A Change of Focus in my blogging - and a sort of Goodbye
October 30, 2006 11:44 pm UncategorizedFor a while now I’ve been having deep thoughts, and internal conversations and weighing up many things about blogging - today’s blogging.
I have been doing a little bit of soul-searching about what I am doing with my blogging - where it’s all heading.
There are two ways to utilize blogs: 1) blog as a business, ie: making money directly from blogging or 2) using blogs as just another marketing tool for an existing business - albeit the best marketing tool ever, IMHO.
For a long time I have been involved in basically blogging about blogging - shit, I have a column over at The Blog Herald and this very blog is called The Blog Columnist!
I have even read snippets around the b’sphere that have really stayed with me - Yaro Starak, Anita Campbell and Michael Cage - whom I all admire, not for blogging but for their business sense and passion.
Blogging has changed since I first started back in 2004. For me, 2005 were the glory days. Blogging was booming but it wasn’t super-popular like it is today. Back then you could start blogging and in a matter of weeks or a few short months establish a solid foundation of traffic and a regular readership.
I do a lot of blogging and writing, but usually shy away from blogging ABOUT blogging.
This blog, first and foremost, is about strategies that can help fast-growth, entrepreneurial businesses grow. Because of that, I try to stay out of blogging debates that aren’t directly relevant.
Other thought-provoking pieces I’ve recently had come across include posts and changes in direction from eMoms at Home, A Mindful Entrepreneur as well as the occasional blog burnout I read about almost on a daily basis. That and the recent PayPerPost conversation spoke volumes to me of what’s happening to blogging - I’m just not interested in that aspect of blogging anymore, reporting on it, talking about it and being a part of it. I’m starting to see blogging as a business in itself is very limited to only the few - early adopters and those that can just blog away hour after hour after hour. For the other 99% of bloggers the ROI (including your time) just doesn’t add up.
And that’s where my head is at at this moment.
What I’m interested in is developing a real business that uses blogging as one part of its marketing arsenal. And that’s what I’m going to do from now on.
Lately, I’m getting no enjoyment about blogging about blogging and so the best way forward is to just step away from it and focus on something that has more appeal and potential. I’ve come to the conclusion that there really is no real future in blogging about blogging - it takes up lots of time, time that could be used more productively.
The latest buzz word has been the “echo chamber” - we are talking amongst ourselves and not taking the conversion outside of the “blogosphere”. I tend to agree to a certain degree.
Therefore, I’ve decided to step back from blogging about blogging and move towards a more focused area where I can make a better fist of developing my own online business venture.
That business venture is KickstartPress.com - something that I’ve been working on in the background for most of this year. It’s an online publishing firm developing and marketing ebooks, audiobooks and screencasts to a small business audience. Publishing is my passion and it’s time I made my real running in the industry - and that needs focus, commitment and … time.
I will be focusing on product development, research and basically getting heavily involved in the small business areas of the internet - and yes, including blogs. And yes, the core marketing behind my publishing firm is based on a blog.
So … this blog will come to a close. I’ll still basically and occasionally product blog at my two other blogs - HomeOfficeVoice and ePublishingDaily - but these are just to collect some coin from advertising - hint: Text links Ads work real wonders in providing decent monetization opportunities.
These last few years have been fun - friendships, and engaging conversations, blog wars and feisty debates … but it’s time to move on to bigger and better things.
Cheers, thanks for all the fun times and keep on blogging,
Martin
PS. I hope this rambling post made some sense - I wrote it straight out, no editing … purely stream of conscious type stuff. :)
October 31st, 2006 at 12:14 am
Martin,
Thanks for the kind words and congratulations on your shift in focus. Borrowing generously from Joseph Campbell, it’s great to see you “following their bliss.” :-)
Be well,
Michael Cage
October 31st, 2006 at 1:42 am
Hi Martin,
Blogging about blogging is a difficult topic to cover expecting huge success. To be honest outside of Darren Rowse I know no bloggers who strictly cover blogs who are enjoying above average results.
As you say it’s good to use a blog as a tool to write about your passions or to augment a business.
