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3 Lies Blogging Gurus Will Tell You

This post was most recently updated on March 26th, 2014

donnamerrilltribe.comThe internet is crowded with people telling you what to do and how to do it. 

 

If you’re a new blogger, you will probably turn to some of these folks for helpful advice, tips and training.  Some of them may be well know experts… the ones we all too easily call “gurus.”

 

Some of the gurus you follow on the internet, though, may be leading you down the wrong path.  Now I have nothing against some gurus out there, but some of them give lots of loose and misleading information. 

 

So here are 3 of the most common lies I’ve heard blogging gurus telling folks.  If you are new at blogging and want to get yourself up an running for a business, be careful not to fall for these lies.

 

LIE NUMBER ONE

Blogging is so easy that anyone can do it

 

I agree it is quite easy to blog once you get the hang of it.  But in the beginning, it can present you with a pretty steep learning curve.

 

     Do you know how to set up a website to use for you blog?
    

     Do you know how to post articles on your blog?

 

     Do you know how to produce videos for you blog, and embed them into your  articles?

 

 

These are just a few things you’ll have to learn, or pay to have others do it for you.  There are many others you’ll encounter, too, but this gives you a brief list of possibilities.

 

 

It also involves commitments that are often glossed over.

 

      How much time are you willing to devote to blogging?

     

     Are you willing to blog consistently over a sustained period of time?

 

 

And there are also skill sets you’ll need to acquire if you start your blogging journey.

 

     Are you a gifted writer?  If not, you may need to brush up on some writing techniques.   You must have good grammar and proper spelling.  And you’ll have to edit your blog posts to give them polish and organization.  You just can’t just wing it!

 

     Do you have good research skills?  Coming up with good content is pretty difficult to do when you first  start blogging.  You can’t just write about your life, your vacation or your dog. 

 

     You need to be writing for people in your niche to give them great value and a wide variety of ideas to help them with typical issues they face.  You won’t know all these things, so will need to do research in your field, and condense it into words of instruction, wisdom and inspiration for your readers.

 

 

    Now some of the “anyone can do it” gurus point out that you can just purchase your content… that there’s no need to create it yourself.  In fact, there are PLR services whose business it is to sell you pre-written blog posts and articles that you can just stick your name on.

 

     Sure you can, but you need to reshape, really rewrite it in your own words.  You can’t simply copy and paste it into you blog if you want to build a reputation as a serious blogger. 

 

     Putting PLR content into your own words gives it your own “voice.”  People start reading your blog and get used to your own unique voice and that is what attracts them to you.

 

     And make no mistake about this.  Reshaping content into your own voice is a special skill in and of itself.

 

 

 

LIE NUMBER TWO

 

Follow a handful of clever SEO techniques, and your blog posts will start ranking on the first page of Google in no time, flooding your site with tons of free search traffic.

 

I’m not an SEO expert, so I won’t take issue with the particular methods that many gurus teach for get high Google rankings.

 

I can tell you, though, as a seasoned blogger, that the internet is full of people fighting for top billing in search engine results.  Some find themselves on the first page, many others do not.  Most of those who do, don’t stay there long enough to craft a serious, enduring business from the effort.

 

I also know enough to tell you that many of the gurus teach opposing points of view on how to achieve these kinds of results.

 

If you’re a new blogger, I’d advise you concentrate on developing and delivering great content for your targeted readers, and not delve too deeply into SEO strategies.  Eventually, you could learn these methods, or hire others to apply them for you.

 

But don’t think you’ll just start blogging and find your posts on the top pages of the big search engines any time soon.  It probably won’t happen, no matter whose course you buy.

 

 

LIE NUMBER THREE

 

Make Money Blogging Overnight

 

I think this is the worst one of all!   

 

When you see promises like that run… don’t walk away.

 

That phrase “making money” can lead you down a dangerous road.  Yes, some people have done it and they will give you testimonials of those who did.   But typically, most those who made their fortunes blogging, started with a huge reputation and a large mailing list.  Do you have either of these?

 

Don’t get me wrong.  You can make money by blogging, but it takes a lot of time, a lot of work and the odds are still not in your favor.

 

And most bloggers who are earning profits from their blogs, are doing more than just blogging.  They are combining their blogs with other internet marketing methods, most likely either network marketing or email marketing.

 

It’s not magic.  

 

Your blog is there to attract targeted readers.  People come to your blog and it is your business to start engaging with them.  The goal is for them to get to know, like and trust you. 

 

Then, when they opt-in to your newsletter, you can start marketing to them more aggressively through email marketing.  People who willingly follow you onto your email list, probably want to see what you have to offer.  They will form your customer base.

 

Clearly, profits earned in this manner may involve your blog, but they do not derive directly or solely from blogging.

 

Remember, at the end of the day, whether or not you become a successful blogger is up to you.  Regardless of what methods of blogging you use, or what gurus you choose to follow (if any), you must take responsibility for the results you achieve. 

 

There is so much information available online, YOU have to decide the right path for you to follow, and the mentors and teachers you choose to align with.

 

 

What are YOUR thoughts on this?  Have you tried any of the guru methods of blogging?  Have you fallen for any of the lies or misconceptions I’ve outlined here?  Did you find something that worked for you?  I would love to hear your feedback pro or con on this post.

 

Blessings,

-Donna

 

Donna Merrill
Donna is a well known blogger and creator of "Blogging Magic" - an intensive guide to blogging. "Blogging Magic" is for beginners who are trying to figure out how to bring their blogs to life with tons of visits, comments and social media interaction. It's even for advanced bloggers looking to reach new levels of authority and engagement with their audience.

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76 Responses to 3 Lies Blogging Gurus Will Tell You

  1. mark
    Twitter:
    August 21, 2014 at 2:48 pm #

    Well said Donna!

    The three big lies (or if nothing else) the three big stretches of the real truth!

    “Blogging is easy!” yea, sure it is! And so is winning an Olympic gold medal!LOL! That doesn’t take much effort either.

    But actually that’s partly th good news! because the fly by nighters get gone really fast! Thank goodness!

    Unfortunately, every industry has those at the top that will paint a picture of minimum work for maximum profit potential.

    And after a few trips around the block, you come to realize there is simply no such vehicle.

    Thanks for shattering the myth!
    mark recently posted..Three Lessons Young Entrepreneurs Can Learn From The Movie Conviction Starring Hillary Swank! Part TwoMy Profile

  2. Yorinda Wanner March 14, 2014 at 5:05 pm #

    Hi Donna,
    you have done a great job demystyfying these lies.

    When I started blogging I thought it would be ‘easy’ too, well easier than it turned out to be.
    The technical learning phase was fun and a welcome challenge.
    Writing posts presented more of a hurdle since I wanted to provide value and questioned whether what I wrote was ‘good enough’.
    In regards to making money with blogging we also need to be vibrationally aligned with what we are wanting, so with that may come some more ‘work on our belief systems’.

