SYLVIANE NUCCIO

Why Are You Blogging?

July 9, 2012 Writing Tips

Why are you blogging? Do you like blogging? Are you still wondering what you should be blogging about?  What is blogging anyway?

Blogging has opened many doors to many people.  Today, anyone can blog about anything and publish their thoughts, ideas, expertise, and so on.  And they can do it for free.

Most people are blogging for a specific reason such as promoting their business, their product or service, but some people are also blogging for fun or use their blog as a journal, writing about their thoughts and experiences.  No matter what you are blogging about, at the end of the day it needs to be fun and something you are looking forward to.  If not, then your blogging experience will probably be short lived.

I thought that maybe by telling you my blogging story from the beginning it would some of  you to understand better what blogging is all about, and what you should expect depending on the choices you will be making.

When I Started Blogging…

I know that blogging started before I did, but as far as I am concerned I have to admit that I didn’t know much at all about blogging until April of 2006.  You need to keep in mind that 6 cyber years is like 20 regular years.  Yes, in 6 years, I’ve learned pretty much everything I know about the online business and that includes blogging.  Those 6 years seem like an eternity to me.

When I started my online venture, I started with network marketing.  After a couple of pretty bad experiences I joined a health supplement network marketing company and even though I am not with that company anymore, it’s where my online knowledge really started.   However,  blogging was still not what it is today by any mean.

Blogging, back then, was still very new for a lot of online folks.  No one in my team had a blog.  It was only about a year later that one of the big earners of the company talked about his blog which was pretty new.

Shortly after that I was introduced to the then most popular blogging platform Blogger.com.  I can still remember registering there and having absolutely no idea about what to do. Today as soon as you get stuck, you can do a quick YouTube search to find the type of tutorial you are looking for, back then, I had never heard of You Tube yet.  Yes, that’s right. However, eventually I started a Blogger blog.

A year later in March 2008 I joined an online marketing tutorial program to learn how to promote my network marketing business.  However, they were really concentrating on affiliate marketing rather than network marketing, and since I wasn’t going much anywhere with my network marketing business I decided to switch to affiliate marketing.  There I started learning everything I could about affiliate marketing and in a few months I could write about what I knew like an expert.  Eventually I became on of their article marketing expert and also learned about blogging.

Too Many Blogs Handled the Wrong Way

Article marketing came very easy for me because I have always loved to write and I was already writing for article directories for a couple of years.  I did pretty well with article marketing and even started to write for others as a freelance writer.  What I had more trouble with, though, was blogging.  My blogs, back then were nothing more than selling platforms and you don’t want to make that same mistake.  Basically, I was writing superior quality articles for article directories and inferior quality articles for my own blogs. Needless to say, I had it all wrong.

Came a time when I had 7 blogs that were all more or less neglected, and even though I was making regular sales with them, I was really fed up with the whole thing and wanted to concentrate on blogging and the blogging community more.

Getting More Involved With Quality Blogging

This meant that I had to make some choices and keep only the blogs that really mattered to me and get rid of everything else.  The choice was easy.  I most definitely had to keep my writing blog, since writing was pretty much my niche, my specialty, and truly something I love to teach.  The blog I am referring to is the one you are on now and which used to be named Persuasive Article Marketing.  Since I wanted to brand myself I renamed the blog to what it is now.

Another very important occupation of mine is personal development.  I read my first personal development book by Catherine Ponder back in the late 1980’s, but I really started to get involved with this at about the same time I started network marketing early 2006.  So, the other blog I had to keep was my personal development blog.  This blog has really grown with me.  Early in the life of the blog, my posts were shorter and also a bit on the selling side, but now the blog has gravitated to more in depth kind of posts that are really meant to give true personal development advice to the reader.

Through that blog, I let my passion; knowledge and experience speak on each post.  This is what blogging should be all about.  Don’t blog to sell on your posts, that’s the wrong way to go about blogging.

The third blog that I decided to keep was the only blog that I actually started more for the fun of it than any others and it’s my blog about France, travel and food.  Being from France, I had to have a platform where I could talk about my home country, or should I say, write about it.  The places, the culture, the wine, the food and more.

To tell you the truth, I am not sure where I am going with this blog quite yet, but I am thinking that it could turn into something big.  I have a few ideas under my sleeves and even other people have approached me with ideas of their own.  You just never know what a blog you love and nurture can turn into!

So, what about you? What are you blogging about and why? Do you have a passion for blogging?  When I first started, as I explained above, I didn’t do it the right way. Therefore, I didn’t enjoyed blogging at all. But it all changed when I took blogging to another dimension and started connecting with real bloggers.

Now, I enjoy writing each one of my posts on my 3 blogs, and I know that those blogs are going only one way, and it’s up.  So, what about you?  Where are you with your blog and what would you like to change, or not?  Do tell us.

