Use their expertise to help further yourself, your business, your traffic, and your knowledge. Remember, people need people. They need you as much as you need them!

Demonstrate your appreciation of others – influencers and readers alike – with gestures of appreciation.

These gestures can include kind words, praise, words of thanks, social shares of their blog posts, or mentions/tags/ on social media. (I know I love it when others share my posts and mention me on Google+, Facebook, and Twitter! Don’t you just love it when people mention you?)

By identifying specific people and complimenting them, you will not only win their love but their respect, too. Double win-win!

FYI, Ana Hoffman says: “I’d say a blogger becomes a shark when other sharks start sharing their content.”

8. Focus on the Positive, and Don’t Give Up

Don’t give up, regardless of what you’re trying to do. It takes time to accomplish things, and hard work to achieve results. Persevere. Stay determined. Continue learning.

Focus on the positive. Celebrate your victories. Look at how far you have already come, and create new goals once you’ve attained your current ones.

Above all, enjoy the journey.

Quote of Euripides on background of sharks

My Best Advice

Regardless of where you’re at in your blogging stages, my best advice is to realize that no one blogger or business owner knows everything. We learn from one another. Just take a look at the whole “Click-to-Tweet” issue mentioned in tip #2 above!

It doesn’t matter if you feel like a guppy in an ocean of sharks; what matters is that you simply keep going when you want to give up, write the best blog posts you can, set your priorities straight, and above all else, keep following your heart.

If you stay true to yourself, you’ll feel like a shark and be seen that way by others, even if you still perceive yourself as a guppy. Trust me on this. I speak from experience.

I’m not a shark nor a guppy. I have learned my worth and value. I have experienced both failure and success. Neither is all it’s cracked up to be.

Actionable tips for bloggers to start feeling like a blogger-shark:

  • Determine the Type of Blogger You Want to Be
  • Make Time For Learning
  • Stop Comparing Yourself to Other Bloggers
  • Realize that Blogging Growth Takes Time
  • Write Well and Own Your Own Voice
  • Build a Support System of Your Own
  • Position Yourself Properly and Support Others With Gestures of Appreciation
  • Focus on the Positive, and Don’t Give Up

One Blog, Two Blog, Red Blog, Blue Blog

With over 7 billion people in this world today, and millions – if not billions – of blogs, it’s easy to get lost in an ocean of bloggers, and even harder to make your voice heard.

Where are you at in your blogging career?

Share Your Thoughts –

Is your voice  being heard? What kind of things are you doing to stand out? Which suggestion(s) are you going to implement to help you along your blogging journey? Do you agree with these tips for bloggers?

Photo Credit: Mary O-Malley, Lorraine Reguly

Disclaimer: The views expressed and shared in this guest post are of the guest blogger. The ownership and responsibility of the images used lies with the guest blogger.

160 comments
  1. 154 comments within 5 days? WOW ! Lorraine has surely set a very high standard for me. I have started writing my guest post for aha-now as we are speaking.

    It’s so important to have faith on oneself, whether it’s blogging or something else. People often misunderstand that “Big sharks” wouldn’t help them whereas it’s the opposite. All you need to do is ask. James Altucher holds a weekly Q&A on twitter to inteeract with his audience. He is a multi-millionaire who gets millions of visitors to his blog. Most people wouldn’t dare to ask and miss such a wonderful opportunity to interact with a “big shark”. They take you under their fins (not wings) because that’s how human beings grow.

    We must be true to ourself. It’s a coincidence because today I talked about the same thing in an interview with Matt from searchdecoder(dot)com. Some writers make the decision to write in a niche where he is unfamiliar with. He makes the decision solely because it’s a profitable niche. I know insurance and finance are profitable but it won’t make sense if I have no clue what I am writing. I will not enjoy writing on finance and will eventually give up writing all together. Hence, it’s really important that we should choose a niche where we can write day in and day out. We should be addicted to our niche. Only then, we can stick long enough to make it a success. Harleena said, it takes 3 years. Sometimes, it takes even longer. To have the patience, we must be true to ourself and write what we love.

    1. Harshajyoti, thanks for your comment! It made me chuckle, as Harleena and I have been promoting the post to the best of our abilities to make it really successful. The people included in the pictures have also helped with retweets, too, and so I am honoured to have their help. I also wrote a “Part 2” to this post on my Wording Well blog which links to this one – and I had help sharing that one, too, from many of the people I mentioned. Plus, I mentioned about two dozen other people who have helped me during my blogging journey (20 months of it) and I also just started using Triberr to reach even more people. Paying it forward and promoting others using the 80/20 rule really works! (Have you heard about this “rule”?)

      This post also offers insanely useful tips that every blogger can learn from, whether they are a guppy or a shark, and that is one of the reasons why I expect it will continue to do well over time. It’s tough creating such a great post, and I devoted a lot of time in making it great because I wanted to help Harleena and the thousands of people who will read this and have read it already!

      As to your comment about having faith in yourself and staying true to yourself? Yes, I agree, wholeheartedly. You MUST love what you are doing or else it will just seem like work and you will dread doing it, which will hinder you instead of help you.

      There is no point in doing a job you don’t like because your negative feelings will carry over to your personal life and make you miserable in that area too.

      It’s great that you mentioned the chat with the millionare; they are people like you and me. They just happen to have more money! But they work hard, work smart, and so earn big bucks. It’s wonderful to see them interacting with their fans and helping others – paying it forward, so to speak.

      It sounds like you are doing your research well, Harshajyoti, and congratulations on winning a spot on this great blog!

      I am looking forward to your post. 🙂

      Oh, and I love how you mentioned their fins. 😉 That made me smile more than anything!

      1. Yeah, I am aware of Pareto’s principle.I should start using Triberr more often. “Naming the names” is a good way to promote an article. Even I will be quoting a lot of established websites and influencer. I hope it turns out well.

        1. Harshajyoti, that sounds great. I wish you the best of luck, and I’m sure it will turn out well. Harleena will help you make it rock, as you know. 😉

          Have a good upcoming weekend. I look forward to reading your post. Make sure you have set aside several hours (for a few days afterward) to respond to comments and make new connections!

          I had forgotten the name of that rule, too, so thank you for reminding me. 🙂

  2. I have found a great web designer and The Insightful Wanderer will be TheInsightfulWanderer.ca because I am a proud Canadian. I will keep my other blog as is, for now, and see how I manage with both, but I wanted help with the technical stuff. I can only learn so much about that when I would much rather spend my time writing. My travel site won’t focus on photographs, obviously, like most travel websites. 🙂 I hope to paint pictures with words and draw people in with those words.

    1. I am a proud Canadian, too! That’s one more thing we have in common. 🙂

      It sounds like you have things planned out well. Congratulations. Do let us know when it’s up and running. FYI, I can correspond the interview post (if you agree to do it) with the launch of your new site. Happy to help!

  3. This post resonated with me, but I think only half your tips really applied. I think I may be a Halibut in a shark world. Though I don’t know much yet, I have the community and optimism down. Thank you for this post. It really encouraged me to keep at it!

    1. Welcome to my blog Emily!

      Glad this post resonated with you, and you are right – not all of us are guppies, neither sharks. I think we all have something good in each one of us, just waiting to be tapped. I am sure with the enthusiasm and positive approach you have, you’d go places, and I wish you the best for that as well.

      Thanks for stopping by and Lorraine would be here shortly to reply to you as well. 🙂

      BTW – It would be nice if you add your Gravatar or profile picture so that we can all see who we are talking to, as I know you have a nice one on your blog – just a friendly suggestion 🙂

    2. Emily, I misunderstood your email to me but now I see that you have left a comment here and so because you put the effort in, your name will go into my well for one entry for October. 🙂

      Thank you for stopping by and please read the page on my blog for additional ways to enter for free editing.

      I’m glad this post helped you, even if you don’t see all tips as applicable to you. That’s okay, too, because we are all unique and bring different things to the online world!

      I’m sure I’ll be seeing more of you soon! 🙂 Have a great day.

  4. When I started my first blog I just wanted to write. I never hide the fact that I am blind (Memoir Monday: My Fear of Going Blind) but it wasn’t the main focus of Kkherheadache and still isn’t. This new website I am starting is called The Insightful Wanderer and so that is focused a lot more around the fact that travel is something made a lot more complicated by the fact that I am blind, but that I deserve the same chance to explore my passion for travel, culture, and nature just like everyone else and I believe I can come at it all from my own unique perspective. Thanks for the encouragement.

    1. That’s really being passionate about your blog I would say, Kerry 🙂

      Yes, I read about it on your “About Me” page, when I first visited your blog. I like the name of your new blog, sounds interesting! Wishing you all the best with it, and do let us know whenever it’s up and running – we’d all hop over and check it out 🙂

    2. Kerry, I think that is absolutely wonderful. More people need to be aware of what blind folks go through. I love your insightfulness with that title, too.

      Let me give you a tip right off the bat. Get your own domain and hosting and learn all the hard stuff about having a website right away to get it out of the way. Then you will have the potential to be big. Really big. Assuming that’s what you want, of course…

      I hope I have not crossed any boundaries. I feel like this might seem pushy, but I’m only trying to help you NOT make the same mistakes I did!

      Of course, learning while blogging is all part of the process. I am still learning, too.

      I wish you the best with your dreams! 🙂

      Naturally, I’m here to help as well and if you want some good resource posts on the problems I had when moving blogs just let me know. They’re on my website and Greg’s website. I can send you links via Twitter. Just ask, okay?

  5. Hi Lorraine and Harleena

    Thanks for a great post.

    I think the thing that has helped me grow most as a blogger is how much I have learned from other bloggers. I made so many mistakes, and somehow seem only to learn that way!

    But it’s good to feel that “being myself” is OK – because I couldn’t pull it off to be “someone else” for more than a single post. They say that liars need good memories, for one thing, and my memory is not good!

    Joy

    1. Hi Joy,

      Glad you liked Lorraine’s post 🙂

      Absolutely! And learning is one thing that should never stop, no matter what level you reach, or shall I say the kind of ‘shark’ you become! We all learn by our mistakes, and I think they are our greatest teachers. But that kind of a learning always stays with us too, isn’t it?

      Having your own voice and being you doesn’t come easy for many, especially new bloggers as they are still finding their way around, but eventually it’s the only thing that works. Lol…thanks for stopping by, and Lorraine would be here shortly to reply to you as well 🙂

    2. Hi Joy! I’m right there with you. My memory is horrible. If I don’t write things down, I forget. Out of sight, out of mind, you know? That’s me!

      Thanks for dropping by to read my post. I’m grateful for your comment and it’s nice to meet you, too. Enjoy the rest of your week. 🙂

      Oh, and Harleena, I’m taking the next two days off (I think).

      1. Lucky you Lorraine! Though I wonder if you can ‘really’ take them off!! 😉

        No worries at all – I’d have all your comments waiting once you are back, and hope you have a nice time. 🙂

        1. You’re so right. LOL Here I am… at four in the morning… answering comments again.

          I bought a new book the other day, though, and have already read 94 pages of it. I think I just needed a break. 😉

  6. Great tips and great post. 🙂 I believe I am already doing most if not all of these you’ve listed, but I just hope I can keep them up going forward. I may be crazy, but I am starting a second site. I apologize that I do not have a photo here. I am good with the written content, but so much of the online world is visual and photographs. I have trouble keeping up with that part.

