Bring IT! What's Your Biggest Challenge as a Blogger?

Bring IT! What’s Your Biggest Challenge as a Blogger?

February 9th, 2011 82 Comments

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Hello My Lovelies,

Are you as excited as I am for round 2 of Bring IT!? Yes…No?

Okay, so maybe this series isn’t what you’ve been impatiently waiting for all week, but you can’t blame a girl for showing a little enthusiasm, right ;)?

I was overjoyed (as in jumping up and down in my head) by the turnout on last week’s Bring IT! It was certainly brought, and then some!

The comments were so thorough (Griddy-length) and I learned quite a bit; both from and about you. I hope you feel the same way, cause after all – that was kinda the point.

So, thanks again for taking the time to share how much of your self you’re willing to reveal to your readers and for adding to the community as a whole. I truly enjoyed and appreciated the engagement that went on.

If you didn’t get a chance to leave your pennies, make sure to head over there and tell us how naked you get on the net.

It’s a metaphor people! Sheesh!

Unless you’re (insert cool hot dude’s name here lol), I have no interest whatsoever in you stripping down to the nitty-gritty. Ha!

Alright, moving on to this week’s Bring IT! question…

What is Your Biggest Challenge as a Blogger?

What do you struggle with most?

Or in other words – what is the hardest thing you face as a blogger?

I think it’s safe to say that every blogger aims to create value for their readers somehow. We always want more traffic, comments & engagement, shares, likes…Even if we know that it’s really quality over quantity that matters.

But what about these factors:

Posting frequently
Remaining consistent
Crafting compelling content
Creating value (whatever value may be)
Establishing credibility
Keeping motivated day in and day out
Implementing SEO strategies
Attracting subscribers
Building an email list
Getting people to be active and engage on your FB page
Monetizing efforts
Higher rankings

I’m not gonna’ spell them all out for you, cause you know what YOU struggle with. These are just a few of the popular ones.

As For Me…

I probably struggle with most of this list, but I’m only allowing myself to share 2. Damn you word count and attention spans lol ;)!

1. Motivating to learn and implement SEO strategies – that’s a big one for me.

I’m the writing kind of blogger. I’m ATTAC – “all things techie with abbreviations challenged”.

I don’t do the whole keyword search thing.

Besides filling in tags and part of the “All in One SEO pack”, I don’t do much else. No Market Samurai or any other ninja like tools for me.

I don’t have PayPal and therefore am limited to what I can purchase online. But that’s another story.

Everyday, I say I’m gonna’ work on my SEO. I have all the necessary pages bookmarked, all the free plugins and add ons installed and yet…

I suck at this and I wish I could hand over my WP password to someone like Alex, Ana, or Tristan (and a few others) to do it all for me, but that would defy the purpose.

2. Not taking so long to write each post – Long, as in time and not length ;).

I always want the post I’m working on to be better; to have a catchy image, to be void of any typos, to be more entertaining, useful and easier to read…and therefore will go back and forth 100 times before I hit publish.

You see, I’m kind stuck in the anal stage when it comes to writing. It has to look and sound perfect to me.

A teacher once told me that there was no such thing as an A+ paper. He was right.

There’s no perfect blog post either – no matter how hard you try to make it one. Accept it and move on (if you can).

I’m also easily distracted (damn you Twitter & co.) and tend to multi-task.

Instead of focusing on one post at a time, I tackle 8. If I don’t get into a zone or “focus mode”, it could take me hours to complete a 1000 word post.

I know some people use a stop watch. I don’t.

I’ve never written a post here that took less than 45 minutes to complete – regardless of the length.

Alright, enough about me. I’m much more interested to read about you.

What About You?

Don’t be shy…Bring IT!

PS – Don’t forget to lend helping hand (in the comments) if you know how to make someone else’s blogging challenges a little easier.

[image credit: selldomainnameguide.com]

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Posted in Bring IT! | Tags: blogging challenges, bring it, hardest thing about blogging, what are your blogging difficulties, what bloggers struggle with, what's your biggest challenge as a blogger

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About the Author

Ingrid Abboud aka 'Griddy' is a whole lot of things with a ridiculous amount of interests. For one, I'm a Social Media enthusiast with a tremendous passion for writing and blogging. I'm also a pretty cool Copywriter but a more serious MarCom Consultant. But most of all, I'm the proud owner and driving force behind nittyGriddy.com - A Kinda Social Media Journal with Net News & more.

Visit Griddy's Website Follow Griddy on Twitter

http://www.homeandstyle.com.sg/ Furniture Singapore

My friend he want to start blogging about himself he always ask me. Will you suggest me about that my reply is going no I haven’t knowledge so will you suggest me about that but I know I haven’t knowledge but from your such post something i m getting..Thanks..
http://twitter.com/waleedo0 Walid Al Otaibi

well lets see,

I’ve just starting bloging myself, i know i’m too late for it, but i had some ideas i really wanted to share with the rest out there, so right now my biggest challenge is to actually get people to follow me and subscribe to me as well.
regards,
Walid
http://ewebsitebuilding.com Richard

Hi Griddy

Formualting ideas together to create a dynamic post and consistently checking for any grammar corrections.
Building quality content also can be challenging and writing articles on a daily basis.

kind regards

Richard
Pingback: Bring IT! How Did You Find Your Blogger's Voice? | nittyGriddy
http://www.blistmarketing.com Brandon Yanofsky

I’m someone who needs constant reinforcement that I’m doing well, whether it be people commenting or retweeting my posts.

But blogging is definitely not an instant gratification activity. I need to find ways to keep motivation up without the instant gratification.
Pingback: Bring IT! Do You Want More Comments or Retweets on Your Blog Posts? | nittyGriddy
http://markharai.com Mark Harai

There are many techy type responses, none of which I can even relate to at this stage of the game.

My biggest struggle is learning how to communicate through writing. This can be a monumental task all in itself if you’re not an educated writer who understands proper punctuation, use of words et al… Let alone learning how to leverage all of the tricks and tools of the trade that can help you gain traction and readership.

The only assets I’ve been able to leverage to compliment my new blogging efforts are the connections and relationships I’ve manage to build by participating on social networks, that primarily being Twitter over the last couple of years. Connecting with people — now that’s the easy part [not short in the social-skills aspect of the game :]

To make things even harder for myself, I’m connected to some of the webs most gifted writers who are masters at connecting their pen with heartstrings. I obviously can’t measure up to the web’s best – but luckily for me, I have access to a class room I can attend everyday [for free] right at my fingertips that will help me learn and grow into my own eventually.

Money can’t buy access to these professors of life and business — they’ve done and are doing real things that are making a difference everyday and if you’re hard working, have integrity, and stick with your aspirations to be part of the online social fabric of all business, you can be part of changing the world.

Thank you for the mental exercise this AM Ingrid, it’s much appreciated (and I get to practice writing, hopefully more effectively)

Cheers to you!
- http://nittygriddy.com/ Ingrid Abboud
  
  Hiya Mark,
  It’s great of you to take the time to stop by and share your thoughts here :). Much appreciated.
  
  Well after reading your well-written comment here, I’m gonna’ have to disagree with you on one point and say that I think you just communicated through your writing extremely well :).
  
  As for proper punctuation – we all make little mistakes here and there. And although some can turn into pet peeves (Gini Dietrich actually wrote a fun piece about that), others we just let slide. To me – there is no perfect blog post. I uses hyphens and all sorts of others little things to try and make the reading easier or more pleasant. They may not always be right but I guess that’s the little perk of writing the way I speak on this blog – and not writing for an English lit, class lol.
  
  I always say that there is no perfect blog post. There’s always a little something that could make it even better.
  
  As for learning all the tricks and tools for gaining readership – I hear ya. I struggle with that as well – the technical part that is.
  
  I tend to look at things this way:
  
  There will always be better writers than me and there will always be those that aren’t. It would be tiring to compare myself to each great writer I came across cause it would be cause to become depressed lol. So I say – to each his or her own style and fortes. But as you said – we are lucky to have one enormous classroom that we can learn in for free. We can take-in what we think will work for us and keep practicing until we’re somewhat satisfied. But I believe that personality – whether online or offline – is innate. We can try and copy others but it wouldn’t be us. It wouldn’t be our own unique voice.
  
