Written on November 19th, 2009 at 12:11 am by Darren Rowse
Warning: Watching This Video May Lead to Work! [But It'll Also Improve Your Blog]
What’s your blogging Vice?
Most bloggers that I know have at least one – whether it be compulsively checking blog stats, constantly tweaking template designs, obsessing over plugins and widgets, spending hour after hour ‘networking’ on Twitter, becoming preoccupied with SEO and… even allowing ourselves to become consumed by learning about blogging…. and not doing much of it.
The reality is that as bloggers there are many tasks that compete for our attention. Many of them are important and can bring a lot of life to our blogs but most of them can also become distractions and counter productive to our blogging if we allow them.
This video asks you ‘what is your blogging vice?’ and challenges us all (and I need to hear it) to focus upon one of the most important aspects of blogging – creating content.
Don’t get me wrong – the tasks mentioned above can all be important and as bloggers we need to approach our blogging in a holistic kind of way – but this week while looking at 50 blogs while judging a blogging competition it struck me how much most of them could be improved with more spent on the creation of quality content.
My challenge to us all today is to refocus our energies upon creating compelling and useful content.
If that means no more reading about how to blog here at ProBlogger for a bit while you go and DO IT – so be it. After all, it’s what it all boils down to if you’re looking to improve your blog.
Get the full sized video at Youtube.
133 Responses to “Warning: Watching This Video May Lead to Work! [But It'll Also Improve Your Blog]” - Add Yours
Andrew @ webuildyourblog.com
November 19th, 2009 1:03 am
I think I spend too much time in forums, just reading, and sometimes commenting.
Only a quick comment…got to write a new blog post.
Andrew
Adam
November 19th, 2009 1:08 am
I’m recently begun limiting the little things that have kept me from blogging over the past few months. I used to constantly check my stats and tweet every little thing about my blog. I’m not sure how many redesigns I have had. I would say at least 9.
However, since starting to read your 30 Days eBook, I’ve changed my habits and started working towards expanding my blog and providing great content. Heck, I’ve even started commenting on about 15 blogs a day. I was lucky if I commented on about 5 a week before. Thanks for the great material to keep me pumped!
Mike Stenger
November 19th, 2009 1:14 am
“but this week while looking at 50 blogs while judging a blogging competition it struck me how much most of them could be improved with more spent on the creation of quality content.”
Content is king for sure. I think a lot of bloggers aren’t REALLY in it for the hustle but the monetization. Ads are great but with anything, if you put too much focus on something, it’ll slowly take time away from other things.
While also creating killer content, we should also look at the prince: Interaction
Encourage conversation within your quality content. ‘Nuff said
Antonio Tajuelo
November 19th, 2009 1:27 am
Totally right. Sometimes I get distracted and out of the important point, which is creating quality content U__U
Guillermo
November 19th, 2009 1:35 am
I’m sick of statistics. I think I will create a facebook support group because I cannot get away from them!
Arrggghh!!
Leave you, I have to check how many visitors in the last 3 minutes!
Nicole
November 19th, 2009 1:39 am
I am totally suffering from this!! I’m a newbie, and I love learning about blogging! I think that I need to focus on content more!! Thank you so much for posting about this!
Vishal Sanjay
November 19th, 2009 1:47 am
Really great post Darren, I check my posts 5 times in my house, even in my school I skip classes to stay at the computer lab. One thing I’m doing right is that i’m not forgetting to create content.
http://www.dumblittleblogger.blogspot.com
Lisa Olinda
November 19th, 2009 1:56 am
Hello my name is Lisa and I have several vices associated with my blog. I think you have been sitting in my computer watching me. I am disturbed by how well you know me LOL. Thanks for the encouragement to produce great content!
Doug
November 19th, 2009 2:01 am
Darren, your post is timely as this is something that I’ve been thinking a lot about recently. How much time did I/am I wasting on focusing on the nuts and bolts of my blog rather than creating content that is useful to my small group of readers?
My biggest vices have been: spending too much time looking at the analytics for my site, messing around with FB and trying to find a way to connect it in a useful to my blog, and learning new ways to ‘use’ twitter. Glad to see I’m not the only one questioning how we spend time online.
At some point, you just have to do the work and quit messing around.
Ben Vernon
November 19th, 2009 2:05 am
Lol I was going to comment that reading your posts is my vice until you said that last little bit. But in all seriousness, everytime i have had a dip in RSS, Hits or retweets has been because I have stopped writing content and took more of an interest in other things such as Twitter, Forums and Facebook.
Thanks for this post. I hope to regularly write content, before I have done these other things
Sandra
November 19th, 2009 2:12 am
My vice is not one you mentioned, mine is fear – letting myself get trapped in worry about whether what I have to say is of value. I need to just get over it and focus on creating content. I know just doing that will help me gain confidence.
Once I have more confidence then I’ll start promoting my blog more so I can develop some of those vices you mentioned. :)
Online Blog Tips
November 19th, 2009 2:14 am
My blogging Vice is to look and think a lot what others are doing…
Eat Smart Age Smart
November 19th, 2009 2:26 am
Darren,
You are back from vacation in great form and with loads of great questions!
