Found on del.icio.us, an fantastic article on Blogging from ProBlogger: 18 Lessons I’ve Learnt about Blogging. I have a lot to learn from it and will try to use it on the site I’m about to launch. Here’s a breakdown of the rules, although I’d really recommend reading the article‘s in-depth explanations.
- Be Lucky – “The key I’ve found with luck is to run with it and to make every lucky instance last as long as possible. So when you strike it lucky enjoy it but also ask yourself ‘how can I capitalise on my good fortune?’”
- Work Hard – “Work alone is definitely NOT everything (I’ve seen many hard working bloggers who have not had success) but it is one element that I think is essential.”
- Use the Power of Exponential Growth
- Differentiate Yourself
- Provide Value
- Target a Niche (Keep a blog focused and don’t spread yourself too thin (8) content-wise)
- Diversify (At least try a few things before throwing all your energy toward a single one.)
- Don’t Spread Self too Thin — Absolutely! It’s better to do one thing really really well than a whole bunch of things at a mediocre level
- Have a Backup Plan (Don’t depend on blogging alone)
- Be Light on Your Feet (Opportunities come and go)
- Relationships are Key — Yes!
- Establish Boundaries
- Don’t read your Own Press
- Beware of Hype
- Get a Life (Enjoy what you do, but enjoy the rest of life too)
- Make Mistakes — Very important one! I couldn’t agree more
- Be Yourself
- There are No Rules
I feel many of these rules apply not only to blogs but to all business, and all of life in general. These rules could apply to relationships very easily as well. Target a niche? Yes, find something that special someone really likes.
If you just look at the rules, perhaps they can be simplified to:
- take advantage of opportunities
- get focused
- help others
- stay true
But these eighteen rules are perfect in the way they’re specific enough to directly apply and yet general enough to apply to all sorts of situations.