    I wonder whether I would have started blogging if I would have read your article a few years ago??

    Thank you for sharing your insights!
    Cheers,
    Yorinda
    Yorinda Wanner recently posted..Unlimited Possibilities and ImaginationMy Profile

    • Donna Merrill March 15, 2014 at 12:09 pm #

      Hi Yorinda,

      I had the same issues when I started blogging too! But along the way we all learn…well most of us anyway lol.

      I like the way you mentioned that we need to be vibrationally aligned with what we want.

      It takes mind/body/spirit to raise our vibrations, know where our goal is and of course work with people that we can grow with.

      Been doing that stuff for years, and enjoy all of my clients I ever had! Law of attraction? Hmmmm

      -Donna
      Donna Merrill recently posted..10 WordPress Security Holes You Must Close To Protect Yourself OnlineMy Profile

  3. Angela McCall
    Twitter:
    February 8, 2014 at 11:36 pm #

    Hi Donna,

    So sorry, I’m sooooo late to the party! but I’m glad I’m now here. 🙂

    So, that’s what PLR are for. My girlfriend mentioned this to me and I didn’t understand a word she said. She said that she’s gonna start her other business creating PLR for others that is “exclusive” only to ONE person, once they bought it, it’s theirs and no one else! So now I know…

    Have I fallen for any of the lies or misconception you’ve outline there? I don’t think so. When I started blogging, I knew that this is not the “get rich quick” scheme thingy. Although reading other xxx blogs a day and commenting on others sounds easy to me, I think the toughest one for me on this is TIME. It is time consuming. You can’t just leave a comment without reading. And you can’t just comment, just for the sake of commenting but you really need to add value to what they are saying on their post.

    During the course of my blogging, I didn’t know that I had to deal with SEO half of the time and THIS I hate so much. I hate writing for SEOs. I know that SEO is not the only thing that can keep your Page Rank up there, there are 100s of them, but still we have to admit that SEO still plays an important role in the world of blogging.

    Last but not least, the maintenance!!!! OMG…this is sometimes a real headache. Thank God I haven’t been hacked. *knock on wood* Anyway…I took the course on blogging and started on the right path. So glad that even though (at the time) I thought the membership of such course was kinda expensive, now that I think about this again, I’m glad I took it coz it was the ONE that taught me how to blog right.

    Thank you for such an excellent post, Donna. Have a wonderful weekend dear friend.

    xoxo
    Angela
    Angela McCall recently posted..Best Spam SoftwareMy Profile

    • Donna.Merrill February 10, 2014 at 3:58 pm #

      Hi Angela,

      Any course we take is worth the money to me. I have taken many and it has only improved not only my blog, but especially marketing skills.

      We can blog all we want, but at some point we need to have something where we can capture names for our list.

      Once that is done, we start engaging to those on our list and that is where the marketing comes in.

      I know it takes time to be a blogger, but like anything else, we have to be disciplined to keep up a DMO…Daily Method of Operation, in order to fulfill everything we need to do.

      -Donna
      Donna.Merrill recently posted..Not All Comments Are EqualMy Profile

  4. nick catricala
    Twitter:
    January 25, 2014 at 9:11 pm #

    Donna,
    it was fun to read your great article… why? Because I learn NOT to listen to the so called Guru about how to write a blog post… and from reading some of my articles, I am certain you already know what I will comment here, correct?

    The reason why I do not listen to them is that I have this inner desire to write what come along or what I get inspired about and I do not have time to “listen” to any so called gurus hhaah 🙂

    You also know that the way I write, there is no gurus that teach to do that… I feel I am unique since I pick up things from any one, good and not so good.. then digest them in my way of digesting and come up with my own way of saying and present the info as I understand and what I understand..

    One thing that made me smile right now was that I imagined any so called guru coming to my blog and try to tell me to change anything according to their “Lies” and be able to show them that they are wasting their time.. what imagination he?

    Thanks for sharing this great article to expose these so called gurus and I am certain wit your followings, many of them will learn a lot and watch themselves 🙂

    All the best in ever way.
    _nickc
    nick catricala recently posted..12 Little Known Laws of KarmaMy Profile

    • Donna.Merrill January 26, 2014 at 3:44 pm #

      Hi Nick,

      You always make me smile! I could just imagine a so called “guru” coming to you and what you would do he he.

      There are many people out there that suck up newbies and then don’t follow up to help them. That is such a shame… I know! I have purchased many things in the past and then they left me hanging.

      But, on the other hand, there are many great ones out there that will be of help. That is why I wrote this post. For people to look out for before they follow, or pay too much money.

      -Donna
      Donna.Merrill recently posted..The Shocking Truth About FacebookMy Profile

  5. David Schuller January 24, 2014 at 7:06 pm #

    Hi Donna,
    Great article and so true. I have to admit, I fell for a few of these.There are some people out there who want you to stay a newbie because that is how they make their money.The internet is full of them.
    Blogging is like everything else, it takes time.
    Case in point: I have been in the home improvement industry for over 40 years. When I build something people say that looks easy. For me it is, but wasn’t always. It took time.
    I am so glad I stumbled across your site and I look forward to coming back
    Thanks
    David
    David Schuller recently posted..How to Paint a Room And Actually Enjoy Doing ItMy Profile

    • Donna.Merrill January 26, 2014 at 4:02 pm #

      Hi David,

      Good meeting you and thanks for coming by. I must say that you are an authority when it comes to your niche in blogging.

      I can see how useful it is to share your experience for others. So, Keep on writing and we all know it does take time.

      Yes, in the beginning of my blogging I too spent so much money following this one and that one.

      There are many black hat marketers out there, but the good thing is there are just as many white hat marketers.

      We just have to inspire people to know the difference.

      -Donna
      Donna.Merrill recently posted..The Shocking Truth About FacebookMy Profile

  6. silviu January 23, 2014 at 5:01 am #

    Hi Donna,

    A Happy New Year for your and your loved ones.

    Well, I differentiate between the concept of an experts and that of an authority and influencer.

    Authority / influencer is a person who is “perceived” as a person who has great expertise and experience in a particular domain and is a kind of leading figure. Unfortunately, authority and influence can be obtained by dark methods (black hat, money, all kind of schemes and tricks etc.).

    An expert is a person who really has expertise and masters a domain.

    Usually, an authority is very well known person. A real expert is rarely known. A real expert keeps a low profile. He (she) simply doesn’t need too much attention. People who need his (her) kind of services know about him (her), usually from mouth to mouth and he (she) is always busy helping people and making money.

    This is the kind of people I like and want to find. An influencer is rarely useful. He (she) is too busy trying to keep his (her) fame and usually does not have that level of expertise you think he (she) has.

    A “guru”, on the other hand, is a dark term that denominates a simple “crook”, a con artist, a person who cheats people.