    1. Kerry, thank you so much for dropping by to read this post! What is your second site going to be about?

      FYI, I applaud your efforts and think you are doing a great job.

      I liked how you mentioned in your comments that you have trouble keeping up with the visual aspect of blogging but if you want my honest opinion, I think you should also mention why: because you are blind or visually impaired. (I don’t know which term you prefer. I know that when Max and I first met, I told him to own his blindness and not hide it and now he embraces his uniqueness and I think you should too.) I’m not trying to be pushy, Kerry, but I do think that, in standing out online, you would be wise to exploit this aspect of yourself! Be proud of it, and of yourself. You are an inspiration, girl! 🙂

      I’m eager to hear about your new site. Please let us know what it will be called so we can visit!

  7. Harleena & Lorraine- Very good advice.

    I think one of things is to realize that there is no quick fix and everything takes time. I started blogging to boast my main website. It has taken time but it is starting to pay off. The one thing that I have noticed with many bloggers, I have no idea what they are selling. If it was out in the open more instead of embedded in the blog post, I think people would be more successful. I can’t tell you how many times I will see a blog and say to myself, what are they selling?

    1. Hi Arleen,

      Absolutely! Blogging is a process, and just like every other business and work we start, this too takes time to grow. Lol…I agree with you there – wish it were more in the open and visible. But to each their own, I guess we just need to tread our path and do it to the best of our abilities.

      Thanks for stopping by, and I am sure Lorraine would be here shortly to reply to your comment as well 🙂

    2. Arleen, I’ve often wondered the same thing, but I’ve come to realize not everyone has something to sell. Some bloggers blog simply for the fun of it or to increase awareness about about something.

      I’ve also wondered why your blog and your website aren’t more “connected” with each other. If I were you, I’d link to the main site more than you do, if selling is one of your goals (which I’m sure it is!).

      Food for thought.

      Thanks for stopping by, Arleen. We appreciate your comment!

  8. Hi Lorraine,

    Lots of great takeaways in your article.

    I have a whole bunch of things to validate you on, and one thing I’ll start with to challenge all of us who blog.

    The challenge is that we talk about those who blog as hobby and those who blog for money. But, we leave out the bloggers like me that have a business blog for a slightly different purpose. My blog doesn’t directly make money. Instead, it’s a business blog that teaches other businesses how to understand and leverage technology to help them succeed online.

    What my blog does for me is offer validation and credibility and that leads to both offline and online business opportunities. So, my blog is an indirect way to make money.

    I just want to put that out there because it’s a third way to use a a blog that’s built into a website and it’s forgotten a lot.

    Now, on to the good stuff, lol…

    I love that you bring education into the conversation. Much of our time ought to be spent researching, reading and acquiring new ideas, thoughts and skills that will aid and help our readers, prospects and customers. Unfortunately, it’s pretty clear that some bloggers are just throwing things out there hoping it will stick.

    Not everyone is a master blogger or has a lot of experience in blogging. But, everyone has an expertise or skillset that they bring to the table and can write about and build experience and influence.

    That’s where I felt your idea on don’t compare yourself to other bloggers was huge. Instead of comparing, why not collaborate and find ways to inspire, encourage and help one another grow. That’s why connecting with influencers like the ones you’ve mentioned can be a game changer because when you bring them to the fore front and promote them and their work, they may be inclined to do the same for you at some point.

    But would they want to if you don’t know who you are, what business you’re “really” in, what problems you “really” solve, and you haven’t mastered your writing skills? I learned a long time ago that it’s about making others look good and if you’re not going to do that they are going to do anything for you, nor should they. They don’t want to be embarrassed.

    For an influential blogger to take the risk and promote you means they have to believe in you. That means we have to give them reasons to believe in us as well as reasons to share us with their audience which they’ve worked hard to garner.

    Nothing is given, all is earned. Right?

    In doing all of this it will be a natural thing to create relationships with people and watch your community build. At some point, loyalty will kick in and a support system will naturally develop.

    I know Adrienne Smith has experienced this for sure, we talked about it.

    I really appreciated your article Lorraine! Congratulations on getting a guest blog on Aha-Now! That speaks volumes!!!!

    I hope you have an awesome week and I look forward to connecting with you.

    ~ Don Purdum

    1. Don, you have hit upon an extremely important point: using your blog to provide credibility online. I agree that this is one reason for why people blog, and I’m glad you mentioned this. Authors have a similar reason for blogging: to build a platform for their books. In this respect, authors provide others with a taste of what’s to come.

      I also like your point about how connecting with influencers can have a positive effect on them. This is true – case in point: Ana Hoffman recently THANKED ME for ENCOURAGING HER… (This happened in the comments section of a post on Google+.)
      So, yes, you have a very valid point there, Don!

      I agree with you, too: “Nothing is given, all is earned.”

      I couldn’t have said it better myself. 😉

      Thank you for bringing to light these important points. I look forward to connecting with you, too. 🙂 Further, I should say. 😉

      Have a great week ahead.

      FYI, your diagram on your About page, coupled with your insightful comment, has given me a few new ideas for blog posts for Wording Well. Thank you!

      1. Hi Lorraine,

        Thanks for such a well thought out reply. Now I see why Harleena asked you to be her guest.

        I appreciate your kind words about the diagram on my About page. When you write those articles, please let me know. I will look forward to reading them!

        1. Don, I believe I have sent you an invite on Triberr.

          As to the ideas I had? I had been trying to figure out a tough solution to an easy question, without realizing that my answer should have been blatantly obvious. This may sound cryptic, but when I looked at your diagram, I froze when I tried to think of what problems I solve. The obvious answer is so simple: I improve the written work of others using my knowledge of the English language and its many rules. DUH!

          I’m laughing at myself for this now…

          Thanks for the reply. All of the articles will eventually be on my blog. 🙂

          Let’s connect on Triberr and then you can see them without subscribing to my blog. 😉

          1. Good Morning Lorraine!

            I haven’t been on Triberr yet today, but I will shortly. Thank you for the invite!!!

            That’s too funny. It happens all of the time. The obvious is sometimes the hardest thing to see. I would challenge you to take it one step further… you wrote it from your perspective. How would your prospects and clients see you and how would they say it?

            Thanks again for the invite. I hope you have an awesome day. See you on Triberr!!!!

            ~ Don

            1. Don, I just updated the home page (aka landing page?) of my site… after thinking about what you said. It was pretty cluttered before. I hope it is okay now. (My Wording Well website.)

              I did this so that potential clients could see me as someone who is intelligent, can perform many services, offers value, and is not pushy. I simply provided a couple of links and will expect visitors (clients or blog readers or whoever) to pick and choose what THEY want to do once they come to the end of the page.

              People are going to make their own decisions anyway, and so I’d rather take a casual, laid-back, factual approach with them.

              Yes, see you on Triberr!

              1. Hi Lorraine,

                That’s so awesome!!! I’m so glad I could be a positive contributor to you! That is so encouraging!!!!!

                I joined your Tribe on Triberr and I’m looking forward to connecting with you more on your site as well!

                ~ Don

  9. Lorraine,

    From one Guest Post Winner to another, nice job of capitalizing on this opportunity! I’m quite sure your post will resonate with many….I know it did me!

    I’m curious, what specific tips do you have regarding blog monetization?

    All great points and I really appreciate your writing style!

    1. Kathi, congratulations on your win. 🙂

      Thanks for the compliment on my post, too. As for monetization tips? I’m not sure I’m the right person to ask for advice on this topic. The only thing I can say is to write great content that ranks high in Google search and then install Adsense.

      This is not as easy as it sounds, either. 🙁 But doable. 🙂

      I appreciate your comment AND compliment. Have a great week ahead.

  10. Hi Lorraine and Harleena,

    What a great post! I’m so glad I found this on Kingged and although I’m late to the party, I feel compelled to hop in with my two lines.

    Running a blog can be overwhelming at times especially when you’re still trying to establish yourself. You have to get many things in order – producing the content, getting the right design, promoting, reaching out to others, learning, and much more.It really takes time and without clear goals it’s easy to get lost.

    The biggest hindrance for me was waiting for that perfect time. I always thought I should know everything upfront before starting out but later realized you can always make time for learning as you grow.

    All the points you’ve mentioned are crucial for growing a blog and thanks for reminding me why I need to improve on my positioning. I feel so motivated after reading this article.

    Thanks for the great info!
    ~Norbert

    1. Hi Norbert,

      You know you are never late – the gates of Aha!NOW are always open for anyone, anytime 🙂

      Absolutely! The starting is easy, but carrying on consistently isn’t all that easy because you keep learning and implementing a lot of things, and if you are doing it all alone, it does time time and effort.

      Time is never actually there, nor does it wait for anyone – it just needs to me created, somehow. We just need to keep going with the flow and be there as and when we can. The perfect time never actually comes, to be honest – it’s something I used to think a lot about also, but then just started going ahead and experimenting with things, the way it was. There is no absolute right or wrong either, because each one of us has our own share of experiences, which is so different from anyone else’s -so to each ones own. It’s a journey, a process, that takes time.

      Thanks for stopping by, and I am so glad Lorraine’s post could motivate you – she’d be thrilled reading this and would be here in a while to reply to you as well. 🙂

    2. Norbert, I’m so happy you showed up to leave me a comment. I’m going to have to check out Kingged; I had never heard of it until now!

      (I think I live under a rock.) 😉

      I’m glad you are feeling motivated! Blog better! Earn more! Socialize, too!

      Thanks for making ME feel like I’ve helped you, Norbert. Have a great week ahead!

  11. Hi Lorraine,

    I keep bumping on you but I’m not sure if I have been on your site. I get so busy that no matter how much I want to read more blogs of other people, it just so hard to keep track.

    As a blogger, I started blogging as a hobby from livejournal on the early 2000. Then I quit my graphic design for like 10 years then back again online, so I’d say I’m on and off. But I’m familiar with blogging. Back then it was only a hobby and I was never pressured to do anything. I didn’t have to worry about SEO, Google algorithm, you name it…I was blogging on a 3rd party and I didn’t have to worry who hacks what because the company worries all that. Now, I started my own domain blogging my business…

    …by the way, we started blog almost at the same time. I’ve been blogging now for 21 months and that is 1 year and 9 months. It’s very different blogging your business. There is more pressure like blog maintainance, dealing with hackers, keeping off spammers, getting more traffic, managing your social media, and I can just go and on…you know how it is.

    I love what you said about “be yourself”. Don’t compare yourself to anybody. You are different. And you have your own voice that is unrepeatable. You are unique in our own special way.

    You know I’ve read something…and I forgot where I read it. Someone said, when you engage with someone choose someone who is not too popular but good enough to interact with. We know that Authorities and Influencers are always busy and it’s very hard for them to engage on a one-to-one basis, but choose someone in your own niche who is good and CONNECT with them on a daily basis…and see what happens!

