“Never consider the possibility of failure; as long as you persist, you will be successful.” - Brian Tracy

I have to admit, it’s been a while since I’ve fully attended to my blog. I rested, wrote, read, worked, played, argued, slept, ate, drank, played some more, ate, worked, researched, wrote, studied, climbed, stumbled, walked, typed, googled, designed, apologized, organized, and mused since the last time I posted regularly on this blog. It’s been a hiatus, a sabbatical, but without purpose or direction.

So why all the work earlier this year to build such a great blog, with awesome readers, if only to leave it a few months into its inception?

I’m working on bringing this blog back from the ashes. The proverbial phoenix rising from the ash. At the high point, this blog brought in close to 500 visitors a day. Now it’s at an all time low. What better way to test my determination than to belly up to the table and begin working?

Steps to Bring a Blog Back to Life

Step One - Question Your Purpose

The first step always has to be a personal question. Does the blog still meet some internal goal? Do you have time to do the writing? Does it still feel rewarding? Does it still interest you? If you answer these questions, like I have, then you can probably determine if you want to bring the blog back or give it up. If you want to sell, then you can likely find interested parties at forums like DigitalPoint.com and SitePoint.com.

Step Two - Update Software

I use WordPress. I have posted since 2.5, but I never updated my installed version. I was too lazy to go through the process. Frankly, I was a little afraid it would be a disaster. I’ve already completed this step on the blog, since I think it’s crucial to be safe and secure. It also helped me get a recent backup of the database.

Step Three - Reacquaint Yourself with Social Networks

I have a lot of this to do still. I used to Twitter all the time. I haven’t been active on there at all recently. It sounds like a good place to turn on the lights and see what I can uncover. Entrecard is another useful place to start. I can drop, drop and drop some more. That should help in the long run.

Step Four - Write Content

A post like this is good, but it’s not the only one I need to write. I’ve said before I wanted to pay more attention to my blog. With anything, it takes time and effort to earn back reputation points from previous readers. If your blog has been dormant for a long time, consider doing a post series, reanalyzing your site’s content direction, and even spinning the viral marketing wheel in your favor. A good place to start would be to welcome back readers in comments, be active in your niche, and bolster your reputation with quality writing. Just keep with it.

Step Five - Stay Active

Mistakes will be made. It happens. It happens to me, to you, to our mothers, fathers, grandparents, and elected officials. It happens everywhere. Just suck it up and move forward. If you lose a few readers, then fine. If you stay with it, then you’ll see the reward soon enough. A few months and the internet will have changed yet again. Other bloggers will fizzle out and new ones will pick up the torch. If you write content, post comments, and interact with other bloggers then you have a good chance of staying in the saddle.

Stand up comedians work a rigorous schedule, and they have to produce laughs. What a life, right? It seems easy, until you set out to write something funny. I’m sure comedians each have their own ways of finding, creating, and writing their bits. One may work it out with friends, others may record their thoughts, while some may just jump on bits from their own experiences. Why should bloggers care how comedians create their material?

A blogger typically has to be unique to receive any sort of Blogo street cred. Blogs that provide fresh insight receive backlinks, subscribers, and usually receive the stumble, Digg or other social media traffic they deserve. The blogger that regurgitates others ideas as their own usually experiences limited success. They may find some who haven’t heard what they’re saying on another blog, and view them as an inspiration, but most will see their site as the trapping of the unenchanted.

A comedian has to be funny, albeit funny with their own material. They may even poke jabs at another comedians’ bits, but usually they have their own material, a persona, and a delivery.

We’ve all seen comedians we enjoy. I’m sure if we looked at that comedian we’d see one thing. They have a perspective on life that stands apart from the norm. They see things differently and express their vision with style. Let’s take a look at a few examples.

Ever see a list of the richest black people in the country? Oprah’s on there. Cosby. Michael Jordon. Magic Johnson. Tiger Woods. Movie Stars. But you can’t get past number eight without running across a brother who just hit the Lotto jackpot last week. — Chris Rock

A recent survey stated that the average person’s greatest fear is having to give a speech in public. Somehow this ranked even higher than death which was third on the list. So, you’re telling me that at a funeral, most people would rather be the guy in the coffin than have to stand up and give a eulogy. — Jerry Seinfeld

New Blogging Perspective

We may not be looking for the funny in our blog posts, but we most certainly need to entertain or inform in a unique way. To create some truly creative content, we only need to look at the minutae.

The small details unravel a thread we can use to spin a nice article. For instance, look at the sports world. If I were writing about baseball right now, I would first look at the strangeness surrounding all the controversial homerun calls within the last ten days. I could be funny about it and call it a conspiracy, even though we all know no one could hit the top of the fence, nail the side of a foul pole, or some yellow steps on command.

Perspective gives our readers a unique way to see old ideas. We can still talk about the same blogging tools, websites, or methods, but this time do it with pizazz. Think of it as a lens we put on our eyes. The lens doesn’t have to be rose colored. It can be anything we want it to be.

We all hear the advice regarding blogging longevity: stay excited about blogging, remember why you started, read other blogs, and eat peanut butter without jelly. They all work! They work because they focus on changing perspective. So lighten up. Step up on that stage and take your tomatoes like a man. We’re waiting with stained hands and shirts here.

In the wild, bloggers tend to group together inside networks to survive. These instincts have been honed over several years of dangerous online activity. For instance, they survived the Blogger buyout, the various Wordpress hacks, and the influx of comment spam. They’re strong creatures.

But there’s always one that stands apart from the rest. When you spot an Alpha blog, we suggest walking backwards slowly. Do not break eye contact, as the blog will likely take you down like a gimp zebra. Just stay calm. Here’s several ways to spot an alpha blog.