  There’s a lot more I could say about that, but I’m afraid I’ve already left you with a novel to read lol ;).
  
  I completely agree with you in that your social skills rock – and they are indeed a great asset to have. I like to think I share that same quality :). As for having connected and built relationships with people through Twitter – hear, hear! I’m very lucky to have some of the friends I have.
  
  I love your last paragraph by the way. I may have to quote you sometime :).
  
  I’m glad you enjoyed commenting on this piece and sharing your challenges with my readers and I. It’s always great to listen to what others have to say and see how we relate. And of course – it’s a good learning experience.
  
  Thanks again for you very valuable input Mark. I really appreciate it.
  Have a great day.
  
  Cheers
  - http://markharai.com Mark Harai
    
    Man I appreciate all of the effort and passion you put into your what you do Ingrid – I’m a FAN : )
    
    Thank you!
    - http://nittygriddy.com/ Ingrid Abboud
      
      And man do I appreciate what you just said :))). Thank you Mark!
Dan Schuman

This is my first time reading your blog, and I really like it! Regarding the topic at hand, I struggle with a few things. First, like you, I try to make my posts perfect ( at least to me ) and I often spend way too much time on each one. I need to become better at keeping them short and sweet. Also, I have yet to find the right balance regarding topic. I write for SEO and specifically the long-tail search for the specific areas where we do business here in Cleveland. These posts probably are not that interesting to the masses, but they get us business. I need to find the right balance of local posts vs. general posts that will appeal to more people. I would love to hear your thoughts regarding percentage of posts that should be specific to my market.
- http://nittygriddy.com/ Ingrid Abboud
  
  Hi Dan and welcome
  
  I’m glad you like my blog – thanks a lot :).
  
  It’s tough aiming for perfection every time isn’t it? lol
  I think it’s safe to say that many people could write 2 or 3 blog posts in the time it takes me to finalize one. I’m not a slow writer – it’s just that I’ll go back and forth so many times that the process seems almost endless.
  
  I’m far from being an expert – but reaching for the masses and trying to please or interest everyone may be quite the challenge to take on. I don’t think we can interest everyone regardless of what we do.
  
  We often hear that having your niche is what will make you. It allows you to attain a targeted audience and get to know them at the same time. And it works.
  
  Seeing that your name doesn’t have a link to your blog to go with it – I had to do it the old fashion way and rely on King Google – just to make sure I don’t make too big of a fool of myself talking about something that doesn’t relate LOL.
  
  I’m presuming your line of business is real estate. Again – if I’m wrong then you can ignore this entire comment and come back and clarify things for me if you have the time.
  
  What are you looking to achieve through your blog? Is it sales? Ads? Engagement from people?
  I think it’s important to know these things and I’m presuming in your case you already know that it’s people looking to buy homes in and around Cleveland.
  
  From looking at your site, I can see that you mix it up a bit once in a while. But for the most part, it’s things that your audience would relate to and that’s cool. Your readers expect to come to your site to find something about real estate or about the latest homes that are for sale and so forth. They trust you as a real estate specialist and so if they want to find entertaining posts about something else, then they can go somewhere else.
  
  If you start talking about things that really don’t relate they may find it odd. But again – I repeat – I’m no expert but from the looks of it – your site is very specific and will attract those potential readers/clients who are interested in the area.
  
  That said, I would definitely keep mixing it up a bit with real estate related topics as well as local events and I would make those your main focus. I would dedicate 90% of my posts to those. That’s just me.
  
  What you could also do is create a separate category for more general topics that you wish to talk about once in a while. You get the best of both but at least you readers know where to go.
  
  By the way – I noticed that your home page is your blog and not your “search homes”. Is there a specific reason for that? I’m just curious that’s all. Hope you don’t mind me asking.
  
  In any case – I’m not sure if I’ve helped you at all here but I gave you my perspective on things and how I would do it. I’m sure others may even have better advice for you.
  
  Thanks again for sharing your challenges.
  Cheers
http://www.icebluebanana.com mark

Hi Ingrid,

For me it is definitely finding a new angle. I just don’t see a reason to rewrite other people’s posts a few times a week. There certainly are new ways of doing things, though it takes time to determine if they work. I guess that is the reason, really. Time is the problem.

Try as I might, I can’t make more. 😉

One more thing – did Alex Whalley admit to being a nine year old girl in his comment above?

I knew it…

Have a great day!
- http://nittygriddy.com/ Ingrid Abboud
  
  Hey Mark,
  Great of you to stop by and share your pennies with my readers and I – thank you :).
  
  It looks like time and balance are big ones for most folks – including me. I was just replying to Marcus here below about something similar. There are only so many hours in a day and like you mentioned – there’s not much we can do about that.
  
  As for regurgitating people’s work – hear, hear! A new angle with your personality or voice is what often makes a difference.
  
  As for ALex – I think he did in fact admit to that. I’m also thinking “Alexa” might be the preferred name now LOL :). He really had me cracking up with that comment of his – almost made me want to create that skype name for him hehe ;).
  
  Thanks again for taking the time to share your challenge. I appreciate it.
  Enjoy your week. Hope to see you here again soon.
  
  Cheers
http://www.thesaleslion.com/ Marcus Sheridan,The Sales Lion

Ingrid, sorry I’m so late to the party here, and what a killer conversation you’ve got going on. I see clearly that you are one lady that takes your community seriously, as you invest in each person and their comments.

So what’s my biggest challenge? Balance

Like most people, I have but so much time in the day. I need to handle my ‘regular’ jobs. I need to spend quality time with my wife. I need to play ball with my kids. I’ve got to get that workout done so my belling doesn’t go wack on me. Oh, and spiritual stuff too. And then this thing called ‘My Blog’, where I’ve got to take the time to write, post, comment, network, etc……and then somewhere in there I try to sleep 😉

I’m not complaining though. This is the life I’ve chosen and it keeps my mind in high gear all the time. Notwithstanding, learning the right ‘balance’ takes time.
- http://nittygriddy.com/ Ingrid Abboud
  
  Hey Marcus,
  
  This party is one that never ends so no need to apologize whatsoever – in the contrary I’m happy you stopped by to share your thoughts :).
  
  Thank you for that wonderful compliment. Coming from someone like you – it certainly means a lot. And yes, I tremendously appreciate each and every person who takes the time to read and leave a thoughtful comment on my posts. And as you can see, people have really taken the time to share not only 2 but 4 of their cents :). Granting them the same time and respect is only normal.
  
  Balance is a big one for many – including me. As you said, there are only so many hours in the day to try and do what we want or need to.
  
  I’m afraid to say that my balance is a bit off since I will admit to dedicating a lot more time to this blog then other things – such as “real work” that pays lol ;). But much like you, I don’t complain for it’s something I’ve chosen to do it and I’m loving every minute of it.
  
  As for sleeping – many that have gotten to know me here will tell you how nocturnal I am – I’m usually up till the wee hours of the night. Yikes.
  
  Have you set some kind of blogging schedule for yourself? I don’t have one but I know some people try and put aside a few hours a day or week to do all things blogging and Social Media.
  
  By the way – I’ve become quite the “fan” of your work and blog. You always manage to publish excellent articles and it’s a pleasure to read them and learn from you. Hats off!
  
  Thanks for sharing your valuable input.
  
  Have a great week. I hope to see you around these parts more often Mr. Sales Lion.
  Cheers
  
  PS – in regards to your Avatar post – that lion certainly seems to be working for you and your branding. Furthermore, you also share your profile picture on your blog and bits and pieces of your life through images. This definitely helps your readers see your human side as they know they’re talking to someone who is just like them. So in a way – you have the best of both.
  - http://www.thesaleslion.com/ Marcus Sheridan,The Sales Lion
    
    Very cool response Ingrid—exactly what I mean when I say you’ve got sick community skills
    
    I don’t have much of a blogging schedule. I know I post an article at least every third day. When it’s just two I have a tough time ‘workin it’ with the community and making the rounds and all that jazz. Luckily, I write pretty fast and so it seems to work, at least for now. And when the time is there, I take it.
    
