Liz Strauss at Successful Blog

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September 8, 2010

Have You Really Tried Everything?

Liz wrote this at 7:30 am

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My daughter is so stubborn.  In many ways, she is the most stubborn person that I know.  In some ways, it’s good.  I know that no one will be able to make her do something she doesn’t want to do, and far more important, something she should not do.

When it comes to eating, she is stubborn.  Last week, she had a McDonald’s Happy Meal in front of her for lunch.  (It’s one of her favorite things to eat, like any kid!)  And guess what my little girl ate?  One lone French fry.

Right now, you’re probably making excuses for my 3-year-old.  She wasn’t hungry.  She didn’t feel well.  She doesn’t really like French fries.  I can assure you that all of those reasons are far from true.

Micah refuses to eat because she does not want to.  She wants to do something else, like play with her Leapster.  Or, she wants to make me angry.  Yes, I believe that she secretly likes the attention that goes along with my disappointment in her.

I have tried everything to get her to eat.  My husband and I have done rewards, punishments, baby doll mimicking, ignored her, prayed with her, just about anything you can think of.  When I told my mom about this, she gave me one tactic I hadn’t considered.

“I will try anything!” I told her.

Have you done everything with your blog?

Maybe you don’t have many readers.  Perhaps you would like to have a higher number of subscribers.  Do you want buzz surrounding your name?  That’s what I want for my blog and my business.

So, what do you do?  “I will try anything!”

That should be your response, and that certainly is mine.  But recently I took an honest look at my business and my blog, and I have to admit that it’s not where I want it to be.  So, I’m ready to try anything and everything to reach my fullest potential.

I have tried everything.

Really?  Me, too.  I’ve done cold e-mailing, blog commenting, guest blogging, interview requests, article writing and more.  After all that, why am I not where I want to be?

Time for another honest look in the mirror.  I haven’t been organized enough, and I consider myself a very organized person.  Visit my home, and you will see that everything has a place.

With my blog, I haven’t had clear-cut plan to take me from point A to point B.  Do you ever feel like you’re dabbling in a little this and that to surround your blog with buzz?

This and that are not going to cut it.  Trust me.  I believe in trying everything before signing your blog off as no good and starting anew.  I also believe that everything must be organized.  What am I going to do?

I’m going to try to market myself and my blog one way every month.  I am going to spend time focusing on making one form of marketing work for me each month.  My blog will chart what I’m doing and the progress I make.

Any of you other bloggers out there claiming to do everything and not getting ahead are free to join me in this challenge.  I’m determined I will not fail.

What’s your plan for getting your blog heard?

—-
Terez Howard operates TheWriteBloggers, a professional blogging service which builds clients’ authority status and net visibility.  She has written informative pieces for newspapers, online magazines and blogs, both big and small.  She regularly blogs at Freelance Writing Mamas . You’ll find her on Twitter @thewriteblogger

Thanks, Terez!
–ME “Liz” Strauss
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Filed under Successful Blog, Writing | 8 Comments »




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8 Comments to “Have You Really Tried Everything?”

  1. September 8th, 2010 at 8:48 am
    Scott P. Dailey said

    Terez, killer post. I find it just wonderful how often blogging subject matter manifests discreetly in the casual day-to-day tasks that make up our lives. That your stubborn daughter compelled you to think more critically about your blog’s footprint is just awesome. I find that my blog, which is in its infancy, is so profoundly tied to my self-esteem, that getting only nine hits on day one had me talking myself into being patient. How funny is it that I’m so impressed with myself that I am in need of reminders to allow the blog a chance to grow within the first 24 hours it even existed? I admire your introspective attitude. It takes courage to host a blog. It takes something entirely more demanding to look inward at its existing failings. Congrats for possessing both characteristics. Oh and I enjoy your blog.

  2. September 8th, 2010 at 9:07 am
    James said

    I won’t try everything. :) But I will try new and different ways to promote my site and build it.
    Sometimes, starting over can be one of those things you need to try though. I decided to start over, not because the site I had was not successful (it wasn’t) but because I felt it had no focus and as my first site, I had made one or two mistakes that made real success with it very difficult.
    Now that I think about it, maybe I think it’s more about being willing to learn from mistakes and success and adapt while being creative that will move my blog forward.

  3. September 8th, 2010 at 10:36 am
    BawldGuy said

    What did Mom tell ya to do?

  4. September 8th, 2010 at 1:36 pm
    Terez said

    James, I totally agree with you. Being focused makes your job feel so much more worthwhile.

    You’ve really got it right. Adapt, adapt, adapt! That’s the only way we can become better bloggers, right?

  5. September 8th, 2010 at 1:38 pm
    Terez said

    BawldGuy, Funny you should ask. She told me to show her what children look like that don’t get enough to eat, so she can appreciate what she has. It hasn’t come to that yet.

  6. September 8th, 2010 at 9:11 pm
    Andrew @ Blogging Guide said

    I plan on building relationship with other bloggers. I have a target every month like a certain percent increase in traffic every month or a certain percent increase in subscribers and if I was not able to reach it then I analyze what I’ve done, where I’ve gone wrong and research for new tips and tricks.

  7. September 9th, 2010 at 2:51 pm
    terez said

    Scott, Thank you. I really try to think of my blog as a place for growth. There’s always more I want to do with it, and like you said, we just have to take it one day at a time. Be patient because I believe that hard work will reap results.

  8. September 9th, 2010 at 2:52 pm
    terez said

    Andrew, I think that it’s wonderful to have those goals with your blog. I find that setting concrete goals can make you feel like you’ve accomplished something, even if you haven’t actually made your goals. You just try, try again.

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