There is a great post on Skelliewag about not selling out. I think its a really good read that many up and coming bloggers need to read.
What really hit me in the post is how most people change what they talk about as soon as they get some readership and then try to write what people want instead of what they want.
As I enter my 5th year of blogging looking back its pretty amazing. I don’t think I have changed much about what I write about. But the site has changed… I mean it has more ads then a Nascar =P.
I still frequently talk about my favorite TV show (LOST), my favorite sport (Mixed Martial Arts), and talk smack when people attack me.
I think its also one of the reason I have been able to average 1.3 posts a day for almost 5 years.
I get probably 10-20 solicitations a day to write about someone’s product or whatever… If its something I am interested in then I write about it. But more then anything I try not to clutter the blog with crap. And when I say crap of course I mean what I think is crap.
I really enjoy writing this blog. Its a true blog. Its not a company blog… its not a news site… its just me and what I am interested in, with photos included.
I was on stage at Izeafest with John Chow and others on a blogging panel and one of his answers to “why do you blog” questions was something to the effect of “I blogged 2.8 posts a day when I made nothing and I still blog 2.8 posts a day. If my site goes back to making nothing I will still blog 2.8 posts a day”. – That is one of the best ways to say how I feel about ShoeMoney.com. I wrote it when nobody cared 5 years ago and I will write it 5 years from now if people read or not.
December 14, 2008 at 6:34 am
Couldn’t agree more about the blogging… it’s all about being consistent and persistent. I watched the video interview with Moller Marketing (I think that’s the name) where you talked about success equals hardwork plus great content over time.
Stanley
December 14, 2008 at 10:40 am
Yup especially when those words and ideas are coming out from John chow and shoe themselves..
December 14, 2008 at 8:16 pm
Because they both are successful
December 14, 2008 at 10:52 am
I definitely agree with you. Blogging is about being persistent otherwise failure is coming your way.
December 15, 2008 at 3:43 am
That’s true enough..
December 14, 2008 at 11:39 am
I fell off the bandwagon a while back, but I’m starting to get back into the groove. I think it’s all about setting goals – even for a personal blog. You know… x posts a day, or x subscribers, etc.
December 15, 2008 at 1:24 pm
That’s the difference between blogging for money, and blogging for passion.
And those that blog for passion usually don’t have any problem attaining the first.
December 17, 2008 at 12:49 pm
gary from wine library tv says the samething….if you have the content then you have to have the chops to stick to it…..do you? I had to ask myself that question too. It’s the dip my peeps….
December 14, 2008 at 7:27 am
Too many people think that if they build a web site, they are set, it is soo much more than that as with my experience, the hardest part of seo is off page promotion than onpage.
December 15, 2008 at 5:18 am
Yup.. linkbuilding is an on going process..
December 15, 2008 at 7:24 am
and links are never enough
December 24, 2008 at 3:27 am
Yep. Backlinks = infinity
December 19, 2008 at 10:58 am
Couldn’t agree with you more!!
December 20, 2008 at 4:35 pm
Well for one thing having good content helps.
December 14, 2008 at 8:21 am
I think someone should blog about a topic that they enjoy the most or know the best. No one should have to blog about a topic because others want you to do so.
When it comes to me, without my blogs…..I’m nothing.
December 14, 2008 at 2:04 pm
Yup I’m totally agree , you can go for 5 years, but you can far without passion . so you need a suitable topic that you can share and discover
December 14, 2008 at 8:22 am
Too many ads? Is there such a thing as too many ads? Sometimes they are actually helpful to readers. Like your ad for the ShoeMoney Tool Kit. You are the best ad for blogging.
Have a very happy day.
December 14, 2008 at 10:41 am
Yeah. I read some articles saying there is no such thing as too many ads as long as they are well placed and organised together with great content.
December 24, 2008 at 3:28 am
Yeah & as long as they don’t slow down your blog.
