I’ve Blogged For 1 Year Today, 5 Things I’ve Learnt

One year old today. 12 months, 52 weeks, 365 days, or 8,760 hours. It feels like so much longer, I’ve done so much over this short year - met so many cool people, blogged about so many cool things, and had a lot of fun communicating with the people who matter, you!

July 22nd, 2006 stated the opening of this blog. Since then, I’ve published 270+ articles, collecting 4,641+ comments. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed meeting so many new people, creating so many new friendships, and further developing my writing in a community atmosphere.

1. Quality Content Pays Off

One thing which has really worked for me over the past year is writing quality content on a regular basis. You need to personally be able to see value in the writing you’ve done, if you can’t, chances are no one else will either.

Write for a reason. Are you writing this post because you haven’t blogged for four days and feel you need to post something? You don’t. Only post if you have something to say, chances are, if you wait till it gets to this what you have to say will be valuable, and will be formed as quality content.

2. Establish Reader Relationships Early

See people regularly commenting on your blog? Get in contact with them, reply to their comments, listen to them, and most importantly, communicate. It’s important to know what your readers want from your site - the only way to do this is keep the avenue for contact open and respond to all emails you receive. A few words in reply can go a long way.

3. Keep Focused On A Niche

Pick your niche/s and stick to them. Try not to sway off too far as you could lose your focused readership. Pick something you know a lot about, no one is going to listen to a blogger blogging about a topic they know nothing about.

This should be done in the early days of blogging, if not even before starting up the site. Make sure you know your stuff about what you’re writing about. Keep focused, and keep your readership.

4. Forget The Stats

I’ve seen too many blogger focus on stats in the early days of running a blog, sure, they can be exciting, but soon you will reach a stage where you need to step away from them and set some goals, think about exactly why you’re looking at stats - shouldn’t your main goal be to create great content? Visitors will flow in over time, don’t over scrutinize or analyze them before you need to. Keep writing about what you love, it doesn’t matter if 20 or 2000 people are reading, just keep at it.

5. Read More Than You Write

What do you think of when you hear the word “Blogger?” I think of writing, I’m sure most of you do too. However, there’s more to becoming a successful blogger than just writing, you need to keep in the “know” about general happenings in your niche. I would estimate I read 50 fold what I write - not a small amount. Subscribe to sites, blogs and magazines and just start reading content, it’ll ultimately help you write/blog better.

Thanks For Your Encouraging And Vocal Support

Last but not least, thanks for all your support over the past 12 months. It has been great to have an audience as vocal and encouraging as you! I can’t wait to see what’s in store in the future, one thing I know for sure is that I will not stop blogging anytime soon - I love what I’m doing here. Thank you all!

Comments

  1. #1

    Claudio → www.claudiome.ch

    That’s a nice roundup for your first year of blogging! The fifth point you wrote about is in my opinion not just valuable for blogging. Reading more than writing is for me the most important thing in any writing I do.
    As I started my blog just a month or so ago I find your words to your blogging experience very interesting! Have a nice weekend!

  2. #2

    Indraneel → indraneel.thepurohits.net

    yay. happy one year on this fabulous blog. I’m pretty sure i’ve been reading since day one.

  3. #3

    J Phill → www.jwphill3.com

    Those seem like some well learned lessons for blogging, and I couldn’t agree more. I’ve been blogging just over a year and those are some things that I’ve learned as well. I try and respond to every single commenter on my posts, if possible. I like that interaction quite a bit.

    Though I love looking at stats, I’m not obsessed with them, and don’t let them affect what I do with my blog.

  4. #4

    ob81 → www.ob81.com

    One day I will get there!! I have been blogging for about 2 days, and the first thing I did was ignore the stats. I may need to work on that niche thing, but maybe if done right, a decent blogger can make multiple topics work. Great post Glenn.

  5. #5

    jonmul → www.jonathanmulholland.com

    Great post Glen, some very useful advice. Thanks & keep up the good work.

  6. #6

    Nick Danforth → nickdanforth.blogspot.com

    Congrats Glenn! It’s been a great year and I look forward to many more posts to come!

  7. #7

    Ashley

    Good job Glenn. I’ve been following your blog for a month now and have had a great time delving into your archives. What sets your blog apart from the majority of the rest is quite simply the fantastic quality I have come to expect from your posts. Glad to hear you’re enjoying what you’re doing :)

  8. #8

    Dustin → web.mac.com/dustin.cook/iweb/D-Money/Home.html

    Congrats and keep it up.

  9. #9

    Julian Schrader → julianschrader.de

    Go on—it’s been great so far!

  10. #10

    dacosta

    Great content on your weblog, Glenn. Congratulations.

    I am curious on the stats. How many visitors and how manu page views did you get the past year.

  11. #11

    Kyle → epixx.recoding.net

    Happy Anniversary! Keep up the great work, and I hope to see many more good years to come.

  12. #12

    Julian Cheal → www.juliancheal.co.uk

    Well done, here’s to another year of blogging!

  13. #13

    Gaurav

    Happy bday glennwolsey.com

    I’ve been a regular reader since the last 4 or so months. Your blog is simply amazing! Keep up the great work, Glenn.

  14. #14

    Dumitru Tira → www.static-13.deviantart.com

    Congrats!

