online journey Archives

This post is kind of a “Part 2” to 8 Action Tips For Guppy-Bloggers In An Ocean Of Sharks.

(This a guest post of mine that was published on Aha!NOW that performed extremely well and has over 130 comments on it).

Here are the actionable takeaway tips for bloggers to start feeling like a blogger-shark instead of a guppy:

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

NOTE: If you are a new blogger, read 5 Things New Bloggers Need to Know.

The Reason for this Post about Blogger-Sharks

I am considering this post to be an addendum to the aforementioned post because I want to tell you about the bloggers behind the faces, in case you aren’t familiar with them.

Plus, there was some information that I could not include in that post because there simply was no room for it, and so I’m including it here. 🙂

I also wanted to mention a few more people who are considered “sharks” in the blogging world that I have learned from and admire.

Some people might think that I’m only writing this to get the attention from those bloggers, but I’m not. I’m merely passing on what I’ve learned to YOU so that you can learn – and grow – too.

Just remember that growth takes time… and a lot of work!

Learn from these top bloggers. They’re sharks! #bloggingtips

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Blogger-Sharks from the Above Picture

The first four bloggers on the list below have been grouped together in other blog posts before. I’ve even had the pleasure of being grouped with them in 9 Inspirational Bloggers to Give You a Blogging Boost.

I’m pleased to be grouped again with them today, too, even if it is only in one of the specially created images that Mr. Singh made for me! (FYI, becasue I do not know how to use Photoshop, I paid Mr. Singh for his work. You can hire him, too. Just contact him via Google+. Here’s a link to his profile. Just tell him I sent you.)

Now, let me introduce you to some helpful people!

Ana Hoffman

Ana Hoffman (@AnaTrafficCafe) is the brain behind Traffic Generation Café. She gives away an ebook called, “Mommy, Where Does Traffic Come From?” and it’s chock-full of useful information you can use to grow your blog and business.

Ana might seem a bit intimidating because she’s so techie-smart, but she’s actually very helpful. Plus, if she doesn’t know the exact answer to a questions, then she knows someone who does.

Case in point: I was reading a post last week on backing up a website that was a bit complicated and so I shared it on Google+ and asked Ana and another techie-smart lady, Sherryl Perry, if there was an easier way to perform this task. Ana guided me to MaAnna Stephenson, who gave me one of her free reports on how to do just this.

You can see our entire interaction on Google+ for yourself.

Here’s a quote from Ana: “I’d say a blogger becomes a shark when other sharks start sharing their content.”

Thanks for all you do to help #bloggers and #marketing folk, @AnaTrafficCafe!

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Neil Patel

Neil Patel (@neilpatel , @CrazyEgg and @KISSmetrics) is the epitome of inspiration to anyone with a dream, and living proof that simple will, determination, and passion is what it takes to be successful. Read his about page to see how he went from a vacuum salesman to the co-founder of Crazy Egg, Hello Bar, and KISSmetrics, as well as being recognized in the top 100 entrepreneurs under the age of 30 by President Obama (and one of the top 100 entrepreneurs under the age of 35 by the United Nations).

Hiten Shah (@hnshah) is Neil’s other co-founder.

Thanks to Neil and Hiten, you can get your website analyzed.

More importantly, you can learn a lot from Neil’s Definitive Guide to Copywriting.

There aren’t enough words to describe how great Neil is. Take a look at his about page. He’s “kind of a big deal.”

Thank you for helping #bloggers and #entrepreneurs @neilpatel!

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easelly_visual

When I first got a laptop in January 2013, I never imagined that I would be where I am today, doing the things I am doing.

The online community may reach worldwide, but the internet brings us closer. The technological advances that have been made while I was raising my son, going to school, and teaching are simply astounding. They boggle my mind.

In addition to trying to put together an ebook of short stories, I started writing a book about my life. I have a timeline created, and a few chapters written. My short stories are currently being re-worked, as I needed to make some improvements (according to the people I chose to be my “beta readers”).

In my quest for learning how to do new things, I’ve also been trying to learn how to create infographics.

As you can see from my personal “infographic”, I’ve met a lot of great people online.

The famous Carol Tice is one of the people I have met. I have been reading her blog, Make A Living Writing, for many months. A few weeks ago, she was asking for guest posts. She is one of the many bloggers who pay for guest posts, too, so I was excited to see this – it was a great opportunity for me! Normally she only invites people who have taken Jon Morrow’s class OR are members of her “Freelance Writers Den.” Since I fall into neither of these groups, I never thought that I’d have the opportunity to guest post for her. However, when she decided to “break her own rule” and seek guest posts from (almost) “anyone,” I decided to give it a shot.

I thought I had a pretty good chance at being accepted since I have actually crossed paths with her on a few occasions. I also comment on her blog on occasion (when I have something noteworthy to say). I’ve entered two of my posts into her linky contests, too. (The last one was during this one, in early September. I placed 23^rd out of 46 entries. Since the post I entered had nothing to do with freelancing, I’m surprised I was not last!)

Anyway, when I submitted an email to Carol Tice with my idea for a guest post, it was rejected. I wasn’t very surprised; it was not the greatest of ideas. (I can see that now!) Not letting this rejection get me down, I decided to persevere. I then spent an evening thinking of three more ideas – better ones! – to pitch to her. I was thrilled when she accepted one of them. Oddly enough, it was not the one that I thought she would select.

However, I wrote the post she requested, but not well enough to meet her standards. I had to re-write the opening paragraph, and alter things a bit. I wanted it to be perfect. When I thought it was, I sent my re-write to her. A week later, I was told that she sent it to her editor. YAY!

I have guest posted on other sites before (look at my Services page) but never for pay! Since I will be paid upon publication, I haven’t made any money yet…but I’m told that it will happen within the next few months. (She schedules her posts months ahead of time.)

Needless to say, I’m looking forward to being “featured” on her site! I’ll be sure to keep you informed of my post’s publication date, too.

To wrap things up for now, let me say that I love learning. There are so many other things that I have learned during my time online. Some of them are outlined in my post “21 Things I Learned From My 21 Days In The Scavenger Hunt”. I am adding to my list weekly, and am loving my journey.

But, enough about me…

I want to know more about YOU.

What are some of YOUR online accomplishments? Share in the comments, please!