This is a guest post from Dot Com Dud, a blogger who catalogues his journey towards earning a full-time income online on DotComDud.com.
In this post he looks at some old sayings and proverbs and how they translate into modern day blogging.
A good proverb can communicate an abundance of wisdom in a simple sentence. These sayings can be applied to many areas in life and blogging is no exception.
While these sayings were first spoken many years before blogging was even thought possible, their meanings still ring as true today for modern bloggers as they ever did.
Don’t put all your eggs in one basket When it comes to making money online, especially from a blog, don’t limit yourself to a single source of income. Different methods of monetization are naturally going to suit some types of blogs and niches better than others.
If you only use AdSense and never branch out into other ad providers, affiliate marketing, paid reviews or the many other ways to earn online (that are increasing every single day) then you are only taking money out of your own pocket by limiting your options.
Keep your friends close and your enemies closer While you shouldn’t consider other bloggers in your niche enemies as such, you shouldn’t forget that they are also your competition. When it comes to the quality of your content, it’s these other blogs that you will be compared against.
For this reason you should always keep an eye on what other bloggers are doing and what they are writing and never let yourself get left behind. Reading should be as important to a good blogger as their writing is as it’s the best way of knowing what’s going on in your blog’s world.
A picture paints a thousand words While blogging may rely on the written word, at it’s core it’s really about communication and there are situations where an image can communicate something far more effectively than words ever will.
Images in a blog aren’t just about making things look pretty or breaking up a wall of text, when used correctly they can speak volumes to your readers and help you get across an idea that would be wasted in words.
Rome wasn’t built in a day and your blog wont be either either. There are thousands of new blogs created each and every day but if you visit these blogs again in 3 months time, most of them don’t survive, instead they get neglected and abandoned.
Success in the blogging world doesn’t happen over night, it requires a lot of patience to build a blog into what you want it to become, so don’t give up too quickly.
Two heads are better than one No matter how much of a blogging genius you may think you are, you are still only one person with a single perspective. By discussing your ideas with other bloggers and getting feedback on what you do, you’ll be able to improve upon what you are capable of creating.
Networking with other bloggers is fun, rewarding and easy! You can find other bloggers on forums, through email & blog commenting and don’t forget Twitter, which is getting more popular all the time. So don’t be afraid to talk to other bloggers and become a part of the community.
If at first you don’t succeed try, try and try again Most of the time, your first idea will fail, no matter how much you believe in it. This is a hard fact to accept for a lot of bloggers but it’s an unfortunate reality. This doesn’t mean that you should give up or even consider these setbacks as failures, instead think of them as lessons in what no to do next time.
Thomas Edison was quoted as saying “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work” and that’s the attitude bloggers should adopt as well. If something isn’t working then don’t waste your time struggling to keep it afloat, instead try throwing all your ideas out there and seeing what sticks.
So what’s your favorite saying and how can it help other bloggers?
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{ 51 comments }
Yan
I like my eggs in one basket.. haha just kidding. Its great to try different things and also branch out bouncing ideas off of others. It like most things on the internet, someone out there is in the same niche as you.
If you don’t try how can you succeed at anything. Sometimes you need to fail to get ahead.
Bruno Auger´s lastest post..Brand Identity = Corporate Identity
Lol then you will have a hard time selling your eggs.
Ben Pei´s lastest post..Pei Profit New Year Giveaway
Images should be used all the time. Smashing Magazine did this and doubled search engine traffic.
I too noticed a difference when I started using images in my posts. And the really enhance the posts as well as SEO.
Internet Marketing´s lastest post..Website Traffic that Converts – Are You Missing Out?
Humm that is interesting to know, I never considered that as a traffic generator. Thanks for sharing this guys…Frogstr will be filled with images as of now! :)
Ben Tremblay´s lastest post..The business mindset
This is great encouragement…especially to me since I’m new to this whole blogging thing. Indeed Rome was NOT built in a day. Quarter-life Lady will not be built in a day (or even a month) either.
It does indeed take time and patience but I think your blog has a great concept. I’m sure it will attract a great audience if you stick with it.
Dot Com Dud´s lastest post..6 Reasons Why Your Blog May Be Failing
Best information I have read today.
All of these proverbs help bloggers in one way or another and never repeat themselves. Great great post.
Thanks!
Back To The Drawing Board – At school i really bad in math, i dont know why but i just cant to understand. But then one of my friend say to me “Back To The Drawing Board” of course i not understand what she try to say, but she just say to me find it. So i look at some idiom book and know what it mean, from that i learn back math from the basic, and i performed well, not great but there is improvement. So in blog, when your blog failed in anyway, it is time for you to back to the basic of let say making-money blog.. read the tips and how-to and do try again.
izzat aziz´s lastest post..Don’t waste your time on your blog!
Good point, if you don’t master the basics then you’ll only run into problems at some point down the road.
Dot Com Dud´s lastest post..November Traffic Analysis
Excellent modern take on old adages. Well done, and very true.
ethan´s lastest post..Blogger SEO Playground Update
There’s a saying that goes “never try never fail” so yeh you need to try in order to succeed in absolutely anything.
