When I Was a New (Garden) Blogger......

 I warn you all this is a very long and opinionated post. These little tidbits are purely my observations after nearly five years of blogging (Blogiversary is on September 29th!) The fact I have been blogging this long is important because many bloggers don't last one year let alone five years. I have learned a lot throughout all of these years and hope to share some things with you all so if you have ever felt the same or been in the same boat you can know you are not alone! Please share your experiences for other bloggers. 

When I was a new blogger....

1. I worried about whether anyone would read or comment on posts I would write. Don't worry about comments. Comments come when you search for other bloggers with like interests and comment on their blog. Reading will obviously come with comments.  Comments also come as you build a database of work-which means you need to post regularly. New blogs ofen don't have a high ranking in search engines in part due to not having much content to be indexed. Once you get a lot of work on your blog you will get more readers and more of a higher ranking. I get many comments from people who are NOT bloggers who just want to weigh in on the subject I have posted about. They find the posts via searches-hence ranking. I appreciate those comments as much as the ones from bloggers. A bonus of these comments is I get to keep my fingertip on the pulse of gardening as in what is the trend out there.


2. I was very intimidated by blogs that seemed very big and well established. Almost every blog seems very big and well established when you first begin blogging, but remember those bloggers were once very new bloggers too! The one thing I never wanted this blog to become was intimating to new bloggers and I hope that it has not. I try very hard to welcome all bloggers new and old as even to this day--nearly five years after I began blogging-- I still distinctly remember what it was like to be new to the blogging world. I tell you it does not seem like a welcoming place and bloggers who want to be around for a while really have to be tough to keep blogging. 


3. I would try to comment in a way I thought would connect me to the blogger and be interesting for others to read. Comment as yourself and don't worry about what others think of your comment but never ever leave a negative comment on a blog. Remember whatever you put on the Internet will be there for a very long time. I have never won a prize for the best commenter but let me tell you I am one loyal commenter and I really do talk to the blogger and relate simply because I am me. That is just me on the web. I learn so much more by commenting my way; which should be the only way for you all too--comment as you!


4. I subscribed to all comments on almost all blog posts I commented on. Even today I still get comments from some of the early blogs I commented on. The subscription feature is nice if you wish to get the response from the blogger, but it can get overwhelming if you comment on a lot of posts. My suggestion is to read the prior comments and see if the blogger responds. If the blogger has not responded to any other comments it is a good bet you won't get a response on that blog either-but you should get a response on your blog.  If the blogger does respond and you don't want to miss the response then go ahead and subscribe. Once you get a response make sure you unsubscribe.


5. I noticed that when commenters would comment on my blog they would always begin their comment with, "Thanks for commenting on my blog....". I hated those comments and still do. If you are responding to someone's comment on their blog because they commented on your blog just leave a nice comment. There is no need to state the obvious that you are only responding because they commented on your blog as in "Thank you for your comment......" Just leave that part off.


6. I used to obsess about my traffic count and whether or not anyone was reading besides the commenters. Which was kind of funny because I had no way of knowing how many visitors came to the blog and only judged visitors traffic by comments. Get a traffic counter right away. I prefer Sitemeter but even Google Analytics that is now standard with Blogger blogs will tell you that more people read your blog than just the commenters! It is a really good feeling to know people read your posts! As any blogger will tell you. 


7. I thought that the first commenters on my blog would be best buddies with me forever. I was very loyal to all the bloggers that showed any interest in my blog and expected the same in return. Well, this was one of the hardest lessons I had to learn because the longer I blogged the more I realized we change in not only how we blog but in how we comment and relate on the Internet. While I still feel close to many of those early commenters and have even met many of them,  I realized that we certainly weren't best buddies and loyalty is not always enough to keep readers and commenters happy. Nonetheless, as commenters leave new ones come and that is the nature of blogging and social media.  I am slow to adapt to changes but adapt I do and understand the process.


