Category: Blogging

Blog · Blogging

HOW TO MANAGE MULTIPLE BLOGS WITHOUT LOSING YOUR MIND.

jacquelineobyikocha

As the headline indicates, YES, I’m trying not to lose my marbles whilst juggling my ‘two’ blogs and I wonder how those super bloggers with dozens of blogs do it.

Truth be told, I haven’t published a post on this blog for several weeks and each day I feel a stab of guilt. It’s not that I don’t want to create new posts, but my time has been overtaken by the mundane necessities of life. However, to make a success of this blog, I must take the time to sift through the innumerable excuses, find and patch the loopholes and come up with a workable action plan.

Managing one blog is a time-consuming and tasking much less multiple blogs. It takes a special kind of crazy and a method to the craziness to do so. Just why on Earth would anyone choose to get entangled in such madness?

Of course, there are many reasons, such as:

Creating a second blog just for fun.
Creating another blog because the first one didn’t quite pan out as you wanted it to.
Creating a niche focused blog
Sharing your ability in different things.
The need to explore other opportunities.
Building another stream of income
Growing your network in another field
You are a professional blogger contributing or managing sites for your clients. READ MORE…

Blogging

The Factors That Should Not Be Allowed To Hold Your Blog Back

jacquelineobyikocha29 Comments

There are many, many many different bloggers out there trying to stake their claim in the endless and ever-expanding frontier that is the digital landscape. As of last year, there were around 350 million blogs on Tumblr alone. In such an oversaturated marketplace it takes a real pioneering spirit to plant your flag in the dirt and let everyone hear your voice. Broadly speaking, bloggers fall into 3 distinct categories. The first category is made up of hobbyists who use their blog as a whetstone to hone their writing skills, document their day to day lives and/or use their blog as a vehicle to keep far away friends abreast at what’s going on with them. The second group are the semi-pros. They’re committed to growing their blog and while they hope to someday use it as their main source of income… they’re not quite there yet. The third are the professionals. They have a sizeable following, they’ve monetized their blog and use it as their primary source of income.

Blogging, Personal Space, Laptop

Image by Pexels

Transitioning from the first category to the second is relatively straightforward. All you need to do is commit to creating regular content and put the effort in to grow your audience. Making it into the realms of the professionals, however, is a tricky business and there are many impediments that will try to block your path. Don’t let these repeat offenders stop you from living your dream…

Lack of investment

Few bloggers realize just how much they need to invest to be able to turn pro, which might necessitate a change in net working capital. Your battered old laptop and your basic WordPress site are unlikely to launch you into the stratosphere. A good laptop will be important to ensure that you’re able to manage several processes at once without slowing you down. Creating your own high-resolution images will allow you to stand out from the crowd so a good quality camera is also a good idea. You’ll also need to invest in your own domain name and a web hosting package with enough space to store your content.  

Apathy

All bloggers start their journey with boundless enthusiasm, churning out content with gusto. If the content doesn’t find its audience, however, it’s easy for that enthusiasm to erode and turn into apathy and self-doubt. Before long they’re barely posting content anymore because… Why bother? If this sounds achingly familiar you may need to give yourself a shake to stay motivated.

Fear

There’s no greater enemy to creativity than fear. Fear that we’ll never be as good as our peers. Fear that nobody will care to read our content. Fear that we’ll receive nasty comments. Fear that we’ll be shunned by the community of bloggers and fear that we’ll be laughed out of the internet. While fear can be potent in stifling your creative spark it must not be allowed to extinguish it. Post regularly, share on social media regularly and maintain good relations with your fellow bloggers and the interest will come!

Lack of focus

With so much content out there, people like to go to particular blogs to read about very particular things. Therefore the more you know your niche the better. If you’re a parenting blog, choose a specialism in the realm of parenting like nutrition or education. If you love to write about movies, specialize in a genre like science fiction or horror. The more focused your niche, the better chance you have of reaching your target audience.