    Thanks for your comments regarding the Avatar. It has been a fun conversation and debate. What I didn’t mention is that last month alone I had about 20 organic search visitors for the one phrase ‘Marcus the Lion’….kinda funny, but there is no doubt the two are becoming more and more interlinked in the minds of readers.
    
    You mentioned you were a night owl. Yeah, that’s me. Last night I think I hit the sack around 2am and was back in the groove this morning–but having goals and passion makes sleeping such a chore, so I’m not complaining.
    
    Again, thanks for your kinds words Ingrid. I’m sure I’ll be around quite a bit in the future.
    
    Big smiles
    
    Marcus
    - http://nittygriddy.com/ Ingrid Abboud
      
      Thanks for coming back Marcus :). And again for another of your kind compliments. It’s nice to see that I’m doing something right (although again – it should be natural) and that people appreciate it.
      
      Making the rounds gets more and more time consuming everyday as we discover new blogs and people we enjoy communicating with. But again – the time is well spent and there’s always great take-aways – at least for me.
      
      I actually took the liberty of adding your Avatar post to my Facebook group last night as I thought the personal branding discussion was very interesting. People had quite a bit to share in regards to that.
      
      Ha!” Marcus the Lion” is a pretty cool thing to rank for hehe. I gotta’ tell ya though I keep thinking Richard the Lionheart. Let’s just say your leader and warrior skills are not so much military-like but just as efficient on the field lol ;).
      
      Night owl would be a bit of an understatement on my part – I often sleep well past 3 and 4 am :(. Not a good thing – I know.
      
      As for my kind words – you’re most welcome. I meant them. I’m not very big on BS so I usually give my honest opinion or say what I think.
      
      Have a great day.
      Cheers
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http://twitter.com/ElisesReview Elise M

oooh I really like this blog post, Ingrid! Thanks for sharing your challenges, I can totally relate to you on the distraction thing. Social media is GRAND but man… I spend so much time on Twitter and YouTube that before I know it, 2 hours have gone by and I’ve done NOTHING haha.

Another thing I’m really starting to struggle with is keeping track of blogs, and reading and commenting on them often. When I started, I was doing it almost daily but now I find myself only getting around to it about once or twice a week. And with so many newer faces visiting my blog and leaving great comments, it can get overwhelming with visiting everyone! I love it, but it’s a struggle and I DEFINITELY have to make time for it.

I really like this BRING IT! thing you got going on here. It’s totally innovative and really collaborative for your community. Keep it up, Ingrid!
- http://nittygriddy.com/ Ingrid Abboud
  
  Ooo and I love your enthusiasm Elise :). It makes this all the more worthwhile when I see people participating and sharing their thoughts.
  
  Oddly enough, I rarely go over to YouTube unless if I’m posting a video that I need to embed from there. But I’ve actually never done one myself. Maybe it’s time I should.
  
  As for being distracted by Twitter – hear, hear! But it’s a great distraction nonetheless. Thats’ one of the reasons it probably takes me 19 hours to write a post haha.
  
  You brought up an excellent point here about keeping track of blogs. It’s definitely overwhelming. Everyday I realize I missed reading a few here and there but there’s no way to keep up – especially like you said – when you see and get to know all the new faces. We should up a daily/weekly schedule of “blogs to do” lol. I always feel bad if I missed reading someone’s blog for a few days.
  
  I mean I have my list of 30 or so favs but still – that list seems to be growing non-stop!
  
  I try to allocate my time between blogging, working and my general life – but blogging has definitely overtaken the real work lol. I just love it. And although it’s extremely demanding and there’s so much to take in on a daily basis – it’s a joy.
  
  I’m thrilled that you’re enjoying this series Elise. I’m loving it as well and people have truly been great about sharing their takes on the topics I’ve had so far. And mind you – you’ve all been very generous with your opinions. I haven’t seen any drive-by’s yet hehe. Either I’m contagious or people do love to write and share. And I for one – am extremely grateful for their time – including yours of couse :).
  
  Always a pleasure to see you here Elise. Hope to see you again next Wednesday for round 3 of Bring IT!
  
  Enjoy the rest of the weekend.
  Cheers
http://www.techwork.dk Thomas

There never seems to be enough time. Writing new posts, make changes to the design, improve plugins configuration, networking with other bloggers. Always a lot to do, but I kind of love it anyway
- http://easypublicspeaking.co.uk/ Keith Davis
  
  Know what you mean Thomas.
  Constant upgrades from WordPress.
  And what about twitter and Facebook?
  You love it really. LOL
  - http://nittygriddy.com/ Ingrid Abboud
    
    Ooo don’t even get me started on Twitter and those things hehe ;).
- http://nittygriddy.com/ Ingrid Abboud
  
  Hi Thomas,
  
  Well it seems you’ve got quite the handful here lol – as do I and many others. But we share the same sentiment in that we love it all the same. Challenges or no challenges, it’s still a joy to work on this blog and watch it grow thanks to many wonderful folks who take the time to contribute and share.
  
  Thanks for stopping by and sharing your 2 cents. Appreciated.
  Cheers
http://franstips.com/20-ways-to-provide-killer-blog-writing-content Fran

Hi Ingrid:
I found you as bubbly and entertaining as I was told you are. Wanted to come and see your blog and I made it today. Nice topic you have here. Everyone has limits, when it comes to blogging. Right now I want to bring up my traffic a few notches. I have applied every thing I know, so what can I do now, nothing I guess. Selecting a topic takes a long time too. However, I feel if I keep visiting your site I will come over all the problems. As I will get to hear from so many commentators and you.

It was a pleasure meeting you. Your nittyGriddy blog is good too? By the way what is nittyGriddy?
Cheers

Fran A
- http://nittygriddy.com/ Ingrid Abboud
  
  Hiya Fran,
  
  What a fantastic way to start a comment :). Thank you very much for your kind words and compliments. I’m grateful to whoever pointed you in my direction and am happy that you weren’t disappointed with the bubbliness lol.
  
  I think it would be safe to say that most everyone struggles with traffic – who doesn’t want more viewers? But more importantly, who doesn’t want more viewers to engage?
  
  Selecting a topic is actually okay for me but it’s creating the interesting content to go with it which is more of a challenge.
  
  In any case – as I mentioned in a lot of my replies here – I struggle with most of the list I drew up. But I know that it’s a matter of listening and learning and implementing that can make a difference. Well, that and making the time to do all of those ;).
  
  I sure hope some of the comments here will be useful to you. And I certainly look forward to having you back here soon. I do this little series every Wednesday along with another one on Sunday’s called SuperPost Sunday (a roundup of some great articles I come across during the week) and of course the other SM related posts in between.
  
  As for nittyGriddy – well, Griddy is my nickname – a lot of my friends both online and off call me that. And the name was a play on words on nitty-gritty (with T’s). Hope that answers your question.
  
  Thanks again for stopping by and sharing your thoughts.
  Have a good weekend.
  Cheers
http://www.bizchickblogs.com Tia Peterson

Hey Ingrid – I think my big challenge is the one regarding Facebook – the ball is really in my court; it’s up to me to create an atmosphere that’s engaging. But I definitely do feel that the blog is far more visited and engaged than the Facebook page. It’s starting to grow finally in terms of numbers, but could use some real strategy there.
- http://nittygriddy.com/ Ingrid Abboud
  
  Hi Tia,
  
  Happy to see you here :).
  Well it seems that you not only know your challenge well but what to do about it. That’s always a plus.
  
  As for your Facebook page – I think a lot of our blogs are more engaging than them but I think they’re still an important tool to make use of properly and nurture. I consider mine almost like an extension to my blog – although it’s not as engaging but still.
  
  Numbers are always good but at the end of the day I think we care more about the conversation and the activity that goes on.
  