    What these gurus do is: they sell low ticket items but present it as high ticket items and offer it at a low price to you for whatever reason available (you are their friend, there is a special occasion, they decided to help people etc).

    I do not pay attention to what this kind of people say. The only thing that puzzles me and bitters me is why so many people pay attention to them and even buy their products over and over again even when they have burnt themselves once or twice.

    I think some people want to dream. If you can sell them a dream in a beautiful way, it doesn’t matter it is a dream. They will buy it over and over again because deep down in their souls this is what they want.

    Have a wonderful day
    silviu recently posted..Hunt Your Most Popular Posts with the Best RifleMy Profile

    • Donna.Merrill January 26, 2014 at 5:04 pm #

      I guess we can differ on how we use some of the terminology, but the bottom line is this:

      as a consumer, you really need to know recognize that when something sounds too simple, easy, push-button, get rich quick and all the other things we’ve all heard… take it with a grain of salt.

      It doesn’t always mean that the vendor is lying, but maybe just over-zealous in their effort to get you to buy, and to get you to try it out for yourself.

      You really need to get to know who you’re dealing with more than what they say in their ad copy (which, quite often, was not even written by them).

      Thanks for your perspective, Silviu
      Donna.Merrill recently posted..The Shocking Truth About FacebookMy Profile

  7. Kareem Williams January 22, 2014 at 3:46 pm #

    Blogging is easy but you have to put the work in, just like everything each to turn it into a money making machine. I love blogging at the end of the day. You have to blog about what you like because if you do not do that, then you will not last long.
    Kareem Williams recently posted..(New Music) Lady Gaga- GypsyMy Profile

    • Donna.Merrill January 26, 2014 at 3:36 pm #

      Hi Kareem,

      You hit the nail on the head when you said that if you don’t blog what you like, then you won’t last long.

      That’s the essence of this post. Passion is the key of blogging!

      -Donna
      Donna.Merrill recently posted..The Shocking Truth About FacebookMy Profile

  8. William Amis
    Twitter:
    January 20, 2014 at 1:39 pm #

    Donna, you have given an amazing outline of blogging the right way.

    Those who want to get this right the first time talk about your lifetime challenges in an adventurous way. Just choose one episode and never mind about shaping it other than begin at the beginning and end it with a summary of the learning from that adventure.

    Write as the way you speak. What I mean is talk it out as you type it. That is how to make it easy. If it sounds exciting to you then it will to me also. Spell check at the end. Most people care nothing about spelling just you must have a core point to make about what you learned and put that learning to use.

    Always think about how your experience being shared that day can and will help countless others. Tell the truth and keep names of others out of the equation.

    Never hesitate to get emotional, that is what your blog is your voice. Don’t keep quoting others we want to learn about you as a person of interest not someone famous from the past.

    You are making your mark, brand so get to having fun sharing that days adventures. If you treat each day now as a great adventure shaping as you will my thinking it out prior to that day. You will never run out of things to say.

    Being the only expert on yourself why not talk about yourself and experiences. You will never go wrong and interaction will be a thing you look forward in doing each day.

    Donna, keep inspiring us to do more for others and complete our due diligence on everyone before getting involved with them.
    William Amis recently posted..Change Already, the year has?My Profile

    • Donna.Merrill January 21, 2014 at 9:36 pm #

      Hi William,

      WoW…what an awesome comment! You are spot on my friend, with each and every point you have made.

      I thank you so much for adding this incredible flavor to this post!

      I agree it is so wonderful to share our knowledge and adventures. Also, if we get emotional that is great too. Write like we talk is the name of the game. (or should this Brooklyn girl say Tawlk? lol)

      -Donna
      Donna.Merrill recently posted..The Shocking Truth About FacebookMy Profile

  9. William Butler
    Twitter:
    January 19, 2014 at 7:06 pm #

    Hi Donna,

    I looked at the first line in red, and I thought no kidding. There are even people selling coaching courses encouraging others to label themselves as experts. No wonder people can’t hear themselves think with all the noise out there.

    You’ve done an excellent job outlining these myths, and anyone beginning blogging or considering doing so should know the truth of the matter, which you have so clearly provided.

    I think many people chase after Lie #3 (dangling the carrot in front of them) because of Lie #1. Not everything in life is easy. Some things are easier than others. Unless you have a particular penchant for writing, or great intentions of adding value to others through creating great content, you may not even enjoy writing. If that’s the case, you wouldn’t like blogging at all.

    Everything takes time… from social networking to getting traffic to getting ranking. You’ve done a great service here exposing these lies.

    Best Regards,
    Bill
    William Butler recently posted..13 Ultimate Keys To Personal DevelopmentMy Profile

    • Donna.Merrill January 19, 2014 at 7:32 pm #

      Hi Bill,

      Thanks so much for your kind reply. Agreed….everything takes time! No matter what it is in life and that goes for blogging and making money too.

      Yes, there is so much noise out there, one doesn’t know whom to follow. But my advice to any new blogger is to just do it. Then, slowly start following other bloggers and learn from them.

      Yes there are many courses in blogging that are very helpful. But those three key “lies” are ones that if followed, lead to disappointment for many people.

      -Donna
      Donna.Merrill recently posted..What’s Your Blogging Strategy?My Profile

  10. Karen Hoyt January 19, 2014 at 11:32 am #

    Donna,

    This blog makes so many good points and really resonates with me. You always do girl!
    First of all, I was a lone blogger for the first 9 months. No gurus for me. I just poured out my passion and experience in the hopes of helping others. That isolation allowed me to test the waters to see if I was a writer. I had been in the past, but my health left me in quite a state mentally and physically.
    Once I did find a guru, I was fortunate enough to find Adrienne. I was googling something to help with with technical problems and there she was That led me to Harleena, Lisa, and YOU! You can see that I got in with a smart crowd to start with.
    YES! I found so many ideas that worked for me. At one point I felt overwhelmed. I had been so clueless and their advice was great AND backed up with wisdom and experience. I am still trying to absorb all the ideas that you all put out there. I actually made a spreadsheet and filled pages in a notebook about what steps would work best.
    I don’t venture out too far from my little circle of gurus. I’ve found a few of those sites that talk about monetizing and how easy it is. Most of my friends know that I am in it for the passion and have offered practical advice. You know, how to make even a little money to help off set the costs of running the site. I’m still tumbling that around.
    Can you tell that you really caused me to think about this? I love gurus for that reason. You all give me perspective. Love you for that!
    xoxo Karen:)
    Karen Hoyt recently posted..Unforgiveness and Your HealthMy Profile

    • Donna.Merrill January 19, 2014 at 4:02 pm #

      Hi Karen,

      Firstly, thank you for the awesome compliment. That means a lot to me. I am so glad you found Adrienne, Lisa and Harleena too. You are so fortunate you found these wonderful women who are honest and will never steer you wrong.