Great post.
Salwa´s lastest post..Banishing Blogging Myths
Thanks for the positive feedback so far everyone. There were a lot more sayings that I could have included but these are the ones that struck me immediately as being true in blogging and I hope they all help.
By the way, if anyone wants to follow me on Twitter, I’m at http://twitter.com/DotComDud
Dot Com Dud´s lastest post..6 Reasons Why Your Blog May Be Failing
Really good post!
By taking a closer look at your competition, you gain an edge.
And by discussing with other bloggers, you get help with ideas, exposing your blog to a better audience. :)
Swastik´s lastest post..Do not click here..
Oh dude.. I was gonna do something like that! Now if I do that I will be accused of duplicate content lol.. I should probably 100 quotes. But its nice reading this. Thanks Dot Com Dud
Ben Pei´s lastest post..Video Blogging: The Next Big Thing?
Don’t worry, there are plenty more sayings out there that would be usefull to blogging, I had to limit myself or this post would have gone on forever. I’d love to see someone else’s take on this sort of post, so go right ahead!
Dot Com Dud´s lastest post..November Traffic Analysis
Great.. time to get more quotations! Trying my best to relate them to blogging. heh
Ben Pei´s lastest post..Pei Profit New Year Giveaway
That Fortune Cookie is awesome! All these tips will definitely help! thanks for the info!
eric tan´s lastest post..If I Win ThouShallBlog’s Contest You Win Too
It’s a kinda pep talk for every beginners like me :) Great encouragement! Thanks for the article.
“If at first you don’t succeed try, try and try again”
I have my own variation of this proverb.
IF at first you don’t succeed keep on suckin until you do suck seed (succeed). ;-)
Your are never defeated in anything unless you accept defeat. This is applicable not just to blogging but to all aspect of life.
Great post dot com dud!
Gerald Weber SEM Group´s lastest post..Are You Stumbling Yet?
“If at first you don’t succeed try, try and try again”
I have my own variation of this proverb.
IF at first you don’t succeed keep on suckin until you do suck seed (succeed).
Your are never defeated in anything unless you accept defeat. This is applicable not just to blogging but to all aspect of life.
Great post dot com dud!
Gerald Weber´s lastest post..Are You Stumbling Yet?
thanks for the great information its good to discuss ur thoughts with an expert or someone who knows about this stuff, i always ask one or two people before making changes to my blog.
Online Jobs´s lastest post..Make Money Online by reselling website templates
“A Fool and His Money are Soon Parted”
We get so many offers in the email. We need to have lots of discretion when it comes to knowing which ones are good and not. We also need to be aware of our budgets. Usually, the maxim, “If it is too good to be true, It probably is.”, helps quite often.
Great Post
CD Rates Blog´s lastest post..New Historic Lows
That’s a really good one (I wish I had thought of it). There is a ton of stuff out there (ebooks, marketing programs, coaching courses) trying to sell bloggers on the impossible and you really do need to be wary of a lot of them.
Dot Com Dud´s lastest post..November Traffic Analysis
“I realize that if I wait until I am no longer afraid to act, write, speak, be, I’ll be sending messages on a Ouija board, cryptic complaints from the other side” — Audre Lord
You can’t let your fear and insecurities hold you back. Thanks for the great post Dotcomdud!
Tracy´s lastest post..Read Twice, Post Once
Ah.. whats there to fear about blogging?
Ben Pei´s lastest post..Publish Your Articles At EduBook.com
Maybe not fear but I’m sure a lot of bloggers hold back and are overly-cautious about the content they put out there. Maybe they don’t think it’s good enough or it will offend people, or it’s just not the right time. The fact is though, if you wait too long then it might be too late!
Dot Com Dud´s lastest post..November Traffic Analysis
DotDomDude rocks…great post…always keep ahead in the game and try innovative things….
ZK@Internet Marketing Blog´s lastest post..Thinkdigit.com : A good resouce to build backlinks
Hehe, I’ll be sure to tell the Dude that if I ever meet him :P
Glad you liked the post!
Dot Com Dud´s lastest post..November Traffic Analysis
All good advice. Blogs are a great and easy platform to make money online as long as you are consistent with your posts and promoting.
Matt Helphrey´s lastest post..Link Building Strategy : Case Study
This took some time; excellent work dud! Ya really gotta love the Edison quote. ;)
Dennis Edell´s lastest post..$100 First Prize! The *Best Blog Review Contest* Is In Full Effect!
Yep, he was one smart dude. Here is a list of some of his other great quotes.
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/t/thomas_a_edison.html
Dot Com Dud´s lastest post..November Traffic Analysis
Awesome job on this post .. very creative and original. More people should pay attention to the Rome reference.
Blogging Tips´s lastest post..5 Blog Design Tips for User Friendly Blogs
Indeed, it’s unfortunate that so many potentially great blogs close down before they’ve had a change to really shine because the bloggers are too impatient.
Dot Com Dud´s lastest post..November Traffic Analysis
I like ‘if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again’. I’m still tinkering with strategies…..trying to find my niche.