    I’ve never really felt a guppy in an ocean of shark…until you said it. But I always feel like everyone is at the top and I’m still down here below trying to climb that top. Like I have a looooooong way to go before I can reach where they at. You know what I’m saying? Perhaps that is the same analogy with the sharks.

    Anyhoo, great post Lorraine!!! And I’m glad though I’m late to the party I made it to comment here. Have a great weekend.

    Angela

    1. Angela, yes, I keep seeing your name on Twitter, actually, and I have to thank you again for the retweets. I don’t think you have been to Wording Well recently, but I think you might have left a comment there once or twice in the past.

      I totally get what you mean about the whole “working on your business” aspect, rather than “in” it. Plugins, maintenace, spammers, etc. – dealing with all of this stuff is a real chore!

      I’m happy you found some useful tips in this post. I’m also thankful you took the time to comment, too. It’s great hearing from you!

      FYI, I have you in one of my circles on G+, too. 😉

  12. I’m so glad I found this on LinkedIn. This is a great post. And it’s really going to help me. I need to brand myself and stop comparing, thats for sure. I think I try to write about too many things, but I just don’t know what to stop doing. My main goal is to help people and homeless animals. So I think I’m going to try to concentrate on those two things more. I know it takes time. I’ve been blogging for three years and I’m still not where I want to be in terms of traffic. So I’m just going to “not give up”. Thanks for this post!

    1. Welcome to my blog Jody!

      Nice to know that Lorraine’s post could help you, and yes, comparisons lead to nowhere – we just have to be the best versions of ourselves and compete each day, with ourselves again.

      I think your aim to help people and homeless animals is very nice and with such an aim or goal in mind, you can never go wrong. Writing about too many things isn’t wrong either – we do a lot of that on Aha!NOW too! However, perhaps the interaction is missing or the comments, which tell your that your posts are being read and affirm you are on the right path – don’t we need those!

      I still haven’t seen your blog in details, which I would in a while, but if you spend more time in promoting your posts on various social networks and build relationships with fellow bloggers through commenting etc – it might work well – try it out. That’s the spirit – of not giving up! Keep going and I am sure you’d achieve your goals.

      Thanks for stopping by and I am sure Lorraine would be here to share her views on this too. 🙂

      BTW – It would be nice if you use your Gravatar or profile picture, as I see you have a nice one on your blog, so that we all know who we are talking to – just a friendly suggestion 🙂

    2. Jody, I took a quick peek at your blog, and have to say that you should definitely focus on the things that you are most passionate about. I also agree with Harleena; you should fill out a gravatar profile. Find out more at en(dot)gravatar(dot.)com/support/

      I’m glad that this post helped you, too. I can attest to each point, too; my online journey began about 20 months ago and I’m STILL learning!

      I think your goals about helping people and homeless animals is admirable, too, and I wish you much success in attaing them.

      Making friends/connections with others in that niche and commenting on their blog posts will help with that. Also, sharing their posts on social media and even tagging particular people will help, too.

      Good luck, and remember to stay focussed!

      Have a good week ahead, implement some of these suggestions, and see you around the web… hopefully with a new gravatar! 😉

  13. Hi Lorraine,

    Its good to see you here.:)

    There are many different aspects about blogging and bloggers. Many bloggers do blogging just for fun because its their hobby. Many other who do it for living are somehow put their efforts to boost their blog. They should learn how to make money online?

    I liked the way you have pointed that we all are unique, we don’t need to compare ourselves with anyone else.

    Every people has some qualities and in this blogosphere their are many bloggers who have achieved a lot in their blogging career but it doesn’t mean we should compare us to them. They have their own place and we have our own.

    To become a successful blogger is necessary to know that it takes time. Blogging is not just for couple of days and you can’t get result at instant.

    All the points you have added are awesome.

    Thanks for writing this post.:)

    Hope you are having fun this weekend.

    ~Ravi

    1. Ravi, I appreciate that you took time to read and comment.

      Blogging growth can take a lot of time. I should know; I’ve been trying to grow my blog for about a year-and-a-half! LOL

      I’m glad you like the article and found the tips useful, especially the one about being yourself. Being unique is what is going to make you stand out from everyone else!

  14. Hi Lorraine,

    What a wonderful topic!

    I am always there on a ocean of bloggers and want to be there with all forever. Thanks for sharing your insights and advice here with us. These are really helpful to gain ourself in blogging. I have learn many things from Harleena mam too. She is my inspiration of all time.

    All the 8 points are having their own importance in successful blogging. I liked the most #5. I have some good feelings already from these points you made here.

    Blogging is my hobby as well as I blog for living too. I always take my own time to learn and never compare myself to others. When I started my blog, I was thinking that my blog will grow soon and automatically after posting such quality articles. But, I was totally wrong and realized after some time that it takes time. Now, I am not in hurry to grow my blog. I am just growing myself in front of other bloggers.

    Thanks again Lorraine for wonderful lessons. I really learnt lot of things here.

    Have an enjoyable weekend both of you.

    1. Nisha, I’m glad you are learning – and have learned – some of these valuable lessons. I wish you much success with growing your community!

      Harleena is an inspiration to many, too. 😉 Myself included.

      Have a great week, and thanks for commenting. 🙂

  15. It was overwhelming when I first started blogging. I found that networking with other and not being afraid to ask questions, reach out to others, and build a network of trusted people who like your content. As you grow, so will your skills and your audience. I started out not writing for Google and this helped me a ton.

    1. Christy, you and I are living proof that the points this article makes are TRUE! 🙂

      It’s great to ask questions and learn, isn’t it? 😉

      Writing for Google is never easy; writing for your audience IS.

      Thanks for your comment, and have a great week ahead.

  16. Hello Lorraine,

    Nice to meet you. I can totally relate about feeling like a guppy. The good news is I’ve implemented your suggestions so I’m at the continue to learn and not give up stages at this point :). Not giving up is great advice because those who start a blog thinking they can make thousands of dollars a month in less than a year quit after they realize it’s going to take real work.

    The one thing I want to do differently is video. I’m very camera shy and I’m working on getting over that. I know I’m missing out on opportunities with that but it’s been quite the challenge.

    Thank you for sharing your experience with us. I had a question about the click to tweet too but I didn’t want to ask because I didn’t want to seem like I didn’t know anything :).

    I hope you’re having a great weekend and to you as well Harleena!

    1. Corina, if you are having problems overcoming your camera-shyness, try making a ten-second video to begin with, and progress by five seconds each time you make one… but do this for one week straight. Then, after a week, take a look at Video 1 and then Video 7. You will see a difference in your confidence and the way you present yourself.

      Trust me on this one; I was involved with a video series at one point and picked up some great tips from Marisa Murgatroyd. (Google her and find her “Join the 30 Day Video Challenge” from May 2013 video for more information.)

      As for your questions about Click-to-Tweet… do you still have any? If so, please ask them. I’m here to help.

      Thanks for adding to this conversation with your experiences. I wish you the best with your video shyness!

  17. Hello Lorraine Reguly,

    Nice to see you in Harleena’s blog. You already answered most common que. of unsuccessful bloggers. According to me, if you think blogging as earning source or hobby, you still have to love blogging to get proper success.

    I think every new & passionate blogger must read it once to get proper guideline.

    Have a happy weekend 🙂

    1. Ahsan, thanks for the endorsement of my tips! I sure appreciate it. 🙂

      I also agree that you should love blogging if blogging is a part of your job. It’s better to have a job you love than a job you don’t like!

      Have a good week ahead, and thanks for your comment.

  18. Hey Lorraine

    Great post, really many bloggers are just blogging to make money without the motto of helping others this way they are not going to get succeed in blogging. Even some copy other post and start using that content on their blog by this they are harming their blog only.
    As you have mentioned all the points must be followed thoroughly to become a successful blogger.

    Thanks for sharing
    Regards
    Suprabhat

    1. Suprabhat, it saddens me to hear that you know of a lot of people who are only out to make money, and not help others. Perhaps you need a new group of online friends!

      Plus, if they steal others’ content, that is called plagiarism, and is illegal. If you know of people who are doing this, please report them!

      Thanks for your comment. We appreciate it.

      1. Hi Lorraine

        You got it right i have a great group of friend but i need another one whose major aim is on growing up not of earning money.
        Yes i have reported this type of blog who are stealing content.
        But whenever i report i just drop a mail to them so that there hard work shouldn’t get waste just for one post.

        Thanks
        Regards
        Suprabhat

  19. Hey Harleena and Lorraine!

    Thanks for sharing this. This reminds me a lot of my advise to many. I think blogging is really over-rated. Many people are actually selling stuffs instead of helping others.

    If you want to be successful, you have to find your own voice and goal. Like what the article said, determine if you want to blog for a living or blogging for fun. For me, I started as a fun thing which … transformed into a serious occupation in no time.

    Practice those tips above and you’ll be on your way to be a better blogger.

    Good luck!

    1. Hi Reginald,

      You are so right in saying that, and though I don’t blame them, but a little help would do no harm 🙂

      I think most of us sail in the same boat and started off by testing the waters before taking the plunge. It was the same with me, and I mainly started because I thought of creating a portfolio to showcase my writing skills to my clients, but one thing just led to another. I’d never imagined I’d become a professional blogger from the fun-hobby blogger I was, though I was consistent and determined even then…old habits die hard…lol.. 🙂

      Thanks for stopping by, and I am sure Lorraine would share her experiences with you too 🙂

    2. Reginald, many people begin blogging as a hobby. Some find that they can turn their hobby into a business, and pursue that path, while others are content to be hobbyist bloggers. Either choice is fine. What’s important is deciding the type of blogger you want to be, and this often comes after a lot of soul-searching.

      Even then, it’s never too late to change your mind…

      Some people, however, tend to lose their love of blogging when they start a business, or else they lose their original voice. I think that has happened to me a time or two. I know that when I was learning some technical stuff, my love for blogging waned a bit, and I questioned some of the decisions I was making.

      But finding out who you are and who you want to be is part of the journey!

      Thanks for your comment. I’d like to say I’d see you in Starbucks, but I’m not a coffee-lover, so maybe I’ll run into you on social media. 😉

  20. Hi Lorraine,

    Loved reading this inspiring and informative post by you! 🙂

    It’s a waste of time to compare oneself with someone else, especially someone successful.

    It’s good to look up to them but comparing is the easiest trick to de-motivate oneself. But it happens as most of us want to be successful and some got the idea that success happens overnight.

    Once a person succeeds most overlook the fact that this person worked persistently.

    I don’t think even successful personalities would have succeeded if they’d given up within few months.

    And there’s wealth of other useful information in the post as well like Click to tweet. I didn’t realize how easy it is. I have been delaying it for a while.

    Thank you!! 🙂

    Have a wonderful weekend!!

    1. Priya, I’m glad you enjoyed this post, as well as the Click-to-Tweet information. 🙂

      You’re right; comparing yourself to others can definitely de-motivate you. I don’t think I mentioned that explicitly, but it’s true. If a person does that, he/she can get depressed rather quickly and feel like giving up. That is why it’s important to understand that growth takes time.