  15. #15

    wphj → www.wphj.wordpress.com

    Good advice, I’ve come to learn a lot of the same things from my own blogging.
    Congrats on the great blog!

  16. #16

    Hector A. Henry Sjogreen → none

    Its a great blog you have am from Colombia more exactly San Andres Islas, and for me you blog its a great example and i have lorn a lot with you keep on, and good teams.

  17. #17

    Caitlyn Imburgo → www.alwaysg5.com

    Congrats, Glenn. Good luck in the next year. I’ve enjoyed your content and look forward to more. :)

  18. #18

    Kiro → kirosblog.com

    To the future! Here’s to many special and productive years to come!

  19. #19

    Nathan Bolender → www.nathanbolender.com

    Awesome, man!

  20. #20

    Kelly

    You don’t have quality content, you don’t even code yourself and have your website designed by somebody else. Your reviews are as shallow and non-telling as they come, and please, don’t try to tell us you’re not a sucker for clicks/feed subscribers. You are a follower.

  21. #21

    Frank Cantu → macrecon.com

    Happy anniversary, and here’s to more!

  22. #22

    Zain → zainkhan.info

    You don’t have quality content, you don’t even code yourself and have your website designed by somebody else. Your reviews are as shallow and non-telling as they come, and please, don’t try to tell us you’re not a sucker for clicks/feed subscribers. You are a follower.

    @Kelly
    Im not a glennwolsey.com die hard fan but the man loves what hes doin give him a break. What you consider quality depends on the reader. Your right he didn’t code this site but did the engadet bloggers code theirs? Theres no connection between who designed the site and how good the contents likely to be. If you don’t like what you see move on. But to even have someone take the time to post negative critique on this site shows it has a decent following.

    Personal i think the stuff here is certainly a step up from the crap i post and i think there were some valid points made eg. “Are you writing this post because you haven’t blogged for four days and feel you need to post something?”.

    ps we’re all suckers for clicks/feed/stats.

  23. #23

    Jake Jarvis → jakejarvis.com

    @Kelly - The fact that Glenn didn’t code/design the site himself means he’s devoting the time he would have spent doing that to writing more quality content. Why is that a bad thing?

    Keep up the great work, Glenn!

  24. #24

    Elliott Cost → www.elliottcost.com

    Great job Glenn. Keep up the good work!

  25. #25

    Tom

    Congrats Glenn!! Happy 1 year :)

  26. #26

    Andrew Pass → www.pass-ed.com/blogger.html

    Glen, This is actually the first time that I’ve visited your site. But I like the post that I read. Relationship is so important in everything. Keep up the graet work.

  27. #27

    LOR3N → www.r3fresh.com

    The first time I visted glennwolsey.com was from a front page digg story.

  28. #28

    Wesley → www.wyendrys.com

    congrats on the 1 year Glenn! Your 1 year, is the same day as my first day for my blog, so we’ll have the same anniversary next year!

  29. #29

    Chris Marshall → chrismarshall.ws

    I think I would add ‘don’t be afraid to experiment’ with your style and content - but not every day! Being flexible and responsive to the comments and those around you is one of the great options that blogging allows so use it.

  30. #30

    Shawn Blanc → thefightspot.com

    Love your site, Glenn. You’ve done well with it in the past 12 months.

  31. #31

    shawnblanc.net » One Year Old Today → shawnblanc.net/2007/one-year-old-today

    [...] Glenn’s been blogging for a year - July 22nd, 2006 stated the opening of this blog. Since then, I’ve published 270+ articles, collecting 4,641+ comments. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed meeting so many new people, creating so many new friendships, and further developing my writing in a community atmosphere. [...]

  32. #32

    Ryan

    Blogoversary? Nah.

    Congratz! Keep up the good work.

  33. #33

    Rachael Liebregt

    Hey happy 1 year bday for your site. Very impressive!
    Your hard work will pay off. You’re going to have an amazing resume too.
    (BTW, July 21st… my real bday!)

  34. #34

    Sarah

    HAH, Pull ur self together man ;)
    Nah well done. :)

  35. #35

    Glenn Wolsey → www.glennwolsey.com

    Thanks all for your warm comments, nice to come back from a week long break to see so many kind words left here!

  36. #36

    alicia → alicia.tumblr.com

    good points!

  37. #37

    Jakob Wells

    To an American-English reader and writer, your use of “learnt” looked really odd to me. People over here often use that particular vernacular when they’re trying to emulate a hick. However, I understand the British use of it—oh the confusion of colloquialisms!

  38. #38

    Smaran → www.smarandayal.com

    Congrats on making it to 1 year! I’ve never been able to blog consistently for that long.

  39. #39

    Blair Beckwith

    Great tips for any blogger.

  40. #40

    Grant → www.grantmc.co.uk

    I think i have been blogging for over a year and a half now, but i have lost so much data and with not backing up and servers screwing up as well as changing hosts when serveers blow up, I aint got all the facts like you. But you have very valid points!

  41. #41

    Jehad → jchandab.wordpress.com

    sounds great glenn, i definately think reading more can broaden knowledge

  42. #42

    Zac S

    Great advice

  43. #43

    Pavlos → kobe-cars-ltd.motorcarshonda.cn/toyota-protective-sheilds.html

    Nice…

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