The blog has connected me with some excellent people, contributed to some fantastic experiences and been a platform for sharing some thoughts. You don't blog for financial reward, that's for sure. Click traffic income is low unless your visits are in the millions. Reputationally however, it's well worth the time and investment, as your traffic builds so does peoples interest in getting to know you (industry, brands and individuals).
Committing to a blog takes time, commitment and determination. It's easy to set one-up, just go to blogger and you're off. However, those that have done it will tell you, the hard part is blogging frequently, finding things to write about (writers block) and building traffic (visits).
Unless you blog regularly by publising new content, then you'll never start to build the search traffic you need (50% of my monthly visits coming from people who are searching). What then happens is that you get de-moralised when your visits are very low and you ask yourself why carry on and invariable you abandon it.
You have to go through that to get to the other side - that is, keep going, keep blogging and keep creating new content. I wrote a blog in 2009 about some top tips for new bloggers, many of those lessons are still relevant today if you fancy getting going.
Perhaps if the blog has helped you at some point, you'd leave me a comment and let me know how/why. Alternatively if you enjoyed a particular article, which one?
As a small celebratory gesture, I'm planning to give away a Bioracer cycling top in the next ten days to a reader of the blog. To qualify, all you'd need to do is leave a comment or subscribe to the e-mail updates. Thanks for continuing to visit, next landmark 500K.
Phil, great blog, lot's of interesting articles. Keep up the good work.
ReplyDeleteDermot
Phil, I have read most of your blogs, at least I think I have! One that really interested me was your information regarding heart rate zones and training.
ReplyDeleteI have just started riding a bike again, returning to cycling for about the 4th time due to work etc and I started to read about heart rate zone training after I had purchased a Garnin Edge 500. I read quite a few articles about heart rate training and it interested me particularly because I am not getting any younger and I thought that keeping an eye on the way my 'Ticker' was working. I have read with interest your posts regarding heart rate zones and it helped me to get myself sorted out in order to work more closely with the monitor and to understand the particular zones in more depth.
Yes your blogs have been interesting but these were particularly interesting for me, so keep up the good work your information is getting through and helping.
@Mick_Wheatley
Blogging is certainly hard work but I love the community feel you can get from it although I can get disapointed with peoples lack of reponses.
ReplyDeleteIn the world of blogging I have found that those that do crafts are probably the most social and do it the best. They have things like Linky partys which connect peoples blogs together and bring peoples ideas forward.
I have tried to copy that spirit with my own linky party called 'want it wednesday' which gets cyclists to choose a particual cycle product or dream and write a short piece. I then link them to my post so everyone else can see them. It helps divert traffic to your blog but also gives somehing 'different' for people to blog about. It's in its infancy still but its a shame there aren't more things like this to link people up. Think mine is still unique?!
Jez
Phil.. I found you while searching for reviews on the sector. (Spellcheck). I come back ofton. I have read most of your stuff from last year. I like the reviews and your posting of your goals and actual monthly log. I have thought about blog in g about a 45 over weight man getting into ridding. But who would want to read that. Good luck and smooth rides this year. Richard Sides
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