8.  The more I blogged and thought I connected with others the more I thought that I wanted to meet the commenters since we had so much in common. Meeting new friends was a goal early on in my blogging endeavors and I was able to meet many new people, several of whom I would call friends, but there are far more that are mere acquaintances. It takes a lot more to be friends than talking on a blog. Even though a blogger may share part of his or her life with you and you may feel like you know the blogger well the relationship is not really 'real' until you put effort into really relating with the blogger in person. Many bloggers are not interested in this and that is fine.  Relationships are built through effort on both person's parts. If a blogger makes the effort to meet or visit you then you should certainly do the same if you are interested in pursuing the relationship. If not, then don't. It is logical that if you have something in common (gardening) then you have the basis for a friendship, but again, it takes effort on each person's part. I am very lucky to have met many who have made the effort to continue a relationship with me outside of this blog and I value their friendships. I need not name names because I hope they all know who they are! You all will see the same will happen to you with your blogs too.


9. I always felt like good manners meant responding to a commenter in some small way. When my comments were not acknowledged on either another blog or my own I felt like I was being ignored-rejected if you will. It was almost like I was talking to you and you weren't listening and would not respond. This happens a lot in blogging and I am sure it is not intended to be a slight. Sometimes bloggers get busy and might not get back to you, then again perhaps the blogger has different priorities for their blog than responding to commenters. It is time to move on if this happens to you and you don't like it and that is just what I would do.  If you like the blog then continue to read but you don't have to comment just because you read a blog. Commenting takes effort and if you can make the effort to comment on a blog then I think it is not too much to ask for the blogger to reciprocate. My co-poster Skeeter and I have always subscribed to this simple rule and it has worked out well for this blog. We hope we are not ignoring anyone at any time as it almost is never our intention to do this. 


10. I had to learn everything I know by experimenting. The school of hard knocks will definitely teach you but since blogging is supposed to be a 'community' wouldn't it be nice if we could share our knowledge or tips and techniques with others if we know they are in need of help? Let me give you an example, if you are a member of let's say Blotanical, and you see another blogger, new or not, is not a member, why not message that blogger and kindly at least tell them about that garden blogging community? No one ever did this for me and it may have been an oversight or not, but it left me a bit behind with marketing my blog in the beginning. After that lesson I made sure to tell all new bloggers about Blotanical and other ways of marketing their blogs that I knew of. I am sure there are many other forums for other types of blogs too and I speak not only as a garden blogger but as a blogger.  I also try to share what lessons I have learned about through this blog that other bloggers may not know. You will certainly hear about Pinterest below and from a post I did, but that is just one lesson I have learned the hard way. I do try to share those lessons with you all. Try to help others if you are in position to do so as the favor will be returned to you.


11. I felt like bloggers were in competition with one another for readers and commenters. This still befuddles me because I see no venue for a competition in blogging. There is no prize at the end of the day for being a top blog, no one is judging your blog, no one counts comments, and certainly most everyone who earns money from their blog is not broadcasting how much they earn so why does it seem as though bloggers are competing? Readers who read this blog can certainly come and read your blog as well. There are many times I will link to other blogs and I know from Sitemeter many readers outclick to other blogs in this manner. It takes nothing from this blog for a reader to read another blog. In fact, look at the sidebar and check out all the other blogs! Please do check out other blogs as I am sure that even if this blog does not appeal to you (and it won't to everyone) then there is one somewhere that will and forget about competing! There is no supreme blog at the end of the day and no big prize for the best blogger. And even if there were I guarantee that whoever will read 'the top' blog will also read other blogs. It is the nature of the beast but really not a competition.


12. I used to think constantly about my blog. What will I post next? Wow that is a great picture I just must get it for the blog! I would go over posts in my head as I was driving. I was a bit obsessed. It is normal. When we first start blogging and have passed the phase of wondering if anyone will read our blog we then are so overjoyed to get a few comments that we just want to post the best for our readers and think of posting constantly. This phase will pass as you can't possibly keep up with everything you wish to post and really you should post what interests you. In fact, there are many times now that I forget about posting until the last minute. Trust me, that phase will pass. Posting has become a habit for me as this blog is so easy for me to find information I need about my garden if the occasion arises. I enjoy the online record-that is mine-and I know Skeeter enjoys her online record of her garden-- so I post still but don't post half as much as I used to. In other words I am not as infatuated with blogging as I was when I was a new blogger. Again, post what is interesting to you but don't let blogging be work. If a post is interesting to you there is a good chance others will share your same interests so post what you like!


