I recently got the invite to do LinkedIn Publishing and sat down to do a post. I blog enough, but because LinkedIn is a professional setting, I wanted to start exercising the business experience of blogging and web design. I wanted to share personal stories and thoughts that were different from my really personal site at Blackish.net, and give that side that some of my older readers have been begging for.
So… I decided to reflect on blogging after thirteen years. It’s not a huge post, but it covers my general thoughts on it.
Here’s just the beginning excerpt to get your interest going:
No one really knows what they will become one day as choices are always made within a certain amount of time. Some choices are made on the fly, and some, planned a few years. Thirteen years ago I made a last minute choice to become a blogger.
I’ve always been a pretty confident person. I’ve always loved to write. My background is in English. I’ve done the literary publications, the Young Author’s contest winner, and even the school newspaper, but blogging was different.
I started in a time where I was about to make a major change in my life. Unlike today, I had no site focus. I wrote whatever was on the wind. I wrote my daily ongoings. I wrote some of my poetry. I shared my graphic creations. Sometimes I shared technical tutorials. My blog was a hodge podge of topics…
Again, to read the rest go to: Reflections on Blogging After Thirteen Years. I’ve conveniently allowed the link to open in a new window by default.
If you’re on LinkedIn, I invite you to connect with me. Please don’t forget to share the original article as there are a lot of new bloggers out there. Also, some of the older bloggers are welcome to come back and take a walk through the land of nostalgia on their blogging journey. Feel free to comment here or there or both.
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Hi Nile,
First off, I want to congratulate you on your blogging success. Well done 🙂
I hear you; I had no focus, blogging-wise, for many years, I wrote about whatever I thought about, from personal development, to prospering online, to travel, to anything. As I changed topic my audience left the room because I confused them each time I posted.
When I developed clarity around my new blog – a new one, since you’ve last visited I believe – things took off. I had success with my old blog but missed the clarity, and pure intent, with which I’m building my new one.
Blogging from Paradise has been a breeze to run because being clear has helped me avoid many problems that occur due to lack of clarity, or not having an ideal reader in mind.
Being clear makes all the difference on earth. You, and your success, are proof of that.
Thanks so much for sharing Nile.
I’ll tweet this in a bit.
Ryan
Congratulations on the thirteen years. I am sure it wasn’t the easiest thing at times. I agree that the first few months to a year will tell if you are suited out to be a blogger. It isn’t a glamorous lifestyle and you don’t even know if you will ever be able to make money at it and you have to market like crazy and so forth.
I appreciate your wisdom. Us new bloggers find it helpful : D.
We became brilliant for choosing this blog.Thise is very useful for all the people and simply good for how to increase the traffice with in few months. simply good
Thanks a lot
i read your blog first time and now i am feeling lucky and little bit amazed how i found this. such a wonderful blog indeed.
Hi Nile,
I have been following you from several months on Facebook as well as your site. I congratulate you for 13 years which is a long time to continue your blogging period. This is not a small post you have written but you have teach us, how we can also complete these many years successfully 🙂
Thank you so much for sharing this article
Enjoyed your article Nile and congratulations on your milestone. I also received that little invite to publish on LinkedIn but it’s taken me awhile to decide how to spin my focus on emotional resilience in a way that’s suitable for the business community there. Anyway, back to you, thanks for all the knowledge and experience you’ve shared with your readers and look forward to another 13 years. 🙂
It’s interesting to see how we’ve changed in our blogging styles over the years. Like you, Nile, I started out just writing what was on my mind, with no thought about how people might find it or choose to read it.
Then I found that, due to diverse interests, I had several blog sites on different subjects, and was spending far too much time writing articles – just because I enjoyed it!
Thanks for sharing your experience.
Alan
13 years is certainly a marathon, Nile. It would probably be fun to look at your original posts to see how far you’ve come.
I’ve got an awful long way to go to reach 13 years, but in the couple years I’ve been around, I’ve also learned that laser clarity is imperative to build a responsive audience. People usually go to a blog to get something very specific, and if they have to crawl through boxes and boxes of old clippings and odd-sort drawers full of random stuff… they’ll probably never hang around long enough to see whether or not what they’re looking for is there.
You’ve certainly pulled it all together on this blog, and it’s a great resource for lots of folks.
Congratulations on 13 years, but even more, on putting together a splendid site.
I decided to see how long I have been blogging, and it turns out my first blogging site is now just over 10 years old. Who would have thought it would have lasted this long? Not me.
hi
Wow, you are a treasure chest of great ideas. Your articles are always packed with great ideas.Specially for the beginners who have recently started their blogging journey. Thanks for sharing such an excellent tips.
Wow, Nile… You’ve been blogging only two years longer than I have. My first blog was to share my life with faraway family and friends, so it was a bit of a mixture too. At the time, I had 7 children at home, and I was homeschooling most of them.
I’m glad your blog has the purpose and focus it has today, because I can learn so much from you.
Thanks this was simply best post ever. I am new in Seo just learning the basics this post was helpful to know the advance things.
Nile,
It is a treat to read that you have reflected on 13 years of blogging. I started my first blog in 2008 and at that time I thought the name, Create Healing And Love Now, encompassed everything I would need for years to come. But that has not been the case. Every few years there is a new focus, like Healthy Baby Boomers Network, then a blog with my own name. And I thought that would be it. But no, there was something else in store for me, a focus on helping other therapists by working together – and thus my latest blog, Marketing Our Practices, was born. And I had the good fortune to know you and reach out to you to help me fix up the pieces that needed fixing there.
We may have some idea of our goals for the future but there are certainly twists and turns as we live and meet new people and have new experiences and learn new things. And, through all that, the world outside of us continues to change. Technology certainly keeps changing and affecting our lives in unexpected ways.
Warmly,
Dr. Erica
Nile, well done with 13 plus years and happy belated Birthday!
I wanted to thank you for he years you dedicated to share usable content. You give you time to those who want serious supportive direction, and appreciate it.
Your shared experience relates to most of us who have been here watching and learning during your years. You have begun something huge and it has shaped to a supportive enriching platform. That I want to say thank you for it.
I believe you are going to still bring more to us, in the near future. LinkedIn is a favored location for me! I love it and live through it with vast global connections. We are going to benefit with your articles. Most of us post sometimes only for LinkedIn and it is an honor having you as one of our givers. I appreciate this so much.
Nile, you keep me updated with this dry stuff, which techie is? Yet, I love the knowledge and format you bring. That makes dull typical styles, eatable, per say.
Really, Nile, you are one of the best presenters of knowledge within our tech world. Thanks you so much!
This is a great read. Should you be really proud of your blogging success!
13 years… that is a long time. Thank you for taking the time and sharing the expertise that you’ve acquired after such a long time.
Congratulations Nile!
Without a doubt you can count one hand all the active bloggers that stared 13 year ago!
And on the Internet itself that’s an entire lifetime. That’s a lot of personal and business evolution for sure.
And with it comes a lifetime of extremely bankable experiences as well. Congratulations on a truly sensational run!
Unfortunately not many of will survive 13 years in the trenches!
Great article Nile! I definitely agree that blogging is not static – your message and content will evolve based on the changes you go through, and the demands of your audience. I think its important to be able to adapt, and not get too attached to going in a certain direction.
Keep up the great work 🙂