  I actually was interviewed recently by Alex Whalley on Facebook Marketing – along with Hector Cuevas and Ana Hoffman. If you have the time, you should check it out. Some good tips in there as to what Ana, Hector and I do to attract people and try to get the conversation going. I hope it helps or gives you ideas.
  
  This is the direct link:
  http://alexwhalley.com/social-media/facebook-marketing-unmasked-3-top-bloggers-reveal-all/
  
  Thanks for sharing here today Tia. Your time and pennies are always very appreciated.
  
  Have a great weekend.
  Cheers
http://www.thetop10blog.com/ Tony Hastings

My challenge is clear Ingrid, we have already had a discussion about the importance of commenting regularly and consistently as this is without doubt an important part of a bloggers strategy.

So what have I done? I am two days late getting here, that’s what I have done!

I have given myself a hard slap on the back of the head and marked my report card ‘Must do better next week’.

T
- http://nittygriddy.com/ Ingrid Abboud
  
  LOL Tony,
  
  Well, I’m certainly not holding tardiness against you my friend hehe ;). It’s great of you stop by as always and I’m just happy that you did – whether today or in a month :).
  
  And once again – I think you’re doing a heck of a job fulfilling that resolution of yours. After all, we can’t be everywhere and keep up with everything all the time right? Or can we?
  
  Thanks Tony. Your thoughtful pennies and kind comments are always appreciated.
  Have a great weekend.
  
  Cheers
http://twitter.com/sydcon_mktg Jennifer Devitt

Ummm…I struggle with it all!!!! I have been blogging or should I say attempting to blog for over a year now. I would say I struggle with consistency as well as frequency but above all inspiration and/or topics!

I am torn on what to blog about most of the time, should I keep it business specific (all web development, programming all the time)? If not, how far off spectrum can I go? I think what hinders me is my tendency to stick to web development, then I have a major brain freeze on what topic to pick that isnt to technical and find something that will create conversation!

Joey Strawn posted yesterday about Teaching to Oink, which I admitted freely I am 100% guilty of! He also had a 1 month challenge, which I pledged on his blog to try.
- http://nittygriddy.com/ Ingrid Abboud
  
  Hey Jennifer,
  
  LOL – well join the club ;)! Well, at least my club hehe.
  
  I actually wrote a small post about posting frequency recently. Check it out if or when you have the time.
  http://nittygriddy.com/2010/12/24/crap-i-have-nothing-to-post/
  
  I know how you feel because I don’t have a set schedule for posts on this blog. The 2 things that are sure are this series on Wednesdays and my SuperPost on Sunday’s. And hopefully a few things in between whenever I have something that I’m pleased with or that I find worthy of sharing.
  
  I read Joey posts not a couple days ago as well over at For Bloggers, By Bloggers about not posting what you know (I think).
  
  I usually try and write about something that interests me. I may not know a ton about it, but if I find it captivating enough or if I feel it will bring value somehow (whatever value may be) to my readers, then I’ll go ahead and whip up a post about it.
  
  But in all honestly, I think it’s your online voice and your personality that captivates readers. Besides the compelling content of course, I truly believe that the way you present a topic can make a difference as to whether your audience will read till the end and want to engage afterwards or not. I mentioned that on a guest post I wrote for Gini Dietrich over at Spin Sucks not long ago. I think you may have come across it if I recall properly.
  
  I would say do what you’re comfortable with. If you think you’re okay writing about other than web development then go for it. If you think what you have to say can interest you and your readers somehow, then great.
  
  But it also sometimes depends on the theme of your blog. If everything you’ve written so far is business related and about web development – then you may want to consider adding a new category. Just my 2 cents. I may be wrong but I think that’s how I would have done it if I just wanted to have my one blog.
  
  Good luck with the 1 month challenge. Let us know how it works out for you.
  I appreciate you stopping by and sharing your thoughts here. I hope some of the commenters will come across your questions and maybe add some more input for you to consider. Like I always say – I’m no expert lol ;).
  
  Cheers
http://twitter.com/Shanty2 Chantal Akkary

That is also one nice subject
Actually what freaks me out the most is to blog continuously, coz i’m always out of ideas or i thinkg that maybe this subject is not nice, my readers won’t like it!
And actually the fact that i’m on over-blog, it makes my task harder, coz people aren’t familiar with it and maybe can’t find the comment box or smth!
- http://nittygriddy.com/ Ingrid Abboud
  
  Hey Chantal,
  
  It’s great to see you here again :). I’m glad you’re enjoying this series and thank you for contributing to the conversation.
  
  I think finding a good/right/interesting/conversational topic to write about is a challenge many bloggers face – I know I do.
  
  But I think that the bottom line is to go with something that interests you first and then think if it will interest your readers and entice them to engage. That’s how I see it – I may be wrong but it’s what I tend to do.
  
  Reach is always a challenge regardless of the blogging platform you use. I was actually wondering why you use that over-blog.
  
  Have you considered switching or you’re happy comfortable with it? I’ve never used it so I can’t really give you my thoughts on that. But I am a fan of having a self-hosted blog.
  
  As for commenting box and systems – there are quite a few preferences among bloggers. I think CommentLuv is a big one – as it has perks for both author and readers.
  
  I still use Disqus – although I may be switching over to ComLuv soon. Livefyre is also a good way to generate a discussion if you’re not familiar with it. And of course you have IntenseDebate and the pre-installed WP one. Many others I’m sure but those are the ones I see the most.
  
  Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us. Always appreciated.
  Have a good weekend.
  
  Cheers
  - http://twitter.com/Shanty2 Chantal Akkary
    
    Thank you for your feedback
    When i decided to have a Blog in the first place, i had no idea about it & i came across the over-blog & clicked! I’m trying my best to move to another platform, but it’s not easy
    No one is knowing how to migrate to blogger or wordpress
    I’m doing my contacts on having my self-hosted blog, wish me luck
http://twitter.com/skypulsemedia Howie at Sky Pulse Media

I struggle with the glamour of it all. The getting into the hottest clubs just by showing up. Limos. Paparazzi following me everywhere. I have to turn down Ellen, Oprah, and Glen Beck invites way too often. Then of course is the paternity suits.

I just want 50 people out of the 6.7bil on this planet to read each post and just one….one sweet kind soul to comment and I am at peace. Is that too much to ask for? Yes sometimes I get aggro but the subject made me do so. Sometimes I am not funny enough or I am way too funny but it’s so hard finding a balance. Never mind coming up with topics. Sigh.
- http://nittygriddy.com/ Ingrid Abboud
  
  LMAO Howie
  
  It’s funny – you turned down Oprah too? I said yes to Ellen cause I relate to her sense of humor but I’m asking myself whether I should have taken Oprah’s interview offer up though. Hmm…I hear she’s quite the shits hehe.
  
  And I know how you feel about the paparazzi – there’s actually outside my house right now. Had to slip in incognito through the back door ;).
  
  And no! You’re not asking for too much at all! Actually, I’m gonna be a bit more demanding than you here and say that I just want 1 million people to read my blog every month and for 5% of them to comment. I would ask for more but I think that my fingers would fall off from replying to each one haha.
  
  Coming up with an interesting topic and compelling content is always a toughie. But when I do, I make sure that it’s one that interests me as well. I think that’s important. Writing about something we enjoy or something that interests US as well as our audience.
  
  As for being funny Howie – you do a fine job of that :)!
  
  Thanks so much for leaving that amusing and valuable comment Chief Alien. Always an experience and an entertaining moment when you stop by :).
  
  Enjoy your weekend.
  Cheers
http://thefriendlyblogger.com Lisa

OH BOY a big WOOTY WOOT for this one! I think I have problems with all of those! :0
I would say for me that creating valuable content is number one. For instance, I will get an idea in my head for a post, but then trying to figure out how to go about delivering it differently then 42 bazillion others is the issue.
After that comes the list building. I have just tweaked a few things and wrote up my own one report of free resources for bloggers so hopefully that helps. I am testing that against a PLR product that was not penned by me. I will have to let you know if my list dysfunction gets better….:))))

Always love the NG dance,
Lisa
- http://nittygriddy.com/ Ingrid Abboud
  
  YaY the WOOTY WOOT gal is here :).
  