Blogging

From Blog To Business: Turning Your Fun Into Finance

jacquelineobyikocha28 Comments

When most people start with a hobby like blogging, they won’t be going at it with the aim of making some money. Instead, this sort of pastime is something most people do because they enjoy it, choosing to give their free time to something which can help others. Of course, though, this doesn’t mean that it can’t make you a little something at the same time. To help you out with this, this post will be exploring some of the areas you have to consider when you’re going from blog to business.

(Image Credit)

  • The Monetization

Most commonly, blogs will make their money from adverts which are hosted on their site. This sort of option is great if you have loads of visitors coming to your site, reading a huge range of your content. Options like Google AdWords are great, as they are very easy to use. Of course, though, you could find someone to pay you directly to post adverts for them.

A lot of bloggers don’t like to make their money-making ventures obvious, though, and adverts can make it very hard to achieve this. So, instead, getting involved with some influencer marketing could help you out to a huge degree. Using a scheme like this, you will be paid to make posts based on your opinion, making it a lot easier to remain true to your readers.

  • The Background

Of course, making money out of your blog isn’t the only thing you need to think about. Along with this, once you start running a business, you have to make sure you’re protected. Small home-based business insurance has never been easier or cheaper to get your hands on. While it might take some time to research it, this sort of product can give you a huge amount of support going into the future.

Once you start to make some money out of your writing, you will have to start thinking about other issues like taxation and earning reporting. Thankfully, software like Quickbooks makes this very easy for you, giving you the ability to simply record your earnings and the tax you have to pay. This part of running your own company can be very scary. So, it’s worth having the right set of tools to help you out with it.

  • Monitoring Your Progress

Finally, as the last thing to consider, you have to think of some ways to monitor how well your new business is doing. On most blogging platforms, like WordPress and Blogger, there are loads of ways to record the number of people using your site. Along with this, the metrics given to you by your advertisers will be very helpful. This makes it nice and easy to identify any changes you could be making.

Hopefully, this post will inspire you to start working on building your blog into something more than just a hobby. Being able to make money out of something like this is an excellent way to enhance it for yourself. Of course, though, it will also come with a lot of work.

Blogging

Go Hard or Go Home Approach To Making Your Blog Stand Out.

jacquelineobyikocha10 Comments

Anyone just starting out in the blogging world will probably wonder how long it takes to become successful. Well, that can depend on many different factors, but this post will focus on achieving that goal by making the blog stand-out from the crowd. Hopefully, people who put these tips into action will reach their dreams of becoming a professional blogger and website owner. It’s not as difficult as most people think when following the information outlined below. Also, there is no need to invest a lot of money in most instances.

Computer, Typing, Blogging, Writing, Keyboard

Flickr

Publish excellent content all the time

It stands to reason that the best blogs always post fantastic and informative content for their readers. So, anyone who wants to succeed in the industry will have to focus on doing that first and foremost. Websites will never get millions of views every day if the content is less than perfect. That means it’s often sensible to employ the services of a freelance editor to check things over before anyone presses “publish.” Tips for writing great content include:

  • Presenting information readers don’t know
  • Offering a fresh perspective on different situations
  • Coming up with new ideas people have never voiced before

Create stunning graphics visitors can’t ignore

All bloggers should do their best to gain some basic graphic design skills if they want to make a success of their websites. Stunning imagery can encourage readers to come back time and time again. There is no need to stress if individuals have never done that in the past. There are plenty of Adobe Indesign training classes by Training Connection and similar providers. Sometimes it’s best to complete a program of that nature because they teach people how to use the software properly. So, anyone who does that should have a head start when it comes to designing unusual graphics people will never forget.

Consider adding a vlogging section to the site

Lots of people in the blogging world have moved towards vlogging in recent times. It’s a similar concept except the individual will record videos instead of writing articles. Anyone who chooses to do that should upload the clips to a YouTube channel as well as their website. That way, they open themselves up to an entirely new audience. There are lots of tips and advice available from Vlog Nation and similar sites. Far more people watch vlogs than reading blog posts these days. For that reason, all new bloggers should experiment with video when they get the opportunity.

