How to Be an Effective Blogger

Today everyone has a blog, and everyone wants to make money blogging. But in the end most blogs fail for a number of different reasons. Most of the time people (and even I) have said it is due to a lack of time, but is that the real reason? Chances are it isn't. There are a number of different factors as to why you stop working on your blog, and there are factors that are making it more time consuming than you realize.

Stop Messing with Your Design

Everyone wants their blog to look perfect, but in reality it will never be that way. There will always be some alteration or something that you feel that you can do to make your blog look better. But does it really need a new look? The most effective designs are simple and easy to navigate, and that is what visitors look for. A visitor will not remember what the header or the site set-up was, but they will remember what the quality of the content was like and if they were able to find the information they were looking for. Also, changing your design takes time - and usually a lot of it. Major changes don't take minutes, they take hours. And those are hours you can take to make more (and better) postings and updates to your blog or website.

Stick to a Simple Design

Magazine style blogs are the newest trend to hit the Internet, and are increasing in popularity because they are really nice to look at. But they are not easy to maintain, especially if you are not familiar with HTML. Simply put, they take more time - and this is time you could be taking to make more blog postings, and work on your social network.

Limit your Time

If you allow yourself to have unlimited time to work on your blog, you will take it. And some days when you have to make major changes, you may need to allow for a day with "unlimited" time. Set a number of hours or time frame to work on your site or blog, and stick to it. This way you will end up working more efficiently and effectively. Also, if you spend unlimited time working on your site or blog, you will burn out, and not want to work on it even though you have the time. Don't make your blog or blogging your life, make it part of your life.

Scribble it Down

When you are not actively working on your blog and have an idea, scribble it down - doodle or write on what is available. No one is ever going to see what your beginning work looks like, they are only going to see the final presentation. Imperfection leads to perfection faster than trying to reach perfection right away. Also, keep these scribbles - they may lead to other ideas that can be additional postings for your blog.

Use a Voice Dictation/Recognition Program

If your typing speed needs some work, and you have an average typing speed (like me) a voice recognition program may be the solution. They do take a bit of time to set up, but they are worth every dollar. Simply put, you will always be able to speak faster than you can type. By being able to "talk out" your blog posts, you will get more done and get done with what you are working on faster.