 

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32 thoughts on “Why Are You Blogging?”

  1. I am not 100 % sure where I am going with my blog.. well I know what I want, but I am not sure I know how to get there.. I am told that if the why is there the how will show up!! The more I am online, the clearer my vision gets. I am goaling towards inspiring people to strive for better health and fitness. Hopefully impacting many so that there is a cut in health care costs because we have so many healhty strong flexible fit people!
    Holly invites you to read..Take A Long Hard Look At Yourself, Are You Really Ready To Age?My Profile

    1. Hi Holly,

      It looks like you are doing the right thing. I agree that if your WHY is there everything else will come into place.

      I think that your niche is a good idea. So many people in this country really have no clue as far as even knowing what a “healthy meal” is. I mean, they think that a frozen meal is healthy food for gosh sake. You know what I mean?

      I’ll be sure to jump over to your place and give you some feedbacks 🙂 Thanks for coming, Holly.
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  2. I still can’t believe you had 7 blogs. You must’ve had a very tired keyboard!

    I used to blog just for fun a few years ago and one of these days I’d like to pick it up again, just to talk about stuff I love for no reason – no worries about goals or selling or marketing or anything.

    Of course I blog for business. At first it was just for my customers, to help them stay informed, but then it expanded to anyone who wants to learn. And as you know well, I love to write! So I have no problems there 🙂 I could write all day.

    But not enough to keep 7 blogs 😉
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  3. Hi Carol,

    Do you know that for the longest time I kept thinking that Lynn was your last name? anyway, is Carol OK or do you want to be called Carol Lynn? 🙂

    Again you made me laugh with the “tired keyboard”. Well, yes it was tough and I couldn’t even keep up with one post a week because posting on blogs is certainly not the only thing I do during my work week 🙂

    At one point I had other people posting on 5 of my blogs, but it was trash, really. I had to delete all that eventually, when I decided to save my personal development and travel blogs. Like I said, those blogs were really selling platforms and that really didn’t help me with the REAL blogging part.

    I know you could write all day and you could always come up with ideas too. That’s a great talent, Carol 🙂 Thanks for coming.
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  4. Hey Sylviane,

    Nah, I don’t like blogging at all. Yeah right! I LOVE blogging and like you I started off doing it all wrong and I got no attention at all. I’m so glad I finally learned the right thing to do and now I’m able to help so many people figure out where they belong online as well.

    Blogging is a way to connect with others and build those relationships. Trust me, it’s the best thing you can do for yourself so I just love this platform.

    Thanks for sharing your journey with us. I know that a lot of people will be able to relate to this as well.

    Have a great week and thanks again.

    ~Adrienne
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    1. Yes, you did great with your blog Adrienne that’s for sure. I can’t say that it’s easy this days to find tons of people visiting your blog every week, because there are so many blogs out there. However, it seems that you’ve found the way!

      Thanks for coming by, Adrienne 🙂

  5. My jaw dropped at 7 blogs! I have such a tough time managing one!

    I started blogging when I was off work and then even when I got a job, I just enjoyed writing and just kept on blogging. Though online and offline work somehow makes it tough for me to be regular, I try my best to post at least once a week. But I would never have the energy to go beyond one blog! 😉

    But yes, I still blog to indulge in my love for writing and the fact that it has bought in some extra work is always a good thing! 🙂

    Hope you are having a wonderful day!
    Hajra invites you to read..Save Your Blog From ZombificationMy Profile

    1. Hi Hajra,

      What really helps me to post on my three blogs every week is because I set the intention and do it no matter what. I don’t have to thing, well, maybe, hopefully or if I can. No, no none of that. I just do it. I take it seriously that all.

      7 blogs, however, were really starting to be just too much and unrealistic due to my schedule.

      Thanks for your feedbacks, Hjara.

  6. Wow!

    Thanks for sharing your story, much respect!

    I think you’ve provided some great food for thought, which is getting to the “why”. If people truly get to the root of why they are embarking on a particular journey, not only will they get more out of it but they will inspire that much more people.

    Passion is contagious!

    1. Hi Dewane,

      Totally agree. Passion is, indeed, contagious, and my experience has shown me that the most successful bloggers are the ones who blog from the heart. People can spot a fake blog miles away, can’t they?

      Thanks you for your feedbacks, Dewane 🙂

  7. Hi Sylviane
    I first started blogging for fun about 4 years ago and then I found I loved it and had a re-think and decided to work from home when we moved from the UK to live on a Greek island so I started my business blog and I am still building on that. I post 2 times a week and more if I have something extra I want to share with my readers. This month I am taking part in the Ultimate Blog Challenge so I am posting every day (or 31 times in the month)
    Thanks for sharing, have a great day
    Pauline
    Pauline invites you to read..Building An Effective Back‐link System Part 2My Profile

    1. Hi Pauline,

      Wow, moving from the UK to a Greek island, sounds just great! You make me want to go there now 🙂

      Congratulations on your blog challenge. I am heading over your blog right now. I am not sure I’ve been there before, just trying to catch up!

