newspaperWhen I started my blog there were several questions that I asked as I was getting started.  So I thought if I asked them, then everyone who has started a blog must have also asked these same questions or at least some of them.  That brought me to the writing of this post.

For those of you who are thinking about starting a blog or have just begun your blog, you’ll need the answers to these big blogging problems.  Some you may have already answered yourself or gotten different answers then I offer, but I know you’ll pick up some little tidbit that will help you with your blog.

I also provide several GREAT RESOURCES from other bloggers who go into the answers in either more detail then I do or who have a different take on the question and answer.  Someone told me it makes them feel like they’re back in college with reference material.  But seriously, the links are more exciting then college…ok maybe not, but they are definitely worth checking out!

What Do I Write About?

There is a lot to write about.  Your experiences online would be a great place to start.  I know I have a tendency to  minimize what I know and how it can help others.  And I’m not alone.  Don’t downplay what you’ve learned through your experiences.  Share them.

You can also do some research by looking at popular blogs and see what they are writing about.  Don’t copy their articles, but you can get ideas for a post for your own blog.  You can find a list of popular blogs by searching on Google for “top blogs” or “best blogs” and your niche.  There is also a site bloggerscope.com that tracks the most influential marketing blogs.  You can check out the latest posts and get some ideas on what to write.

I’d also look on facebook for some popular marketing groups and see what they are talking about or check out forums and see what the latest conversations are.  This is a great way to get current topics to blog about.

There are different kinds of posts or ways for you to present your content in a post.  You can do an infographic, a video, a list, a review, a how-to/instructional, a case study, a controversal or rant post, guest post, podcast, or a personal post.

References:
http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/12-types-of-blog-posts/
 http://socialmouths.com/blog/2014/04/16/stop-trying-to-get-your-blog-posts-shared-and-do-this-instead/
http://okdork.com/2014/04/02/how-you-can-create-content-that-generates-40000-targeted-visitors/

Where Do I Get Graphics & Pictures?

Wordpress BlogGraphics are a must for your blog posts!  People like to look at pictures and using pictures, charts or even Memes can help get across your point, make your post more shareable and entertain your visitors.

You can find images on various sites around the internet.  Some images you have to pay for while many are free.  You can explore compfight, pixabay, stock.xchng, flickrmorgueFile or do a search on Google for images.  You can also create Memes with Meme Generator.

The most important thing when you’re using images is to follow the licensing or copyright terms for the image.  It is not always as easy as giving credit to the author/photographer.  So, make sure when you want to use an image that you comply with the license agreement.

And if you want to make edits to the photos and you are in compliance with the licensing then two free photo editing software that you might want to try are Gimp and Paint.net.

References:
http://www.trafficgenerationcafe.com/free-blog-images/
http://amylynnandrews.com/using-images
http://generatorblog.blogspot.com/
http://socialtriggers.com/how-images-affect-conversions/

How Do I Embed Videos?

If you’re not using videos you should be.  Video is out of many peoples “comfort zone”, but it is definitely something that will help grow your blog audience and it let’s people get to know you better.  After all, who doesn’t love a good video.

You can either do a video where you talk into the camera or you can do powerpoint slides where you talk over the slides.   There are many different types of videos but once you get a video, you want to imbed it into your blog.

Upload your video to Youtube.  You can mark your video private or public on Youtube to control who can see it.    Pull up the video on Youtube.  Below the video click “Share”, then click “Embed”.  Copy all the code that appears in the box starting with <iframe.  Copy it to your new post page under the text tab where you want the video to appear.

There are many embed controls you can use when putting your videos on your blog.  I often add ?rel=0&vq=hd1080 to the end of my videos, so the video will automatically play in high def and there will be no related videos shown at the end of my video.

It looks something like this:

<iframe width=”420″ height=”315″ src=”//www.youtube.com/embed/fVDOrNqVoa4?rel=0&vq=hd1080″ frameborder=”0″ allowfullscreen></iframe>

References:
http://imchriscole.com/list-of-youtube-player-embed-controls
http://roninblogger.com/10-ninja-tips-to-instant-page-one-youtube-ranking/

How Do I Get Help With My Blog?