      We, as bloggers are on a continuous learning curve. As we read so many blogs each week, our knowledge expands. I would say you are blessed!

      Monetizing is not so easy and don’t let anyone ever tell you it is. Yes, blogs can be monetized by adds, if you like that sort of thing. But the best way to monetize your blog is to have a free opt-in such as subscribe to a newsletter, offer a free e book, or just about anything free.

      This gets your followers to be on your mailing list and that is the name of the game to create a good list. Then you can start engaging with those on your list more than you do on your blog. Give them all you got. Then a product or service can be offered to them.

      But first, when monetizing, we need to have knowledge of HOW TO! I won’t go into it here, because it will take forever, but there are many good methods of how to do it. Hmmm should I blog about that? lol

      -Donna
      Donna.Merrill recently posted..What’s Your Blogging Strategy?My Profile

  11. Monna Ellithorpe
    Twitter:
    January 18, 2014 at 2:30 pm #

    Hi Donna,

    Excellent post. I agree with you. I get so angry with the ones that take advantage of what they know to get those that don’t know to buy into their lies.

    What a great post to share with as many as we can to let others know that it’s not all “peaches and cream” out here but it is fun.

    Have a great day. Monna
    Monna Ellithorpe recently posted..Google Alerts and Why You Should Use ThemMy Profile

  12. Zach January 18, 2014 at 1:47 pm #

    I remember falling into that first pitfall when I got started! You think since you can write you can do it all! It’s a tough lesson to learn but I’m glad someone’s being up front about it. It’s not going to be easy, but it is going to be worth it!

    • Donna.Merrill January 19, 2014 at 3:53 pm #

      Hi Zach,

      I think we all fell into that first pitfall when we got started. It is amazing how many people are coming into the blogosphere every day.

      I just wanted to give a little shout out of what to look out for. There are many good gurus out there. But people need to do their research.

      Nothing worth it is ever easy!

      -Donna
      Donna.Merrill recently posted..What’s Your Blogging Strategy?My Profile

  13. James January 18, 2014 at 5:56 am #

    Hi Donna,

    The biggest and most gullible lies is the aspect of making money overnight. I recently discovered that John Chow is somehow a lier. He tells people that they can make huge amounts of money online per month and if you pay him a visit, all what he gonna tell you is to buy his books, podcast, invest in a particular program e.t.c.

    I read something inspiring on Enstine Muki’s blog and he simply gave the money making recipe as simply working hard and remain focus.

    Thanks for sharing this inspiring post.
    James recently posted..How to get links to your website the Google wayMy Profile

    • Donna.Merrill January 18, 2014 at 4:24 pm #

      Hi James,

      When people say “you are going to make money” I always have a big question mark over my head. People are all different and have different talents. How the heck can one follow one plan and be effective?

      Enstine Muki does write the truth: the money making recipe requires working hard and being focused.

      Thanks so much,

      -Donna
      Donna.Merrill recently posted..What’s Your Blogging Strategy?My Profile

  14. David Haines January 17, 2014 at 2:46 am #

    I just love your posts Donna. They’re so informative. The whole SEO thing is spot on. Just write engaging content. Write what your audience wants to read. That will bring you page views, but more importantly, loyal visitors.

    Thanks again Donna. You Rock!

    • Donna.Merrill January 18, 2014 at 4:12 pm #

      Hi David,

      Absolutely! That SEO thing is a dead fish in the waters. Yes, a dash of it is fine, but only a dash.

      Writing good content is the key!

      -Donna
      Donna.Merrill recently posted..What’s Your Blogging Strategy?My Profile

  15. Greg Urbano January 16, 2014 at 12:37 pm #

    I would agree with all three of your points but remind people looking to start that they are not going to be good at it right away and the only way to get better is by blog, blog, blog!!

  16. Kumar Gauraw
    Twitter:
    January 16, 2014 at 11:11 am #

    Hi Donna,

    Actually, if somebody tells these three lies, they tell you that they are fake people. No sensitive person will teach through these lies and if they do, I run in the other direction 🙂

    What an excellent article and I appreciate that you have taken time to educate other people about this topic. I am sure people who are planning to start their own blog will get educated with the reality through your post while taking advice.

    Thanks,
    Kumar
    Kumar Gauraw recently posted..Why I Moved Out Of WP Engine To Have My Own Hosting ServerMy Profile

    • Donna.Merrill January 18, 2014 at 4:06 pm #

      Kumar,

      I’m glad that you have that natural insight to run away. Unfortunately, some people buy into it.

      I too am guilty as charged when I first started. Yes, I learned the hard way, but no grips about it. It was a learning experience.

      Because so many new people are coming into the blogosphere, I wanted them to know those three “lies” to watch out for.

      -Donna
      Donna.Merrill recently posted..What’s Your Blogging Strategy?My Profile

  17. Sherryl Perry
    Twitter:
    January 15, 2014 at 10:45 pm #

    Donna,
    This is good advice not only for new bloggers but for anyone who is looking for the easy way to make money blogging. Blogging is a big commitment and my recommendation to anyone who is new to blogging is to treat your blog like your business. Set goals, document your steps, track your results and measure everything.

    There are some wonderful bloggers who can become great mentors and resources but just because someone is perceived as a “guru”, we both know that not all are. In fact, they could simply be very charismatic and popular. The best advice that I received when I started blogging was to build my community. Today, I’m thankful to be part of a network of bloggers who help and support each other. We all have our own skill sets and can contribute in different ways. That’s part of what makes this so great. We can all learn from each other.

    Thanks for a refreshingly honest post. I need to come back here more often!
    Sherryl Perry recently posted..Do We Really Need Flat Design?My Profile

    • Donna.Merrill January 18, 2014 at 3:52 pm #

      Hi Sherryl,

      Indeed! We are fortunate to have connected with bloggers that can teach us something new every day. Hey, I just came off your latest blog and I’m sure glad I did. I have a better understanding about design and the “vocabulary” what to ask for when I re-do this old blog!

      I have made many good friends blogging and some have become my mentors too. Our blog is our business and needs to be treated as one.

      Thanks for your great input,

      -Donna
      Donna.Merrill recently posted..What’s Your Blogging Strategy?My Profile

      • Sherryl Perry
        Twitter:
        January 18, 2014 at 7:19 pm #

        Hi Donna,
        I’m glad you found that post interesting. Flat design was a new term to me too but once I started to read up on it, I immediately recognized that I have seen that style before. Now that I’m aware of it, I’m seeing a lot of redesigned sites that are either flat or “almost-flat”. I’m going to keep it mind when I re-do my blog too.
        Sherryl Perry recently posted..Is GoDaddy Really Bad for Website Hosting?My Profile

        • Donna.Merrill January 19, 2014 at 3:50 pm #

          Hi Sherryl,

          I am so glad you wrote that post and shared the information because I do need as much information as I can collect before I decide how I want my blog to look like.