      I love that you said, “I don’t think even successful personalities would have succeeded if they’d given up within few months.” This is very true!

      Thanks for adding to the conversation here, Priya.

      I wish YOU much success on your blogging journey. 🙂

  21. Hi Lorraine,

    Great tips!

    Writing, and writing, and writing, and then….writing some more helped me find my own voice. By practicing, I write how I write and I’ve lost the urge to fit in. No guppy can stand out in a pool where it looks like the other guppies, right?

    That’s where practicing comes in.

    I write 4000 to 6000 words most days because I value writing, and I value giving my Blogging from Paradise subscribers and eBook buyers the best experience possible. It takes work but hey, I’ve been a guppy, and I’ve been….well…..not a shark, but something higher up the food chain ;)….and I like being higher up the food chain.

    Practice, practice, practice. Follow each tip and practice like mad to make an impact, to find your voice and to stand out from a crowded online niche.

    Thanks Lorraine.

    Tweeting soon.

    Ryan

    1. Hi Ryan,

      There is no doubt about it: Practice makes perfect.

      Writing so much each day is great; many published authors don’t even write that much! 😉

      I know blogging takes a lot of work, but promotion takes even more, in my humble opinion. Having wonderful people to help you out along the way makes things easier, and it’s great when those people assist you with promotion and endorsements. Of course, it’s building the relationships that takes time.

      Thanks for the social shares, Ryan, and your comment. Harleena and I appreciate them. See you soon!

  22. Hello Lorainne and welcome to Haleena’s blog 🙂

    Like i always tell other bloggers, the best and only way that can keep you for a longer time online, is by being yourself. being yourself might not work very well from the start, but trust me, it will surely be your greatest asset.

    Thanks for such a lovely post. do have a brilliant weekend both of you…

    1. Hi Babanature, and thank you for your comment.

      It’s nice to meet you. Keep on giving others that advice about being yourself; it works!

      Have a great weekend, too. 🙂

  23. Hi Harleena and Lorraine,

    Thanks Harleena for having Lorraine over at your blog to share such a wonderful post. I really enjoyed reading it till the end and I was really hooked.

    Lorraine, it is a pleasure meeting you here and I don’t know what to say but all what you wrote is very true and I go through it all.

    I have been in the blogosphere for a little over a year and comparing myself to other bloggers is something I struggle with, to be honest. I always view myself as a guppy blogger still. Lots of wonderful bloggers out there and sometimes I feel like I amount to nothing compared to them. But what you said here is very encouraging and it is true, everyone should have their own voice and everyone is unique in one way or another.

    I like your Advice at the end which sum it all up!! No one knows everything and we have to keep going and never give up.

    Thanks Lorraine for a wonderful encouraging post and thanks Harleena for all the support you offer to the blogging community here in your blog. You both, have a great weekend ahead.

    Be Blessed,

    Neamat

    1. Neamat, it is people like you who make me happy that I wrote this post. I think it is important to encourage other bloggers and motivate them to keep going and not give up.

      I can feel your appreciation, and I have to thank you for that, as it makes ME feel better, too. Another win-win for us!

      It is also a pleasure to meet you. Keep going on your path to success!

      FYI, I took a quick peek at your website. Is the “Services” page a recent addition?

      1. Hi Lorraine,

        Thanks for visiting my website.

        No, the services page is not a recent addition but it is an empty page for now!!

        Thanks Lorraine for asking.

        Neamat

    2. Hi Neamat,

      You are most welcome, and I am glad you liked her post as well – yes, keeps you reading right through, doesn’t it? 🙂

      Don’t worry, because we all are guppies still I think when we compare ourselves to the larger sharks in the blogosphere. Even Ana feels like one when she compares herself to the other marketing sharks, as she mentioned yesterday on G+, so you aren’t the only one.

      We just have to keep going and trying our best to improvise- nothing works better, and remember, growth takes time, so we need to remain patient and keep the faith.

      Thanks for stopping by and your kind words of appreciation as well. Have a nice weekend 🙂

  24. Hi Lorraine

    Thanks for this awesome post. Great information, tips and encouragement. Over the past two and a half years since I have been blogging, i have gone through all of the emotions that you outlined at the beginning, though mostly in the initial stage. I am happy to say that I have gotten past those things and have gotten comfortable in ‘my own skin.”

    I am happy to build a niche’ and a brand that stands out, no matter how long it takes. I believe that I fit quite well into this profile that you have so clearly articulated

    “Determine the type of Blogger you want to be
    Write well and own your own voice
    Build a Support System of Your Own
    Position Yourself Properly and Support Others With Gestures of Appreciation
    Focus on the Positive, and Don’t Give Up”

    Thanks for the encouragement. Have a great weekend. 🙂

    1. Yvonne, it’s no secret that we all go through these emotions. The stages of blogging are different for each of us – they vary in how long each lasts – but they are basically the same for each blogger. The blogging continuum is sometimes hard to articulate, too; no two bloggers progress at the same rate. It is dependent on their prior knowledge and how much they put into learning new things. Staying current with respect to blogging trends and SEO algorithm updates is tough to do, too!

      Sigh.

      There is always so much to learn.

      I’m glad you are finally comfortable in your skin, too. 🙂 That is an achievement in itself and should be celebrated!

      Congratulations, Yvonne! Remember to take time to appreciate your “victories” as they happen, and to reflect on how far you’ve come.

      Thanks for your comment, too. We appreciate your contribution!

  25. Wow! What a great post.After reading this post, I now know what must be done. Thumbs up

  26. As you say Lorraine the first step is to figure out why you are doing what you are doing. Blogging for fun or money is fun either way and I think that is the way it should be. Let your creative self flow and find your own voice. Growth of readers and hopefully growth of income will follow.

    1. Tim, you are not the first person to say that… but you are the first person to say it here! Thanks for that. 🙂

      You’re right; the money will follow once you have built a strong foundation.

      I appreciate the visit from the BHB group. I know Harleena does, too. She’ll likely welcome you to the community she’s built over here as well. 😉

      Have a great weekend, Tim!

      1. I agree with Tim and you, both, Lorraine. Money will flow, you just need to keep the faith and keep working towards your main goal, and enjoy your blogging journey without stressing yourself out. There are many people who get frustrated because they want quick results. They forget Rome wasn’t built in a day!

        Thanks once again – Tim’s been here earlier, so I didn’t welcome him, though he’s most welcome to join the community anytime – nice to have him back 🙂

  27. Hi Lorainne,

    Great to see you here on AHA Now! Congratulations are in order here too!

    You have given such good advice to bloggers, especially the many newbies that are coming into the fold.

    #2 Make time for learning goes hand in hand with blogging. Half our time needs to be on the learning curve. Things change rapidly and we need to keep up to date on so many things. Actually that’s one of the things I enjoy the most…Keeps my brain going lol.

    #4 is another excellent point that bloggers need to realize. It takes time to grow and no matter what anyone tells you…this is a true fact. As with any business off line or on line (I’m on both) One must have the mindset that it just goes with any other business.

    Best of all is #5 – blog well and own your own voice. Being yourself is the way to go. If one is trying to emulate something rather than their own self, it is apparent to the reader.

    Thanks for your wonderful article!

    -Donna

    1. Hi Donna,

      I’m glad you enjoyed my post. I was thrilled when Harleena announced that she decided to choose 3 winners instead of 2, and that my name came up! I love guest posting and helping others, and so I was able to do just that with this opportunity. Plus, I get/got to meet some new and interesting people!

      The one point that I should have expanded upon (and maybe Harleena will do so in a future post) is to make time for learning.

      This is the most critical of all points, in my opinion, as learn is never-ending and often exhausting! The latter point relates to sleeping because it has been proven that a person needs twice the amount of sleep when they have performed mental activity. Scientific studies have been done! I think this contributes to the WHYs of why bloggers abandon their blogs after only a year or so, and why it’s difficult to feel comfortable blogging in an ocean of sharks, too.

      Learing takes time, repetition, and work. You’re right, too; there is curve when it comes to blogging. No ONE blogger knows how to do it all, but we keep getting better over time because we put forth the effort.

      I am glad you liked and agree with some of the other points, too, Donna.

      Thanks for the visit and contributing to the conversation. 🙂

  28. Hey Lorraine,

    Such a wonderful blog post i would say, first time i have read a long piece of content without even leaving a single work…That’s because you have done really a great job in writing this post and adding more value to Aha!Now Blog.

    I was also searching for ‘click to retweet option’ after seeing the neil patel post about “Strategies that’ll definitely bring more social media traffic”

    I need a suggestion from you and harleena mam both 🙁 I am blogging since 6 years and can’t be able to develop my writing skills. Will you mind giving a small advice that’ll help me to increase my writing skills? I am ready to do whatever you will say. Btw, thanks for doing a wonderful post. Previously i used to compare me with others in a way like :- he has having more good alexa then me, he/she is having more traffic than me, he/she is earning more than me. From several time i stopped doing so and started loving all 🙂 Results are awesome, i started getting more traffic to my blog, positive talk with others did so 🙂 ain’t it? Waiting for your wonderful reply to my comment.

    Thanks for writing
    ~Nitin Singh

    1. Welcome to my blog Nitin – good to see you here 🙂

      Absolutely! Lorraine’s surely done a wonderful job with this post, and I am glad you liked it too. 🙂

      Just as I’d mentioned to one of our friends here (if you scroll up to see), nothing works better than reading and writing, and of course speaking in English too, as all of these enhance your writing skills. Also, always read what you write – for examples, when you comment or when you are writing your posts, once you’ve written them, spend a little time to sit back and read through, you’d find many small mistakes that you can edit. Similarly, it’s always suggested to sleep over your posts and edit them again the next day, if you can’t get them edited by someone – that helps.

      Besides all of this, there are lots of Grammar sites online that can help you get better, just Google up and check them out. You need to spend sometime daily – to read and write. The more you write, the better you will become – it’s a process, but it does work.

      Yes, we all tend to compare ourselves with others, but it’s a passing phase I think, and I am glad you are over it too. Keep going – you are already doing well with your blog 🙂

      Thanks for stopping by, and Lorraine will be here in a while to reply to you as well 🙂

      1. oh mam, thanks for replying , after reading this comment of mine(which i have done here), i got to know that i have shared some false information here too(By mistake). I Will definitely not do such mistakes in future

        P.S : I have mentioned(i am blogging since 6 years, that is 6 months) and i have said, i have read this post without leaving a single work,(i mean to say word) 🙂 Isn’t it funny? From not i will try to improve this bad habit and i glad that you checked my blog.
        Thanks! 🙂

        1. No worries at all Nitin, it happens with many, but if you can be careful, then why not 🙂

          Lol…good you saw your own mistakes – I didn’t want to point them out to you myself. This is exactly how you improve – by reading through all that you write. But there are still small mistakes even in these lines, like not writing ‘i’ as ‘I’ – capital alphabet, or starting the sentence with a small alphabet as in ‘oh’ etc. – small things matter, don’t they? Yes, I did check your blog and shall surely stop by around the weekend – busy promoting this post as yet 🙂

          Thanks once again 🙂

    2. Nitin,

      Thanks for leaving a comment on here and for asking for help. I think it is great that you want to improve your English!