13. I did not have a clear goal in mind as to why I was blogging. My purpose was not defined specifically enough to keep me on task. We all blog for our very own special and unique reasons but knowing a few clear cut goals and putting them down in writing will help to keep us on track and it will also help to keep things in perspective when our goals have not been met by the blog. Let's say our goal for blogging is to simply keep a record of our garden online for future use. Well then why would it bother us if no one read our blog if we are simply keeping a record of our garden? It may still bother you if no one read your blog so you might possibly have more than one goal for your blog. Set priorities and set definitive goals that will work for you, but be aware that our goals may change the longer we blog. Blogs have a way of taking on a life of their own sometimes and we must be flexible to grow and adapt with them. 


14. I used to think that if I got to one good spot with blogging that I could stay there forever. For example, as the blog grew so did the traffic count and I was quite happy. But then the traffic count would fall off at certain times of the year no matter what I posted. For garden blogs traffic is going to ebb during the off garden season. Holidays seem to be a slow time too. But don't worry, garden season comes around each year and your traffic count will pick up again. 


15. I felt really inadequate when I visited a blog that had all those awards posted on their sidebars. Awards are great but if you really look at the awards a good many of them are awards someone decided to bestow on a blogger usually because they have a relationship with that blogger. The awards are awards made up by some tech savvy person who creates a cute badge for the award and then passes it around. Badges can be created by just about anyone so I personally am not impressed with the award system. If you are a new blogger, be aware the awards are coming your way once you find your niche. Do not worry about that aspect. Your blog is just as good without awards. Awards are not bestowed on only special blogs; they are bestowed on ALL blogs once you get your blog going. Usually the bestowers are bloggers in your year group who got the award from one of their blogging friends. I warn you though, they really don't mean much other than a badge on your sidebar. For me I decided early on not to post any awards because I never wanted a new blogger to be intimidated or to feel inadequate by awards on this blog if we happened to 'win' one or two. Additionally, probably to the chagrin of many award bestowers, I do not participate in award memes. Awards can possibly increase your exposure and up your traffic count but don't feel like you have to participate if you don't want to. Just graciously accept, or congratulate your blogging friends who get those awards and don't be intimidated.


16. Early on my purpose in blogging was to share my garden with local readers in my area. Later once I left the FTP I blogged through my goal became to learn about gardening from other garden bloggers. I sought out nearby bloggers and tried to read their blogs in order to learn. Just because a blogger is nearby and is considered a garden blogger does not mean you will learn anything from their blog that will help you in your garden. Some blogs are picture heavy with no words. I have a time learning if there are no explanations about the pictures. While the pictures may be pretty they simply don't usually teach me. On the other hand just because a blog is across the country does not mean you won't pick up a tip or two that will help you out in your garden. Be open to all sorts of blogs and try them all out until you find your niche.  Everyone is unique just like blogs. And you can certainly enjoy more than one blog and learn from bloggers all over the world and not just bloggers in your time zone. I'll give you a good example, I will never ever be able to grow a star fruit tree but it is so neat to see one growing in my tropical friend's gardens via their blogs that I learn! And enjoy.


17. I did not realize my photos went onto Google Images automatically. Some of my photos are tops in searches on Google images; which is okay since it will bring traffic to the blog, but it was most disconcerting finding my photos posted there for all to see in a forum other than my blog. Anything you upload to the Internet is going to a server somewhere. I am sure there are platforms where you have complete control over your material but with Blogger it is a Google product. I am guessing this might be why photos go to Google images but honestly I think most all photos go there so just be aware. 


18. I loved it that folks were reading my posts and commenting on them too but did not find such satisfaction when I began finding my posts scraped and posted elsewhere. Periodically Google your site name by typing in: "your url" and also typing in a sentence or two of your blog in quote marks. You should find all that applies. Check the sites out. Many you will recognize and be perfectly legitimate, some might not be so. This is not a foolproof method to find your unique work published on the Internet but it sure helps. I also use Sitemeter to tell me what people are Googling and it is surprising what comes up there. For instance, one of my most popular posts comes up number one when a person types in certain words. Right below my original post is a pirated 'Networkedblogs' post that is an exact copy of my post but which does not link back to my blog. This has been an issue I have been working to fix. My actions include reporting the situation to Google, GoDaddy (the 'hosting' party), and the FBI through their ICC complaint process. So far the post is still up but I'm still working on it. Normally you can find the IP address and check on WHOIS who owns the IP address then send them a 'Cease and Desist' letter. This has worked well for me many times. When it is another blogger stealing your posts report it through Google (Blogger) or whatever platform you use and I know Blogger will remove the post immediately. All of your pictures and posts are date time stamped when published and/or uploaded. It is an easy thing to prove you own the work and others who steal it know they are wrong and must take down your post.  Another good method for proving ownership of your posts is to have them emailed to you. I think I have all approximately 1600 posts on my email server. They are easily accessed should I need to prove ownership and that has happened in the past.


