What Advice Would You Give To New Blog Challenge Participants?
ByIf you’ve been blogging for the past 26 days, then you are an expert. You understand the challenges – and you have overcome them.
So what tips and advice would you give to someone considering the NEXT blog challenge? Because of course we all know there will be another one – it’s just a matter of time.
What worked for you? How did you get over that initial “oh my gosh, what have I done” thoughts – to still being with us 26 days later?
Did you already know how to do all of the steps or did you learn along the way? HOW did you learn what to do?
Did you get support from your fellow participants through tweets and comments? Or did you feel like you were still doing in all by yourself? How did you start connecting with others?
The advice you offer now may be the difference between someone joining the next blog challenge – or not. And it may make all the difference on whether or not they FINISH the blog challenge.
The advise that I would give to new blog challengers would be:
- Schedule time each day to write and don’t go to to sleep on Saturday night until your 7 posts for the weeks have been written.
- Participate with the other challengers by connecting on Twitter, using the hashtag for the blog challenge. We used #blog30.
Use http://www.HootSuite.com as a way to follow the blog challenge leader, the participants via the hashtag and your new pals.
- Stick close to the 5 or so new closest buddies that you make during the challenge. Read and comment on their posts, retweet their tweets and get to know them by corresponding via email or facebook.
- Write on a topic that you’ve been “meaning to” write about. The blog challenge will give you tons of great content.
- HAVE FUN with this, it’s a BLAST!
All the best,
D’vorah
Don’t let yourself get more than one day behind. I missed one day and it took me 2 weeks to catch up. I know if I hadn’t pushed myself to write every day and missed another day I wouldn’t have finished.
I congratulate everyone who participated and especially everyone who finished the challenge. I am so glad I did this. Writing every day generated so many ideas and goals that I now have on my to do list; and I’m more excited than ever to continue writing articles and blog posts.
Thanks Jeanette
Since is was my first blog challenge (again, thanks @Atta_Girl and @elydelaney!), I would say (and agree with Dvorah) scheduling time each day or one day a week to write your posts is a big plus. As a business owner, I find it difficult at best to carve out the necessary time I need to write each day or week; once I did, it seemed to flow pretty easily. By scheduling the time and writing more than one post during that time, I should be better prepared and raring to go!
I also would suggest not waiting until the last moment if at all possible, although for some that heightens creativity. For others, it’s a bit harder to concentrate when, at the end of the day, all you want to do is relax with the remote, until you realize, “uh-oh, gotta get writing!”
I also agree with Dvorah to get involved! Follow other’s blogs and comment on them. The worst part of writing a blog is continually wondering if it’s being read, let alone being commented about. Suggest a topic to the writer in the comments section; that also helps the writer by giving a suggestion that someone will read.
I enjoyed the challenge, and I’m ready for the next one!
Cheers,
Lisa
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This was my third challenge. It was much easier this time because I knew what to expect. During the first challenge I had a hard time until I picked up a subject I wanted to write a series. I used the series method for the next two challenges and it worked really well.
On this last challenge.
I also liked writing my posts way a head of time. I stayed 1 week a head during the whole challenge. That gave me the chance to promote other bloggers on my site, retweet and comment on other blogs.
Keep it simple and write on subjects you know well.
My advice would be to get a software like Tweet Deck so that you can easily see all the people that retweet your posts. This was very motivating.
Also, create a system for how you will come up with ideas quickly. Since I write about psychological research that people can apply to their lives, I found several sources of powerful research studies and I wrote draft posts with links to each study I found of interest. Each day I either wrote about one of these ideas I had in draft status or I wrote about some other study I found that excited me. So I never was at a loss for ideas.
Also, do write about what excites you. If you do, you’ll find it a lost easier to get motivated.
And finally, when you wake up in the morning set a goal to complete your blog post by a specific deadline. Then make a plan for exactly when, where and how you will begin the first step to writing your blog post (and make sure you say what that step is).
The strategy outlined above is called implementation intentions and has been shown in many studies to increase the chances you will act on your goals.
Rodney