      Harleena has give you some good reminders of things to be mindful of, like capitalizing each sentence and speaking your words aloud.

      I have a great resource for you – I found a great website for you to use to learn English. It has games that make it fun, and it is geared to ESL users. (ESL = English as a Second Language)

      The site takes a long time to load (about one minute on my end, and I have a fast computer!), but it is worth the wait.

      Go to the section that says POPULAR and you will find some interesting links.

      The site is called MANY THINGS (dot) ORG and I hope you check it out.

      www(dot)manythings(dot)org

      I would suggest spending 20 minutes each day exploring and learning.

      English is a difficult language to learn but it is possible to improve if you practice.

      I hope this helps you. I know it will if you put forth the effort!

      Have a great day, and good luck!

      Remember, I’m here to help you if you need it.

        1. You are welcome, Nitin. I hope you learn a lot from that site. I made sure to check Many Things out fully before recommending it you. I’ve also recommended it to others.

          Good luck and do let me know if it helps you, Nitin!

  29. Hi Lorraine – you knew how much I needed this information and you wrote this just for me LOL
    Seriously, I really appreciate the 8 tips – it`s so important to stay focused and just keep moving forward. It seems I learn at least one new thing every day, thanks to you and my other blogging buddies. Thanks.
    Lenie

    1. Welcome to my blog Lenie! 🙂

      Yes indeed, I think most of us can learn so much from Lorraine’s wonderful post, and that includes ALL of us 🙂

      Staying focused, being consistent and committed, and moving forward are the keys. Oh yes…learning should never stop, no matter where you reach in your blogging career, because there is SO much to learn from everyone and everywhere.

      Thanks for stopping by and I would leave the rest to Lorraine to answer 🙂

    2. Lenie, how did you know I wrote this just for you? 😉

      I know that learning so much about blogging in a short time is difficult, but you seem to be doing great! Congratulations on all your successes! I’m thrilled you are going to be giving a presentation at your library next month, too. It’s wonderful that you are going to pass on information to others. This is a sign of a true blogger. 🙂

      Enjoy your weekend, Lenie. Thanks for the visit and the comment. 🙂 We apreciate it!

  30. Jeanette, I’ve not heard of WPBeginner, but I have used the tutorials found at en.support.wordpress(dot)com and often refer other bloggers to this site.

    I’ll be sure to check out your post.

    Thanks for your comment. We appreciate it (although the self-promotion of your post is a little iffy and Harleena might modifiy your comment – and mine).

    I do think it’s great, however, that so many of us are helping others!

    1. No worries about mentioning that you wrote about it in your latest post – just the links one doesn’t allow, though this one is a helpful link, which I allowed, but put a (dot) in place of the real dot (.) – just have to be careful 🙂

  31. All good tips, Lorraine.

    When I started blogging I knew nothing about how to set up a blog. I didn’t know a widget from a wrench. I wish I had known about WPBeginner, a website that offers tutorials and tips about WordPress that’s been endorsed by the top blogging gurus. I wrote about WPBeginner in my post today.

    1. Welcome to my blog Jeanette! 🙂

      I am sorry, I hadn’t welcomed you earlier when you were last here at Max’s post, though I visited your blog I think – still need to reply to many comments on that one, looking for a long sitting for that!

      Most of us have no idea about how to start a blog, and perhaps go in for the easiest platform. I started with the free Blogger platform too, though within a few months when I learned about WP, I switched and changed themes again. So, learning never ends and one thing leads to another.

      Thanks for stopping by, and I’d surely be visiting your latest post as well. 🙂

  32. Hi Lorraine and Harleena Mam,
    Blogging is over populated field right now. So, to have our own identity we need to do few things differently. We don’t need to copy some one or become jealous of some fellow bloggers.

    Yes, blogging is over populated still it is helpful to make oneself popular and recognizable in this arena. It provides opportunities to multiply our popularity in few days. 🙂
    I find the tips given by Lorraine is excellent, impressive and interesting too.
    I liked pictures with qoute having Shark in the background.
    Thank You and have a great day ahead! 🙂

    1. Kumar, with so many blogs in the blogosphere, it makes it harder for someone to stand out. That’s why I mention the points about embracing your uniqueness and owning your own voice.

      You are the first person to say something about the shark background. Thanks for that! I worked hard finding the right image for this post and had to obtain permission to use it from the copyright owner, Mary O’Malley. Fortunately, she allowed me to use it. 🙂

      I wanted to enhance the analgous theme of the post, and I’m happy you mentioned that you enjoyed my efforts.

      Have a great weekend. We appreciate your comment.

    2. Hi Kumar,

      Yes indeed, there are blog coming up every second, and unless you have something unique or different to offer to your readers, how and why will they come to your blog? Or else, it’s your own voice, as Lorraine mentioned, that pulls people and they come to hear YOU, so you always matter.

      Jealousy and comparison don’t lead to anything, and eventually you need to make your mark in the blogosphere, your way – that’s all that works.

      Glad you liked the post and images used, apt for the post, weren’t they?

      Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts with us 🙂

  33. “Determine the Type of Blogger You Want to Be
    Write Well and Own Your Own Voice
    Build a Support System of Your Own
    Position Yourself Properly and Support Others With Gestures of Appreciation
    Focus on the Positive, and Don’t Give Up”
    These are tips that I will follow.
    All suggestions are nice and I agree with them 100%.
    I am trying to improve myself with each post I read. I have learned a lot from bloggers of BHB. I am thankful to all of them for support and the way some like you take time to help me improve myself.
    I surely feel like a guppy all the time, but I am determined to work hard and some day I hope my voice will be heard and after sometime I will overcome the problems I am facing.
    Thank you for great tips.

    1. Andleeb, it’s great to see you over here. The Bloggers Helping Bloggers group is great, and full of wonderful suggestions from many smart people.

      I’d like to know one thing: What is your biggest blogging goal?

      1. Hello Lorraine

        My goal is to have a voice that will be heard and will create some difference.
        I want to stand for the people who are suffering from poverty, corruption, injustice.

        1. Great. I think you are accomplishing that! I’ve been to your blog several times and can see how you are doing that.

          Andleeb, it’s people like you who help facilitate change, and for that you should be commended.

  34. Problem is that no matter how successful we are, there’s always someone who is even more successful! On the upside, looking up to someone who’s doing something better than we do could definitely be a great motivator. 😉

    Great idea for a blog post, Lorraine.

    1. Ana, as usual, you’re right. 😉 There will always be someone smarter, richer, etc. than you. Even billionaires can make this claim!

      The thing to remember, however, is where you used to be… and measure your success against THAT.

      I’m sure you began as a newbie at some point, right?

      I’d love to hear about when you were a guppy-blogger, Ana.

      Thanks for the compliment, too. 🙂

      It’a always nice to hear from you, and the fact that you showed up to leave a comment is greatly appreciated… by both Harleena and me.

      Have a great weekend!

  35. Hi Lorraine,

    I am so glad to meet you here and congratulate you for winning the guest post at Harleena’s blog.

    I am not so old at blogging to become a shark but I am glad these sharks don’t swallow, they are SO helpful! The moment I saw this topic, the lines of a poem by Carl Sandburg came to my mind and I quote:

    “I AM the people–the mob–the crowd–the mass.
    ……..
    The Napoleons come from me and the Lincolns. They die. And
    then I send forth more Napoleons and Lincolns.”

    All those who are so successful at blogging in this competitive blogosphere were new, had to learn and had to devote a lot of time, effort and money to see the positive results. Nothing is easy and yes the best tip is – be yourself! Find your voice!
    I am so pleased to read that we should never give up. Only those with a weak mind can think of giving up. I completely agree with you that success is accomplished only by those who learn constantly and keep going!
    Thanks for a very encouraging post, it will uplift the spirits of many newbies. Thanks to Harleena for inviting you. Have a great weekend!

    1. Balroop, it’s so nice to meet you. It seems we a have a few things in common – writing, poetry, blogging, and… Aha!Now. 😉

      I took a quick peek at your site, and at your book, which looks great!

      While on your site, I was most struck by your disclaimer about the ads that are placed on your blog. Did you know that you can purchase hosting, move your blog (like I did) and then install Adsense on your site? It’s not hard to do; I did it a few months ago with my main site, Wording Well. That way, you can earn money from those ads. (I wrote about my problems with moving sites, too. Feel free to browse Wording Well – look in the category of “blogging.”)

      I’m here to help, so if you have questions, just ask. 😀

      Thanks for your comment, too. I’m glad you found it uplifting. 🙂

  36. Hello Lorraine Mam,

    This is such a wonderful post! Comparing myself to others is my downfall 🙁 I have to admit but I think that is just part of human nature.

    I believe if you’re blogging freely and letting it all flow naturally, then your blog will carry your voice through space and time and impact others.

    I think many of newbie blogger take tension to make their blog establish.I liked mostly 2nd, 5th n 8th point.

    Thanking you for this motivational post with the help of this the newbies like us make a positive thinking with our work 🙂

    Regards,
    Minakshi Srivastava

    1. Minakshi, thank YOU for taking the time to comment here!

      I am happy to hear you enjoyed this post, and that it resonated with you. 🙂

      Great!

      Definitely don’t give up and just be yourself. You’re right, your voice will carry you through and when others like what they hear/read, they will come back again and again.

      I wish you success on your journey. 🙂

  37. Hi Lorraine, First welcome to this qwesome blog and
    Yes you have to spread you own voice than picking others voice. Comparing with other bloggers only hurts you always.

    1. Welcome to my blog Nishant – good to see you here 🙂

      Absolutely! Your own voice is what makes you stand apart from the rest, and that’s any day better than copying others or trying to imitate them. You are you, and I think you should just be happy and comfortable with that. No comparisons with anyone – you are different! So, just be you 🙂

      Thanks for stopping by and I am sure Lorraine would add more here in a while. 🙂

      BTW – Do add your Gravatar or profile pic so that we can all see who we are talking to – just a friendly suggestion 🙂

    2. Nishant, thank you for the welcome, although I have to say the same thing back to you. 😉

      I appreciate your comment. Your observations are correct. It’s important to speak for yourself instead of trying to mimic others. Be yourself!

  38. Hey Lorraine,

    When it comes to blogging you definitely must focus. Take the ideas of others and put your own spin to it.

    I have to say my biggest problem was comparing myself to others. Yes when I first started, everyone had these really nice looking blogs and mine, well, it was pretty boring and tired LOL… That was because i had a free blog instead of using a self hosted one. It took me about a year and half to start pay for a host, but I’m glad I did it. I have more options and didn’t compare myself to other bloggers as much.

    Also I didn’t realize how much time it took to get get better at it. This wasn’t too bad for me because i started to enjoy it more. This was where my focus was. The more I enjoyed it, the more answers i found, the bigger community I started to build, which resulted in better results. I guess you can say it was a chain reaction 😉

    But there’s always room from improvement and it does look like I have a long way to go. These tips will definitely be my map to get to my destination!

