Category: Blog

appreciation · Blog

I Just Had To Share This.

jacquelineobyikocha33 Comments

Yesterday I waded through tons of messages from friends and well-wishers on my Facebook page and I came across this lovely and heartwarming message from Booky. I can’t help but share it.

 

Dear Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha,

Happy birthday to you!

It’s another year and I am opportune to celebrate with you. When I met you on WordPress, I had no idea to what extent you would influence my poetry. I didn’t know I had it in me to love a person I have never met.

You have taught me how to speak my truths, you’ve encouraged my amateur words and when I didn’t know my way around WordPress you were there to give me advice. You’re my sister.

May God bless you with all the blessings you seek
May he love you and may he answer your prayers
May he keep your family
May his joy and peace fill your heart each time you are tempted to worry.
God bless you Nne!

Ogologodu jisike!

Image may contain: Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

 

When we start our blogs, we assume that we are blogging just for ourselves, but the truth behind blogging is that it is a phenomenon that goes way beyond us. We have absolutely no idea how much our words affect, influence and shape others. We tend to undermine how much of an inspiration and encouragement we can be to others and how much we are inspired by others as well.

Keep doing what you are doing. Do it with pleasure. Do it from your heart.

The results are beyond expression. For me, blogging has healed me in ways that I can’t even put into words. Believe me, the common saying that words are cheap is a blatant lie. Words are not cheap.

Dear Booky, thank you for this smile-inducing and heartwarming message.

Blog

To My Visitors and Followers

jacquelineobyikocha2 Comments

Susan’s Thoughts…On Change

A change that will affect all who are visitors, followers, and subscribers to this Blog. This will also impact my life as this transition happens. I decided to close my .COM blog and begin blogging on Facebook and LinkedIn. The content will be my thoughts in Journal format and will include

The content will be my thoughts in Journal format and will include short writing of fiction, nonfiction stories, and poetry that I have written. Right now, I am using my Page, Susan’s Thoughts and Musings, as my Facebook page. This page will be changing its name to Susan’s Soul… If you don’t belong to Facebook, you will not be able to see my postings, but who doesn’t belong to FB?

The reason for the change is threefold:

First, I need more time to devote to my writing and my memoir with less time spent managing and marketing my blog. With only 24 hours in each day, I have spent 12-18 hours setting up posts or guests to post, marketing to all of the social media sites, etc. but I have no income despite trying affiliate links.

This brings us to the second reason for my decision. I need more income and more time to spend writing my memoir, freelancing. and a new business venture that you may hear more about in September or October.

The last reason is very personal, but I need to work on some of the things I have blogged about. I need to take care of myself with love and caring by giving myself permission to do other enjoyable things in my life, including personal socialization, time with God, and time for rest.

In closing, I will see you visiting my Facebook page, Susan’s Soul… if you choose to follow me. If you choose not, I will miss you and pray only good things for you in your life.

God Bless You,
Susan…
Susan’s Thoughts and Musings

Blog · Featured Blogs

Posts That Caught My Interest #6

jacquelineobyikocha

I was reading Danny’s post this morning: I call this surviving by sheer grits. It couldn’t have been easy, to say the least. An amazing journey of survival. Please read.Image result for images of sharing

When the enemy stands by the sidelines waiting for you to fail, you make sure you don’t give him/her the pleasure, hang on by the tentacles and succeed.

A Letter To Someone

Though the letter is fictional I quite enjoyed reading this letter written by Damyanti ‘I’ll be your father’ and here’s my comment below:

What a letter! Blunt yet loving, empowering and liberating. I enjoyed reading this.

Today’s Inspiration

An awesome quote and here’s my comment:

Some would love to hold people’s mistakes over their heads like a sword of Damocles for the rest of their lives.

What’s In A Name?

Grab this quickly. Sally Cronin’s book ‘What’s in a name,’ is available for free; offer ends Sunday 13th. I got me a copy and will be doing a review soon 😉

What do we teach our children?

One of my nightmares in life is the thought of failing to raise my children well. It bothers me. I know that there are no perfect parents and that children will still express their individualities, but it’s alarming when you observe how some parents are not even concerned with the fact that they pass on some nasty attitudes on to their children.

Comments closed to encourage you to visit the featured links.