My vice of choice: stats!
I’m checking my stats and then I’ll look at other sites in my niche and will check their Alexa rating and compare and then sit here and wonder “what MORE can I do?????”
I know it’s sad :-(
I’m getting better at it and I’ve found that blocking time out prevents me from suffering from stats-ADD.
One of your readers had said when the urge comes to turn around and write a kick-ass post or do something productive for our blog. I’m learning and I’m applying that strategy more and more … but it’s sooooooooooo hard to break an addiction.
Great discussion Darren.
Krizia
Srinivas Rao
November 19th, 2009 2:31 am
Darren,
It’s really funny that you put up this video because I was just writing about efficient time management. Brian Tracy said ask yourself one simple question for effeciency “Is what you’re doing of the highest value?” I’m finally starting to realize how important that is. I think if people spend 1/10 of their time commenting and the rest writing, you’d see much more productive blogging. So, I usually work on writing articles first and then comment.
Tom Bunny
November 19th, 2009 2:41 am
Great vid, and a great insight – it was as though I was listening about myself. On the other hand, it’s no matter what thing you are doing, it’s just human nature to get distracted by other things. Just remember when you had to do some homework at school, suddenly you find yourself cleaning your house, washing dishes and etc. In this case we have blogging and such distractions as SEO, design .. But hey, these distractions are directly related to how your blog looks and works+generating ideas.
Sudeep
November 19th, 2009 2:48 am
My vice is all the social media and my moods . I really do find that some days I am in such a gr8 mood that ideas run through me , while other .. nothing of that sort happens .
Well just waits till the day is good for that mood I guess is my pattern.
Regards
Sudeep
Eugen Oprea
November 19th, 2009 3:22 am
Totally agree with you Darren. I think of moments when I check Google Analytics, Feedburner, Twitter, reading other blogs, finding ideas… But I will stop doing all of these and write more. Write, write, write…
Thanks for video.
Joshua Black
November 19th, 2009 3:25 am
I would say that my vice is the incessant checking of stats and emails up to 30 times a day. However, I combat that by doing my blog research and topic picking BEFORE I endulge in my “sick” habits. I make sure I get my research done the day before and take quick notes so that the readers get a thoughtful post. On the days where I slack, I can always tell. Subscriptions drop off. You can’t hide slacking… it shows right through in your posts like you put it on a billboard.
Jesse Seymour
November 19th, 2009 3:48 am
My biggest vice is one that completely keeps me from ever reaching my keyboard. I work 10 hour days at my day job as an IT professional (my blog is on home brewing beer). When I get home from work I’m just so tired that my brain automatically goes to autopilot and I head right for my PS3.
Then I feel guilty because I am not writing posts and my blog is aging, hits are dropping and rss subscribers are flocking to the door.
So I hit the PS3 some more and flip into a game like GTA IV and start shooting things up.
I’m going to try to put myself on a 30 day challenge to write 2 quality posts every day starting Jan 1, 2010. I’m going to publish 1 and save 1 so hopefully if I can finish the challenge I will have two months of posts.
Reason for waiting is because in the remainder of this year there are 2 major US holidays, 6 birthdays and 4 holiday parties that have my attention :).
Online Money Making
November 19th, 2009 3:54 am
Terrific video and you hit the nail on the head. I struggle sometimes staying focused in my writing on my blog, but it is key that I maintain it to have success. Thanks for a great video.
David Shaw
November 19th, 2009 4:04 am
I spend half my time reading other blogs, checking stats and checking my twitter account.
I really need to get my head down and focus on my content! I am off to write a new blog post now!
Darni
November 19th, 2009 4:50 am
One of my favourite activity is to check the stats of my blog.Some times I put more efforts on analyzing the stats than writing articles.It’s totally wrong.I should be more focus on my blog than the stats from now on. :)
Stan
November 19th, 2009 5:16 am
Problogger is some times my biggest distraction :) But not because of itself but because I allow it to be.
So that’s it for today over here.
Jeff H.
November 19th, 2009 5:22 am
Great video Darren. I think my vice is, is that I am doing too much. I have been writing daily stories for years on my static web site. I was hoping to try to convert it to a blog by next month, but now it seems like it will be January.
Last week, I was just starting the process to create some pillar content, but I hit a wall: I am starting to get tired of writing. I do not mind writing the daily stories, but when it comes to writing pillar content, it seems to take a little more time. Therefore, I am saving up some money to hire a writer to assist me with the pillar content, because I cannot do it all.
I had wanted to convert my web site to a blog earlier this year, but I had to edit a lot of my mailing lists at Aweber (over 700), because I wanted them to send confirmation emails to my readers. Also, I just recently finished editing my blog behind the scenes at my web site to reflect the stories I wrote on my static web site. This way, when my blog debuts, my readers will have access to those articles I have written in the past via my blog.