    Thanks for sharing!

    1. Sherman, you and I have similar blogging stories. 😉

      I, too, started on WordPress.com and then, 13 months later, I purchased hosting and began… from scratch again! (At least, it felt like it!) Plugins definitely offer more freedom for a blogger, I agree with you there. Plus, it makes you look more professional, like you take your work seriously. Urls are important, too.

      The only drawback to blogging is that it takes so much time. Time to learn, time to reply to comments (I used to envy Harleena, now I don’t! LOL), time to change the layout of your site(s), time to connect with others, time to create content, time to market, time to build relationships, and time to do blog maintenance.

      Phew!

      The time factor may be what holds many people back, especially if they have families (I DON’T know HOW Harleena does it all) and small children.

      I know, for me, I am a slow typist although I write fast. I’m not too technically adept, and so learning to do things that involve techie stuff takes me a long time. Fortunately, I’m a quick learner; that’s my saving grace.

      I think if I danced salsa, I’d be a bit less stressed. 😉 (Yup, checked out your site.)

      You remind me of Patrick McFadden. Not because of the salsa, but because of the marketing aspect. He runs Indispensable Marketing.

      Anyway, it’s nice to meet you, Sherman. Thanks for your comment. We (Harleena and I) appreciate it!

      See you again.

      1. Lol…Lorraine you want to learn Salsa? Sherman is the best teacher around! I loved that you mentioned that, something so different from all of us bloggers who are forever glued to our blogs and writing ALLLL the time!!

        Don’t ask me how I do it! At times I have food cooking one end, my dog wanting attention, and never ending comments or a pending post! I fall SO short of sleep. The kind of sedentary lifestyle we lead – diet, less sleep etc. are perhaps major reason also for many health issues – so better sleep for 8 hrs and see the difference – this is again scientifically proven!

        1. I don’t know if I want to learn Salsa dancing, but I did want Sherman to know I visited his site. 😉

          The time difference between our two places of residences is quite a lot. I’ll be back to reply to more comments later. I’ve been at it for about 3.5 hours now.

          I definitely have a new appreciation for your quick typing skills, and am going to try improving my own. 🙂

          Just not while dancing. 😉

          1. No worries at all – take your time and take a break! I know how tiring blog commenting can be – ask ME!! That’s why I’d mentioned that even writing comments is part of writing for me, even if I don’t write for clients all that much…lol…where is the time – away from this 🙂

            You’d get better with time, and I am not as fast as Adrienne! She’s like the wind!! 🙂

  39. Hi Lorraine,

    Great to see you here on Harleena’s blog.

    First off, I LOVE your writing style. Very conversational and very awesome. Couple things I want to touch on.

    1. Your point about “Make Time For Learning” is really true. As bloggers, our education never really stops. There’s so much stuff and trends happening that if we don’t take the necessary time to learn it, we’ll be left behind and still be a “guppy” blogger.

    2. The point about “Write Well And In Your Own Voice” is also a good point and it’s something that’s been discussed alot lately. We all have our own personalities and even though new bloggers may think that people don’t want to hear or see their personality, it’s really what helps them. That’s what helps Harleena, that’s what helps Adrienne, and so many other great bloggers. When you let your personality shine through on your blog, you’ll really start standing out.

    Lastly, points #6 and 7, I want to combine those because they’re both so good. You HAVE to align yourself with other bloggers that pretty much have the same goals as you or is inspiring or ambitions, etc. Hanging around bloggers who are just complacent and things like that will make you become just like them.

    Awesome post here, Lorraine. I really appreciated it and I’m sharing the heck out of this one. Congrats on winning the contest and thanks Harleena for having her on here.

    Hope both of you have an awesome weekend.

    – Andrew

    1. Andrew,

      It seems like we are becoming fast friends. 🙂

      I’ve seen you make an appearance on Adrienne’s blog in her Thankful Thursday post, and took the time to check out your artice. I know you noticed the shares on Twitter! 😉

      Also, I’ve left a couple of comments on your blog, and so believe that this could be the start of a good relationship. I have to thank both Harleena and Adrienne for introducing me to you. (Thanks, ladies!)

      I also have to thank you for sharing this post, and for the compliment on my writing style. Thanks, Andrew!

      I knew I was going to meet some really great people as a result of this guest post. I’m happy you are one of them. 🙂

      Aligning yourself with people your own niche who are positive is one of the things I’m currently trying to improve upon.

      In fact, one of the things I am now trying to learn more about is Triberr. If you are on there, please let me know.

      Have an awesome weekend, too! Thanks again for your comment and all the shares! 😀

      1. You are most welcome Lorraine – Andrew is one person to look out for and lots to learn from his wonderful posts too. It’s nice both of you connected, though most of my friends I’ve met at Adrienne’s blog, so I need to thank her too 🙂

        Oh yes…Triberr IS awesome, no questions asked – just go ahead and join up, once you do, you’d meet a whole lot of new folks, and yes Andrew’s there too 🙂

        1. Is everyone on Triberr but me???

          Okay, great. Now what do I need to do on there to connect with others, including people I know?

          Sigh. I need some help with this. Can you guide me, please?

          1. Lol..not at all – not everyone, and I also joined some months back, thanks to Carolyn 🙂

            You should just head over there, register yourself, and you have an option of looking up people you know in the search box there. They even have a support and help system, if you feel lost. You need to join tribes of like minded people, and share their posts before you are accepted in the tribe, and before they share yours – give before receiving as they say 🙂

  40. Hello Madam Lorraine,

    Beyond reasonable doubt this is actually a liberating article, I must thank you for that.

    Actually, I am new to blogging and when I see how successful and famous other bloggers appear to be, I feel so inferior. Sometimes I get the feeling that i can never never get to such height. All thanks to you madam, after going through this article i was highly motivated. I think i agree with all the points stated here, sure i’ll put all into practice. Indeed this is going to yield a pleasant result.

    Thanks Madam for sharing these tips with us, do have a nice time

    1. Welcome to my blog Ngwu- nice to see you here! 🙂

      I know this comment is addressed to Lorraine and she’d be here to reply to you shortly, but being a new community member, this is your first comment on my blog, so I had to hop in to welcome you.

      You are not the only one to feel the way you do, because every blogger who might be successful today has been through that path, and we all have had those feelings when we compared ourselves to others. That’s why it’s SO important to not compare yourself to anyone, other than yourself. You just need to be a better version of yourself with time, and that happens with hard work, dedication and commitment – nothing else really works.

      Thanks for stopping by, and I’d leave the rest for Lorraine to answer 🙂

    2. Ngwu, welcome to the blogosphere! Thanks also for taking the time to leave a comment. It’s truly pleasing to hear that I have motivated you to keep going.

      Feeling inferior is horrible. I know this feeling all too well – as both a blogger AND in my personal life. You see, I have some health issues and issues with my weight, in particular. I don’t always feel confident. I don’t always feel like I’m on top of the world. I’ve suffered from depression, and I’ve contemplated suicide, so I totally understand feelings of inferiority.

      However… there is more to me than my weight. There is more to me than my health issues. I have a brain. I have great qualities. I am helpful. I’m honest. I’m a talented writer. I’m a good blogger. I’m a great person. I have a big heart.

      By focussing on YOUR positive attributes, you will raise your self-esteem, too.

      By remembering each person’s path and journey are unique, you will find peace when you look at your own.

      All you have to do is be the best YOU you can be. 🙂

      Good luck. I wish you the best!

      Oh, and welcome to Harleena’s wonderful community! 😀

  41. Hi Lorraine,

    Awesome details… 🙂

    I believe the most important part is the No# 4. “Realize that Blogging Growth Takes Time”… This the most hard part to understand with all these ads all around us – “Learn How made $1000 in One month” kind of stuffs..

    But, I beg to differ with you on Point #3: Comparison, I think you should add few things about “Benchmarking”. There is a difference between comparing others and Benchmarking them…

    Yes we all are unique… But we all believe in a word called “Improvement”… As a blogger you or Harleena or Neil Patel all of you try to help others to IMPROVE their skills…

    But how you are going to SET the measuring metrics for “Improvement”… Many people say that “Improvement” is where were you YESTERDAY and where are you now TODAY… That is great actually…

    But if you consider this… For example… Me and my brother started blogging on same day 1 year ago… Now he is earning average $500 per month and having lots of loyal readers… I am earning average $50 and have very less loyal reader but I have added 2 more email subscriber today which is better than yesterday…

    Now, how I am going to realize my “Improvement”? Relative to which metric? Where I am failing Or can I even call this SLOW moving growth as failing? Am I happy and satisfied with such small achievement?

    Comparison comes with 2 types of information:

    1. Quantitative
    2. Qualitative.

    One should NOT try to compare “Quantitative” information like Authority, knowledge, respect, experience etc.

    But nothing is wrong with “Qualitative” information such as number of shares, comments, followers, growth rate, ranking etc.

    This helps you to set “Benchmark”…

    What say you?

    Regards…

    1. Karmakar,

      I appreciate you taking the time to challenge me!

      I don’t know if your situation regarding your brother is true or merely rhetorical, but I will answer your questions, regardless.

      Here is what I would do:

      Take a look at WHY your brother is having more success earning money than you are.
      Is he promoting his blog more? Does he have friends or other bloggers who help him? Is his niche different than yours? Is his product/service something people want? Do people want your product/service as much? Does he blog at the same time each week? Do you? Are his posts riddled with typos and/or grammatical mistakes? Are yours? Does he write for his audience, or for the search engines? Who do you write for?

      There are so many factors to consider that it truly is pointless to compare two people unless they are doing the exact same thing. In the world of blogging, this is nearly impossible to do. That’s what makes the blogosphere such a wonderful place to be.

      Benchmarking is, by definition, “a standard or point of reference against which things may be compared or assessed.”

      Benchmarking, with respect to blogging, does happen, to a point. Readers have come to expect certain things on most websites: social share buttons, social follow buttons, an About page, a Contact page, an active blog, etc. These “standards,” if not met, demonstrate to others that the blogger is, perhaps, a newbie.

      However, if one does not have thousands of shares or is earning thousands of dollars, does that mean that person is not a “pro”?

      No. Especially if that blogger is doing everything he/she possibly can (or knows how to do) and is conducting him/herself in professional manner.

      Mi Muba, have I addressed this to your satisfaction?

      Please let me know.

      I’ve often wondered if there was such a thing as a “blogger’s bible” or a place where each blogger must go to register as a professional blogger. I’ve also wondered if such laws exist for bloggers that mandate what one can and cannot do.

      How would one develop such a directory, though? If one could implement such a thing, and have each blog owner pay money to register his/her blog, THAT would be a great money-maker!

      1. Hi Lorraine,

        It was an example situation… 🙂

        So, is it important to know how others (Pro Bloggers) are doing?

        About “Benchmarking” the “Standard” – if my readers are going to compare my writing standard depending on social shares, comments etc. with other bloggers, isn’t also important for me to do that to get a better understanding of what is happening around me which can help me to make certain important decision making.