From the suggestions mentioned on this page, new bloggers should manage to make some useful changes and increase the size of their audiences. When all’s said and done, there is more than enough room in the market for thousands of people to go professional in that industry. It’s just a case of finding the right approach and standing out from the crowd. As the old saying goes, individuals should either go hard or go home when it comes to making their site memorable to readers. Experiment, try various ideas and work out the best strategies based on the results. Good luck!

Blogging · Guest Posts

A Creative Way Around The Technology Of Your Blog

jacquelineobyikocha3 Comments

The more outlets creative individuals have, the better. We all have our niche, of course, be it writing, painting, or making music. But, we don’t need to stick to our specialty. In fact, it’s better to branch out. One creative outlet feeds another, and the more you use, the more complete your creative satisfaction will be.

Picture Credit

Some alternatives can even help your primary pursuit. Blogging, for example, provides you with a new way to share what you love doing. If you write fiction, you could post pieces or speak about your writing process. If you love painting, you could develop a blog reviewing your favourite methods.

But, many creative individuals avoid the blogging world. Why? Because the idea of all that technology gives a lot of us a headache. Far from being an inspiration, it seems like a sure way to kill creativity. In truth, though, you may not need to be as technologically minded as you think. Knowing your stuff may help, but there’s a shortcut for every eventuality. To prove the point, we’re going to look at a few of them!

The Appearance

The appearance of your page is important. If you’re putting your name to this, you want it to look good. But, how do you start? In truth, there’s no easy way to make your theme. There’s coding galore to learn. You’d need to know colour codes, button sequences, and so on. It’s not impossible, but it would take some time.

To save you the hassle, you could turn to pre-made blog layouts. Sites like WordPress offer free themes. Bear in mind, though, that these are commonly used. If you want something unique, you could always opt for a paid option from another site.

The Additions

Successful blogs often have additions, from mailing lists to background music. You don’t need to be a tech whizz to incorporate these, either. Setting up a mailing list is much easier than you think. Companies like ConvertKit ensure even beginners can get going. As for incorporating music, it’s as simple as watching a few quick online tutorials. Once you get started, you’ll wonder what all the worry was about.

The Emergencies

There’s always the possibility of emergencies when using technology. If your blog goes down, it could be bad news for your reputation. And, if you don’t know your stuff, you may struggle to get it running again. Who needs the headache? In truth, though, research will ensure you can cope with anything. Something like this guide about how to fix the “Error establishing a database connection” problem on WordPress has got you covered. A guide like this shows you the best ways to get your site up and running again fast.

Backing up your page and content will also go a long way. You don’t need to be a genius to get on top of this; you just need to be organized. And, if there’s one thing creative people are good at, it’s getting organized when it matters most.

 

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…

Blogging

To My Recent Follows…

jacquelineobyikocha8 Comments

Welcome, Bloggers, Networking, WordPress, Blog, Community, Appreciation

I would like to appreciate all my recent follows of the past few weeks. Forgive my tardiness for failing to do this earlier and for not stopping by to visit and say hello.

I am not that ill-mannered and can only offer the excuse of the deluge of emails, blog posts and duties that besiege me each day. That’s one hazard of blogging and running two blogs, but I am loving it nonetheless.

Now, a proper thank you to you and you and you. In this space, my vision is to keep things positive and warm, to engage and inspire others whenever possible and to build an interactive positive-minded community that hopefully transcends the online blogging community into our various lives.

This community is such a supportive one and in my own little way, I seek ways to create more cohesion in our midst and appreciate those around me. Asides from my regular posts, I have a series ‘featured posts’ where I share weekly posts of others and ‘author zone’ where I spotlight the published work of others.

I also offer guest posts, bloggers interview and partnership opportunities, as well as a recurrent monthly blog party for the purpose of networking and growing. I’ll also mention that I offer a few services that might interest you and you can always shoot me an email through the contact page.