So hopefully in the early part of January, I can finally get the ball rolling with my new web design and push my blog to new heights.
Ben Aldern
November 19th, 2009 5:44 am
Oh man. Not the most fun to hear, but you did just give me a way to admit that checking my RSS feeds is distracting me. I just put the ones I consider essential in a new folder and will only check that one unless I’ve already written a post that day.
Thanks!
ZK @ Web Marketing Blog
November 19th, 2009 6:06 am
One click and such one click will move you and your concentration miles away from your main work.
This happen to everyone who use internet and would love to see and learn new things.
So my advice is simple stop learning while you are doing something important and to avoid distraction as well.
NiCk Thacker
November 19th, 2009 6:06 am
As always, great post! Good job on the video and site, thanks Darren!
Kiran
November 19th, 2009 6:08 am
You hit the nail in the head with this post. Now let me get back to creating quality blog posts ;)
Aleksandra
November 19th, 2009 6:19 am
Definitely design and SEO. I catch myself sometimes spending the entire day on just messing around with widgets, text, tags and so on. I do agree with you though that it has its place, but it should never distract you from what was supposed to get really done that way. Sometimes it’s easier said than done =)
Rita
November 19th, 2009 6:35 am
Great post. Darren, you are a master at thinking through what bloggers need.
My weekly blogging pattern is to write 13 posts for three blogs. I write for baby boomer consumers, topics with lots of material and that I enjoy writing about.
The problem I have is finding time to monetize one of my blogs.
Rita blogging at The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide
Todd Morris
November 19th, 2009 6:40 am
Hi Darren,
I wasn’t going to comment on this post, because I recognize myself in a few of those vices you mentioned … and I really do need to finish writing a post. But then, I re-read this sentence in the middle of your article …
“..to focus upon one of the most important aspects of blogging – creating comment”
freudian slip? or maybe (not so) subliminal message?
In any case, how could I not comment after learning that it’s one of the most important aspects of blogging? :-D
Tyler Staley
November 19th, 2009 7:05 am
This post is so very true. I think that many people are putting too much attention on their SEO or their site when they forget that the reason people visit their site is because of the content.
By the way i’m not saying I don’t forget about the fact that content is king.
Heather
November 19th, 2009 7:21 am
Very quick comment from me, I should be creating my web design lol.
My vice is reading about blogging, reading about design (tutorials especially) and obsessing over business models.
Ms. Freeman
November 19th, 2009 8:07 am
My vice is definitely 1. Theme changing 2. Replying to every single comment. 3. Reading about 50-60 blogs per day and commenting.
You defintiely put a good challenge out there though. Time to get to work! :)
Clarence Holmes
November 19th, 2009 8:10 am
I am new to blogging, but do realize that content is king. I am guilty of checking stats, tweaking my site, etc just as you have suggested.
I visit many blogs and check stats so that I can better understand how I want to move forward. No doubt that my posts are what will attract visitors, but I find I need to go back a forth; write and post when my mind is in that mode and research when I’m in the detail investigative mode.
Erin(irishis98 from Twitter)
November 19th, 2009 8:16 am
You’ve totally nailed me to the wall. I’m off to work on blogging rather than tweaking my theme. Thank you for the kick in the arse.
Epping Electrical
November 19th, 2009 8:29 am
Reading other blogs is definitely my #1 vice.. Followed closely by spending time on twitter, clicking through links, discovering more blogs to read and the vicious circle continues :(
Kristin
November 19th, 2009 9:18 am
Thanks for the info – I thought I was the only one with a vice, especially the reading/how-to-blog one. I love reading and learning and that’s my biggest problem. Every “pro” blogger through c-list blogger’s have their own book on “how to blog” or “blogger’s guide to marketing”, etc. It’s so hard to keep up with it all. They all have similarities as well as their own technique and then you have to decide which one’s right for you, which is hard.
Steve Car Insurance
November 19th, 2009 9:19 am
Darren,
You nailed it again. I am so guilty of all of your little time wasters. This is the kick-in-the-butt I needed to create a time-line for myself each day and stick to it. I know all these things from my previous life as a radio station owner, but have gotten away from basics. Thank you for all you do for us!
Insurance Man
November 19th, 2009 9:27 am
Very good post. I certainly could use a critique of my content. Sometimes I don’t re-read the entire post to see if anything sounds out of place…kind of like you did when you hit submit before you corrected “one of the most important aspects of blogging…comment.” I know you meant “content’, but this is such a perfect example, I couldn’t pass it up!
Tomas Stonkus
November 19th, 2009 9:49 am
I noticed early on in my blogging career that I was spending a lot of time on things that added little or no value to my blog: minor design tweaks, etc. Then I realized that blogging is about content and providing value for others.
After that, I just picked an easy to use and simple design for my blog, added couple of key features such as subscription and a social bookmarking too. I think that is about.
After doing that I got back to basic of product creation: creating a product and marketing it. There is not much else to it.
No matter how great your blog is, but if nobody knows what about it – what’s the use?