There are a lot of places to get help with whatever  problem you are having with your blog.  Fiverr will cost you $5 for most fixes, while odesk will cost you a little bit more.  There are other services out there that you can get help also.

If you are looking for design help, you may want to look at swiftly.com.  It’ll cost you about $19 and they’ll finish it usually within a hour.

I’d also check with people inside any Facebook groups you may be involved with.  Many times people may be able to help you directly or have a referral for you.

References:
http://www.fiverr.com/wordpressaz/fix-wordpress-error
http://odesk.com

How Do I Put Up An Opt-in Form?

An opt-in form is essential for building a list.  And YES, you do need to be building a list.  Everytime you turn around, someone is telling you to build a list.   A list is a must no matter what niche you are in.

In order to create an opt-in form, you’ll need an autoresponder.  An autoresponder will manage your list and allow you to send emails to the subscribers on your list.  AWeber and GetResponse are two of the more popular autoresponders.  There is a small monthly fee for their services.

You can create the opt-in form within which ever autoresponder you choose.  Then copy the code created when you did the form.  Paste that code into your blog post or blog sidebar (inside the widget area).  There are plugins that are available for creating your opt-in form also.   Or you can create a custom opt-in form.  For the custom version or the plugins, you’ll still need the form code from your autoresponder.

References:
http://youtu.be/CWAHOoaKRSM
http://www.aweber.com/blog/videos
http://okdork.com/2014/03/11/get-first-100-email-subscribers/

How Do I Get Traffic To My Blog?

Blogging Construction SignIt doesn’t matter how good the content is on your blog if no one sees it.  You might as well be talking to yourself.  A guideline I heard was blogging should be 20% content creation and 80% promotion.

Getting traffic is a problem that is only solved in two ways…time or money! 

You can either pay for pay per click ads (facebook or adwords) or you can spend your time getting traffic by putting in the time and not reaching into your wallet.

Free traffic methods include blog and forum commenting.    You can add social buttons to your blog so people can share it.  Share your new content with those on social media like Twitter, Facebook, Google+.

Create videos and put on Youtube with a link back to your blog.  Work on getting your videos and blog post ranked.

Put your blog posts on document sharing sites and blog sharing sites like Scoop.It, Technorati, Alltop, Slideshare and BlogEngage.  You can also blog about or reference online influencers and let them know you have mentioned them in your post.  Many of them will then share your content, if it is good, with their lists.  Don’t abuse this or it will backfire!

You can use OnlyWire and bookmark your posts and if you have a list, make sure you let your list know when you have created a new post.

Tip:  Encourage commenting on your blog posts…ask for comments!  And then reply to each comment you get.  It will then look like to a new visitor that your blog is very active and they will be more interested in what everyone is talking about.  This will cause them to return to find out what’s coming up next.

Whichever method of traffic generation you choose, you’ll need to be consistent.  And remember, if your blog isn’t appealing to look at and your content doesn’t add value, your traffic won’t stick around long and they won’t come back.

References:
http://roninblogger.com/how-to-promote-your-blog-with-10-simple-steps/
http://www.buzzblogger.com/5000-visitors-checklist/
http://learntoblog.com/10-blog-commenting-tips-leverage-traffic-blogs/
http://www.trafficgenerationcafe.com/increase-blog-traffic/

How Do I Make Money From My Blog?

There are several ways you can make money with your blog but you must have visitors to your blog first and a steady stream of them.  Once you have hungry fans to your blog then you will start to see the money.

You can advertise on your blog, review affiliate products, sell your own products, recommend the tools that you use, Adsense ads, Banner Ads, get paid to set up others blogs and get paid to mentor other bloggers.  You also can promote to your subscriber list that you’ve built through your blog.

You can also consolidate your blog content, create an ebook and sell it.  This is not meant to be an exhaustive list.  Explore other’s blogs and see what they are doing.

