Fifty Nifty

Just last week I published my 50th post! I am sure that this is very impressive. Right? I am on my way!

Yeah. Okay…the question “on your way to where,” is appropriate. And quite frankly, I have no idea. I think I am like most bloggers out there. We have some ideas, we have some drive, we have some goals. And, we probably all have the secret hope that we can somehow make a living from this whim we embarked on. Or, maybe, a not-so-secret hope– I am still holding my husband to his promise that if I can make $60,000.00 a year off of this thing I can quit my day job. Perhaps it wasn’t a promise so much as a joke he will one day regret, and maybe this little baby has not made me a penny yet–but I am not put off. Oak trees come from acorns and all that. Though, I have to admit that maybe I need a plan.

Not too long ago, my husband sent me an article that really got me thinking, entitled 50 Ways to Promote and Market your Blog Posts, and it was spot on. I especially related to the sentence: “The adage of “build it and they will come” does not work on a web where you are competing with hundreds of millions of websites and over 2 billion internet users who still don’t know you exist.” (Read more at http://www.jeffbullas.com/2013/05/29/50-ways-to-promote-and-market-your-blog-posts/#7CiPqqePiSl8gWcJ.99). Bummer. But apparently there are things you can do…actions you can take to “build it.” I read through the list of 50 things recommended by Mr. Bullas and considered which I could start tackling and I have spent some more energy focusing on the baby-steps of self-promotion.

For example, I opened a Pinterest page, I activated my Facebook page for Lifeimproved.org (go ahead and click here and like my page now!). I also guest-posted on getrichslowly.org and tried to reach out to other bloggers. I begged my sisters to pin my stuff on Pinterest, and occasionally to share my stuff on Facebook. I started following more blogs and plan to be a lot more “chatty.” I am hopeful that all these small steps make a difference.

Unfortunately, I have hit a bit of a mental block, here. I started this project sort of on a whim and sort of to have something to inspire me during a challenging period in my life. It’s easy to spill all my secrets to a bunch of strangers, family and a select few really good friends. It’s a lot more difficult to invite all the people I am “friends” with on Facebook or connected with on Linkedin. Part of what makes blogging so liberating is the anonymity. Yet, if I want to invitedall these co-workers, acquaintances and casual friends to my blog, they would know an awful lot about me. It’s something I am not all together sure I am comfortable with yet. Don’t let that stop you, though, from recommending people follow this blog.

As an unintended consequence of these self-promotion attempts, I have been slowing down in my posts (crap–only 2 posts in September!?) I didn’t mean to. It’s just hard being so witty and thought-provoking and simultaneously trying to convince people to come see how witty and thought-provoking I am. Plus… I still have my day job.

As always, I welcome and encourage comments and questions, recommendations and advice.  If you have a blog and have had success with organic self-promotion, I would love to hear it.