Regards,

Jacqueline

Blog · Blogging

31 Blog Post Ideas and Bite-sized Tips

jacquelineobyikocha

Ideas on what to write surround us, yet there are times that we find ourselves floundering over what direction to follow with these ideas. While choosing topics to brainstorm and cast your masterful thoughts on, bear a couple of things in mind:

Make A Post, Post Ideas, Share A Travel, Ideas

Bite-Sized Tips

  • Do these ideas and projects fit in with the building blocks of your blog?
  • What is your authentic approach? Could it have a mark of individuality?
  • Consider what works best for you and your audience.
  • Now set some goals for the month.
  • Not in your mind, Put it down on paper.
  • Ready. Set. Get going.

31 Blog Post Ideas You Could Tussle With

 

  1. Review books, product, movies…
  2. Interview someone – make it interesting and dig beyond the surface
  3. Write 5 to 10 things about you that make you who you are
  4. Share some cool info-graphics or cartoons
  5. Critic some news. There’s always something happening
  6. Share a travel or work experience post
  7. Write a motivational/inspiring post
  8. Take part in a challenge
  9. Write a story post
  10. Photo of the week
  11. Pick of the week posts with links to the relevant post
  12. Are you up to running a contest?
  13. Make a post full of GIFs – humour and entertainment
  14. Quote of the week
  15. Share your goals publicly
  16. Create a link Carnival and ask others to join in the link-a-thon
  17. Build your to-do list
  18. Tell a joke – humour works
  19. Write a post on things you did or didn’t do that you regretted
  20. Dig up some little-known facts

Read More…

Blog

8 SIMPLE AND EFFECTIVE WAYS TO MAKE BLOGGING EASIER

jacquelineobyikocha1 Comment

Content, Emails, Scheduling, Blogging, Blog Tips

 

Let’s keep to the truth and call a spade what it is and it’s not a big spoon. To blog consistently and to publish engaging top quality posts is hard work, don’t let anyone fool you.

It consumes time and energy to keep churning out those posts, but there are simple, effective ways to manage the process and to create that much-needed space so that you don’t feel overwhelmed.

Make a posting schedule and stick to it

You will often have spontaneous posts but to create achievable blogging goals, a publishing calendar gives you control of your processes. Without a schedule, you will find it difficult to keep track of what you are supposed to be doing and when. Scheduling makes a lot of difference.

Plan your time

Pick the time when you are most productive and use it to your advantage. I find that working early in the morning when others are still asleep works better for me.

It’s amazing how much work I get done in the space of an hour or two. Responding to emails and comments should be scheduled to give you some breathing space. Trying to respond to emails and comments as soon as they come in is one sure way to make you feel harassed and run off your feet.

Create a long list of your post ideas

As the ideas come to you, note them down. You could start writing the posts and flesh them out gradually if they are lengthy posts.

At present, I have close to a hundred unfinished posts in my draft and this approach helps me tremendously on days that my inspiration tank is running low or on days that I’m short on time.

Create Your Work In Batches

Creating posts that fall under similar category saves lots of time. For instance, instead of switching from one post to a different post that addresses unrelated topics, I choose a slot in my schedule to focus on creating several posts that share the same framework. This way, I’m in the zone – thinking of the same subject. Knowing where I’m headed makes the work faster. Read more…

Blog

7 AREAS WHERE BLOGGERS DREAMS DIE

jacquelineobyikocha

Bloggers, Blogging, Promoting, Success,

Results Take Too Long

Naturally, when we start any venture we want to see results and many bloggers jump into the process of blogging anticipating quick results. When the stark reality of the grind sets in and when their expected results take longer to meet, most become discouraged, quit blogging and go searching for the next trendy thing.

Without mincing words, blogging success takes time. A lot of time! Just keep plugging away.

You are not promoting yourself

A lot of bloggers/writers are not comfortable promoting their work sometimes due to lack of confidence in their work or the assumption that promoting their work is being arrogant and full of pride.

I’ve once had a newbie ask me ‘how would anyone read their blog with all the fascinating millions of blogs floating out there,’ my first thought was, ‘with this thought pattern, maybe you shouldn’t bother,’ but I ruminated over it and advised her to continue with her writing, make more effort to connect with others and let the readers decide if her work is good enough.

The reality is that if you don’t promote yourself, no one else will. There are ways to put yourself out there and to promote your work without coming across as obtuse.

Can’t Deal with Criticism

A lot of people may not like your style or agree with you and now and again, you come across some downright sour people on social media. They will leave their rude comments, opinions and sometimes even personal attacks.