      Thanks for coming.

  8. Wow, you’ve got 3 blogs! I am impressed – I can barely keep up with one.

    My blogging story is like many.. started a blog, had no idea what I was doing, tried to write to everyone who may in any way be interested in a home business, no one came, no one read what I spent hours preparing… pretty fluctuating.

    But then I found a lady named Cindy Schulson who showed me how to find my niche and target my ideal prospects with my blog. I began slowly to make the shift from writing to everyone to writing to one person — my target prospect.

    That’s worked to a major extent.. today, I get much more traffic and leads than ever before. But there is surely room for more growth.

    Thanks for your story, Sylviane… I found it fascinating.
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    1. Hi Bob,

      Thanks for coming to this blog 🙂 Yes, I have 3 blogs left, but that’s a relief compare to 7 as I mentioned in the post 🙂

      You certainly have made a major progress with your blog which now look very professional and focused. We all have to go through a learning curve, whatever that curve may be. Thanks for sharing.

  9. Hi Sylviane,

    You know it already, no? 😉 I love helping out people with stuff I know and learn. I do it offline, but just for FUN 🙂 I love it really. It builds my confidence and self-esteem. Especially when I help out people who can’t afford money. When it comes to online, first off I did it with forums and by personal emails about tech stuff, but I started blogging at 2011. Actually I had no Internet connection before 2011 🙂 So there’s no way I can start blogging before that. I had no idea what it is either but started writing tips I learn about blogging. Just short and sweet 😉

    As time moves on I’ve learned many stuff about online and blogging related topics. Still learning 🙂 Learning from others mostly. And applying ’em as I can like I do apply your writing tips on my posts. Also it helps build connection. Actually with people we would like to hangout. It’s a passion for me now. However now I’m seeing more opportunities out of it. Providing services and to build online business based on it.

    It’s really nice to hear your story behind blogging dear 😉 You better link this one with about page, no? 😉 I know you are a really great blogger and one of my favorite dear. Love this blog and personal development blog of yours. I just love to learn from personal experience and expertise than just reading facts.

    Sorry I couldn’t stop by on Monday as I’m busy with exams dear 🙂

    Cheers…
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    1. Hello Mayra,

      Don’t worry, you don’t have to apologize. I know people have lives and sometimes it’s not easy to get to even our favorite blogs 😉 Thanks for the compliment, I do appreciate it very much.

      I think that in a year you’ve made tremendous progress, Mayura, and you will keep on improving, no doubt.

      Keep the good work.

  10. I blog because it allows me to share what I have learned with others. My information might be the same as someone else, but they won’t have the same experience as I did. That’s the beautiful thing about blogging when people can offer sound advice to help others get it right and not repeat our mistakes. We all make mistakes, but having an outlet or blog to turn to and educate ourselves is worth its weight in gold.

    My blog has become a huge passion for me. I live, eat and breathe it and I can’t wait to write. I have to balance it out with my day job and home life, but I am doing it in strides. I will still never know how you managed 7 blogs (pulling my hair out LOL) and still have that passion for blogging today. I can’t imagine how many others have hung up their pen and paper to never write again, but you are still here. Go girl! Writing gives me freedom to express my thoughts and I wouldn’t trade it for nothing in the world.

    Great post Sylviane.
    Sonia invites you to read..How to Leave Your Blog In Good Hands When On VacationMy Profile

    1. Hi Sonia,

      I can tell that you are getting closer and closer to your blog and that’s great. It’s really a great blog, Sonia.

      Well, I hear that a lot… how could you deal with 7 blogs! But there are marketers out there, some that I know personally, who have more. Now they sure outsource the content, but, yes, some people have a collection of selling blogs out there.

      In my case I was creating most of the content, but I also let other people fill out for me. I hated it though, because the content was not to my standards.

      As for getting tired of writing? Never. I’ve written all my life. Now, even if I discount the baby years when I couldn’t write that’s almost 40 years 🙂

      Thanks for coming by, Sonia.

  11. Hi Sylviane,

    love your insights and I admire you for managing and entertaining three blogs professionally. Great job.

    Well, why do I blog ? My brief answer is: Self-expression and networking, building relationships and self-branding. I don’t follow a strict schedule anymore. My goal is to publish one post per week and I used to feel bad about it because I thought it’s not enough. Of course, I have the freedom to post more often, but I don’t have to. I don’t want blogging to become a job because I don’t have to prove it to anyone that I have “a real job”.

