Jeff Bullas has over 4 million followers at his blog @ Jeffbullas.com. He was ranked #8 by Forbes on their list of “The World’s Top 40 Social Marketing Talent” in 2014. He was the winner of Social Media Examiner’s “Top Social Media Blogs” in 2013. He shares 27 blogging success factors in his post titled “What most bloggers don’t want to hear.” 21 of 27 (77%) hit home with me.
I started this digital platform built on passion, purpose and the beckoning of exciting new frontiers. It was invigorating. This portal to the world gave me a voice I didn’t know existed. It was a journey into the unknown. I created and crafted content, built connections on Twitter and published. I signed up for learning. It was time when Facebook was simple and organic. Content didn’t need images, screen shots and 1,500 words. It was the wild social west. When the excitement died down I realized what I had signed up for.
Read his 27 blogging learnings here: What most bloggers don’t want to hear.
Image: Karen Hurley Design
I read it, David, thank you. This is what I what I have to say: I always want to hear you.
Awwwww, thank you Ann.
Some of those were funny, like “Dealing with feeling like a fraud”???…or “Not letting the trolls grind you down.” I couldn’t relate to most of the items on that list…but only because I’m kind of an accidental visitor to my own blog these days. 🙂
Ha! Somehow I find it hard to believe that anything is accidental with you friend.
Lol…not sure what to make of that. Sometimes I think my entire life has been an accidental occurrence.
I just about fell off my chair when I saw how many followers Jeff has. I agree totally with number 21 and to this day still have that vision. I’ve had such a horrific time with my reader and Apple that I almost gave up recently. Tonight I feel like shouting for the sheer JOY of it because I finally figured out a way to get back on my reader so that I can COMMENT again. You have NO idea how isolated I have become from my WP friends because of the reader I was using that I could NOT comment on. Anyways …. I have my own methods for my blog, and to be honest with you, I have trouble many days keeping up with the amount of comments I answer. I LOVE to talk hehehehehehe as is evident in this comment. Can you feel my excitement that I am finally getting connected again???? YAY!!! Thank you for this post! No, I don’t want that many followers …. nada, I pass. LOL Love, Amy
Smiling when I read every line. Loved it. Thanks Amy
I guess I just have to be content with a couple of hundred followers. If I touch the hearts and minds of those who follow me, give them a smile or an “ahhh” now and then, it’s been worth it. Blogging should be fun as well as a learning experience.
Yes, so agree with you Claudia. It should be fun.
i can identify with a lot of what he says, though my goals lie not in the numbers, but rather the human connections and the fulfillment of self-expression.
I agree Beth…
Reblogged this on Bright, shiny objects! and commented:
Great catch from David Kanigan…
Thanks Todd. Have a good weekend.
After I made my comment the other day I realized I sounded a little sour-grapish. Part of me wishes I had thousands of followers; the other side is happy to fill a certain nitch. I believe being really successful in anything is part talent, part timing, part luck. It takes commitment and time and talent. And even then thats often not enough. Thats why I said you need to love what you’re doing. Which, it seems, we all do.
Claudia, I used to think it was mostly talent. I’ve learned that luck plays a large (very) part in it…and I agree, if you don’t love it, time to bail…
It’s interesting to hear why other folks blog and what they expect. Most of Jeff’s list isn’t part of my experience. I’m with Beth–connection and expression are it for me. And the fun I have when a new follower *doesn’t* turn out to be someone trying to scam me or writing in a foreign language.
Smiling. You do have to wonder what the spammers / scammers get out of it. Sad.