        I believe, it will be a never ending debate… 🙂 🙂 🙂

        Self learning is a trial and error process of slow and solid learning, but competitor analysis with right metrics provides actionable information fast and helps to make rapid decision… Just my thought… 🙂

        Regards..

        1. You’re probably correct: it will be a never-ending debate.

          It’s true, too, that we all have to learn through trial and error. However, it’s also helpful to have other bloggers in your corner to teach you new things, including strategies that have worked for them.

          🙂 Have a great day and weekend.

          Oh, and it’s a relief to hear that you don’t have a brother who is earning more money blogging than you are! LOL

          1. Hi Lorraine,

            I have a Elder brother and he is a School teacher (English) here in India at a local Government School…

            Ohh.. We used to compete with each other all the time… Especially me… I used to take all the advantages of being little bro… Lol… 🙂
            Now, I have got some maturity… I think so… Lol…

            Regards..

            1. I have a sister, so I know how you feel. Sibling rivalry is something many of us have to endure. 😉 I’m the eldest of three; I have a younger brother, too.

              Thanks for sharing, Karmakar.

  42. Hi Lorraine

    First of all I appreciate your way of mentioning newbie bloggers and top bloggers; it’s really eye-catching and mind blowing.

    Your all tips are upfront and need not lengthy details to make someone understand what you mean to say.

    If a newbie blogger won’t determine the type of blogger he wants to be then ultimately time will decide what type of blogger he is. We all know very well time is the cruelest teacher.

    If I dont make time for learning then eventually I have to learn a lot of lessons from the ultimate outcome of my blogging journey.

    Stop comparing yourself to other bloggers because physically two persons can be compared but skills and qualities wise everyone is unique and this is one of the miracles of nature.

    We must know sustainable growth in every venture takes time; growth acquired in haste is not real growth and is actually a bubble which may blow out any time with a slight jerk.

    If you don’t own your own voice people will move to the voice which you follow so much so as if you are just copying it.

    No one can survive in vaccum and must need a system to grow his project further.

    Man is a social animal and a blogger is an online social animal and it is impossible for him to live like a hermit. He is not required to do meditation but to do action and get results.

    Failure begins from the day you quit and you never fail till you keep struggling.

    This is what I could have gotten from your wonderful post.

    I am so thankful to Harleena for making us benefit from your wonderful ideas to survive in this stiff competition in blogosphere.

    Have a nice weekend ahead. 🙂

    1. Hi Mi Muba. Thank you for your wonderful comment, and for taking the time to read the post.

      I didn’t realize I was going to blow your mind! 😉 What a great compliment. 😀

      I really like your point about failing. Failure happens when you quit, and that’s why it’s so important to keep going, persevering, and weathering all storms.

      No one said it was easy to be a blogger, but if you are on a mission to do something, you have to give it “your all” and then – and only then – will you know if you’ve been successful.

      Have a great weekend. I wish you much success on your blogging journey, too.

      Oh, and I know you’ve commented on one of my blog posts on Wording Well in the past, and so I want you to know that I’m now offering free editing to one lucky winner each month. 🙂

      (Harleena, I hope you can forgive me for writing that last line.)

      Have a great weekend ahead, Mi Muba.

  43. Excellent point Lorraine.

    Especially about not comparing yourself to others and owning your own voice. I’ve read many blogs that sound forced; as if they are looking for bigger words or simply parroting another. But it does come off as inauthentic. So like you, I say…just be fabulous you:)

    1. Welcome to my blog Jacqueline!

      I am sorry I forgot to welcome you earlier, as you did stop by for Max’s inspirational post – I still have to warmly welcome everyone on that one! It just had SO many comments coming in that I still need to find that peaceful slot of time to sit and welcome new friends. But better late than never as they say 🙂

      You are absolutely right, and I think Lorraine does a wonderful job of sharing information on her blog in her own way, her own voice, and that is what makes your personality stand apart from the rest, isn’t it? Absolutely! Just be you, and remember, you are awesome the way you are!

      Thanks for stopping by, and I’d be over at your blog in a while as well 🙂

      1. Jacqueline, thank you for stopping by and leaving a comment here. I’m glad you saw the link in the Bloggers Helping Bloggers discussion in LinkedIn.

        (Harleena, I posted a link to this post on behalf of Aha!NOW.) 😉

        I know what you mean about other blogs sounding “forced,” and I am a big advocate for simply being yourself. Plus, Google LIKES it when people write in a conversational tone; it’s one of the SEO updates to the algorithms… or something like that…

        I think if you be yourself and write in your own voice, others will come to know you and trust you that much more. In a world of social proof, that’s important, too.

        Have a wonderful week, and thanks again for showing me the support by visiting Harleena’s awesome blog!

        1. Thanks for doing that Lorraine, though I was told we cannot put up posts with links in that group, so I stopped doing that once I was told of it, or perhaps we can promote other people’s post – not sure 🙂

          1. Don’t worry about it; it was a link to a post I wrote – this one – and I have been a bit active in that group for the past month or so. I have commented on and/or shared others’ posts and reciprocity is what it’s all about, so please relax and know that I didn’t overstep anywhere, okay!?!

            Plus, I knew that there would be a few people who would want to read this. 😉

            1. That’s wonderful then – I just don’t find time to make my rounds over there, though I shared it on a lot of other groups on LinkedIn – more exposure, the better 🙂

  44. Hi Lorraine,

    How wonderful to meet you here at Harleena’s site. I checked out some of your articles and you really practice what you preach! You do a great job of writing in your own voice, I feel as if you’re talking to me when I read your writing.

    I love your analogy of fake crab and lobster. You’re right, they don’t taste as good! Be who you are, not what you aspire to be…

    I was just talking to a fellow blogger today who was telling me that she was struggling to get out two posts a week because of other commitments in her life. She was comparing herself to others, but you’re right, you just have to do your best, build slowly and be proud of your own progress.

    Thanks for the great advice here. Lorraine!

    1. Carolyn, what a lovely compliment! Thank you so much. *blushes* I’ve been told that is one of the things people like about my blog – the personal, conversational touch.

      It’s actually not that hard to achieve, and some of the advice I’ve read from a few blogger-sharks is to write as though you are speaking TO ONLY ONE PERSON. So I do, although I make attempts to speak to people of varying abilities. (I’m a non-techie, and so I try to explaing things in such a way that everyone can understand.)

      I really appreciate you taking the time to visit my blog, too. Thank you for that, Carolyn. I’m glad I was able to help you learn about highlighting text.

      With respect to your blogger friend, here’s a piece of advice you can pass on that I am learning to follow myself: Don’t get worried about publishing posts on a certain day or at a certain time. Publish whenever you want. Experiment. Do what works for you. The crowd will follow. (Plus, keeping others in suspense can be a good thing!)

      Trust me on this. I had NO direction when I began blogging. All I was told was, “Build a platform.” (Um… huh? What’s a platform?)

      You learn as you go… and I did… and still am.

      Tell your blogger friend not to sweat the small stuff – and remind her that EVERYTHING is small stuff!

      It’ll take the pressure off, for sure. 🙂

      Have a great week, and hopefully I’ll see you around again.

  45. Hey Lorraine,

    Welcome to Harleena’s blog and congratulations on winning a spot as a guest here. I know you’re really thrilled about that and I really enjoyed your post. Now that I’ve seen it all come together I get it! 😉

    You definitely did lay everything out and I can’t even imagine being a new blogger today and having to start all over from the beginning. One thing that I do know for sure is that there is a heck of a lot more information out there today and more people willing to help then when I started. Learning this stuff wasn’t easy and boy did I make a heck of a lot of mistakes along the way. That’s part of the process though which just makes us better and we’re then able to help others.

    I appreciate the picture of me being included and thank you for mentioning me here as well. Ana is the one that helped me with the coding of the Click to Tweet message too because I didn’t want to add yet another plugin. It’s great when you can ask people for help and they’ll eagerly help you. That’s what this is all about. You are not alone, everyone else is in the same boat.

    Great share here my friend, you did a fabulous job and happy to be a very small part of this post too. Thank you for that and you ladies enjoy what’s left of your week now.

    ~Adrienne

    1. Adrienne,

      In some ways I’m relieved that I started blogging when I did, and not years earlier. I would have been completely lost! Thankfully, like you said, there are more and more people out there that help others. Also, technology has advanced so much that it’s now a lot easier for ANYONE to start blogging.

      I was happy to include you in this post, even if it wasn’t quite what you expected. Honestly, I wanted to to add a little write up about each of the people I featured in the image of the ocean of sharks (and guppy) but there was simply not enough room! I think this post is over 2300 words as it is, and so I will be doing a follow-up post on Wording Well next week (on Tuesday) that will feature the bloggers a little bit more prominently.

      Thanks so much for the compliment on my post. I was pretty happy to see Danny Iny tweeting about it, too. 🙂 Danny was one of the very first people I encountered onlined and I owe a lot of my learning to both my hard work – and him. 😀

      Have a wonderful weekend, Adriene, and thanks for the visit and the shares.

  46. Hi there,
    Thanks for encouraging with this awesome blog post, i was pretty scared of starting a blog. Due to the fact that there is more than enough competition is there, so after reading this post i got some confidence to blog. Thanks.

    1. Welcome to my blog Sameer!

      Glad you liked Lorraine’s post, and yes, most newcomers have the same feeling and the scare only goes with time and once you start writing 🙂

      Comparing yourself to others is what comes up naturally in that stage, and somewhat of it is required because that makes you move and get better too. Learning should never stop, which matters most. So, keep your pace, and keep going – remember, you are awesome the way you are.

      Thanks for stopping by, and Lorraine would be here shortly to reply to you as well 🙂

    2. Sameer, it’s good to hear that I’ve reassured you and helped give you some confidence. You should believe in YOURSELF, first and foremost.

      Harleena makes a good point about learning, too, and – to reiterate one of the points I made in this post – you should always make time for learning, as the learning will NEVER stop. It also is exhausting, so be warned that you will feel tired and may want to give up, but feeling like that is completely normal!

      One more thing to remember: Growth takes time. (I know I said it already, but it honestly does. After nearly two years of steady blogging, I’m still not where I want to be… but my goals are different than others, as I’m working on multiple things at the same time.) Everyone’s journey is different, too, and so what works for one person might not work for another.

      I wish you the best of luck on your blogging journey, Sameer! 🙂

  47. Hi Lorraine,

    Your tips are spot on for anyone new to blogging or wondering about starting a blog themselves.

    My favorite tip is to not compare yourself to others. So many bloggers learn how to blog from scouting around the web. That can be a good thing but it can also be bad because there’s temptation to copy other bloggers and compare yourself to them. That’s not how to start a successful blog.

    For newbies it’s best to figure out what kind of blogger you’ll be best at and then simply be yourself. We each have our own talents so figure out what those are and take them to new heights. If you don’t take the time to do that you’re likely to become just another with nothing unique or individual to offer your audience.

    I enjoyed your post Lorraine. Very insightful 🙂

    Blessings,
    Liz

    1. Hi Liz.

      I’m glad you enjoyed this post, and agree with the points I’ve made.

      You’re right – it’s easy to get confused and swept up in the idea that a blogger should “copy” others to experience the same success and growth. It’s much better to simply be yourself!