    It took a lot of pressure off of me which is great ! So now I don’t feel bad about it anymore.

    Thanks for sharing your story. I am glad we connected.

    Cheers

    Oliver

    1. Hi Oliver,

      I think that you have the right approach about your blog. I think once a week is not bad at all by any mean, and in my case, I couldn’t possibly do more.

      Your blog shouldn’t feel like work in the negative sense of the term anyway.

      Thanks for telling us your blog story!

  12. You should also make sure that your blogs are SEO and search engine friendly. Google as the primary source of traffic online, focuses on giving people relevant searches that shows content. So that means if you have a tad whole of advertisements floating on every page, and there are not a lot of content that can be seen, you may find yourself just wasting money on SEO.

    1. Hi April,

      That’s right, that a very good advice you are giving us here. Thank you for passing by and leaving your excellent feedbacks with us.

  13. Hi Sylviane,
    I love the part about cyber years, it’s so true. Sometimes I feel like it has been 50 years since I first discovered the Internet.
    I blog because I love to write about the things that I am passionate about and I hope to make it a permanent thing in the near future. It is a very exciting world for me and I would like to have the energy to write much more than I do right now.
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    1. Hi Mariella,

      Looks like our last name are coming from the same place!

      Yes, it’s true, isn’t it? Cyber years are seemingly very long years 🙂

      I am glad that you are motivated to blog about what you are passionate about. This means that your blog will go far. I’ll make sure to pass by and thanks for your visit here.

  14. Hi Sylviane, Pauline Bennett mentioned you in her Saturday Shoutout, so I popped over to have a read. Your blogging journey sounds much like my own! I only have my one blog now, thankfully… As much as I love sharing my tips, ideas and rants I don’t think I could keep up with more these days 🙂
    I think you make a great point about not selling on your blog – that does seem to get you nowhere fast!
    Jan invites you to read..B2B Social Media: Educating Your Prospects Through PinterestMy Profile

    1. Hi Jan,

      Wow, thank you to Pauline Bennett 🙂

      Yes, it takes time to write regularly even on one blog and most people can’t attend to more than that. That’s totally normal and fine too 🙂

      I’ll be sure to pass by your blog very soon.

  15. Hey Sylviane!

    I think an important part of what you said is when you elaborated on how you wrote posts early on. Then you went on and said posts shouldn’t be made to advertise. They should be made to pour your own writing style, skills, and thoughts over something. I agree with this 100%. I think people should write to more so inform other readers with strong useful content rather than post ads all over the place and write 200 worded articles.

    As for where this blog is going, there’s definitely a lot you can do with it using a bit of your own creativity. Whatever trick you pull out of your sleeves, I’ll be one of the 1st to fall for it. ❗ , 😉

    & btw, I’m writing a guest blog post for you as well. I’m making a habit of writing for you a post every week if all possible. Been setting up this new site, been enjoying it, and have an epic plan for it.

    More importantly, I hope you’re doing wonderful.

    1. Hi Seth,

      Thank you for your so kind words. I am not sure I have as much creativity as you think I have, but that was very nice of you to say so 🙂

      I can’t say that I can publish a guest post every week obviously, or my readers would not understand what’s going on, but I sure will publish your posts regularly enough. Not a problem.

      Thanks for your feedbacks, Seth.

  16. Interesting, Sylviane 🙂

    Thanks for sharing your experience. Mine is less interesting: I came upon Blogger in 2005 or 2006 (Don’t remember exactly – I think it was 2005). I didn’t do anything back then. Like you, I had no idea what blogging was about (Being a student,I had no idea about anything except for things I learned in school). I had started a blog called “Education” in which I wanted to share my education experiences. But, I never did anything with that blog (time was the main issue). After I emigrated to US, I found plenty of time – well, I didn’t have much to learn in school here – and started blogging again. I experimented in with several ideas: Fact Monster, Student Helper – all were there, but every one of them were short lived. Then I decided to register a domain (so that it is branded – not a .blog spot blog). I played around and finally registered for Tech pupil – deciding tech and science as my niche. For the first few months, I blogged on Tech and science. It was good, but I got bored (also, I began to learn more about blogging through Blog engage community). In a few months, I switched to blogging as my niche and got actively into blogging.

    And in 2011, I bought another domain – my current one – Blog Networking 101 to replace Techpupil. In May 2012, I joined with Devesh (WPkube) to start BlogPreneurs.

    Now, that pretty much sums up my blogging career.

    Three years of blogging, and I still have no idea why I blog.

    It is beyond words, beyond passion. I just love blogging – as a hobby 😉
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  17. Even When I started writing on blogspot I dinn’t know that what I was doing is called Blogging! Silly me! But later I came to know that it is called blogging and then I moved my blogspot blog to self domain and from then I have been blogging just because I love do it.
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