December 14, 2008 at 8:18 pm
More than ads it also give tips for newbies on internet business
December 14, 2008 at 8:36 am
Couldn’t agree with you more. All day, I walk around and ideas pop into my head about what to blog about. There isn’t enough time in the day to write about everything you want to write about it! Money or no money….I think true bloggers would agree that it just doesn’t matter:)
December 20, 2008 at 4:36 pm
Yeah and when you try to write so much your fingers can start to hurt. I know mine do.
December 14, 2008 at 8:44 am
Hey Jeremy I here ya when you way you would still blog 2.8 a day if you made no money doing it, but what if you only had a small number of readers – say like fewer than 100/day. Would you still keep blogging then?
December 14, 2008 at 9:52 am
Ya but I am sure that would have a impact on how things are phrased.
December 14, 2008 at 10:13 am
Do you think you’d be more outgoing with what you say, or more conservative with a smaller reader base???
December 14, 2008 at 11:12 am
As much as I hope I would stay the same there is no doubt I am more conservative.
December 17, 2008 at 8:49 am
I think it is nice to be more outgoing regardless – think of the show family guy – they are WAY out there, but are a huge success.I guess you just have to be careful how you pull it off
December 14, 2008 at 10:42 am
Hmm Jeremy.. How did you grow from zero readers on your feed to 30k+ now?
December 14, 2008 at 11:13 am
5 years of blogging
Slow climb.
December 15, 2008 at 5:19 am
So if I am not getting as many subscribers now, its a norm?
December 16, 2008 at 9:26 pm
I guess Slow and Steady wins the Race
December 14, 2008 at 8:50 am
I’ve averaged almost 2 posts per day for 18 years, or almost four per day for the last 10 and like you, it’s because I write about what I want to write about, period.
Sure, sometimes I look at a post after I write it and think “That boopy is going to be a magnet for good paying ads!” but probably more often I think the opposite..
Good post (like that’s unusual!).
December 16, 2008 at 7:34 am
A man must get satisfaction from their work. You are a happy man.
December 14, 2008 at 9:20 am
Shoemoney, I want to address that question to you. Why do you blog?
December 14, 2008 at 9:52 am
When I started it was a place I could just chronicle my travels in writing and in pictures. It was more for my family and friends that used to ask me what I was doing. Thought it was best just to have a central place.
December 14, 2008 at 11:12 am
I wrote a post on my blog about what I think the future of blogging is and it basically states how you started, but on the macroscale. More and more people will probably start blogging to share with family and friends all around the globe.
I think blogging will be like joining a social network. A lot of people don’t blog if you talk to an average person, but most are on facebook or myspace.
Anyways, if you want to read the post its linked with my name
December 14, 2008 at 9:28 am
I recently made a choice to slow my posting down… I felt I was beginning to write “Just to write” and keep up with the competition. Instead of the average 2+ posts a day, I have slowed to 2-3 posts a week, which resulted in more comments and engaged readership.
This reminds me of a similar post you wrote about 2-3 months ago Jeremy… which actually influenced my choice then!
December 14, 2008 at 9:39 am
Really. If they are hurry so much, that is OK.
But when I started mastering websites, nearly 10 years ago, I wrote in almost the same way.
December 14, 2008 at 10:12 am
Good insight – definitely important to do it for yourself and not for anyone else. At the end of the day, if you’re not blogging for what you love, it really breaks the number one rule of blogging – blogging about what you’re interested in.
December 14, 2008 at 10:24 am
Posts are one thing but your revenue is all about brand and traffic. I could copy your exact posts prior to you posting them and it would still be words in space but since the brand and traffic is here it’s different. Excellent work on taking shoemoney.com to a new level.
December 14, 2008 at 11:11 am
There is a lot of people who do copy… but not for 5 years
People who copy are looking for a shortcut and wont last.
December 14, 2008 at 6:58 pm
I totally agree with that. Shortcuts…definitely don’t last long.
December 14, 2008 at 10:36 am
Thats it! You speaked our mind and thats exactly how I feel too. Well I am glad you have reached a respectable level, now its time for the rest to climb up..
December 14, 2008 at 11:16 am
Well writing what you like was the idea behind the blogs. Now it may have diluted a bit but still its good someone is following.
December 14, 2008 at 1:46 pm
I believe writing about what you want and like is easier and more enjoyable so I totally agree with you.