OR
If you spend a ton of time marketing, but you spend no time writing – what’s the use?
OR is you work on design, but nothing else….maybe you should do design instead of writing :)
Point is, we, as bloggers, are here to provide value and spread the word about ourselves to help other people develop and grown. Remember that it is all about customers: without customers there would be no bloggers.
Cheers!
Tomas
se7en
November 19th, 2009 10:40 am
Oh good grief vices… commenting!!! I love commenting… and stats checking who is stopping by to visit, yup that has taken years off my life… Oh this is a call to be so disciplined!!! But if I stopped my vices it might take away from the fun of blogging and since I am not about monetizing and all about loving blogging maybe I should stick with a little vice-ness…
Denise
November 19th, 2009 12:55 pm
Well I am certainly guilty of being pre-occupied with reading and learning about blogging (here every day) along with a few others in my niche and other favorites. I also like to learn more about the things I am interested in though. The other distractions you’ve listed, I could definitely see me being guilty of down the road though. With that being said, above all else, is the fact that I am constantly battling the “perfectionist” in me. “Ducks must be in a row” kind of thing; it’s “a double-edged sword.” Glad I stopped by today; be back in a few days! Thanks Darren.
Sandra
November 19th, 2009 1:35 pm
Ok, I just discovered a new vice…
reading comments! :)
Austin
November 19th, 2009 1:44 pm
I’m definitely one of the stats guys. I obsess over stats for no apparent reason… I’m not sure why. That’s it, I’m uninstalling WP Stats! :)
Dean Saliba
November 19th, 2009 2:57 pm
My blog vice seems to be checking Facebook or Twitter instead of actually doing any work.
Tim Bronson
November 19th, 2009 3:53 pm
” blogs but most of them can also become distractions”
So true. Easy to fool yourself into thinking that checking rankings is the work you should be doing.
Nancy
November 19th, 2009 5:12 pm
Love this, I’m a newbie and get concerned that while I have a lot of readership, no comments. I’ve realized that I need to just keep writing and not worry about the little details.
Thank you!
Mary Lutz
November 19th, 2009 5:22 pm
This is the best advice for anyone blogging, podcasting or vlogging!!!!
Allan R.
November 19th, 2009 6:43 pm
No, no, no.. Darren!
I think you should have told that sometimes we still have to learn. We have to learn where are we (time and place) and who we are competing with.
Especially when it comes to beginners like me.
Though, there has to be some border, where starts the real writing. From there – yes. We have to cut our time wasting.
Casey
November 19th, 2009 7:02 pm
I loved the honesty in this blog. Stop reading “how-to” and DO!
Well, I need to get back to writing, haha.
Lam Nguyen
November 19th, 2009 8:22 pm
its such a coincidence that u bring this up because i was just thinking to myself how much time i have wasted on the design of my blog (learning html etc) and learning SEO.
also one day last week my blog traffic doubled and i was shocked and ever since then ive been spending time on the stats, wasting time again.
this video post has confirmed and answered my question. i know what i need to do now which is stop wasting time on keyword analysers etc, just stick with what i got and BLOG
Tinh
November 19th, 2009 8:43 pm
Nice post, long time not listening to your voice :-)
Heather Villa
November 19th, 2009 10:17 pm
I’m all about delegation. Once I determine that a task can be done by my assistant, then I delegate it and just have a summary given to me. This way I can continue working on the things that bring in income and ways to grow my business.
Of course it does take time to teach and train a person, but in the long run, I save time and money and get more accomplished in the process.
gifts for her
November 19th, 2009 10:20 pm
Excellent advice here but that’s why it’s called a vice. I must view videos with compelling titles like “what your vice”. Anyway, thanks for the nudge….
Helen Calder
November 19th, 2009 10:28 pm
Oh Darren, you know us so well! As for me, those stats sure have a hypnotic effect. Well, back to blogging…
Annabel Candy, Get In the Hot Spot
November 19th, 2009 10:57 pm
Sometimes I think just blogging itself is an unhealthy vice:) Bloggers anon anyone?
Ryan
November 19th, 2009 11:28 pm
Focusing on content creation gives me peace of mind. Focusing on stats gives me stress. I’m more aware of the shift these days. When I feel anxious I move back toward creating.
David Walker
November 19th, 2009 11:34 pm
Guilty as charged. Stats, tweaking SEO, FB, Tweets..why does a day have only 24 hours? Does anyone suffer from this feeling of being overwhelmed? feeling like you’re not doing enough..more, more, more.? or is that my biggest vice?
work at home
November 20th, 2009 1:03 am
I take idea of of blogging work of other experienced blogger and I work like that, I think blogging is one good platform for use our creativity.
Ray @ The Stock Market Club
November 20th, 2009 1:11 am
I have never believed in partnerships in business, but blogging is one place it could really work. The super creative writer wife who works on nothing but content. And the tech crazed husband that lives for ad placement and code.
Being both is just tough!
Srinu
November 20th, 2009 1:30 am
Nice Post ..! i thing i will improve my blog my own way..!