Thanks for your comments again - as always, you are too kind.
Yaro
October 31st, 2006 at 3:37 am
I can’t help but say “Smart Move!” and best wishes! Your ePublishingDaily blog rocks anyway - and it’s obviously one of your strengths. Looking forward to bumping into you ’round town Martin! :)
PS - Thanks for the link, too!!!
October 31st, 2006 at 5:15 am
Martin,
Congratulations… and I hope you will still continue to visit my blog (this is in the assumption that you visit my site).
Minic
October 31st, 2006 at 7:44 am
Hey all, thanks for the kind words - wasn’t really expecting any sort of fanfare…
Michael - you borrowed well. :) And expect to see me around more often at your blog. Your style is right down my alley.
Yaro - Mate, you are spot on - “above average” is the key phrase here. It’s easy to get (very) average returns but you know that we can do much better. And I’ll be seeing you at your various blogs more often (might even pop in at your forums more often) as well.
Wendy - It’s a smart move for me and I can easily say that reading your latest posts helped me along - so thanks. I’ll say it again, I’ll be seeing you as well, no doubt. You seem to have a clear focus with your writing and direction.
Minic - Thanks and all the best with The Blogging Times. You’re still in my rss reader. You must have your hands full dealing with all them egos: Char, Howard, Duncan, Liz, Angry … :)
Now stop all this mushiness and get back to work folks. :)
October 31st, 2006 at 8:27 am
Helped you?! I LOVE it when that happens!! :)
November 1st, 2006 at 10:09 pm
I have loved your columns Martin. Would have certainly loved to read more about your opinions about blogosphere. Why don’t you partner with more people to do weekly stints like your current one at BlogHerald.
I do agree with you, problogging becomes difficult in many areas, and blogging about blogging is one of them. But a writer like you can indirectly take benefit from your columns about blogging. I remember the last year when you sold blognetworkwatch, you were doing great with it before your decision to do away with it.
I think you should reconsider you decision. You articles were always interesting and most of times I have found long discussions on your posts.
November 1st, 2006 at 11:16 pm
Hey Ankit,
You certainly do have a good memory :)
And thanks for the compliments - they’re much appreciated.
You’re spot on that I can indirectly get something out of it if I continue commenting on blogging and the goings on in the blogosphere. But the blogosphere has changed quite a bit since last year, IMHO. And I’m a little bit burnt out by it all. I’ve always been of the opinion that blogging is best suited as a marketing tool for an existing business and not as a business in itself - so really, I’m just changing my focus towards that.
But at the end of the day, I’m simply not having as much fun blogging about blogging as I did in the early days.
And to be honest, there’s not much money to be made by blogging about blogging - I’ve had great financial success with creating and marketing information products and the ROI (especially time) with that beats blogging about blogging’s ROI by a big margin.
I’m looking at other writing/column gigs at more business-related sites - but I’ll have a chat with the editor at The Blog Herald to see if I can subtly change my focus with that column.
If I blog about blogs again it’ll only be focused on small business blogs.
Thanks again Ankit and all the best with InstaMedia - you seem to be at the forefront of blog networks.
November 2nd, 2006 at 1:58 am
Martin,
Congrats on the decision! Enjoy the new path…
-Mindful Entrepreneur
November 2nd, 2006 at 11:35 am
Martin it was nice to read your rambling post above and yes it did make sense. I am going through those same questions as you are right now. I wish you all the best!!! I’ll be by to visit you at kickstartpress. That site looks interesting hmmmm. I subscribed to your updates newsletter. Cheers Martin!
November 2nd, 2006 at 12:40 pm
See ya pal, good luck
November 2nd, 2006 at 11:01 pm
Loren - thanks, mate. I’ll still be around just less obvious. BTW, great JCal vid.
Jessica - My Canadian blog friend. Thanks for that. It was a tough decision because I love blogging and all that goes with it, and I would love to continue “reporting” and write my little ramblings on it but the rational mind has said it’s not feasible financially in the long run - and sometimes I have to listen to my rational self. :)
I’ll still be around though in my own small way.