December 14, 2008 at 3:24 pm
That is so awesome, that is exactly what I am doing. I started my own blog a few months back, and still only have around 15 subscribers, but I write about what I like doing, It’s like my personal journey and story where I can record my thoughts, and will carry on writing, even if it doesnt attract more people. I totally agree with your attitude! Awesome blog!!!!
December 16, 2008 at 7:37 am
Blog needs to visitors. The blog should read a lot of people.
December 14, 2008 at 6:21 pm
This is so refreshing! I am a virgin in the blogging world.. enjoying my initiation though
Anyway, I have read so much stuff about blogg money and monetisation etc..which is great and brill to get information.. but my blog is a bit eclectic.. cos I am I guess.. I was beginnning to think I was too disparate and not focussing enough on one tiny subject.. I think blogging plays homage to the self-indulgent part of us.. and what’s wrong in that? Long may you continue to regail us with your thoughts, wishes and wants Shoemoney x
December 14, 2008 at 7:45 pm
I say beat to your own drum. Greg Ellison
December 14, 2008 at 8:45 pm
nice article there
I iike the Mr. Chow thoughts.
December 14, 2008 at 8:57 pm
Many people are jealous……you’re doing what you enjoy doing. You’re also inspiring lots of people along the way……..hopefully allowing others to do what they want to do in the future…..
December 14, 2008 at 9:15 pm
Huge LOST fan here as well. I can’t wait for the new season. Keep it real.
December 14, 2008 at 10:05 pm
What is all the fuss about “selling out”? Don’t see why this is a big deal. Bloggers are just people and people change opinions over time.
December 14, 2008 at 11:08 pm
Before and after five years.. very interesting.
December 14, 2008 at 11:46 pm
Very well put. Its nice to be able to make some money doing the things that you enjoy doing.
December 14, 2008 at 11:49 pm
very consistence…….5 years is very long time to blog in consistence 1.3 post a day, very great job shoe………you are really enjoy on your blog…very appreciate
December 14, 2008 at 11:52 pm
I like that… Well said… I guess there is kind of a thrill of being able to just blog, because you can…
Take Care!
December 15, 2008 at 1:26 am
What an inspirational post, Shoe. You’re the man!
Which reminds me, time to send you a soliciting e-mail
-Mike
December 15, 2008 at 2:06 am
Nice one…Blog regardless if anybody who reads it. I’ve been blogging once a week(yes, that’s how lazy I am) and I’m not making money from it. Well maybe when I blog more often, more people will visit my blog but honestly, I don’t care.
December 15, 2008 at 2:09 am
I enjoy this blog 64.7% percent of the time… but it’s pretty obvious that many of the posts are paid posts. Or so it seems. I think too many get rich quick/affiliate blogs spend too much time bragging and not enough time writing good, solid posts. Is this blog a smokescreen to keep the competition away or does it speak the truth? Ahh… only spaghetti cat knows the answer to that.
December 15, 2008 at 2:44 am
Would you heck. If nobody read it, you wouldnt bother. I’ve seen new bloggers – all they do is check their stats to see their readers. If they dont get any after X amount of time (depending on the blogger), they give up.
December 15, 2008 at 2:51 am
I remember when I first started blogging it was all about SEO and how it would improve the PR of my website. It wasn’t long after that I fell in love wiht blogging. So much so that I now have too many blogs going at once. I must admit I do have my favourites and they’re the ones that I concentrate on the most.
Rather than making money, although I won’t knock any back that come my way, it’s all about writing posts that encourage people to comment. Getting those comments is a real high for me and checking my emails to see how many I scored is the first thing I do when I log on.
December 15, 2008 at 3:08 am
Good post, Im no sellout I tell ya.
December 15, 2008 at 3:24 am
nice post and i think its good blogging what u think and knowing what others doing, its not always about posting review and writing about some sites ,and much ads some times irritates
December 15, 2008 at 6:51 am
I write about some fairly controversial topics on my blog and my language is usually less than conservative. There’s not a brand out there that would probably touch me. My choice, my blog, my consequences. That’s what it really boils down to. If you are happy with your blog style, that’s all that really matters. If you have good, consistent content, the readers will come.