References:
http://profitblitz.com/blog-monetization-strategy/
http://www.trafficgenerationcafe.com/make-money-blogging-ways/nine-ways/

Blogging Problems Solved!

No matter what you post about or how you post it, remember to be yourself.  Let people get to know you, not some fake persona that you put out there.  You are interesting!  And this goes without say, but I’ll say it anyway… BE HONEST and SINCERE!  Don’t adhere to the saying “Fake it ’til you make it”.

My final thought on this subject is ALWAYS PROVIDE VALUE!  You are looking to help your reader or maybe just entertain them or maybe make them think about a subject in a different way.

No matter what you do, have fun with it.

Additional Resources:
http://donnamerrilltribe.com/2014/03/updating-your-blog/
http://www.aha-now.com/blogging-mistakes/
http://enstinemuki.com/how-to-build-a-popular-blog/
http://nichehacks.com/promote-blog-posts-blog-traffic/
Now do me a favor, please…  Leave me a comment if you learned something and then click on some of those links above and get a little smarter.
Share Your Comments Below


    45 replies to "The BIG Blogging Problems – SOLVED!"

    • Mary

      Hi Leslie,
      Well done, great information, and resources. I will definitely be back to investigate a few of these, thank you! Wishing you huge success!

      • lesliez

        Thanks Mary for the well wishes! This post definitely took me some time with the research and the writing. I did it over a week period of time…not continually.

        A lot of the references came from me doing blog commenting. Kind of a nice side benefit.

        LeslieZ

    • Kirsten Rutherford

      What a fantastic blog post Leslie I can tell you put a lot of hard work into it. This is an ideal post for people wanting to start a blog. Look forward to reading more from you 🙂

      • lesliez

        That was my exact intent Kirsten was to help the beginner blogger.

        When I first started these were all my pressing questions. I hoping people continue to view this a huge value add for their blogging education 🙂

        And those resources are amazing! Definitely take time to investigate them.

        LeslieZ

    • Steve Marx

      Very full post of quality information!
      A lot of time and energy went into this post and it’s
      much appreciated!

      • lesliez

        Thanks Steve! Glad it was helpful!

        LeslieZ

    • Alayna

      Hi Leslie,
      Wow your blog is looking great. I love the newspaper image at the top of this post. You have really good contetn and I picked up some tips. Thank you. I like the idea of having the optin form static while you scroll down the page- is that a feature of your theme? All the best
      Alayna

      • lesliez

        Glad you picked up something Alayna! That makes my day when I actually help people with my content.

        Q2W3 Fixed Widget is a plugin that can help you fix any widget so it scrolls down your screen like my optin box does. It is free!

        Thanks for stopping by!

        LeslieZ

    • Khalid

      Great post, some really good tips. It shows this has been well thought out. By the way, are the red reference links suppose to be active? Also there are some scrolling issues with your optin form, when you scroll down the text below is visible under the form:

      ” rar is like .zip – Use winzar to open it. Winzip for .zip
      Put ?rel=0&vq=hd1080 at end of Youtube vid to autoplay in HD and get rid of related vids at end

      • lesliez

        Thanks for the heads up Khalid! I did not know the links were not active. Goes to show even though I spent a ton of hours on this post, you can still miss stuff. I’ll get it fixed.

        Yeah, I know my optin form has an issue with that text box. I just haven’t had the time to fix it.

        Too little time, so many tasks 🙂 Attack the things that impact my bottom line….

        LeslieZ

    • Aneeta

      Hi Leslie,

      This is a really helpful post on blogging, thanks for all the links. As a beginner, I find your blog has wonderful content, just taking me a while to absorb it at this stage.

      Much appreciated, I’ll be back for more…

      Aneeta

      • lesliez

        Aneeta,
        As a beginner just remember to chunk things down… Make a list each week of 2 or 3 things to do that week. That’s it. Then it is easier to absorb.

        List things smaller like build my list by 5 people not 200 people. Do smaller at first and then you can always make your tasks bigger once you’ve gain momentum.

        I find when I only have a couple of things to focus on, it relieves the pressure.