Make Money Blogging
November 20th, 2009 1:42 am
I was about to write on the same issue.. The thing is i am myself addicted to checking stats. I guess this phase comes in each and every blogger’s time..esp in the beginning. The end result is wasting countless hours in doing nothing. My personal exp is very disheartening. LOL i spend 4-5 hours checking stats and hardly half n hour writing a post…
Its an addiction which is very hard to get rid off..
Lisa Marie Mary
November 20th, 2009 2:27 am
Thanks, Darren! I needed that ’swift kick in the tush’!! I’m off to blog – right. this. minute.
;)
Evelyn
November 20th, 2009 2:57 am
I’m spending way too much time on tweaking my template. Now that I have it the way I want it. I’ll focus on writing, writing and more writing. Thanks, Daren. You have given me the push that I needed.
Evelyn @ http://www.naturalrawliving.com
Gabe | freebloghelp.com
November 20th, 2009 4:45 am
Delivering quality content consumes me! That makes it hard to reach into the other responsibilities as often as I’d like.
Bob Andolina
November 20th, 2009 6:02 am
Thanks for your video. It is a great reminder.
I just love connecting with others and blogging is just one of the three methods I enjoy using.
I like to keep what I do to earn my income streams, as much as like a great investment that now pays me an income each month without me there to have to work it.
The key that led to my success was using leverage that the Internet provides to all of us.
Because I was exposed to the many methods of Internet Marketing, I was able to pick the top three and focus my time on them.
Not every Blogger wants to earn money. But for those who want to, it would be wise to investigate all your options on how to get your words out to the masses for any reason.
And for those of you who just enjoy blogging, I think you would like to attract the most readers to you blogs as possible right??
Just my thoughts,
Bob Andolina
Ships
November 20th, 2009 6:07 am
it is good, I got good tips from here, but actually this is not everything. I know and I believe that it is quite important to have long and very complicated process for making your blog popular. The most important is content. Also important is SEO and on the final position in revenue.
lea selley
November 20th, 2009 6:20 am
Thank you!!!
You’ve totally sumeraized the root of my procrastination!
keep up the great work & content!
Steve Johnson
November 20th, 2009 8:08 am
Just like everyone else, I find distractions all over the place. Twitter, blogs, commenting on blogs, my blog stats, tweeking, etc. Not to mention family commitments, day job, etc.
My personal blog lags because of all this. Probably my biggest vice is getting the balls to just do it. I just need to let go of fear and just start writing.
The more I write, the better my writing will be. My content may not be compelling now. If I keep at it I know it will be compelling in the future.
We Fly Spitfires
November 20th, 2009 9:34 am
Wow, loaded question! Not really sure what my vice is. I think it’s possibly that I worry too much about what people will think of my articles instead of just posting them regardless. I’m too sensitive I think and don’t take criticism well. Perhaps I just need to develop a thicker skin.
Also recently I’ve been so busy that I haven’t had the time to devote to my blog’s aesthetics and design. I really want to get it looking a bit more professional.
Suzanne Vara
November 20th, 2009 9:42 am
I spend way too much time looking to see if there is too much written on what I am going to write about. I should look into it but not read every article and then similar articles and then similar articles to that. There are times the blog does not even get started until 12am. I need to trim the fat and just get writing!
Alpesh
November 20th, 2009 10:01 am
Ok, thanks.
Am not even watching the video.
Go! create quality content. It’s really long, it has been created.
Andrea Weeks
November 20th, 2009 2:57 pm
This really motivated me to stop worrying so much about the appearances and the exact right approach of my blog. Great content will literally sell itself (well maybe with the help of a little SEO too).
Also teaches us to get back to the foundation of blogging. While you could provide links or showcase work, the blog is not about designing or formatting, its about portraying your thoughts, ideas, and advice. Let’s go retro! Get back to the root of it all and speak our minds! Get out there and blog already!
Mike from Drop Ship
November 20th, 2009 4:30 pm
The promotion of a blog does require a holistic appraoch. The content plays the major role in the success of a blog. Being able to write great content is an asset.
Jorgen Sundberg
November 20th, 2009 10:03 pm
Great post and some really useful and practical points as always!
Now we all have vices, I tend to spend way too much time on social media sites in between making cups of tea and nibbling on what-is-in-the-cupboards…
Anywho, I wrote a post yesterday about enjoying work which I think is relevant.
http://www.theundercoverrecruiter.com/content/6-simple-steps-be-happier-work
My blog is all about careers and how to make the most out of your job, just like any professional blogger should do in any case!
apol
November 20th, 2009 10:28 pm
You”re right Darren, i have been obsessed by optimizing the SEO of my blog and the themes as well. I’m a new blogger and still learning all the things about blogging. Whenever i read articles from other blog on “how to” and “steps on” things like that, i will apply it as soon as i can, consuming all my time on these things.