          I so appreciate it!

          -Donna
          Donna.Merrill recently posted..What’s Your Blogging Strategy?My Profile

  18. Barbara Charles
    Twitter:
    January 15, 2014 at 9:31 pm #

    Hi Donna,
    Boy did you hit the nail on the head! All three of these ‘lies’ I’ve heard a thousand times before I actually found someone who told me the truth, i.e., it’s hard work, it takes time, SEO is not easy, etc.

    I don’t know why people think that they should tell us lies to get our business. I’d rather work with people of integrity.

    I’m so glad you wrote this article, particularly at this time of year when people are coming online and need to know the truth. The truth would have saved me years of wasted time and work and would have helped me get started faster and done things right.

    This is a great article. Thanks so much for sharing with everyone because, believe it or not, some regular bloggers still don’t know all the details.

    Thanks. A great post! 🙂
    Barbara
    Barbara Charles recently posted..How To Evoke An Emotional Response To Get Readers To Your BlogMy Profile

    • Donna.Merrill January 18, 2014 at 2:25 am #

      Hi Barbara,

      I was inspired by newbies coming in and asking me about their business and how they really believed all they had to do was blog for 30 days and bang..money will roll in. NOT!

      For weeks I’ve been meeting people coming in to the blogosphere thinking these lies were true.

      I felt like I was standing on a pulpit preaching the truth. Ergo…this post!

      -Donna
      Donna.Merrill recently posted..What’s Your Blogging Strategy?My Profile

  19. Mary Stephenson
    Twitter:
    January 15, 2014 at 11:56 am #

    Hi Donna

    Probably the biggest lie is they tell half truths. It is easy to make money online, but they fail to tell you that unless you have a big list or are famous, you better have deep pockets for advertising. Most have none of those elements, so therefore we end up being scammed of out hard earned money, which happened to want to make more of.

    If we had not been conned into all the get rich quick schemes I am sure many of us never would have started. It leaves a bitter taste for the bloggers that are trying to be honest and trying to make a living by the internet. That is why probably many fall off the radar and you begin to question why you are even here, especially if you have made no money or very little for your efforts.

    Great post and if only we had been able to read it before we ever started on this journey we would have more money in our pockets!

    Mary
    Mary Stephenson recently posted..The Principle of EthicsMy Profile

    • Donna.Merrill January 18, 2014 at 3:40 pm #

      Hi Mary,

      You nailed it! Those half truths are dangerous. I cannot express how many times I purchased a webinar product from some well known person and came away saying “Hugh?” “My blogging buddies could have done a better job!”

      We do have to check out products BEFORE we purchase them. I can tell you that I’ve learned more from people who are not well known than the biggest gurus on the block.

      As for your last line: That’s why I wrote it lol!

      -Donna
      Donna.Merrill recently posted..What’s Your Blogging Strategy?My Profile

  20. Marquita Herald
    Twitter:
    January 15, 2014 at 1:47 am #

    Wow you’ve really nailed it with this one Donna! I have to admit this is a real hot button for me. I love blogging, but like many others I learned the hard way that there is SO much more to it than anyone ever tells you when you start. In addition to the excellent points you’ve outlined above, there’s all the behind the scenes technical stuff like usage spikes and spam bots, and when you use WordPress (which I love) there are the quirks with plugins. Last year my blog was down for the count 3 times and twice it was because of a conflict with plugins. In a way it’s fun learning all this technical stuff because that’s not in my nature, but it’s hard work and you have to really be determined. Thanks so much for sharing this realistic look blogging.
    Marquita Herald recently posted..Mastering Transition Is The Key to Meaningful Life ChangeMy Profile

    • Donna.Merrill January 18, 2014 at 3:23 pm #

      Hi Marquita,

      Oh yes those darn plugins. Sometimes they do work against one another and Boom…your blog goes down!

      Yes it is fun to learn some technical stuff, but time consuming for me.

      🙂

      -Donna
      Donna.Merrill recently posted..What’s Your Blogging Strategy?My Profile

  21. Adrienne
    Twitter:
    January 14, 2014 at 6:18 pm #

    Hey Donna,

    Boy are you ever right about all of these. I know when I first starting learning online I followed some very reputable “gurus” at that time who made a heck of a lot of money. What I also eventually learned that they did a few underhanded tactics to make it too and I wasn’t willing to go down that road which is why I’ve been so slow with building my business.

    Now I believe that a lot of people have good intentions because as you did say, it’s easy to blog. I mean anyone can write whatever they want and it doesn’t have to be perfect, their grammar doesn’t have to be spot on nor do they have to be a writer. Will they do well if they don’t have all of that in place? Hell no nor is that all there is to blogging either. It’s hard work but to me anything worth having is going to take some work on our parts.

    I even use to preach the same thing when I started blogging but I didn’t know anything about security issues, server problems, database issues with your blog, the right way to do things, etc. Until you learn all of that as well you don’t know so it is easy for awhile at least.

    The SEO tactics did use to be easy but we all know things change. You still might not have gotten on number one of the search engines each time but you did more often then not. Now it’s a heck of a lot harder and once you depend on that type of traffic I think you’re just an accident waiting to happen.

    The making money part with your blog, well that all depends on which direction you want to go. You seriously still can’t tell me one person who is making very good money with their blog and that’s from all the ads and adsense they put on it that just started and hasn’t been here for years. We both know how much more is really involved so you’re right when you said that’s probably the worst one.

    Thanks for sharing these Donna cause you’re spot on girl with these.

    Enjoy your week.

    ~Adrienne

    • Donna.Merrill January 19, 2014 at 3:49 pm #

      Hi Adrienne,

      I don’t know where my reply to you went? In space? Anyway, here I am and thank you so much for your wonderful comment.

      We both have been there and done that stuff in the beginning. This is why tons of people follow you my friend. Your blog is ALWAYS giving great information to people so they won’t walk the road you and I have walked.

      You give them honest information and are always helping.

      As for making money on your blog: Oh there are so many ways to do that, BUT one has to know the marketing edge and how to use it correctly.

      Again, thanks girlfriend.

      -Donna
      Donna.Merrill recently posted..What’s Your Blogging Strategy?My Profile

  22. Samuel January 14, 2014 at 4:54 pm #

    The biggest lie is you’re going to make money the second you publish your first post.

    That’s a big expectation that many beginners have, but I guess it weeds the weak from the strongest.

    Thanks for the article!

    – Sam
    Samuel recently posted..50 Ways to Drive Traffic to a WebsiteMy Profile

    • Donna.Merrill January 19, 2014 at 7:43 pm #

      Hi Sam,

      Welcome to my blog. Maybe it is weeding out the weak from the strongest. But I also think that newbies are so unaware of things, it is important to get them to know what to watch out for.