        LeslieZ

    • BizSugar.com

      The BIG Blogging Problems – SOLVED! –

      7 problems bloggers face that you’ll have to deal with. Experts give their two cents and provide the solutions you need. Answers so you won’t be banging your head against the blogging wall.

    • Harleena Singh

      Hi Leslie,

      Wonderful post indeed and all so full of information 🙂

      It would certainly help solve a lot of problems for those facing them I would say. Thanks so much for the link-love as well.

      Yes, when you are just starting off, you are faced with all of these questions and really don’t know where to find what. It reminds me of my initial days. But when you visit sites, you read and learn so much and that teaches you a great deal.

      I liked the way you have shared the problem and also given the related links to other sites that may have helped you, and would help others too – just what I love doing as well 🙂

      Thanks for sharing. Have a nice week ahead 🙂

      • lesliez

        Thanks Harleena,

        When I was first starting out I would never have thought to link out to other people’s blogs. But it really makes so much sense.

        If you are truly interested in helping people and you want to provide them with the best experience on your blog then absolutely give the best information you can find.

        I’m so glad you enjoyed my post!

        LeslieZ

    • Rahul Suresh

      Hi lesliez ,

      Awesome article indeed.
      I think this works much better for all those now entered into blogging more than older bloggers is it..??
      Thanks for the ideas and great job made on this post..
      keep writing..

      • lesliez

        Hi Rahul,

        Yes, this article would probably be better for beginner bloggers but someone blogging for awhile may also pick up a thing or two.

        If nothing else, maybe they could pass it along to someone that it may help.

        Thanks for stopping by!

        LeslieZ

    • Marc Andre

      Thanks for linking to my guide to blog monetization.

      • lesliez

        You are very welcome Marc! Your guide is very helpful and it needed to be passed along.

        LeslieZ

    • Stuart Walker

      Thanks for the mention and link. Appreciate it.

      • lesliez

        Absolutely Stuart! I love your blog and wanted to make sure my readers knew about it.

        Thanks,
        LeslieZ

    • Dr. Diana

      Hello Lesliez,

      Just fantastic blog post with resources information.

      Newbies like me face so many problem. But now this post will help them to get success in blogging.

      You have gave answers of all common questions related to blogging problems.

      Thanks for sharing with us. Have a nice day ahead…

      ~Diana

      • lesliez

        I know what you mean Diana! It doesn’t matter the niche, if you are a new blogger, these questions are going to come up.

        I’m glad my post could help you. Keep coming back as I have some other great posts in the works.

        Also, pass this post along to anyone that you think it might help.

        LeslieZ

    • Rich Emmett

      Fantastic blog post that, with loads of great suggestions that I’m going to try putting into practice! I’m looking forward to checking back for more great information and advice.

      • lesliez

        Thanks Rich! I appreciate you stopping by.

        LeslieZ

    • Ryan Biddulph

      Hi Leslie,

      Excellent resource! Blog about your experiences. No one else can, and you’ll stick out by blogging your life, recounting your day and relating to your niche, more quickly than through any other strategy. It works like magic.

      Thanks!

      • lesliez

        Thanks for the vote of confidence Ryan. I’m enjoying blogging this time with my experiences.

        I’m excited to share with those that I can help. And it’s great to get pats on the back from my peers.

        LeslieZ

      • charan

        this post is a tutorial for new bloggers.. very helpful because this post have some good referral links which is very impressive thanks lesliez

        • lesliez

          You are welcome Charan. That was my intention was to help new bloggers answer the many questions I had when I first started blogging.

          Thanks for stopping by!

          LeslieZ

    • The Great Gordino

      Jam packed full of helpful info!
      This ‘post’ could well be turned into a little report in its’ own right!
      Good stuff!
      cheers,
      Gordon

      • lesliez

        Thanks Gordon! I may turn this into a report along with a few other post ideas that I have that will be along the same lines.

        Glad it was helpful!

        LeslieZ

    • donna merrill

      Hi Leslie,

      First I want to give you a big thank you for the mention on this post.