  Always a pleasure to have your enthusiastic comments Lisa. Thank you for being the smart and fun engager that you are.
  
  Well join the club ma dear – I as well as many struggle with many of these.
  
  You brought up an excellent point as to delivering content in a different way than others. Cause let’s face it – our ideas or topics are not always revolutionary but it’s the way we present them with our own voices and personalities that make the difference. And you do a heck of job with your online voice might I add :).
  
  I’ll totally be looking forward to reading your report so please do let me know when it’s out. I’m sure it will be plenty useful – especially to me. Wait…dammit it is out already and I missed it (yes, I just popped over to your blog lol) ! Okay, I just downloaded it but will have to read it over the weekend when both of my eyes are open for I dare not tell you what time it is here already :(! Hint – sun should be rising soon lol.
  
  I can’t wait to start going through your “Link Building Made Easy” eBook :)) Awesome!
  
  Ooo I like that – “the NG dance” LOL.
  Well, the Friendly Blogger dance is pretty wicked as well!
  
  Hope you have a super weekend.
  All the best
http://easypublicspeaking.co.uk/ Keith Davis

Hi Ingrid
Looking at your list I was going to respond… “all of the above”.

You have actually come up with a great list of things that most bloggers probably struggle with.

Interesting that you say that your problem is… “Motivating to learn and implement SEO strategies – that’s a big one for me.
I’m the writing kind of blogger.”

I’m OK with the SEO, I did a bit in the past and I love trying to get on that first page, but I do find the writing difficult.

Perhaps you could write my posts, and I’ll do your SEO. LOL
- http://nittygriddy.com/ Ingrid Abboud
  
  Hey Keith,
  
  Tell me about it – I tend to struggle with 99% of “all of the above” haha. I tried to think of the most popular ones without listing all the possibilities so people wouldn’t feel like they were limited to just picking one or more of these.
  
  As bloggers – I think we all have our forte’s and our weaknesses. Each his or her own.
  
  I know that with blogging comes a heck of a lot more than the writing part and that’s why I said that. Although I do most of the rest – some things I neglect or I just don’t excel in. And that’s okay but it would be good to push myself to become better at them.
  
  Looks like you and I complement each other then with our challenges. Your proposal/barter sounds pretty interesting LOL. We could switch blogs for a month hehe. Hmmm…;)
  
  Thanks a lot for dropping by and sharing your thoughts. Much appreciated.
  Have a great weekend.
  Cheers
  - http://easypublicspeaking.co.uk/ Keith Davis
    
    Ingrid
    I can tell from your reply that you are a natural writer.
    Your replies are longer than my posts, and actually much more interesting. LOL
    With personalised replires like that, I can see how you have built up such a great following.
    
    As fot SEO….
    If you Google “Public speaking humour” you get 1,580,000 results and there I am in 5th place.
    Not bad eh!
    
    Until your next post.
    - http://nittygriddy.com/ Ingrid Abboud
      
      Keith
      
      Thank you for that wonderful compliment :). I really appreciate that a lot.
      
      Indeed I like to think of myself as a natural writer for I certainly love writing.
      
      And yes, my replies are sometimes longer than many posts – including mine haha. But I do make sure I reply in kind and make the effort (although I don’t think it is one) to personalize each response. Bottom line is – if people take the time to read my post and comment – I can surely take the time to answer and thank them. Just the way I see it.
      
      5th place eh? Not bad at all! I’m kinda jealous lol ;).
      
      Good of you to come back and leave such kind and encouraging words.
      I’ll be looking forward to your next visit here on nittyGriddy :).
      
      Cheers
http://reviewzntips.blogspot.com/ Daniel Sharkov

Heya Ingrid,

Have to say I’m on the same boat with you as far as SEO goes. I sometimes read like two-three articles on different link building strategies and say to myself “this seems easy, will do it in an hour” or something along those lines. Of course in the end that one hour never comes and I’m left with building links pretty much through commenting and social bookmarking only.

The second thing I find challenging is coming up with interesting article ideas. That is probably the reason why I’m publishing just once a week (it’s great that I got some guest articles recently, which pushed up the numbers a little bit). I prefer quality over quantity and unless I am absolutely sure that a piece is worth publishing, I’m not going to publish it. This all probably falls in the lack of consistency category. Although I’m struggling, I still get the articles written in the end though.

There are probably more challenging situations (actually pretty much everything in blogging can be challenging), but these two are on the top of my list with a good lead.

The Bring IT! series is definitely in for some success if you ask me Ingrid. Reading the post just makes you leave a comment. It does at least by me – something that rarely happens. You must be doing something right! Keep it up!
- http://nittygriddy.com/ Ingrid Abboud
  
  Hi Daniel,
  
  Please excuse my late reply and thanks for your patience.
  
  Ha! I just heard myself speak in your first paragraph. The only difference is – I don’t think I’ve ever thought of the whole link building thing when leaving a comment. In all honesty, I do so cause I want to. Trust me. if it was for links, my comments would be a hell of a lot shorter hahaha. But I suppose better to comment and use social bookmarking sites than nothing at all.
  
  Looks like you and I will be working on all things SEO this year eh?
  
  And once again – I hear ya. I publish less often than I use to. It’s not because I don’t want to – quite the contrary – I spend most of my time doing something that pertains to this blog – whether reading, writing another draft, or whatever.
  
  I too am a big believer of quality over quantity – in everything! In fans and followers, comments, posts etc…If I’m just publishing a piece for the sake of having something on that particular day then to heck with it. When I publish a new post, I would hope that it’s something that I would want to read and that my audience would as well.
  
  I’m glad you’re enjoying this Bring IT! series :). I’m really happy with the conversations and engagement that has been taking place so far. I hope others feel the same way too.
  
  And thank you for that very kind compliment. I sure hope I’m doing something right that keeps all you amazing peeps coming back.
  
  Always a pleasure to have you here Daniel. Thanks for sharing your insight and challenges with us. I look forward to seeing you here again for round 3 next week – and maybe before then.
  
  Have a great weekend.
  Cheers
Anonymous

Finding TIME to write is the biggest challenge.
- http://nittygriddy.com/ Ingrid Abboud
  
  Ha! I must say Joe that finding time to do “real work” since I started blogging would have to be my counter challenge here LOL.
  
  But yes, that’s a big one for many I’m sure.
  Thanks for sharing Mr. Hackman. As always – your input is appreciated :).
  
  Have a super day.
  Cheers
http://beginningtoblog.com Paul Odtaa

My biggest problems are mornings – I can busily do nothing for hours and my great sin of fiddling with the design of the theme – the ten minute adjustment that doesn’t quite work and when I try and undo it I accidently delete something I should have done and ten minutes turns into two, three or more hours and then I’m too tired to post.
- http://nittygriddy.com/ Ingrid Abboud
  
  Hey Paul and welcome :),
  
  Somehow I totally understood that hehe.
  As for mornings – hear, hear!
  
  As for fiddling with the design – I try to control myself now cause I was always trying to fix or better something or other. Now, I’m waiting on a redesign from a pro – so as to not accidentally delete anything else myself hehe.
  
  But somehow…I still have the energy to post after all the procrastination and distractions lol.
  
  Very good of you to stop by and share your pennies. I appreciate and hope to see you here next Wednesday for round 3 of Bring IT!
  
  Cheers
Anonymous

on second thought…no, that didn’t stop me the first time, clearly won’t work now
- http://nittygriddy.com/ Ingrid Abboud
  
  LOL
  Really, that’s all I got here!
Anonymous

Hi, allow me to introduce myself.
My name is ‘insert cool hot dude’s name here’ and I could not help but notice that you are interested in me? I like long walks on the beach, but struggle with both the drinking and spelling of pinocalada. I am available for chat on skype @insertcoolhotdudesskypenamehere but can’t talk because I’m actually a 9 year old girl and don’t want you to find out.