      -Donna
      Donna.Merrill recently posted..What’s Your Blogging Strategy?My Profile

  23. Susan Cooper
    Twitter:
    January 14, 2014 at 4:26 pm #

    I can so relate to this Donna, I am embarrassed to admit I kinda fell into some of the traps you mentioned. The good news is I figured it out before it cost me a bunch of money. When you really start to look at it, many of the so called experts are just wanna be’s in the world of blogging and put themselves out there to draw traffic and unsuspecting anxious bloggers looking for quick solutions to making money online.

    In the end, as you said, there’s really no great magic just hard work, a lot of research and reading. With good content, consistency and time. You will find your way. Just my thoughts. 🙂
    Susan Cooper recently posted..How I Draw On My iPad-Part 8My Profile

    • Donna.Merrill January 18, 2014 at 3:02 pm #

      Hi Susan!

      There are many great people out there that will tell you the truth about blogging! I tell people to keep their eyes open wide and watch for those tell tale signs about getting rich quick or making money fast.

      I have fell into a trap here and there myself when I first started, but live and learn.

      Then I started following some great people who I have hired that taught me so well.

      -Donna
      Donna.Merrill recently posted..What’s Your Blogging Strategy?My Profile

  24. Jeevan Jacob John
    Twitter:
    January 14, 2014 at 11:03 am #

    I hate all three of these lies, especially #1 about blogging being easy. Blogging is not easy! (so many people think that blogging is something you can set and forget…no! Just like any other real world job, blogging is competitive. To survive and to succeed, we need to provide value to human readers, not bots).

    I have believed #3 (#1 and #2 weren’t much of a problem because blogging started as a hobby for me..so no problem with commitment, and honestly, I didn’t care about being on Pg1 of Google).

    With #3, well, I didn’t want to make money at first (and then, I started seeing all those sales marketing videos..I believed some of them, and I did buy the products. Fortunately, I was able to get the refunds fast). I am still not sure whether those products were scam (or they were actually good products that required a lot of hard work).

    I am glad that those experiences happened – because of those, now I know better 🙂 Now I know what to watch for (and what to believe/invest in).

    Anyways, thank you for sharing this, Donna 🙂 Hope you are having a fine week!
    Jeevan Jacob John recently posted..Goals, Resolutions and Motives – Why?My Profile

    • Donna.Merrill January 18, 2014 at 2:45 am #

      Hi Jeevan,

      Thank you for sharing your experience. I like what you said that we need to provide value to human reader, not bots! Well said!

      You know the truth is I made it to number 1 on Google for a while and it was nothing but a headache. I had people coming to me saying ya or nay, and for a while it was interesting.

      The problem was the backlinks. Most of these people had the most terrible blogs one could ever write. Oh yea…I had to do a lot of work behind the scenes checking them out, editing the back links, and oh boy it was a job.

      I don’t see the point of being number one. I write to my readers and one by one, people keep coming. I do have so many people that don’t make it on my blog for their one liners and especially because their blogs are all sales blogs.

      -Donna
      Donna.Merrill recently posted..What’s Your Blogging Strategy?My Profile

      • Jeevan Jacob John
        Twitter:
        January 18, 2014 at 6:35 pm #

        No mention!

        I have never heard anyone saying that..perhaps you should write a detailed post on that experience – seems like an interesting one 😀

        I do understand how it could happen though…I kind of had the same problem (I was ranking for images…particularly for my motivation posts, and I did get a lot of spammy comments. Unfortunately, I didn’t know that many of those guys weren’t actually people..they were just bots).

        Anyways, I hope you are enjoying your weekend 🙂

        • Donna.Merrill January 19, 2014 at 3:44 pm #

          Hi Jeevan,

          Maybe I should write that post! People are STILL coming in. But their replies are mostly self-fulfilling. Probably because somewhere it’s still findable on Google. Who knows?

          The point is, those folks who were piling in not only had horrid backlinks, but most didn’t have gravatars of themselves.

          As for your high ranking images, they could be actual people. But who the heck wants spammy comments? I did appreciate those who disagreed with me on that post. They wrote long comments, and some didn’t understand what I was saying, and I had to explain over and over again. “Read the darn Blog!” lol.

          Thanks!

          -Donna
          Donna.Merrill recently posted..What’s Your Blogging Strategy?My Profile

          • Jeevan Jacob John
            Twitter:
            January 20, 2014 at 3:58 pm #

            You should 😀

            Perhaps.

            Yeah, I hate that too (although I am willing to give a one time exception…the first comment may be accepted..but from the second time, you gotta have a gravatar).

            Could be (there were a few with actual gravatars). I am guessing those are brand new bloggers, who still have a lot to learn (Should we give an exception to them, since they are brand new?).

            Yeah, I don’t like that either (if you are going to take time commenting..why not just read the post and write a relevant comment, right?).
            Jeevan Jacob John recently posted..6 Contingency Plans Your Blog Must Have!My Profile

  25. Emmanuel
    Twitter:
    January 14, 2014 at 7:22 am #

    Hello Madam Sylvianne,
    This is well said. I for instance found myself in blogging simply because it was made to be seen as if it was an easy thing until the reality hit me.

    Blogging takes a lot of time and hard work. These are the sort of things newbie bloggers ought to know instead of focusing on money, money!

    Thanks for the share and do have a nice day!
    Emmanuel recently posted..Beware! my Images too are Monetzied.My Profile

    • Donna.Merrill January 18, 2014 at 2:39 am #

      Hi Emmanuel,

      Yes, in the beginning we all think blogging will be simple. Then we learn the truth. I wrote this to enlighten newbie bloggers that it does take work.

      -Donna
      Donna.Merrill recently posted..What’s Your Blogging Strategy?My Profile

  26. Sue Price
    Twitter:
    January 14, 2014 at 2:04 am #

    Hi Donna

    Now I must have been living under a bush as I can honestly say I have not heard these lies. Maybe because it all felt so overwhelming to me I would not have listened anyway.

    I was lucky enough to start off by learning from Kimberly Castleberry and Jodie Thompson. They did not paint it as easy at all.

    I agree with everything you have said here though. It is not easy to either set up a blog or to even blog at first as it is all new even if we have writing skills.

    SEO still confuses me and as we know things change all the time.

    As for making money quickly I do not know anyone who has done that and I do believe it is the worst one of the 3 to believe for all the reasons you have said.

    Great post Donna as I believe new people should know the truth. Know they can learn but it all takes time.

    Sue
    Sue Price recently posted..Redefining Age with Jane FondaMy Profile

    • Donna.Merrill January 18, 2014 at 2:22 am #

      Hi Sue,

      I watch things closely and I do get bombarded with those “get rich quick” ideas people still throw at me. I just shake my head.

      I guess it is because I’ve been an entrepreneur for so many years that I know the score. Things take time to build. Off line as well as on line – it’s all the same thing.