Thanks for redirecting my mind Darren, maybe now i’ll just focus my self first on creating contents for my blog whenever i have time since it was just launched 3 months ago, and do the other things like SEO when the content is enough already. MARAMING SALAMAT PO!!
Kimberley
November 20th, 2009 11:01 pm
Brilliant – though still hard to tear my eyes away from all the rich content here. Was just introduced by a friend – but this video definitely speaks to me. Always thinking, how can I improve? What would be better? Tags? SEO? Ads? But then – hiding in plain site – not enough content. Not enough regular content. No time set aside for writing.
Thanks so much for this :)
Brett
November 21st, 2009 1:11 am
Work. Of the paid variety. Despite getting up in time to see people awake in other timezones, and going to bed before my kids do some nights, I still have to work.
The candle is burning at both ends, oh but my, what a pretty light!
Jim
November 21st, 2009 2:17 am
The word obsession is probably the key thing to get over for me. Obsession over what email we got relating to the blogs, obsession of stats, obsesison of “did my posting on other people’s blogs get a link back or create community”, and for me the obsession of wondering if everything I’m doing is the right thing.
Recently I’ve been reading some outsourcing blogs and how they get other people to do their work for them. I’m far from outsourcing it all out, but between the concern to get everything done and writing posts, it gets real busy. I’ve recently hired writers to do my writing for a couple of my blogs which allows me to work on other things.
Then I set goals to not check mail until noon, or don’t check Google stats until “tomorrow”. Maybe like a blogging calendar, having a “check stats” calendar would be helpful as well.
Good post once again Darren!
Jim
The Constant Complainer
November 21st, 2009 8:50 am
Dude, it’s amazing to me what I learn after spending just a few minutes on your site. All I can say is wow. Oh, and THANKS.
Jannie Funster
November 21st, 2009 9:14 am
last 40 seconds of this KILLED me. (In a good way, of course.)
But can I leave a comment on THIS post before I go write one of my own?
Me.. Spending a LOT of time on my photos — cropping, sizing, adding light, painting out “undesirable” bits. Hey, I’m artistic — what can I say?
Eric
November 21st, 2009 9:16 am
After reading what you posted here I do agree that people should get started and not worry too much about taking so much time to add widgets and different things like that. Of course, whatever works for the individual is important and they should focus on continuing to do it, however, experimenting and all won’t do much unless good, solid content is there.
jamie
November 21st, 2009 9:37 am
I agree with you totally, I am pretty new to blogging and find so many distractions. I have actually written a post along a similar theme to yours
http://www.deliveryourpromise.com/time/stop-wasting-time-on-line/
I am only half way through but the main point is what we’re potentially missing out on when we’re blogging. There’s much to learn and do with no guarantees…..
Kris Costello
November 21st, 2009 3:18 pm
WOW! How did you know Ive been spending too much time….changing templets, checking stats,adding widgets….. posting ‘new blogs’.Rather than focusing on content, and of course editing and posting our interviews!
Bless you! Great wake up call. Thanks,
Kris
Julie
November 22nd, 2009 12:44 am
Thanks Darren.
I agree with Sandra, one vice is fear or maybe a perfection issue. I want to do it right. I constantly check for comments. Whether that is in forums, my blogs, or comments referencing my own comments. I worry (and fear) that my content isn’t good enough. I make comments, linked to other posts, and search for my own.
When you are writing to others that is the best measure of seeing how you are doing. Just starting out, you have to keep pushing yourself to write and hope that someone will comment so you know you have readers.
Matthew Beach
November 22nd, 2009 4:59 am
I always seem to find an excuse not to post… too tired, have to fix something first, not sure how to start, I should read Darren’s blog.
Why is it that avoidance of doing what is most important seems to be built into our human nature?
Amílcar
November 22nd, 2009 5:13 am
This is one of the most important advices you ever gave. We are surrounded by distractions and have no ‘boss’. It is a recipe for disaster, unless we become very aware of the problem and take actions to solve it.
Thanks a lot.
Infogle.com
November 22nd, 2009 6:53 am
These were the god’s word for me – Darren with just 4.49min you explained the whole lot of implications i have been struggling with – excellent stuff.
You changed my view of thinking – I say it once again – these were the god’s word for me.
Blog Tips
November 22nd, 2009 9:38 am
I agree, creating quality content is the most important task for bloggers if they really want to succeed
Muzon
November 22nd, 2009 3:38 pm
Thanks Darren. This information has appeared very useful!
Oli
November 22nd, 2009 11:35 pm
Hi,
in your post http://www.problogger.net/archives/2009/08/21/9-last-tips-on-making-money-from-the-amazon-affiliates-program/ you talk about the Amazon aStore, and how you are looking to improve it’s sales.
I think a major factor throughout your site is it’s direction towards the US market. i think at this point geo-targetting is your friend, giving you access to buyers the world over. While this would probably too much work for your contextual links, why not try creating two identical aStores for the US and teh UK and then creating/buying a geolocation tool (There are free ones out there as well) which will automatically send users to the correct store. Hell, if thats too much work just create a UK store, a Canadian store, and so on, then put store links up for each country!