1. You notice your hair stand on end when you visit their blog. It’s a biological reaction to the blog’s superior writing, resources, and design. It could also be related to the large RSS numbers seen in the Feedburner counter.
2. When challenged, the alpha blog will exert superior debating skills, causing the beta blog to falter. Alpha blogs do not casually exist, but are regarded as authorities.
3. Alpha blogs eat first. Their posts circumvent other news sites as they have contacts within organizations. Who wouldn’t go to the alpha blog with their spectacular press release?
4. Beta blogs act on command of the alpha blog. The alpha blogs say, “Use this monetization method,” and within weeks thousands of loyal beta blogs have implemented the method. This also works for contests. Beta blog contests usually fall flat, while Alpha blog contests win the web.
5. Alpha blogs receive their status from sheer willpower. They gain momentum with readers through superior content and marketing maneuvers. They can however be toppled by beta blogs. In this highly social species, politics may take a part in determining the next alpha blog.

In this highly social society, it’s often blog eats blog. Be sure you know your territory well. You may be walking into the jaws of an Alpha blog.

With the rain coming down all around you, have you ever paused between your car and the door of your house to feel the cool water?

Moments can be universal. We can share a specific instance with our readers and invite them to relate on an entirely new level.

We may relate to our readers through any of the following commonplace blogging dilemmas:

1. I have nothing to write about.
2. My comments have dropped dramatically.
3. I need more traffic.
4. Where’s my money from Adsense?
5. Will I ever make money from my blog?
6. How do I [insert WordPress functionality here].

The most important reason to write blogosphere truths? Trust. We can share a trial on our own blog and guide readers towards a solution. (What solution am I providing now?)

This isn’t groundbreaking stuff. Some of the more popular blogs offer advice, tutorials, life hacks, and more. They have found a way to give away what comes naturally to them. In this way, they’ve built a niche around their particular expertise and interest. It’s a win-win. Readers gain information and the bloggers gain an audience.

Blogging Like Kindergarteners

In kindergarten we all learned one thing — how to share.

It’s universal that we learn to share with others at an early age. The mountain of Web 2.0 content has been derived from this concept. It’s users sharing creations with others. It’s the pinnacle of kindergarten success. Mrs. Redwick would be proud.

So do what comes naturally, well, as naturally any lesson taught at an early age provides. Share you insights. Share you moments. Be yourself.

What can you share with readers that may bolster their opinion of you?

Blogging is not racing. There is no finish line. There is no checkered flag. However, there are a lot of cars turning the corners at breakneck speeds. We can use the idea of drafting to take our blog to the next level. What is drafting, you ask. Let’s look at the Wikipedia entry on the topic.

Drafting or slipstreaming is a technique in sports racing where competitors align in a close group in order to reduce the overall effect of drag or fluid resistance of the group in a slipstream. Especially when high speeds are involved, drafting can significantly reduce the average energy expenditure required to maintain a certain speed. [source: Wikipedia]

So when racecar drivers draft, they reduce the wind resistance of their own vehicle by following closely behind another. The wind streaks right over their hoods, giving them the momentum and power to slip past their competitors at the right moment.

I’m not suggesting bloggers are competing. Quite the opposite. If Entrecard has taught me anything, it’s that bloggers together do some interesting and fascinating things. I am suggesting we can compete only when we network and find support of other drivers.

This is nothing new, you say. We all know the pack mentality works to survive. So then why would we streak ahead of the pack? What possible motive would we have to be the first car in the race? Furthermore how can we break away from the pack to position ourselves in the lead for any niche?

Pole Position

The time trials prior to a race determine the frontrunners from the beginning. Those who lag behind often times have to fight the entire race to gain on their competitors. In the blogging world, those who began blogging years ago have a leg up on the blogs that began in 2007 or early 2008. What can the newcomers do to reduce the drag and increase their velocity?

I’ve been asking myself this very question for a while now. I’m sure many of you have read blogs discussing techniques to increase page views, RSS subscriptions, and site traffic. I’ve come up with a few questions to ask yourself about your own blog, which I’ve asked about my own, that should propel your site towards your own finish line.

1. What purpose does your blog serve? - This question may seem like an easy answer, but when I asked myself this question a few weeks ago I had to step back to think. I want a site that’s helpful, honest, and committed to writing and to marketing. I also want a site that caters to bloggers and to their views and ideas. My purpose is to inspire those reading to create, to write, and to gain excitement about their chosen niche.
2. Does the blog meet my expectations? - I ask myself this before I start writing about whatever comes to mind. It helps me focus on what needs filling in on the site. I have a lot of content, but I see it like building a foundation brick by brick. Each new article represents a piece of the foundation. If I’m writing content that veers from my site’s message then I’m creating a faulty foundation. I need to go back to question one and recalculate.
3. How can I keep the blog on target or mold it into what I need? - I can keep my own blog on target by mapping out the course. I know the turns and conditions I have to face before I ever put rubber to road. If I know what’s coming, then I know where to turn. I become more organized and stay focused.

I know for certain no finish line exists, only our personal one. We have pit stops and some cars drop out of the race, but we always keep moving. 

Alexa, Technorati, Exactrank, and other sites will tell you the popular blogs — the frontrunners. If we fixate on the numbers, and forget to look for the opportunity to spring ahead, then we may be just running out of gas waiting for the next pit stop to catch our breath and reconsider it all.

How do I draft?

I draft in the blogosphere all the time. I join networks like Entrecard, forums like Bloggeries, subscribe to RSS feeds of fellow bloggers, read content on popular blogs, write content that’s helpful to others, and guest post on other site’s in my niche.

Through blogging, we sometimes might rub other bloggers the wrong way. But, we all know rubbin ’s racin. The important thing is to stay in the race.

Do you draft with your blog?