Once again, you are welcome to my house in bloglandia. I look forward to furthering interactions with you and extending an early invitation to the month’s end blog party coming up on Sat/Sun 29/30th of July.

My regards,

Jacqueline

 

Blogging

Things that make blogging dreary. Yeah! I said that

jacquelineobyikocha8 Comments

Blogs Dreary Parts, Blogging, Building Successful Blog, Blog Plan, Essential Blog Tips

To Blog or To Wash

There are day’s that I equate blogging with the boring class of washing dishes or clothes. These two are not my favourite house chores and I am yet to meet anyone who’s ecstatic about them.

Why no good fellow has thought it wise to create an elegant and smart gadget that removes the clothes after a wash, irons, folds them and puts them away nicely is a question that I ask from time to time. Now that’s a good manufacturing idea for someone to tinker around with.

You might wonder why I put blogging in the same group with housework. Okay, it’s not every day that blogging falls into that status, there are days that I do find it exciting, especially when I feel my brain cells swell with knowledge, however, here are my reasons.

 

Blog · Blogging

FIND YOUR UNIQUE BLOG VOICE IN 9 STEPS

jacquelineobyikocha

Find Blog Voice, Writing, Blog Tips, Originality, Blog Personality Attributes, Feedback, Purpose, Popular Post, Ideal Reader, Connect readers

Your Voice

Your blogs’ unique voice will strengthen your brand and focus. Your voice is that feeling, thoughts, emotions, reactions, that your writing evokes in your readers’ which causes them to internalize and personalize the content that they’ve read while trying to build a persona behind the author of the blog.

To find your voice is something that certainly takes time. It’s not a rush job. There will be many oscillations, but with practice, you will get better at it and it will flow far more naturally.

In order to truly connect with your readers’ and to build your desired community, you’ve got to do it your own way, in your own style but bearing your readers’ in mind.

Your blog is not all about you. If it’s just about you, then you wouldn’t be thinking of how to grow your audience. You’ll be just fine writing your thoughts on your bedside journal for no one else to read. In as much as your blog may represent many aspects of your thoughts and life, it by no means has all the nuances of your complicated persona which is why it’s also a separate and unique entity.

For the long-term growth of your blog, you’ve got to set a solid foundation. Blog your passion with purpose, with clarity and in your own voice.

How to find your voice 

Read More

Blog · Blogging

Why I put my stats in my face…personal thoughts about blogging.

jacquelineobyikocha34 Comments

When I started blogging, I used to  agonize over my blog stats so, I’m not going to tell you one big fat lie that it didn’t mean anything to me; it did at that point.

Then, it started taking a center of focus which was anti what I wanted and my objectives.

I want to be able to do my blog posts without thinking for one second if the views would go out of the roof or not.

I didn’t want to lose sight of my main reasons for starting this journey in the first place and that’s to connect with like minded people, whilst nurturing my passion for writing.

Bothering over stats was such a joy-killer.

Even though hundreds of views mattered, it was not my primary goal. If the art of blogging wouldn’t lead me to the road of achieving my writing goals, why then should I bother over stats?

So I put my stats right in my face where I see it every second that I log on to my blog and bingo! I stopped agonizing over it.

I stopped poring over the figures and wasting God-given precious seconds trying to understand how and why and who and what and all the innumerable reasons why someone read xyz that I wrote and the jargon of search terms that one could find.

I just wasn’t about to start writing out of context and playing an orchestra that was tuneless.

The Lesson in this and note to self is, don’t lose sight of your blogging objectives.

Make sure you are enjoying the experience as you keep to your primary objectives. That’s what really keeps you going.

© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

Below is my first just published Poetry Book “Out of the silent breath” which is available on Amazon and Smashwords.

When you buy my book, you support me in an invaluable manner.

I absolutely love this book of poems. My favorites are “Love Rations” (for those who love to give the silent treatment) and “Beggars Supper” (which definitely pulls at the heart strings). Two thumbs up!!

Out of the silent breath