The great thing about the internet is the global market, don’t miss out on it!
Luc Gendrot
November 23rd, 2009 7:54 am
Gosh I do all of these things! This video has truly opened my eyes to how much time I waste doing almost everything you mentioned, I write a book review blog and I could be spending all of this time actually reading the books that I should be reviewing!
Thanks for the great tips, keep it up!
Padtitude
November 23rd, 2009 8:40 am
Darren,really enjoyed the video and the thought provoking question you pose. My vice is that when I blog, and come up with an idea or point of view, I check the web, to see if it really is new, or if it appears 100 other times somewhere else. By habit, I read these comments to see if anyone else has the same vice. Viscious circle I guess!
medyum
November 23rd, 2009 10:54 am
The promotion of a blog does require a holistic appraoch. The content plays the major role in the success of a blog. Being able to write great content is an asset
seslialmanya
November 23rd, 2009 4:57 pm
I am only half way through but the main point is what we’re potentially missing out on when we’re blogging. There’s much to learn and do with no guarantees
Barry Finlay
November 24th, 2009 12:47 am
Social Networking sites are my vice, Initially starting out on them to promote my site and latest content but then it is so easy to get sidetracked on them the next thing you know is you are watching the latest viral on youtube of some fat dude doing a funny dance instead of the site promotion you started.
scheng1
November 24th, 2009 2:08 am
haha, you sound like a teacher in charge of naughty students! Time to do homework!
JoeDane
November 24th, 2009 11:12 am
Hi. My name is Joe and I’m an obsessive stat-checker. (Group: Hi, Joe!) Even when I haven’t posted anything new in a few days and I know I’ll cringe to see a drop in site visits, I’ll still check. It’s the curse of a new blogger – seeing tangible results from my site. Look! People found me!
Rocky | R O C K O N O V A.COM
November 24th, 2009 5:04 pm
Yea i definitely check facebook and my email WAY too many times. Definitely gotta focus on writing some more words!
LacJo
November 24th, 2009 8:09 pm
Ohhh damn, you are becomming my teacher :D
Primary Work at Home
November 24th, 2009 10:45 pm
Great post! As a blogger I like checking the stats of my blog and changing the template. It’s fun to have a blog.
Leighann Garber
November 25th, 2009 12:06 am
My vice: statistics and talking to my readers/community claiming I’m working on my traffic. :)
My husband’s vice: addicted to getting new domain names to try a different idea. He’s had problems with promoting his existing stuff. But he’s narrowing down, and doing much better now. I’m quite proud of him.
Terresa Wellborn
November 25th, 2009 10:36 am
I so agree. Blog content is what keeps me returning to a blog again and again. Similar to a fine restaurant. Fast food style blogs just don’t whet my appetite.
Dave McLeod
November 25th, 2009 12:18 pm
Darren that is a wickedly humorous video, and so absolutely true!
I am lucky at the moment, and have been spending hours a day with my webdesign on my project, and working on my pillar articles to launch my blog. So despite the optimization, and artistic eye i am still putting through 2-3 posts a night to expand the categories of my blog.
I have actually spent alot more than the average human being researching how to market, and succeed with my blog so i can definately see how it would affect ones writing. For me it was a required although time consuming step…you see i had all the and technical skills, but were lacking the full understanding of blogging. That was until coming across You and Yaro’s information.
Despite learning Wordpress inside and out within 3 hours it has absolutely no use without being able to implement a traffic flow. I had failed projects i know that is why they failed….
Thank you for all your help! Anyways back to my new project!
Hans Kristian Anderson
November 25th, 2009 3:52 pm
My vice; constantly checking my stats weather it be how many visitors to my blog, how many feeds or spiders, I’m constantly checking them out.
Pavel
November 25th, 2009 8:54 pm
Adding a good and useful content is the key to success of your blog
Thanks to the author for the article read with pleasure.
Free ipod touch
November 26th, 2009 12:39 am
Work is good, well most of the time haha, nic evideo, RT this post. I got an iphone blog and not doing that well on it to be honest… THanks for this tho!
- peter
Helen
November 26th, 2009 2:24 am
After reading your article, I realized that I was neglecting my blog(s) and I think that it was because of twitter. ;). All my good ideas were heading in that direction, and too little of them were reaching the “new post”. Even so, i had to organize all my ideas, so that only the best of them to be written. I know how important is content on a blog, that’s why when i started taking care of mine, i knew that my readers will come back only, and only for what i write.
elie-palima
November 26th, 2009 4:56 am
ok, is it just me?? That video was just Hypnotizing and kind of spooky.. :)
anyway, My obsessions is Buying stuff for my blog.. lols. PLUS++
reading problogger, johnchow, and carlocab’s blog..
PLUS++
checking my stats.. :)
merlin
November 26th, 2009 11:23 am
my blogging vice is making the homepage on my friends computers my blog url
hahhahhaha evil blogger.
