DEAR HARRIETTE: After being told to start a blog by multiple friends and family members, I took the plunge. Although I felt like I had a lot of support, nobody is reading or commenting on my posts. I thought I could’ve turned myself into a brand, and now I’m flopping. Should I continue striving for this dream or cut the cord five months in? -- Blogging Is Hard, Milwaukee
DEAR BLOGGING IS HARD: It is time for you to regroup and think about what you really want. If you feel that the content of your blog is important to you and might be interesting to others, devote more time to developing it.
There are two elements needed to make your blog successful: consistently compelling content and expansive marketing. Your blog will never be successful simply because of support from your friends and family. You have to reach out to other communities of people online and push it to them. Learn about how to market to others, how to use key words effectively and how to develop an overall strategy for success. Don’t give up yet, though. You have only just begun.