As for blogging, if it is not already glaringly apparent – I struggle with staying focused or even on point for that matter – and as a blogger this means getting stuff done is a constant battle with time and …oh look a castle!

I guess like any blogger I struggle with the range of issues – which inherently always comes back to traffic – but something that made me LOL in this post was again how much you remind me of me!

My biggest honest struggle is getting a post from word to post in less than 82 hours!
I like things to be perfect, and even once I have the right images, format and grammar, I will still go back and read it and end up rewriting chunks of it.

Just leave it alone Alex!
Maybe if I tell myself I’ll go blind or it will fall off then I might stop playing with it…
- http://nittygriddy.com/ Ingrid Abboud
  
  Alex I almost choked while laughing at this comment LMAO ;).
  
  It’s certainly interesting (to say the least) to meet this side of you :). How do you do?
  
  Now you’ve got me use to these clever and always valuable comments of yours so I’m not sure whether I’ll have to crank out a post everyday or make sure I say something funny that sets me up for such clever replies – either no pressure – thanks a lot! Haha
  
  And how did you know about that skype address belonging to a 9 year old? LOL Kidding ;).
  
  It seems you and I share similar struggles – although I had you pegged as someone who could write a post in 13 minutes – sorry, I mean 11 lol. But 82 hours sounds close to how long it can take me when…oh my, what a beautiful sand castle, is that Excalibur or…I start to think or work on 10 different things.
  
  I will trade you my SEO struggles though for one of yours hehe.
  
  As for that last line you tell yourself – no comment – not going anywhere near that! lol
  
  Either way – your struggles certainly seem to be working for you somehow cause you always manage to whip up the most useful and witty of posts. Telling you to keep rockin’ would be sooo repetitive of me so I’ll simply say – you’re the shits at what you do so don’t go stoppin’ anytime soon!
  
  Thanks again for that fantastic comment which almost had me laughing like a hyena hehe. But of course, in a very lady like way lol.
  
  Have a super Friday Mr. Whalley aka @insertcoolhotdudesskypenameherebutnopictureorvoiceforfearofbeingrevealedtoinfacthavehavepigtales
- http://twitter.com/skypulsemedia Howie at Sky Pulse Media
  
  FYI Ingrid is a Space Daiquiri gal all the way! And she likes blogging about bloggers blogging about blogs. 8) Your opening was hilarious!
  - http://nittygriddy.com/ Ingrid Abboud
    
    LMAO Howie!
    
    “Blogging about bloggers blogging about blogs” – it’s like a frickin’ tongue twister – love it!
    I agree – Alex’s opening was hysterical.
Adrienne

Okay my biggest challenge is also the time frame for writing posts. I write what I feel and what I think might help others so depending on what I’m writing about, I don’t necessarily do SEO each time. I try not to spend a lot of time on each post but sometimes it just takes a little longer than I had originally planned. Oops… But I also have 2 blogs so I do have a lot of writing to do.

Thanks Ingrid, great post!

Adrienne
- http://nittygriddy.com/ Ingrid Abboud
  
  Hi Adrienne,
  
  Nice to see you here again :).
  
  I hear you about the SEO and the extra time it takes sometimes.
  I do the bare minimum for SEO but I’m hoping I’ll smarten’ up on that a bit lol.
  
  As for the writing part – I just expect that it’s gonna’ take me longer from the beginning lol. But like you I write what I like and feel and what I think will bring value (whatever and however that may be) entertainment to my readers.
  
  Best of luck with your 2 blogs.
  Thanks for taking the time to stop by and share. Appreciated.
  
  Have a great day.
  Cheers
http://www.lifeasanexperiment.com James D. Burrell II

2 things first.
A) I’m not stripping down to my nitty gritty even if I am “a cool hot dude” – it is tough keeping a fresh supply of dry ice in my sauna though. B) I didn’t read your list. I didn’t want any influence or bias in my answer, but sadly, I have to admit Shonali’s comment has influenced my comment.

I have to add to her idea that Posts are like dreams. Sometimes, always when I’m away from my computer or other archaic forms of transcribing my thoughts like pen and paper, my conscious stream of thought concocts epic tales of adventure and Pulitzer worthy posts, but alas, by the time I arrive at my desk, the 10 pounds of concrete writer’s block comes crashing down around me. Such a tragedy.

But I don’t want to stop there because truth be told, that is not my greatest challenge with blogging. I’m still relatively new to this game, and I have a lifetime of material to fall back on even with writer’s block cramping my fashionable style.

I struggle with length. Not something everybody has the courage to say, mind you. But, if this comment is any indication, I’m somewhat verbose. I circle a point at least three times before entering a landing pattern. I wind through a story forest before I bring it home. I know that I can deliver my message in a shorter, more concise post. But I don’t want to do it. I’m like a little kid, and I don’t want to listen to the advice I hear about attention spans. So what? Lose interest and move on. I’m not commanding anyone to read my blog.

Maybe one day I will care. Maybe I’ll care that only 6% of readers who started perusing this comment made it to the end. Maybe one day, but not this day. The reason is simple. Another writer, if writing this, may have come to understand the meaning of this comment sooner, but not this writer. I figure it out as I go. I realize that my fatal flaw — wordiness — is also my biggest asset. I write to understand myself, and by writing lengthy posts, I learn more. Thus, I satisfy my own need with my blog, and for this blogger, that is still the top priority. I come first and I’m not afraid to say it.

Does that make sense? 400 words, and it may not make sense to you, but it does to me. I’m selfish, and again, that’s just fine and dandy to me.

Thanks Griddypants. I enjoyed this even if no one else did and are, at this present moment, kicking themselves for still hanging on every word of my comment. This is the end of my comment. No really, I’m going to keep writing because I have to tell you that…. [Cliffhanger]. Check in next week for more.
- http://nittygriddy.com/ Ingrid Abboud
  
  This comment is the shizzles (I don’t think I’ve ever used that word before actually lol) on so many levels :).
  
  First off Jamey, you need never worry about length on this blog here my friend. I’ve had my share of verbose articles and comments. I say, as long as you can keep your readers captivated then go for it. Write away. But then again, you know exactly what I think about this topic after having read and commented on my guest post for Gini Dietrich not long ago :).
  
  Whether a comment is long or short – doesn’t make a difference t ome. As long as it says something.
  
  Obviously we share the a similar passion for writing. And yes, there have a been a few times when I’ve wanted to limit myself to 600 words but just couldn’t find it in me to stop as long as I had a few more things to add about the topic at hand. A few more things being 400 words lol.
  
  Although I may share part of that struggle, I will admit to writing the shorter articles as well (and I enjoy doing so).
  
  I guarantee you that I read every word of your comment because your story-telling ways as well as your expressive nature are always captivating. And thus, I am not part of the 6% and in all honesty I think you are gravely mistaken by that number. I would think this comment attracted quite a bit of attention. Due to it’s length? Yes! But once they start reading and continue – surely they realize that there is value and heart in there.
  
  I like to say – do what works for you. What you’re comfortable with.
  
  The reasons for which you write are great ones. And yes, it’s important that we sometimes put ourselves first. I write for me too – but of course, I write in a way that projects my voice, my personality if you will – and by doing so, I think it’s part of what keeps my audience till the end. At least I hope hehe.
  
  Now you know that the name you gave me – GriddyPants – is starting to grow on me :). And speaking of pants – I’m totally cool with no one stripping to their nitty-gritty’s here haha.
  
  Oh, and you can bet that I’ll be checking in next week for more :).
  
  Always awesome of you to share your thoughts Jamey. They’re always genuine and a pleasure to read – regardless if they’re 20 words or 400.
  
  Enjoy the rest of your weekend.
  Cheers
http://internetmarketing.ricklapoint.com/blog Rick LaPoint

My biggest challenge is to simply tune out external influences and focus on what I believe in.

There are so many diverse opinions, strategies, tutorials, teaching, and pontificating Ad nauseam, that I will go crazy (well, even more so) if I allow myself to get sucked into that vortex of bovinae faeces.
- http://nittygriddy.com/ Ingrid Abboud
  
  Ha! I was waiting for that one. But of course Rick, you made it all the more interesting to read by including pretty words like bovinae faeces and nauseam lol ;).
  