19. I thought exposure was a good thing. Then came along Pinterest. Some bloggers highly recommend this and I think that is a big mistake. But then I guess it depends why you blog. While I love traffic the two seconds someone clicks on my blog from my photos on Pinterest is not worth it to me. Many blogs with high traffic get the traffic count from hits like these from not only Pinterest but from Google images (visitors stay a whole lot longer). Have you ever Googled something and found a whole bunch of photos of your friend bloggers showing up in searches? It is because the blogger has their settings set to public perhaps in order to attract more traffic. All of my photos are set to private viewed only by me because I hope to eliminate stealing of my photos. For whatever they are worth my photos are mine and not to be used in a manner I do not want. Pinterest uses your photos and while some bloggers might think there is a good link back to their blog they are mistaken. They perhaps get about 10% of the traffic from their original photo that they should be getting and the reason is that the url gets lost in the posting and database Pinterest uses to display a photo. If this is okay with you then by all means do Pinterest but please be aware of the consequences. It is a bit unsettling to me to find my photos on a website I have never heard of while I am just searching the web. For more information about Pinterest please see this post.  

And if you do not like my opinion about Pinterest that is fine and you are welcomed to respectfully disagree. Personal attacks on this matter will not be posted in order to protect you-the blogger leaving the comment. I obviously get the comment and will remember it well but will not post it. Refer to lesson 3 that I learned as a new blogger a long time ago. No personal attacks and no negative comments as this has already happened so I speak from experience.

20. I did not always consider how my blog posts would affect readers. Many times readers will read a blog post and take the word of the blogger as gospel. This is never a good idea. At one of the garden societies I belong to a very wise woman said, "Why would anyone believe what one blogger writes?" Why indeed? I cannot answer that but oftentimes readers may come to trust a blogger and follow that blogger religiously. This simply makes no sense but it is human nature and is not too smart in my humble opinion. If you are shopping for a new car you do not just settle on one car, find one reference and go to one store to buy that car do you? I hope not. Most people will wisely shop around for more options and more information and will compare cars before they settle on one. When car shopping is done properly the car buyer can feel confident they have made the right decision. It is the same with information on blogs. Shop around and compare. If for instance you purchase a new plant like 'Sea Foam' artemisia and you came upon my post on this particular artemisia I would hope that you would not stop there in your research. Continue gathering information about that plant from more sources and look at where the information is coming from. If you live in Florida and I say artemisia is a good plant then don't assume it will work for you. Florida is different. Use your brain and compare sources of information and make a logical decision for yourself. For me I learned I should probably put a disclaimer on my blog to let readers know that just because something works or doesn't work for us does not mean it will work for all of you-the reader. This just makes sense but sometimes reading it on a blog hammers home the lesson. It is not so much to protect us but just to remind you that common sense needs to prevail with anything you read on the Internet. I always always research plants and so adore getting information from blogs that I prefer those to any other source. I do; however, I do prefer in depth information and not just a pretty picture. So if a blog does not have in depth information I will quickly move on. This is one reason I try to put in depth info on this blog. If the info I find on another blog is good I will always comment and tell the blogger how helpful their information was. I will then move on to a botanical garden website or university website or even a nursery website to find alternative information on that plant that will either complement or dispute what I read on the blog. I then make my educated decision on what I wish to do in my garden. The same goes for you all too!