      Newbies need to be pointed in the right direction. There are so many people coming on line to blog, the stats are just crazy! But, as seasoned bloggers, we can remember that information overload, the confusion, all the what if’s.

      You have successfully given great information here for those that are new as well as those that are bloggers. Hey, we can’t remember everything can we? It is a good reference point!

      Thanks again!
      -Donna

      • lesliez

        Donna, you are very welcome!

        Yeah I love blog posts that have a ton of resources and I can bookmark to use as a reference.

        As I’ve been blog commenting, I’ve read some great blogs with excellent information, I just had to share. And that definitely includes yours.

        LeslieZ

    • Adrienne

      What a great post Leslie and you’re so right. If you have these questions then you know others will as well. There is just so much stuff to learn coming into this and I know for me I had to go and find the information as I came across it. That’s never fun either plus it’s time consuming.

      Having a post like this would have been such a life saver for me and I would have bookmarked it to revert back to often as I learned all the many things I would be running across during my journey here.

      You’ve listed some great resources as well as what you had to share. I recognize a few of those posts and bloggers so I agree, they share great and helpful stuff.

      Wonderful resource and I’ll be sure to share this as well. Thanks for putting this together Leslie.

      ~Adrienne

      • lesliez

        I agree Adrienne, these type of posts save a ton of time when you’re trying to figure something out.

        Several of these blogs are my go to blogs, that I frequent often because they have such solid information. And that would include yours also.

        Thanks for sharing this. It’s great to offer this information to as many people as possible.

        LeslieZ

    • Mark

      What an excellent blog post Leslie!

      I found your excellent blog while I was leaving a comment on my coach Donna Merrill’s blog.

      I’m so glad I decided to check it out. This was a very comprehensive and easy to follow post!

      I especially like the excellent advice you gave under the “how do I get traffic to blog” heading.

      You mentioned that a good guideline should be 20% content and 80% promotion!

      That advice is so priceless! Because most bloggers, especially newbie bloggers, if anything, have your percentages in the reverse order!

      It’s amazing how no matter what your particular your business, product or service is, it still gets down to effective marketing/promoting. Doesn’t it?

      And BTW, your excellent blog post could have very easily been broken into to at least 7-10 separate excellent blog posts and at least as many “how to” instructional-screen capture or Power Point videos!

      Thank you so much for sharing your expertise! You really did an excellent job!

      • lesliez

        Mark,
        I’m very happy I comment on Donna’s blog.

        Promoting is the name of the game. I need to continue to work on doing my promoting consistently.

        Yes, I’ve been told before that this blog post could have been several posts or a product. I may combine this post with other posts in the future and create a product or expand on this post in the future.

        For right now, I’m very happy I’ve had such positive feedback and I’ve helped alot of people along the way.

        Thanks for your kind comments.

        LeslieZ

    • amit sihan

      dear friend

      such a very nice post about blogging problem and solution.this is very helpful for me and many other newbie blogger.this post is very close my heart because i am daily visitor of your site, these days i am getting more knowledge from to improve my blog traffic, please update your blog daily i am waiting for another new article. thanks for inspired me but dear can you tell how i can get organic traffic

      thanks for share.

      • lesliez

        I’m glad my blog is helping you Amit. Helping people makes it worth it. That’s why I do what I do.

        Currently, I am posting once a week or so. Because of my to do list in building my business, there are not enough hours in the day.

        But do come back because I’ll keep bringing you great content!

        LeslieZ

    • Pooja Yadav

      This is one of those blog posts you have to bookmark and come back too. It’s filled with insights and my browser is now filled with additional tabs of content I’ve yet to read. Great work here – Awesome resource!

      • lesliez

        Thanks Pooja,
        I’m glad this post was helpful. I do find myself referring back to it also.

        Thanks for stopping by!

        LeslieZ

    • Kartik Jani

      What an amazing blog post.

      That advice is so priceless! Because most bloggers, especially newbie bloggers, if anything, have your percentages in the reverse order!

      Keep hustling.

      • lesliez

        Thanks Kartik!

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