  You’re very right. The amount of information out there is beyond overwhelming and I often face that as well. So much to take in from so many different people and it can get confusing to the point of making your head spin.
  
  Thanks for contributing to the conversation Rick. Always a pleasure to read what you have to say :).
  
  Enjoy the rest of your week.
  Cheers
Anonymous

My biggest struggle is finding the time to post regularly (that’s actually 2 struggles…time to do it and my self-imposed posting schedule). I have a business that requires a LOT of attention. I want to make sure that I devote what I need to devote to my clients, but still manage to carve out time to blog. At the end of the day, that’s part of what makes me a better consultant to my clients. Right? At least that’s my theory.

What helps me? I’ve learned to give myself a break if I don’t post when I thought I should have, and then give myself a pat on the back if I post at all!

I haven’t even begun to get to the other items on the list…credibility? I agree with John Falchetto on his SEO comment: I try to write relevant and engaging content and if my little circle of tweeps keep coming back, then I’m doing my job. That applies to my credibility level in my opinion.

It’s nice to know that everyone struggles with these issues at some point or another. And that there’s a group of perfectionists in here that like me, polish those posts until they shine!
- http://nittygriddy.com/ Ingrid Abboud
  
  Hey Erica,
  Once again, I’ve made you wait for a reply and I apologize for that.
  I hear you about posting regularly or not having a self imposed schedule – I actually wrote a blog post about that not long ago – I think you may have come across it – it’s called “Crap I have Nothing to Post” lol.
  
  I don’t have a posting schedule either – although I do have this series every Wednesday and my SuperPost every Sunday. Those 2 are for sure (I hope lol).
  
  I think you’re right on about devoting your time to your clients – your priorities come first. I admit that I’ve been spending much more time writing here and have been taking on less projects lately. – not a good thing actually but I’m truly devoted to nittyGriddy and I enjoy it a lot more haha.
  
  John made a great point but I think SEO does give the extra nudge we sometimes need. Again – I don’t do much of it but I’m hoping to start at some point.
  
  I also think that credibility takes time to achieve.You may be credible but people need to start trusting you and getting to know you first before they think so as well.
  
  I’m sure every blogger struggles with something or other. Even the A-listers – there must be something they have to work on more than the rest.
  
  It’s great of you to stop by and share your thoughts with my readers and I. They’re always valuable and it’s a pleasure having you here :).
  
  Best of luck with your work and with balancing your time. It seems like you have a good philosophy and the most important thing is that it’s working for you.
  
  Have a good weekend.
  Cheers
http://twitter.com/lifeforinstance Life, for instance

Hi Griddy,
I’m afraid I didn’t even know there were so many things to struggle WITH (aware I am ending my sentence with a preposition – I read http://www.spinsucks.com/communication/grammar-pet-peeves/ LOL, Wait – maybe that’s my number one thing! I’m visiting grammar sites, wishing I’d hung onto the books from my university English courses and trying to clean up the clichés and idioms from my writing! Yep – that’s my number one – I want to sound intelligent (never mind what the truth may be) because I share all those pet peeves that @ginidietrich inspired the confession of (see! Another preposition at the end! It’s hard!)
Lori
- http://nittygriddy.com/ Ingrid Abboud
  
  Hey Lori,
  
  Nice to see you back here :).
  
  LOL on the prepositions – I do that a lot as well. I loved that piece that Gini did (I actually had started on something similar last year but never got around to finishing it) – I left a couple comments in there too – although it’s not like my writing is void of any typos and grammar mistakes. We’re not perfect after all hehe. So I think it’s okay to make them sometimes – just as long as the text is not one big grammar bomb in itself.
  
  Although I do pick up on small grammar errors here and there on people’s blogs – I only wish I could catch my own in the process. I have to admit that I go back and forth and edit about 20 times before I publish but there’s always a few little suckers that get by ya.
  
  Best of luck to ya. And you’ll still sound (and are) intelligent no matter! It’s the ideas and train of thought that matter as well.
  
  Thanks for dropping by and sharing your challenge with us. Always appreciated.
  Have a great Friday.
  
  Cheers
http://www.expatlifecoach.com/blog John Falchetto

Relevant and engaging content. I don’t care much for SEO, I believe if I write relevant and engaging content, I can get the traffic I want. Since I am in niche market, and write about niche subjects what I am looking for is what Dino calls reach. I am not looking for tens of thousands of visits but reach.

About time, I give myself 45min to write a post, take a break, and then edit it for 15min. If I can’t produce something in that time, I don’t post that day. It keeps the funkyness under control.

Great topic though, blogging can be a B@*#& somedays
- http://nittygriddy.com/ Ingrid Abboud
  
  Hey John,
  Always great to see you here sharing your valuable input. Thank you :).
  
  Relevant and engaging content is a great point and I’m sure one that many share – including me. Although I do believe that if we can do that well – the traffic will come – I also think that doing the SEO will give it the extra push it needs (reminder to self).
  
  I think the concept here of “if you build it, they will come” – does not always come into play. You need to build it and nurture it.
  
  And yes – I totally agree with both you and Dino about Reach. I remember him mentioning that in a comment he left on one of Danny Brown’s posts and I think he’s spot on with that.
  
  That’s a good system you have in place – for time. I wish I could discipline myself to put a time limit like you. I think the one you’ve set for yourself is quite adequate and should be enough to write a well-thought out post – which needless to say – you do every time. I actually spend a lot of time on editing and going back and forth until I can get it to sound and feel the way I want.
  
  I’m glad you liked this topic – it’s always interesting to see where others struggle and to know that we share these in common. And you’re so right – blogging can be a Bitch sometimes lol.
  
  Hope the rest of your week goes well.
  Thanks again for your 2 cents.
  
  Cheers
http://jimijones.com/ Jimi Jones

I knew you’d have an interesting topic for today.

One of my goals for 2011 is to dive deep into SEO, beyond the basics, I have begun the journey. It has become a real necessity now since I am building niche sites. But it also helps to know all there is to know about this topic in order to rank any and everything we touch. When I started blogging (gee, almost my 2nd birthday) I was told to write good content and the rest would take care of itself. Well, I disagree with that approach. Like most things in life, if you want them taken care of you best handle it!

But my chief challenge is time. Perhaps this is because there is so much I want to accomplish and there are simply too few hours in the day, but hey, it is what it is, right?

I think I manage time fairly well, but somehow feel I could increase my productivity to time ratio in some manner. In the meantime I just keep plugging along, knowing that I will eventually have most of my projects in place so I can fall back to a management of systems position.

That’s not to say that I’ll be heading for the rocking chair, but will have built enough things to keep a steady pace of work without feeling that there is so much that lies ahead. Then I can create at a more deliberate pace.
- http://nittygriddy.com/ Ingrid Abboud
  
  Hey Jimi,
  
  Thank you for that super vote of confidence and for that kick-ass comment. It’s nice of you take the time to share what you struggle with most.
  
  I totally agree with you in that if you want something you have to handle it. Writing compelling content is HUGE – it really easy – but I think SEO is there for a reason – we all need the extra push as bloggers. But again, without the good content – the quality of visitors you’ll have will be rather limited I think. I’m not a pro so this is just how I see it.
  
  Good for you for going after the niche sites – I think I’m one of the few who hasn’t taken that on yet. Another reason why I should get my act together in all things SEO and more.
  
  There’s never enough time Jimi – I hear ya on that one.
  
  I think if I put my mind to it – or turned on focus mode – then I could write 3 times as many quality posts as I do now. But alas…not being distracted and time management don’t seem to be my forte’s recently.
  
  It seems like you not only know your struggles but you know how to overcome them as well – plus, you have a clear vision of where you’re headed and that’s great. Good for you.
  
  Please let me (us) know what niche sites you’re building. Would be nice to check them out :).
  
  Best of luck to you Mr. Jones.
  I always appreciate you stopping by and sharing your valuable pennies. Thank you.
  