      I do know so many newbies connecting with me, so I just had to write this post.

      -Donna
      Donna.Merrill recently posted..What’s Your Blogging Strategy?My Profile

  27. Corina Ramos January 13, 2014 at 11:11 pm #

    This is definitely a great starting point for newbie bloggers. I had a clear understanding of what I was getting into but when you’re anxious to start making money those lies that are plastered all over the internet, the same ones you mentioned start to sound tempting.

    You hit it right on Donna. The one that folks fall for the most is making money overnight…If I had a dime for every time I saw that, I’d be retired and blogging for fun 🙂

    The one thing that appealed to my starry eyes when I started was paid twitter/facebook followers…but then I thought, heck I want folks to follow me because of my content, not because I paid them to.

    And just about that time I started seeing posts about how that was a waste of time, I connected with and found awesome mentors like you, Adrienne, Lisa, Sue, Harleena, Sylviane (The Saucy Six) and that’s when it all started to fall into place for me.

    I agree with you…Blogging isn’t magic. We have to work hard, be consistent and passionate about it to make it work.

    Awesome post Donna! Hope things are well with your furbaby. Have a great night!
    Corina Ramos recently posted..Monday Work-from-Home Job Lead Madness 01-13-14My Profile

    • Donna.Merrill January 18, 2014 at 2:19 am #

      Hi Corina,

      Jeepers….you actually paid for followers? Yikes! One of the main things is having people come to YOU. Paying for those numbers never work.

      I am so glad you connected with us. I love your blog and you always do a good service for others. Doing all that research and posting jobs that companies are hiring.

      I always think of what great karma you have doing this. The more you give the more you receive. It’s just the Law of Attraction!

      -Donna
      Donna.Merrill recently posted..What’s Your Blogging Strategy?My Profile

  28. Glady
    Twitter:
    January 13, 2014 at 10:04 pm #

    Hello Ms. Donna

    I love this post.
    Thank God I had some of the people on the comment group that were guiding me in the right direction.

    Even though I heard many of the things you mentioned, especially about making money, I never fell for it. Somehow within me, I knew it takes more than what they said.

    I am in total agreement when you mentioned that as a new blogger, I need to work on getting better on my writing.
    I do have someone that is helping me and they did mentioned, that at this point, my concern should be my content.

    Thank you Ms. Donna for making it plain.

    Have a wonderful week

    Gladys
    Glady recently posted..2014 Goals Will Redefine Your LifeMy Profile

    • Donna.Merrill January 18, 2014 at 1:40 am #

      Hi Gladys,

      So glad you enjoyed this post. Content is what we all need to focus on in our blogs.

      Patience is a virtue and as long as we have it, our blogs will build up to a good audience.

      -Donna
      Donna.Merrill recently posted..What’s Your Blogging Strategy?My Profile

  29. Sylviane Nuccio
    Twitter:
    January 13, 2014 at 9:57 pm #

    Hi Donna,

    I’ve heard all those lies, indeed.

    The number one is probably the one that we hear most. It’s easy to put up a blog, anyone can do it! I beg to differ there are tons of things that aren’t that easy when you don’t know it as you said. I helped a lot of newbies in the past and without my help they were no way near to being able to set up a wordpress blog. But that’s what they had heard from those gurus.

    Maybe 7 or 8 years ago it was still easy to rank with a few SEO tricks, but I don’t think this works anymore. So, forget about the tons of traffic with few SEO steps today.

    I think that more and more people realize that making money blogging is not something that will happen fast to be sure. To make money with your blog itself it needs to get quite some traffic first.

    That was a great post, Donna as always and great tips for those who are still wondering.
    Sylviane Nuccio recently posted..How To Write An Effective Guest Post Pitch To Get Positive ResponsesMy Profile

    • Donna.Merrill January 18, 2014 at 1:39 am #

      Hi Sylviane,

      Thank you for sharing your wise words. Yes, those SEO tricks don’t work anymore. I sure am glad they don’t. Remember reading those SEO rich blog posts? They didn’t make much sense. The content was so geared to SEO, that I would get all confused.

      Blogging is not easy. We know how it works! We keep pushing out good content, build an audience, and there we go.

      -Donna
      Donna.Merrill recently posted..What’s Your Blogging Strategy?My Profile

  30. sherman smith January 13, 2014 at 8:23 pm #

    Hey Donna,

    As I was reading this post, I was nodding in agreement. I do hate to admit that I fell for a couple of these lies. I became overwhelmed and my blog didn’t go no where. sad to say.

    It does takes a lot of work and dedication if you want to become successful with blogging. I liked when you said “If you’re a new blogger, I’d advise you concentrate on developing and delivering great content for your targeted readers, and not delve too deeply into SEO strategies.”

    This is the truth. You definitely want to focus on delivering great content. Do your research and convey the content that your readers want to read. If you’re consistent with this, then you’ll start to build moment. Once you do, then you can start to focus on other strategies.

    Great share!

    • Donna.Merrill January 18, 2014 at 1:36 am #

      Absolutely Sherman!

      I think we all fell for that stuff in the beginning. Many of us spent a fortune on things. Now that there are so many people marketing, we need to keep on helping out the newbies not to fall for those get rich quick ideas.

      We, as seasoned bloggers know that it does take time and persistence and giving good content in order to do all the other stuff!

      -Donna
      Donna.Merrill recently posted..What’s Your Blogging Strategy?My Profile

  31. Cararta
    Twitter:
    January 13, 2014 at 7:17 pm #

    Hi Donna,

    All True! All important and worth printing out and hanging it on the wall so the next time you see one of those

    Hot to Trot Webinars peddling the latest “Hook” that will get you through their just discovered Loop in Google and onto to page 1 in 7 minutes…

    You know you need another roll of toilet paper to clean out the
    computer…….

    Some of the techie stuff with blogging is overwhelming…sometimes. Installed smash it to help with photos….til I can master that system of making a compiled sprite (css)and hook all the pictures together as tightly as possible to reduce CPU usage.

    Google wants more photos and the server wants less.

    Thanks for the Rant….appreciated on a cold, rainy and dreary day in Tennessee.
    Cararta recently posted..Copy Writing SkillsMy Profile

    • Donna.Merrill January 18, 2014 at 1:33 am #

      Hi Carata,

      In my time I’ve watched many webinars. One can sure tell the difference of those that promise you the moon and the others that tell it like it is.

      -Donna
      Donna.Merrill recently posted..What’s Your Blogging Strategy?My Profile

  32. Atish Ranjan
    Twitter:
    January 13, 2014 at 11:27 am #

    Agree with you on all these 3 Lies. Many people defines blogging to others as it is a tree full of money and on shaking the tree money will fall down.
    but as we are doing blogging since years, we know how tough is to make living from blogging.

    Its certainly is not impossible but it takes a lot of time, effort and patience to make consistent money from blogging.