21. I tried to participate in memes to be a part of the crowd because I thought I had to. Memes can get out of hand pretty darned fast. They are interesting and can be fun because you can go to one post and see a multitude of posts all on the same subject. How cool is that? The theory is that you will visit that one post then go visit all of the other blog posts that are linked on that post. The result will, if done properly, increase your traffic and expose you and the other bloggers to new blogs. Theoretically that is. Normally, memes tend to increase traffic only for the blogger who is 'sponsoring' the meme. At least in my experience. Early on when I participated in memes I would indeed go visit other blogs and it did expose me to new blogs. Unfortunately, even when I left a comment I would rarely get a response from that blogger or any traffic. I quickly decided that I did not need to do the work to up someone else's traffic and I found I actually did not like memes because they got to be too demanding. I do not normally participate in memes. If I do it will be a once yearly meme or there is a prize involved. Those monthly memes that everyone and their brother comes up with tend to start controlling how and what I post. Blogging is an individual thing for me because no one pays me to blog. I should be able to post what I wish to post. Most of the sponsors of memes won't even comment on a blog even though bloggers post on theirs! I feel I owe nothing to the sponsors so simply don't do them. Sorry to all of you who sponsor memes but this is how it is here. I find it much simpler to manage my blog in this manner and this blog has to be about how I like it and not how a blogger who sponsors memes feels about my blog or me. In the grand scheme of things I don't know most bloggers and don't owe any anything. It may sound harsh but like everything on this blog, it is my opinion. I am in touch with myself so I choose not to do memes. If you wish to participate as a new blogger then by all means do so! But be certain you are doing it for the right reasons; whatever they may be that is right for you! 

22. I wondered how many people subscribed to the blog. You can find out this information via your feed or via Google analytics. It is interesting to me that many people get their blog posts via email and never even visit this blog. Check and see if you have readers in this manner and I bet you will be pleasantly surprised if you are a traffic driven person.  


22. There are no rules for length of posts or number of pictures you post. This goes back to the blogging is an individual thing. If you do not post true to yourself I don't think blogging would be fun for you for very long. Don't try to emulate others just because they seem popular or have a good following. Find your niche and write true to yourself. If you want to post 1000 pictures or just one then do it! If you like to talk or write then do it! If you wish to remain silent then do it! Do your own thing. People will find you and if they like your voice they will return time and time again.  The key is to be passionate about what you blog about. Your passion will show through no matter what your voice is.

24. Don't take things personal on the Internet and in blogging. For the most part people don't actually know you. If someone you have never even met before says something that offends you just chalk it up to miscommunication on the web and perhaps view it from their perspective in a positive light. In other words if someone does not know you how can they possibly try to offend you or hurt you? They can't so it can't be personal on the web. If you are the type of person that holds grudges and makes that mighty clear when you personally meet another blogger then that is another story we won't even address here. For new bloggers who don't know anyone in blogging get out there and get your feet wet and have fun blogging. Don't worry about others as long as you stay positive and don't send fire thrower posts at others you will be all right. Garden blogging in particular is so not personal towards others. 
  
25. I did not proofread as well as I should have. In fact, I still don't proofread and edit all that well as you all can attest if you have read this entire post. Proofreading and editing posts is good if only to make posts easier for your readers to read and understand. That being said unless you have another person read your posts it is hard for the writer of the post to catch and correct all errors. Blogger has made it simpler over the last few years with their feature called "Preview". I find it much easier to catch errors if I preview posts ahead of time. Even then I might not catch all errors. If I go back to a post and find an error I always correct it. 

26. I did not understand the importance of internal and external links. I still don't totally understand links but I do know that if you wind up linking to a lot of outside your blog urls some of those urls are bound to go down. I always try to fix these as I have read that a lot of broken links will eventually affect your blog. I also try to do a lot of internal links because I am fairly sure the posts Skeeter and I post will not go down. Not only that but when another person steals your work internal links help to direct your traffic back to you. Links are usually good but be sure to check them occasionally. I do this via Sitemeter.

Despite all of my advice on this post and lessons learned these tidbits are merely my observations. Each blogger will have their own take on blogging and each and every blog will be different. We are all individuals and that is what makes blogging really cool! There are no set rules. We don't answer to anyone but ourselves (unless you are a paid blogger and THAT is a whole other ballgame I have not discussed here). If there is one thing I hope you'll take away from this post it is that I seek only to let you all know that if some of these lessons learned resonate with you then you are not alone! For me blogging has made me see that many of my trials and tribulations, successes and failures, thoughts and deeds, are shared by others too....and that makes a community....

in the garden.....

My girl CeCe pictured in the picture is an old lady who can care less about anything around her. She cares only about living, eats the same food every day at the same time, and plods around when she needs to do so. We, as people and bloggers can learn so much from dogs. And that is to focus on our lives and our world and what is important no matter what that may be for us. Life is too short to worry about blogging so have fun and enjoy it for you!

Words and Photos Property of In the Garden Blog Team, In the Garden