Great post Yan, as always :-) I think blogging overall parallels life and it’s lessons on so many levels!
Just to be difficult, I am going to argue that you should put all your eggs in one basket and WATCH THAT BASKET!!!
I have always love this saying because the essence of it is that in Capitalism, you only have to be right one time. So, if you are into affiliate marketing and focused on just that. You can pour all of your energy and ability into it as you grow. Once you get to a point where you have mastered it, you may have made enough money to retire and be done with blogging all together.
So, put your eggs in one basket and WATCH THAT BASKET!!
Freddie Taylor´s lastest post..Quote: Genius and What’s On Your Mind
“in Capitalism, you only have to be right one time” I like that, it’s very true.
If you’re goal is simply to make money and then retire than naturally once you find something that works, stick with it. In fact milk it for all it’s worth.
The real point I was trying to make with “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket” is that most people never branch out, without trying a lot of different options then that one “right time” will never just fall into your lap.
Dot Com Dud´s lastest post..November Traffic Analysis
On the point about a picture being worth many words of value, pictures are often viewed in a way that we did not intend them to be. A picture of a fast car might be placed in an article to represent the speed of growth of one’s business, but some viewers might take it to represent a material item that can be purchased with money from the business. We can only find out the alternate meanings that are absorbed if others communicate them to us.
Armen Shirvanian´s lastest post..Much Of What You See Is Engineered
nice tips… i new to web blogging and i just start to develop my blog… this one very help full to me…
niroshan´s lastest post..Microcontroller Programming in Assembly Language PART 3
Really good post! Very informative. Learned some good things on that one. i really need to put more effort on mine. keep it up! :)
Also, please visit my blog about earning online: Earn online | Blogging | TambayanCentral.com
John´s lastest post..Filipino who made millions through domain parking
Rome wasn’t built in a day, that is really good, I agree with that, there is no one night success and it’s need hard work to make our blog become what we want
newbiesblogger´s lastest post..How I Want to Fill In This Blank?
Great tips. Pictures a key. And with great free places to get them, there are no excuses not to add them to your posts. (Mind you, I do not always practice what I preach.)
And yes, patience is also key. Building a successful blog does not happen overnight.
Shirley´s lastest post..Help! I Messed Up My WordPress URL Settings
I like your idea of taking some old sayings and turning them into a blog tips post.
I do think you can get more out of thinking of the other bloggers in your niche as potential allies rather than as competition to be bested (or enemies). People will read more than one blog in any given niche. As long as you find a way to differentiate yourself and have something original to say, you can build your audience.
Making friends with the competition can even be to your benefit (and theirs). Most folks who make big money on product launches do so because of the you-scratch-my-back-I’ll-scratch-yours (there’s my saying to contribute, hah) relationships they’ve built with others. Imagine having a team of folks promoting your ebook, membership site, etc. :)
Happy blogging, all!
Lindsay´s lastest post..Using Keyword Research to Write Pinpoint Articles (How to Build Passive Income with Article Sites Pt 4)
My favorite is “if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.” This says it all for me, as every success I’ve had has been thanks to hard word, with a little bit of luck thrown in. I also agree with Lindsay, other bloggers in your niche aren’t your enemies, they can often times be your best allies.
Thanks for the list of proverbs, looking at them now reminds me of why they were so powerful to begin with.
Scott Mahler´s lastest post..Internet Marketing For Your Website: Tips On How It’s Done
Great tips. There are a lot of really important truisims in here. 90% of blogs fail before 3 months, and so your competition certainly will drain off over time. I’m just about at that mark, so we’ll see what happens. Patience and Perseverance are the keys to success. “Rome wasn’t built in a day” is a great way of putting it. Excellent guest post.
How to Blog´s lastest post..102 Blogging Tips All Bloggers need to Know
Yan
Just want to thank for posting a comment on my blog.
You were the first ever!
Cheers
Jeff
Jeff´s lastest post..How to use twitter
No problem, Jeff. You are most welcome. I hope you’re subscribed to TSB by now for more blogging tips. Let me know if you need anything….
Yan
Dot Com Dud: Full marks for a post that’s original, relevant , honest, encouraging and inspiring.
Peter Lee
work at home ideas´s lastest post..Case Study:How 5 Outbound Links Gave Me 500 Incoming Links
interesting ideas you got there mate. i’ve just started being active on a blog, and what you’ve said about the 3 months blogs being inactive or dead reminds me of my old blog or even my other accounts..i’m not expecting much, i write what i want to but it’s good to know what other bloggers are writing, prolly take your advice a bit and learn to improvise…thanks
check out my blog at
http://www.stereomanic.blogspot.com
STEREOMANIC.
stereomanic´s lastest post..Chapter 12: Confession Of A Lemming
Sorry to “bump” this post but I thought I’d just mention that I’ve written a follow up to this post on my blog – http://www.dotcomdud.com/tips-advice/more-blogging-wisdom/
Dot Com Dud´s lastest post..January Traffic Analysis
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