You can moderate your comments to distance yourself from trolls, but you still need to acquire the diplomatic skill of handling constructive criticism. Learn not to take such confrontations personal, most times this is bullying tactics not worth spending time on. Read more…

Blog · Share A Link

Would You Like To Share Your Links?

jacquelineobyikocha

caring, sharing, clasped hands

You know that I love to read and share other people’s work and I am low on links. If you’ve got something interesting you would like others to share with others, do add your links through this link.

Have a peaceful and blessed week.

Jacqueline

Blog

QUIT WORRYING OVER LOSING SUBSCRIBERS

jacquelineobyikocha7 Comments

Losing Subscribers, Subscribers, Social Media Subscription, Reasons, Focus, Email Updates

What’s Your Reaction To Losing Subscribers?

Are you one of those who spends days in angst wondering why a subscriber unsubscribed or do you shrug, smile and move on?

One of the common challenges that bloggers face is losing subscribers. Naturally, our goal is to gain subscribers, to keep them, and not to lose them and when we do lose subscribers we may feel inclined to know why.

I remember my earlier days of blogging when it seemed as though my eyes were permanently glued to the subscription stats and watching it go up and down was not the better part of how I spent my days. I learned that my focus is better spent on developing my blogging skills, networking to the best of my ability and worrying less about every Harry and Jane that left the scene.

I will categorically tell you that you shouldn’t over think subscribers choosing to stop receiving your updates or following you because worrying over it is not worth the sweat. Instead, concentrate on gaining new readers/subscribers who would stick with your random blather.

Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Worry… Read more

Blog

Posts That Caught My Interest

jacquelineobyikocha

I do my regular featured blog posts from links that fellow bloggers send across, but I realized that I haven’t shared other posts that caught my interest in a long time. Image result for images of sharing

I recognize that a lot of bloggers – except few – bother to read reblogs and now and again, I stumble on posts that I find myself nodding along in agreement as I read them and wish to share.

I offer these few. I found sense, laughter, reflection and inspiration. Do take a peek. I am disabling the comment button to encourage you to visit the blog sites.

Give and Take

Squirrels in Church

Born in a body

Debunked

Hang on

Newsflash: It ain’t about them

One Mother of a Tomato!

Thank you for stopping by. 

Jacqueline

 

 

Blog

Don’t Quit Your Blog! Just Tweak it.

jacquelineobyikocha21 Comments

Is Your Blog in A Rut? Don’t Your Quit Blog.

Blog, Successful Blog, Don't Quit Blog, Blogging, Methodical Approach, Social media, Statistics

No one told you that it would be a slow climb of grits, cramped fingers and the snail pace attention from your expected dream audience.

No one told you that finding fame or making money from blogging is not easy pickings and that there are many days the thrill would fizzle out faster than the time it took the ink of your words to dry.

No one told you when you started blogging, all awash with excitement and so much to say, that time might come when you find yourself writing terse sentences such as:

Sorry I haven’t posted for AGES, guys.

Don’t know what to say….blah, blah.

If you are contemplating tossing in your paddle and jumping out of the choppy waters of your blogging boat; I would say, halt!

As a matter of fact, according to online research, most bloggers struggle and 95% of bloggers give up and abandon their blogs within six months of starting.

They open a blog, post with enough enthusiasm to keep a steam engine running for a while, then they either find a niche and a particular way of expressing themselves, or they run out of steam, lose heart and walk away.

The highway of the huge worldwide web is dotted with blogs abandoned by their owners and sometimes, it gives one a reason to pause and ponder why.

  • A common reason beginner bloggers give up is because they become frustrated by the technical side of things. They find customizing their blogs tedious and coupled with other stress factors, they pack up their bags and leave the scene.
  • Following quickly behind this is the fast-moving, ever-evolving world of social media that requires tons of attention to grow and engage an audience.
  • The toll from trying to grow a blog in the sea of blogs is the number one reason why bloggers quit.
  • Running out of ideas on what to blog about, not knowing what to do about their blog and a hectic lifestyle add themselves to the steamy cocktail to make it more challenging.

Don’t Become A Statistic

We all want a successful blog, but the difference between success and failure lies in doing the needful to succeed.

Success in general, regardless of the area it is in life, requires dogged discipline and consistency. It requires applying the right strategies and sticking with it for the long haul. People don’t become successful by giving up too soon.

I know that there’s a huge difference between saying “be patient and keep going”, and the reality, but with a pragmatic approach, your blog can survive and thrive. It need not become a statistic.

Methodical Approach – read more here…