    Abut the SEO technique, Whenever someone writes a post that how to get rank #1 in SERP, I asked about their own rankings because preaching about SEO is so easy but getting rank is not predictable.

    Thanks for the nice write up Donna.
    Atish Ranjan recently posted..How Helping Others Helped Me?My Profile

    • Donna.Merrill January 14, 2014 at 12:56 pm #

      Hi Atish,

      I love your analogy of shaking money from a tree. Yes, blogging requires patience and persistence.

      After reading your last post I must add another vital word and that is GIVING.

      -Donna
      Donna.Merrill recently posted..What’s Your Blogging Strategy?My Profile

  33. Phillip Dews January 13, 2014 at 9:34 am #

    Awesome Post as usual Donna!
    Oops sorry forgot to say Happy New Year! it’s good to be back on your blog leaving my pennies worth!

    Right to my thoughts on your 3 points! On number one you are totally right there Blogging is NOT easy it is hard work as I sure know In fact I have been blogging on and off for 4 years or more now believe it or not and I gave up a few years ago but am so glad to have started up again a few months ago!

    I think you need to have good content and consistency! The more blog posts people write the better they get in writing good quality content. New bloggers need to spread their wings and comment on others blogs and not just crappy comments like “Great post”. My goal this year is to visit at least 30 blog posts a day every day and leave my pennies worth I think that will quickly get new bloggers noticed!

    On point two. Why oh why do bloggers have to worry about SEO. As long as they are writing consistently, effectively and is something that others want to read then they shoud not have to worry about their seo woe’s. Instead of keyword stuffing I write about what I think and what I think other humans will find interesting, funny, helpful and informative!

    Point Three. Ah the Making money Online debate! Yep once again you hit the nail on the head there! I remember when I first started out blogging, I was joining everything, following everyone, spending my money on “Program’s”. going to Clickbank seminars. Chasing the money! no wonder I gave up. Now I don’t think about it and just let it come to me! I think every new blogger thinks that they will be rich with just six months of spending a few hours a day on their blogs. How far from the truth that is!

    Phew well that’s my thoughts on the subject! Time for a cuppa I think now!
    – Phillip
    Phillip Dews recently posted..Rocket Speed! Ten Ways to Speed up your BlogMy Profile

    • Donna.Merrill January 13, 2014 at 1:00 pm #

      Hi Phillip,

      Thank you for your awesome input on this post.

      Agreed that you need good content and consistency on every post. And going to other people’s blogs – putting your “pennies worth” is a great way to start engagement.

      That’s what its all about! It’s not the SEO factor in as much as it is getting out there and leaving good comments on other people’s blogs. Organic growth is the only way to do it in my opinion.

      Yes it is work, but without effort, where would we be?

      Oh Point Three! Yes I too suffered the pain of joining every darn thing in the beginning. It is enough to make one just throw their hands up in the air and give up.

      I’m so glad you returned! Blogging is great, but we do need to have some marketing savvy under our belt in order to make money.

      Maybe that’s a good idea for my next post!

      Thanks again!

      -Donna
      Donna.Merrill recently posted..What’s Your Blogging Strategy?My Profile

      • Phillip Dews January 14, 2014 at 4:34 am #

        awesome so I may have given you an idea for the next post then hey?
        Hope so that would be awesome!
        Anyway I am glad you like my pennies worth. i always try and contribute where I can!
        All the best
        – Phillip
        Phillip Dews recently posted..Rocket Speed! Ten Ways to Speed up your BlogMy Profile

  34. Shalu Sharma
    Twitter:
    January 13, 2014 at 7:34 am #

    Something like this happens all the time and every time. In fact, there are loads of these self styled gurus who claim to be experts who will turn you into a money magnet if you buy their services. But the great thing is many of us are able to see though all this. Blogging seems attractive to a lot of people where they see themselves working from home and watching the money roll in. It’s not happening.
    Shalu Sharma recently posted..Interesting facts about IndiaMy Profile

    • Donna.Merrill January 13, 2014 at 12:43 pm #

      Hi Shalu,

      So true! Blogging is not a money machine. Rather, your sales funnel is. Don’t get me wrong, I love blogging to get to know people. And if they are interested in a product or service I can offer, they will sign into it.

      Then the marketing begins! One has to focus on marketing techniques in order to make money from people who visit their blog.

      Also, I find that people who never heard of a blogger who has something to offer, will go over and check their blog to see how active they are, scan through who they are, and so forth. That, to me, is the strength of a blog.

      -Donna
      Donna.Merrill recently posted..What’s Your Blogging Strategy?My Profile

  35. Harleena Singh
    Twitter:
    January 13, 2014 at 7:28 am #

    Hi Donna,

    Oh yes…don’t we hear of people’s experiences and all of these three lies most of them go through. I have never had any guru, nor followed any particular blogger as such, or perhaps being a writer, I was on my own spree till I became a blogger and it was just one blog to the other that helped me learn all that I know today.

    However, ALL the three points you stated IS exactly how it is! The so called pro-bloggers or those who have now made it to the top ranks will tell you that blogging is easy, but the very basics or the tips n tricks isn’t something they are very willing to share I’d say – very few genuine bloggers take the trouble to show you how to really do things, especially for new bloggers.

    Ah…the SEO techniques! There are so many of them around and as many software in the market that one honestly doesn’t know the right from the wrong!! I do try the very basic SEO on some of my posts, though surprisingly I see the posts without SEO somehow rank much better in the search engines, so I am pretty happy with trying variations instead of the proper SEO techniques, which even Google doesn’t like nowadays.

    Similarly with making money, just as you mentioned, is not everyone’s cup of tea, unless they are getting a LOT of traffic from the search engines, which is not easy initially, and even later – till your content is truly awesome. Yes, such bloggers have other ways of making money and they use those.

    Blogging IS not easy, and it takes a lot of time and commitment to be a good blogger. I think we all need to keep ourselves away from such lies as you mentioned and be wise enough to read and learn before falling into such traps.

    Thanks for sharing. Have a nice week ahead 🙂
    Harleena Singh recently posted..Keep Moving Forward – My 3rd Blog AnniversaryMy Profile

    • Donna.Merrill January 13, 2014 at 12:39 pm #

      Hi Harleena,

      As a writer, blogging will come naturally to you. And you blog well my friend. You put out good content and it is always geared to the “answer” to a “problem” – That’s the way to do it!

      As for SEO..It’s pretty much dead out there with the new Google algorithms, thank goodness. Back in the old days about one to two years ago, SEO techniques got you to top ranking on Google. The problem is, the content didn’t make much sense!

      That was one great change they have made.

      Blogging is not such an easy thing. It requires patience and persistence as we both well know.

      Thanks for sharing your wonderful thoughts,

      -Donna
      Donna.Merrill recently posted..What’s Your Blogging Strategy?My Profile

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