1. I NEVER read my blog posts before clicking “publish.”It’s not that I don’t care if my grammar is correct or my thoughts are conveyed clearly, it’s that I’m extremely critical of my own writing and if I stopped to edit before I posted, I would never post. I wait about 10 minutes after I’ve published, read the blog on my site, make any corrections that need immediate attention and then post the blog to Twitter, FB, etc. I wait another 20 minutes, correct any errors that get brought to my attention to my readers, which happens a LOT, and THEN go back, re-read and clean up my thoughts. Is this the best process? Hell no. But it’s MY process. Oh, and I’m not gonna read this post at all - it seems appropriate. And I’m lazy.
2. I don’t consistently generate content. This week I’ve had 6 blog posts. That’s about how many I’ve been averaging for an entire month (or, ugh, two). I make memos in my phone for new post ideas and start drafts on here with rough notes on what I want to talk about, and by the time I get back to either I have completely forgotten what I intended to say in the first place or no longer feel inspired to write. I don’t set a time one or twice or however many times a week/month to blog, because my schedule is too varied and, frankly, I know I wouldn’t keep to it anyway.
3. I’m horrible with SEO. I understand enough about SEO that I could do it well enough. I have the All In One SEO pack on my WordPress blog: All I need to do is throw a few keywords and a description of my post into the bottom of my administration page, but I never remember to do this, so when somehow one of my blogs comes up in a Google search, this is the META description you see “I am a good idea. Cheryl Harrison blogs on Being Cheryl about social media and networking.” WTF does that tell my potential readers?! And hell, I didn’t start categorizing or tagging posts until a couple months ago, and I don’t do that very well, either. And targeted keyword use? Ha.
4. I don’t promote my blog. I’m almost embarrassed to tell people about the blog as a whole, let alone try to position it as some kind of valuable resource. There are specific posts that I am proud of and will promote, but I almost NEVER namedrop “beingcheryl.com” in conversation. I also never comment on similar blogs linking back here, a practice I encourage everyone else to do. Actually, I have a post called “8 ways to promote your blog through social media” and I spoke at WordCamp on the subject. But I never take my own advice.
5. I have 500,000 different subject areas I want to cover but I don’t, cause that’s not what this blog is “about,” but I don’t really know what this blog is “about.” I’m part of a group called TasteCasting. Local restaurants give us free food, and we blog about it. I blogged about 2 of them but have since stopped, because that doesnt “fit” in this blog. I do a ton of crap in Columbus. I’ve blogged about a few events and such but since stopped, because that doesn’t “fit” in this blog. (Fortunately I have a new one for that - Greatest City of All.) So what is THIS blog about? Um… social media? With an occasional twist of marketing? I…. don’t… know.
Are you a bad blogger, too? Or can you kick my sorry bloggin’ ass into shape?
vmdoug says:
Um, as someone who has left you a voicemail I have to take issue with #4…in your vm message, you tell people to come to you blog. And, since you NEVER answer your phone anyone who you give your number to will be pointed here. I think this is just your sneaky way of promoting your blog…LOL
Jun 25, 2009, 1:15 pmMichael Bowers says:
My two biggest blogging challenges are:
1. When I’m writing to 3 or 4 blogs it looks like I’m not keeping any of them up to date but I’m busier than ever.
Jun 25, 2009, 1:19 pm2. When people interrupt my blogging by wanting me to do my real job…WTF?
Cheryl says:
I added that about 2 weeks ago after I heard it on someone else’s voicemail - I can’t even remember who now. I actually forgot about it, and am now embarassed and will probably remove it, cause I don’t think most of the people who actually call me, outside of you and my social media folks in Columbus, would give a crap about my blog.
Jun 25, 2009, 1:21 pmLara Kretler says:
I too am a bad blogger. Maybe you should design a badge for other bad bloggers to display proudly on their sites? Or not.
I wrote about my own bad habits (specifically, being a bloggard) here: http://www.larakretler.com/index.php/2009/01/confessions-of-a-bloggard/
One of my commenters suggested that we start a 12-step group. Want to do that?!
Jun 25, 2009, 1:24 pmLynette Cornell says:
I admit, I am very excited to read number 5, because that is what I am struggling with right now and it’s encouraging to find out that I’m not alone.
I registered my domain a month ago and have since set up my website, complete with a really neat wordpress theme. However, there are oodles of things I’d love to blog about (incl. food, social media/marketing, the ongoing evolution of journalism (my industry), photography, being frugal/finding good deals, and advice to jobseekers that I have learned from my own experiences as a recent college graduate w/ a degree in a stubborn industry).
So, I’m trying to figure out if I can do all those topics and organize them in such a way that they are under separate tabs and have my main page list new posts and tell what categories they are in so visitors can read them if they’re interested in that post ’s content. Or will being too diverse turn off my visitors completely?
So, while I struggle with my site, I link back to my portfolio site w/ my contact info whenever posting comments on other blogs. Hopefully, that will change soon.
P.S. I didn’t read this comment before posting it.
Jun 25, 2009, 1:28 pmCheryl Smith says:
All I can say is, I feel your pain. And thanks for sharing.
Jun 25, 2009, 1:58 pm@mkapper says:
You may want to amend that to your “social media folks in Ohio,” Cheryl. You’re at least a state-wide good idea. Beyond that, I know you write this blog with a mission, and that’s awesome, but I’m with Michael (above) — trying to maintain more than one blog is really a drag, which is why Mountains Made Low is a multi-purpose, catch-all, who-really-gives-a-sh!t-about-all-of-this blog (which has now been promoted on Being Cheryl — shamelessly, no less).
Jun 25, 2009, 2:37 am