Morgan
November 26th, 2009 6:05 pm
Great post Darren and a very good point. I’ve actually made a rule to help myself with this. I can’t read any blogs until I have written my blog post for the day.
This has been a great motivator for me and in many cases encourages me to write a second post at some point later at night before I go to sleep!
Todd dowell
November 26th, 2009 10:45 pm
wow lol i think you hit the nail right on the head and it stings. I know i waste to much time seeing how other people make money blogging, and my biggest problem is youtube. I will stay on youtube for hours and hours watching video after video about SEO, affiliate marketing, umm blogging, and google adsense.
This video and blog post really made me wake up and come to the realization that im spending too much time watching other peoples success stories when i haven’t even started mine yet.
Thanks Darren for a great post
Todd
Sharon
November 27th, 2009 4:25 am
I did all of those things when I first started. That lasted a few weeks. Now what bothers me is I’ll be working outside, think “wow, I’ve got to write a blog about that” and two hours later when I come in… I’ve FORGOTTEN what I wanted to write about.
http://www.sharonmcleod.ca/blog
Krista
November 27th, 2009 7:58 am
I haven’t even started a Blog page yet, and your video (sent by a friend) got me to write one blog post and make notes for 3 more! Thank-you.
Krista
Roger
November 27th, 2009 4:29 pm
The video has certainly made me make plans for changes to my site.
Roger
Kris
November 27th, 2009 7:24 pm
Mine is stats. Rather than working on content creation, networking, or other important aspects I worry and check stats. This actually takes about an hour daily which really ads up. Anyway thank you for giving something for me to think about and hopefully I will be able to cut down on stat checking and spend more time creating content.
Ed
November 28th, 2009 1:56 am
I will surely take this to heart
Leasebam
November 28th, 2009 2:54 am
This video and blog post really made me wake up and come to the realization that im spending too much time watching other peoples success stories when i haven’t even started mine yet.
Thanks Darren for a great post
Leasebam
Soli Katir
November 29th, 2009 4:23 am
The blogging competition is growing day after day, I need to improve my blog each day to stay up.
Ana
November 29th, 2009 7:15 am
Mine’s constantly tweaking the layout and trying to compress posts. But then again, I’ve always been a bit complusive about writing in general and using the smallest amount of words to get the point across -.-
Jessyca Loveer
November 30th, 2009 6:14 am
Hey, I love your tips, already doubled traffic on my website where you can watch full movies online
http://www.fullonlinemovies.net
Thank you very much!
Jamie Mounce
November 30th, 2009 10:44 am
Right now I am wasting my time replying to how I waste my time. But usually, I waste my time going in forums, searching for the perfect Blogger template, tweaking the “perfect” Blogger template to make it even more perfect.
I also like to spy on other people to see where they have posted back links so that one day when I actually stop wasting time, I can do the same thing.
I am glad you posted this video. I just realized I have been wasting about 2 years of my internet marketing life looking at what other people are doing. I think I know enough now that I can apply it to my own blog.
ed hardy
November 30th, 2009 1:45 pm
This video and blog post really made me wake up and come to the realization that im spending too much time watching other peoples success stories when i haven’t even started mine yet.
Lou Macabasco
November 30th, 2009 6:28 pm
Thanks for posting this blog to remind us to go back to the real intention of our blogging, that’s to give a valuable content to our readers.
It’s indeed addicting to get driven by all the other activities involved in this blogging thing, but we shouldn’t neglect the most important.
free online adventure games
November 30th, 2009 9:27 pm
Great video and post. Actually this is my first time visit your blog, and I find your blog posts are awesome and inspiring.
Beth
December 1st, 2009 9:00 am
Where are you from? Love the accent. Well, I didn’t do what you said, lol, and read the comments, then commented before going to write the blog post. I thought the best part was the video ending with the heartbeat and the words “just…go…write.” It’s hard to not get distracted at times, and harder still to write or vlog with what you called “compelling content” (especially since some of us don’t have that intriguing accent like yours). Where do you get your creative ideas for blogs from, primarily? What do you do when you get stuck for ideas sometimes? Thanks for the encouragement to refocus and to just write!
freemovies.online
December 6th, 2009 5:20 am
Very good concept, I like how you convey the message.
Penny Stocks
December 13th, 2009 5:10 pm
Great site been reading and will add your site to mine.
nike shox
December 28th, 2009 7:14 pm
Thanks for posting this blog to remind us to go back to the real intention of our blogging, that’s to give a valuable content to our readers.
hahaha
Desiree Key
February 3rd, 2010 12:22 pm
I noticed your web site when I was searching for something else, but this post came up as a top result, your website must be amazingly popular! Continue the awesome job!
Bicep Dumbbell Curl
February 8th, 2010 8:36 am
Ya i need to work more. I think even if your not a blogger darren can give you good advice on how to work hard.
If i need to get inspired i just take a look at shoemoneys picture of him and his 100k check lol.
Wasim
February 9th, 2010 9:54 am
OK then I’m going now but not before saying that I don’t know what to blog about except about how hard I find it to blog !!
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