  Cheers
Anonymous

I’m a new blogger so I am still hyped about all the new plugins and gadgets. I still have content to write. After the first few months of confusion, I have settled in and know my path, for now. So….

That damn email list! I still don’t have it up AND I really don’t EVER feel like setting it up. But all the big time bloggers say it is essential to a blogging biz. ARGH!

I am off to learn how to set up an email list and stop cruising the internet being a comment whore (sorry for my french.)
- http://nittygriddy.com/ Ingrid Abboud
  
  Hey Allie,
  
  Nice to see you here :).
  
  I’ve been blogging for a year but in reality only 6 months or so – and even I still get hyped about plugins – it’s so overwhelming but pretty cool.
  
  I totally hear ya about the email list. I hear about it every single day. That you can’t succeed without one, that’s its the most important thing, that it’s…..blah blah blah – and yes, they’re absolutely right. It is all that and more. But much like you Allie – I haven’t started mine either.
  
  I was still trying to decide whether to go with MailChimp or AWeber – and I was all set with AWeber until I realized MailChimp had a free version for the first 2000 subscribers ( I just looked – they doubled their free offer – pretty cool – I’m sold for now plus I like the chimp lol).
  
  I know many people swear by AWeber and I’m sure it’s the best one out there seeing all the talk I hear – but I’ll think about it even more once I surpass 2000 subscribers.
  
  Now worries about your french here – it is always pardoned and welcome LOL. Plus I like that term in general, so you’re good ;).
  
  Thanks for stopping by and sharing Allie.
  Have a great weeek
  Cheers
  - Anonymous
    
    I use MailChimp for now because it is free, we will see. So far I am fine with the service and they have funny tutorials (monkeys are funny). Don’t use IE when setting up your account, lists, campaigns, etc, it won’t work. I have to use Firefox and it integrates much better. I had to constantly log in using IE, annoying!
    - http://nittygriddy.com/ Ingrid Abboud
      
      Thanks for coming back with that tip Allie.
      
      Luckily I don’t use IE – I either use Chrome or FireFox
      
      I also took the initiative earlier today and signed up for MailChimp – but still going through it to see how and what I want to include. But at least I have an account now :).
      
      The monkey got to me hehe
http://www.WaxingUnLyrical.com Shonali Burke

OMG, you want just ONE answer?! I struggle with many of the points you mention, but probably the one I’d like to get a handle on first is a combination of your #2 – posts taking a long time to write, edit and “buff” because I want them to be as nicely showcased as possible – and a way to corral all my ideas. I have a gazillion ideas for posts, and I do try to note them down, but sometimes I just lose ’em.

I strongly suspect my deck has something to do with this. When I step outside, letting the dogs out for example, all of a sudden I’ll think of great ideas (IMHO), headlines, etc. I say to myself, “Damn, girl, that’s good!” and resolve to make a note of ’em. The minute I’m back at my desk – they’re gone.

Maybe this is why I can write more in the summer – because then I am working from my “outdoor office” as much as possible. Which certainly doesn’t help in winter!

So, Griddy – what do I do?
- http://nittygriddy.com/ Ingrid Abboud
  
  LOL Shonali,
  
  You see what I mean about having to limit myself. I struggle with all the ones I mentioned and then some. But the limit was only imposed on myself because I was much more interested in listening to what your challenges/obstacles were.
  
  You on the other hand, are free and welcome to share all of yours. I’d love to hear them so please share away ma dear – as I’m sure a lot of us will share those same challenges. And hopefully – some others will join and give their useful tips and advice.
  
  I know exactly how you feel about that # 2 (you know what I mean lol). Our blog post ideas are almost like dreams at times – we have them and then we we need them or want to remember them – we forget them :(. I know a few people – like Tristan – keep a little note pad with them at all times. If I’m home or at the office – my little BIG book is next to me – but when I’m out – ooops. Maybe I should start to take it with me to restaurants and bars haha.
  
  I pat myself on the back as well for some of my ideas – but then when it comes to writing them – I can forget or sometimes the idea wasn’t as good as I thought it was – cause the better I think it is – the more excited I get to write it – which means the more I want to write about it – which means…novel lol!
  
  Griddy say (much like a fortune cookie) – there is a relocation in the near future for you. You will be moving to warm state or country where the outdoors and indoors are one and the same.
  
  How did I do? Did I pass the fortune cookie test? Would you ask for me at a Chinese restaurant?
  LMAO
  
  Seriously though – it seems the outdoors inspires your thoughts – maybe if your desk faced the window or your deck? It’s not genius advice I know, but it could work – maybe.
  
  Always great to have you here Shonali. Thanks so much for sharing your challenge with me and my readers. I hope someone else will have even better advice for you – and me :).
  
  All the best
http://diyblogger.net/about Dino Dogan

Reach. I think that most non-Chris Brogans, and non-copyybloggers, and non-Darren Rowsesesess :-p struggle with reach, whether they know it or not. Its easy to learn (or get help with) building email lists SEO, and so on; what new-ish biz bloggers dont have is reach. Not yet anyways. I’ll have a separate post on this topic so I dont want to blow my wad here but I will say this.

I did figure a pretty genius method of extending my Reach…Brankica, Tristan, myself and few other bloggers are already doing it. You need to contact me….why should we have all the fun

We’ll talk..no big whoop :-p
- http://nittygriddy.com/ Ingrid Abboud
  
  Right on Dino!
  
  Reach is an excellent point. I sure as heck struggle with that too.
  
  Not all of us are so lucky as to say “Boo” and have it go around the blogosphere and twittersphere like it’s the next best thing since sliced bread :).
  
  And as you said – it’s one of the things that isn’t as easy to learn – not that the rest are easy for everyone per say.
  
  I’ll be looking forward to reading your post on this – or listening to it :).
  
  And about that genius method – All I’ll say is… :))
  
  Cheers Mr. Dogan
  Always super to have you contribute
http://www.lifewithsubtitles.com Life with Subtitles

Being a very diverse blogger (I write about everything and anything), I guess the biggest challenge for me is to somewhat keep a common “thread” or character in my blog as to not make it look scattered.
I know it’s very bad SEO practice to keep the topics of the blog unfocused, but I write about the things that I’m passionate about, and if I have to segment my passions into seperate blogs I’d end up with far too many to handle, let alone keep a regular update schedule.

What’s a kick in the ass bi-product of this ? poor buy-in. Readers will keep coming to a blog if they kinda know what to expect. When every post is a bit of a surprise, most of my “regular reader population” keeps changing depending on the direction the last few posts have covered, and naturally momentum is much harder to build, comments/sharing/retweeting/etc also struggle taking off.
- http://nittygriddy.com/ Ingrid Abboud
  
  Hi Fadi and welcome
  
  Thanks a lot for taking the time to share your thoughts here.
  
  I know what exactly you mean about wanting to write about many different things that you’re passionate about or that interest you. I did that as well when I first started and I still tend to slip in a few things that aren’t Social Media/blogging related here and there. But when I do – I say what the heck – if I can manage to keep it interesting and entertaining in some way – it’s okay once in a while. I may be wrong – but that’s just me.
  
  Strong “niche” advocates will disagree with us and that like you said it’s not the best of SEO practices maybe. And they definitely have a good point.
  
  Plus your target audience may not be consistent. But again – I get that.
  
  Looks like you and I share that same challenge at times – but so far – I think I’ve been doing okay with attracting like-minded individuals who seem to enjoy what I have to share. I think portraying a part of your personality in your writing when you do that plays a big role as well.
  
  And yes – as you said – starting a bunch of blogs – each for specific niche – will require tons of work and consistency. But I do know many bloggers who manage multiple blogs because of that and it seems to be working for them – they’re dedicated to each but usually have one that stands out more than the rest.
  
  Is there one specific topic of interest that you think you could focus on a lot more than others? One that you could remain loyal to with frequent and consistent updates? Or not really?
  
  Thanks again for stopping by. I appreciate it and I look forward to seeing you here more often.
  
  Cheers

By Human, For Humans: A Kinda Social Media Journal