      Sometimes it’s tough for us to recognize our own unique talents, though, as they are so much a part of us that we take them for granted. It’s only when others say something to us that we are made aware of the different things we have to offer.

      This further illustrates the point about how much people really need other people!

      Thanks for chiming in with your comment, Liz. I sure appreciate it. I bet Harleena does, too. 😉

  48. Hii Madam Lorraine,

    Undoubtedly, this is an awesome article creative by you. You really inserted some very interesting points which force us to think in details. I really love these two sections of this article ” Determine the Type of Blogger You Want to Be” and “Focus on the Positive, and Don’t Give Up”.

    Thank you so much for sharing this awesome article with us here on aha-now.

    1. Hi Amit. I’m glad that you found something useful in this post to help you. What kind of blogger are you – a hobby blogger or a career blogger? Or do you know yet?

  49. Hi Lorraine AND Harleena!

    This was a great post filled with great reminders for all of us who blog. It’s easy to get discouraged sometimes and wonder if you/we are making any progress at all…but I so appreciate your statement, “To be successful and grow as both a person and a blogger, you need to do is stop comparing yourself to others and embrace your uniqueness.” I don’t think any of us can read that enough. Thank you!

    1. Hi Kathy. I’m glad that statement resonated with you. I know it certainly is true, especially if you want to feel better about yourself as a person sharing the ocean with sharks! LOL

      Each of us has something valuable that we can bring to the table. It’s critical that we appreciate ourselves for who we are and what we are doing… whatever it might be!

      Have a great day, and thank for taking the time to comment. We appreciate it. 🙂

    2. Hi Kathy,

      You are absolutely right there, and I am glad this reminder fits in so well with how most of us tend to feel 🙂

      We need to stop comparing ourselves and just tread our path, in our own best possible way, and keep patting ourselves on the back for the little steps we take – that’s important too, isn’t it?

      Thanks for stopping by and sharing your views with us 🙂

  50. Great tips, Lorraine!

    I’m a guppy some days and probably just a regular fish others. Not even close to being a shark. That’s okay though, I’m reaching my goals and growing in my soul and in my stats. I love your list of things to do. Writing from the heart is essential and the basis of finding your own voice. The sharks can teach us if we pay enough attention. I also agree that being generous with our fellow writers especially those in our genre, is key to building presence. Look at Harleena, she’s a master! Thanks for the blogging tips!

    1. Lisa, I think even the sharks felt like guppies… at some point. They didn’t start out being well-known, I’m sure.

      The important things is that they grew. In time, we all will, too!

      It’s great to hear that you have such a positive outlook and are growing – both ways. (Me, too!)

      Learning from others is something even sharks do; why should we be any different? 😉

      And yes, Harleena sets a great example for us all. 🙂

      I’m glad you like the tips. Both Harleena and I appreciate your comment, Lisa.

      Have a great day!

  51. Inferiority complex is something that keeps happening to me all the time. And it is really a painful thing. And I knew this post might help me to feel better and it did (as you claimed in the beginning).
    Blogosphere has become really crowded and to make your own identity at such a moment is difficult. I am glad people like you are there to help!
    Thanks for this amazing post.

    1. Manpreet, feeling inferior is something that happens to all of us, regardless of how well others think we are doing. Having suffered from low self-esteem for most of my life due to my weight (I’m a heavier person), I, too, sometimes feel less than confident when blogging, and yet others see me in a different light. So I can relate. It’s tough when you feel negative about yourself (even if there is no reason to) and so I’m glad that I was able to help you feel better.

      I appreciate your comment. Being vulnerable online is something I plan on writing about on my blog in the future. The funny thing about it is that people actually like it when bloggers expose their vulnerabilities; it shows that they are regular people with feelings, not some super-machine… A good thing, in my opinion.

      And readers love it when bloggers are vulnerable or ask for advice. It gives everyone else a chance to speak up!

      I hope you have a great day, Manpreet. Thank you for reading and sharing. 🙂

      1. Hi all,

        What a post.

        You’ve really helped people deal with inferiority online here Lorraine. It’s a reality and it can prevent you from speaking your best voice. I’ll add one thing to the list and that’s that if you can convert that shark blogger who scares you into a sort of idol, you can really become inspired. The whole rest of the web will melt away and you’ll soon find that you have surpassed others just by being focused.

        That and drink lots of coffee when you’re out of ideas 🙂

        Google top material for “tips for bloggers”?? If only Google still ranked Bloggers…

        1. Hi Greg.

          It’s kind of funny how I used to think of you as a shark and now I (almost) think of you as an equal. 😉 I guess our numerous conversations and all of the things I have helped YOU with have helped to switch my mindset. This proves my point about people needing people, too, as one of the things you liked about me (according to you) was my enthusiasm for blogging. 🙂

          One question, though: What do you suggest people drink if they DON’t like coffee? Tea? 😉

          Thanks for your support, your comment, the shares, and the inspiration. 😀

          See you on your blog, soon!

        2. Welcome to my blog Greg!

          Yes indeed, what a post! Lorraine’s written it very well and mentioned you as well 🙂

          I agree with you, all sharks aren’t scary, unless they really stay away and prefer to keep their distance. I guess the guppy bloggers also take time reaching out and connecting with the sharks, which isn’t easy! Reminds me of my time when I started off, and didn’t know anyone. You can surely take up the good things from many probloggers that inspire you, and perhaps make them your idols too – again, many bloggers do that to get started.

          Lol…tea this end too, just as Lorraine mentioned. And I think Google is becoming a lot better than what it was earlier, where bloggers are concerned now 🙂

          Thanks for stopping by – we appreciate it 🙂

  52. Hello Lorraine,
    first off congrats on winning the awesome giveaway. Its great to see you here at ABC. Yes you are right these tips will actually help bloggers out. Even I had lost my goals in the mean course of starting a blog and then wasting time maintaining it. I was so keen on starting a blog and learning all ethics that I forgot I had started the blog to achieve another goal. Just yesterday i caught hold of Kristy Hines of Kikolani.com and Brian Honnigman at a twitter chat session and they instilled in me my lost goals and also gave me wonderful tips on how to achieve it.

    You can call it an coincidence or something its just yesterday I learned about the first tip you mentioned and even the last one saying “don’t give up”. So I can now fully relate to this post.
    Thanks for writing a great post for everyone.

    1. Hi Swadhin.

      There are so many great blogger-sharks to learn from that it was simply impossible to get ahold of them all and request permission from them to use their pictures in this post, but I definitely would have included Kristy Hines… if I had thought of her! I’m actually not familiar with Brian, which further illustrates my point of “people needing people.” I will have to look Brian up!

      It’s wonderful that you were able to get ahold of Kristy and Brian, and have a chat with them! Also great is how you were reminded of all of your goals. What tips, specifically, did they give you? I’m sure that readers of Harleena’s blog would be interested to hear. I know I am!

      What was your original goal for starting a blog?

      1. Hello Lorraine, No I didn’t mean to say you should include their pictures here but yes as this post was about taking lessons from pro bloggers I was glad to share a similar experience with you.

        Thank you I just bumped up their private chat session I guess but they were kind enough to entertain me and my comprehensions.

        As for the tips, I just ask them to see my blog and say I it was not converting. Having a decent blog and a decent number of awesome readers that did not make any money. It is at this time Kristy asked me why actually had I set the blog?

        This was a question that made me go blank because i wasn’t doing the thing I had set my blog up for. I actually am a freelance writer and had learned from Carol Tice that in order to be a writer you have to have a online home and a website which will act a your portfolio. Now at that instance I knew nothing about what a website was like!

        In an attempt to learn more on the basics and set up a fully functional blog my blogging apparel just got over my freelancing and I forgot my real aim.

        They gave me a tip to make my website optimized to gather folks and potential clients for freelancing. And also do some guest posting for some visibility.
        Thank you for taking interest in knowing about me problems. 🙂

  53. Hi Lorraine,

    Welcome to my blog as a guest blogger! 🙂

    It was indeed a coincidence that you were one of the three guest post giveaway winners at Aha!NOW, but I’m so happy that you won. The proof is this post. I’m sure many bloggers are going to bookmark this as it is fully of valuable information and tips for them.

    As I had shared my view with you regarding the whole guppy and shark affair, I too feel a guppy sometimes and there might be some bloggers who may view me as a shark. (That would be scary!). I think that happens with everybody. But I don’t believe in such differentiation or comparison of bloggers. I feel every blogger is unique and special, and all can rise with hard work and smart blogging.

    I think success lies in your attitude and how strong is your belief, how positive you are, and how determined you are to be successful. But then the meaning of success is different for different bloggers. And as you pointed out, the hobby bloggers have a totally different concept. So its each one to one’s own – I too started as a hobby blogger and now I am trying to make money from the blog as a full-time blogger. So, transitions are there in blogging, as with life.

    There are many steep learning curves in blogging, no doubt. But I feel the blogging fraternity is very helpful. Specially at Aha!NOW, I’m proud that we have helpful community members.

    I read somewhere that even for the brick-and-mortor businesses, the first 1000 days or 3 years are very crucial and it takes that much of time to set up your business. So, the new bloggers should at least be ready to slog for 2 years and should not expect early and easy money. Blogging is lot of hard work, if done in the right way.

    I agree with everything you’ve written – the voice, writing skills, relationships – everything matters and you need to work on them and develop them. In the end, I think every blogger should compare with their own self – look how far they have come and set even farther targets.

    Thank you for this wonderful post and I’m sure my blog readers are going to have many questions and words for appreciation too for you.

    So, its over to you, and I might only come to welcome the new guests or reply to comments addressed to me. Take charge and all the best, Lorraine! 🙂

    1. Harleena,

      I’m pleased to be here offering a few words of wisdom to your readers. I’m grateful for the opportunity to guest post on your blog as well. I will do my best to be a great guest!

      The point you made about blogging as a business and being prepared for a lot of extra work during the first few years is really important. It takes time to grow, to learn the ropes, to build a community, to engage with others, and to prove your worth as both a business and a blogger.

      Each of us has different end goals, and if we are going to attain them, we must be prepared for hard work. Learning from others who have experienced success in both growing their businesses and blogs will often help.

      When I first started blogging about 20 months ago, two of the people I first encountered were Danny Iny and Ana Hoffman. I read Ana’s free ebook, “Mommy, Where does traffic come from?” and I’m STILL learning how to implement all of her strategies! I encountered Danny Iny when I googled “marketing” (I was trying to figure out how to market a book) and then, as a result of the “scavenger hunt” he contest he was holding on his blog, I learned SO MUCH from him (and the tasks he set forth to participants).

      The major problem I find myself experiencing is one of not having enough time. Perhaps it’s because I’m really ambitious and want to do everything! It sometimes gets overwhelming, and so I must remind myself that each thing I do moves me in the right direction.

      I think Lao Tzu said it best: The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

      We’d all be wise to remember that. 😉

      Thanks again, Harleena, for having me as your guest today. I’ll respond to each and every comment today and in the days to come. 😀 Guaranteed.

      Have a great day!

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