December 15, 2008 at 7:51 am
yeah but then nowadays, its pretty hard to duplicate what chow and you have achieved..
December 15, 2008 at 12:16 pm
Jeremy,
Great post man!. That is why I BLOG!
Early delusions of turning my blog into a ‘money machine’ have faded, with the reality that I must give away from myself first in order to build the necessary trust with my future customers.
So, now after careful contemplation, I write post’s from my heart first, and then my brain.
Your blog has provided many insights into how to interact with the larger web community, and determine my place there.
Our conversation at BlogWorld Expo has crystalized my approach to all things Web 2.0, and helps me to ‘get it’.
Respectfully,
Nicholas Chase – ‘the video guy’ at BlogWorld Expo 2008
Twitter.com/nachase
http://donotreadthisblogunless.blogspot.com/
December 15, 2008 at 3:21 pm
Coming late to this party, I am surprised to see so many thoughtful comments to this post. Means people feel strongly about their topics and how often they posts. Interesting… It would be an interesting study to follow Shoemoney’s readers for a year or two. See who still blogging and reached new heights.
December 15, 2008 at 4:55 pm
Well I’m glad to know you’ll both still be blogging regardless, though that’s probably a large reason why you have so many followers. The online marketing tips are always great, but sometimes it’s nice to hear from bloggers on a more personal level, especially if you can relate to their hobbies.
December 15, 2008 at 10:03 pm
Great post for bloggers who do it everyday. THANKS!
December 16, 2008 at 7:33 am
I always read your blog, Jeremy. You should continue its lead. People in need of your blog. -)
December 16, 2008 at 10:38 am
No offense, I like John Chow’s blog, but I find it funny to read such a quote when, today, his blog’s first page only contains one post out of five actually written by him.
December 16, 2008 at 9:25 pm
Great Post,
“Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.” Albert Schweitzer:
December 17, 2008 at 9:02 am
Indeed!! Didn’t you make a post about this on your own blog Arfan?? I could have sworn I saw something like that on your blog
December 20, 2008 at 4:34 pm
I like what I talk about and put a lot of effort into it. I hope to one day have some good money coming from my online ventures.
December 17, 2008 at 10:32 am
for me everytime Ive sold out, it has lead to burn out
December 17, 2008 at 10:09 pm
I like to read blogs on a personal level …. cuts the clutter
December 19, 2008 at 10:42 am
I love when bloggers I read admit to loving MMA. It makes me feel like I shouldn’t hide my love of it from my other blogging friends.
December 19, 2008 at 3:44 pm
this a very encouraging post for a ballsy blogger who doesn’t get much traffic and sometimes wonders if it’s because she’s too outspoken! but yet who won’t change the way she states her (my) opnions.
i mean, if i do that, then what’s the point?
December 20, 2008 at 4:34 pm
Well I try and write about 10 posts a week but I may not be able to do that later on.
December 24, 2008 at 3:30 am
I would never sell out either. You’ve heard of Television Without Pity right? Well, many people think they sold out after they got bigger, saying their writing changed & the way they moderate the message board changed. I’d never do that.
January 2, 2009 at 11:18 pm
Jeremy,
Thanks for the heads up about the economic report TV show.
It’s refreshing to read about your moral feeling with respect to blogging.
In the long term, I know it will hugely pay off for you (and me, for that matter).
People are clever and can see right through a “shallow” blog.
January 3, 2009 at 4:47 am
amazing concept. made nothing, did 2.8 posts, now that you do, you still do 2.8. I feel shamed not being so consistent. I’m barley doing 1. Not that I’m struggling to do so, but I procrastinate. I’ll stop. I will start doing 2 a day starting today.
AJ Kumar
January 3, 2009 at 1:31 pm
That is encourageing, really. The simple truth is that you blog for yourself and no one else and it is something that you like to do. I only wish that I can someday say the same thing about my job, and life.
Good luck to you Shoe
Thanks
Mr. School Fundraising Ideas
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