Monday, April 17, 2017

Another Milestone on the Blogging Road—Are You Marking Your Accomplishments?


by Edie Melson 
@EdieMelson


Today is another big milestone in the life of The Write Conversation, and in my own blogging life.

And truthfully, I think it would be a shame to let it slip by without acknowledging it. ESPECIALLY because it wouldn't have happened without you all (my readers) and without my amazing columnists.

 Yesterday’s post was number 2000. So that makes today, 2001.

I just need to take a minute and let that sink in. 

When I shared this information with my husband, his comment was, “That’s just over 5 years of posting. I thought you’d been at this longer than that.” (Yeah, it seems that way to me too. LOL!)

Actually he’s right, and he’s wrong. 

If I’d been posting 7 days a week from the very beginning of this blog, it would only be 5 and a half years. But I didn’t start out sharing a post a day. I started slow—giving myself a chance to succeed—posting only once a week. 

The first post on this site went live on December 11, 2009. 

Those early posts were rough. And many of you may think I’ve long since taken them down. But the truth is, as bad as they were, I’m proud of those first posts. To me, they represent my public claim as a writer.

I knew I had a long way to go. But I also knew to get there, I needed to start.

I’d waited until I was polished and perfect . . . well . . . I’d still be waiting. 

Funny thing is, that’s what the first post is all about. I wrote about Mastering Your Dream. As much of a beginner as I was, I still knew that getting where I want to go takes work.  

Enough about me.

The title of this post says what I want to focus on—helping you mark your own milestones—in blogging and in your writing life.

Just by reading this blog, you are taking time right now to invest in your dream. You’re making the effort to learn and grow as a writer. You’re reaching out and encouraging one another as we come together to follow the path set before us. 

Here are some things you need to be marking:
  • Your first post: There are a lot of folks out there who haven’t gotten past the fear of failure and actually published the first post on a blog. You did, and you deserve to celebrate!
  • Your first 10 email subscribers: Ten is a number you can work with. It’s a diverse enough group to begin to spread the word. Do not despise small beginnings.
  • The first time you stick to a schedule for 6 weeks: I’m always educating bloggers about the importance of keeping on a regular blogging schedule—publishing posts on the same day, at the same time, every week. If you’ve done it for six weeks straight, that’s something to brag about. A lot of life happens over the course of 6 weeks. You’ve kept blogging a priority, in spite of the insanity.
  • The first email you get about a typo in your blog post: This may seem like something to be ashamed of, and I’m definitely NOT advocating slopping writing. But the truth is, we all make mistakes. If someone cares enough to make you look good, you’re in a good place.
  • The first request you get asking if you accept guest bloggers: If someone thinks enough of your site to ask if you accept guest bloggers, that’s definitely something to celebrate.
  • The first request you get asking you to be a guest blogger: Again, your blog has been read and what you’ve written has been found valuable. This is another reason to celebrate.
  • Getting 100 unique hits in a month: This may seem small, but it’s really not. One hundred people have stopped by to see what you had to say. That’s a definite milestone. You should also celebrate 1000, 1500, 2500, etc.
  • Getting an email or comment about how much your writing impacted someone’s life: This is why we’re doing this. It’s so easy to get caught up in the numbers and forget that they’re not really numbers at all—they’re people.
  • Comments on 5 posts in a row: It’s hard to get the right mix of subject matter, open-ended questions, and blogging magic to get comments on every single post. If you’ve gotten them on five posts in a row, you’re doing a lot right.
  • The 1-year anniversary of your blog: This shows real commitment. Don’t look back with an eye toward what you did wrong. Look at what you did right. Build on the positive, otherwise you’ll discourage yourself into a bad case of writers block.
  • Getting more than 10 comments on a single post: Pay close attention when this happens, it means you hit a nerve with your audience. Build on what works.
  • Getting a comment from someone telling you they were referred to your blog: This means your audience is sharing your blog. It’s a big deal and important to celebrate.
  • Your 100th blog post: Writing 100 blog posts means that you’ve published around 65,000 words (probably more). That’s almost an entire book. You have proven you can do it and it’s time to celebrate.

SPECIAL NOTE: These celebrations won't come in this exact order. Healthy blog growth isn't linear. Here's a blog post I wrote about How Fast Should My Blog Grow

These are the things I celebrated, and encourage others to make note of. What would you add to the list? Be sure to leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

Don’t forget to join the conversation!
Blessings,
Edie

TWEETABLES


Oh, in case you’re curious, below are some links to the earliest posts, along with the stats (and you should notice I didn't even know enough to use images to illustrate my posts). They're untouched. I've left them just as they were when I first put them up.

Monday, December 11, 2009
Page views before today: 40

Monday, December 21, 2009 
Page views before today: 21

Monday, January 25, 2010 
Page views before today: 12
http://thewriteconversation.blogspot.com/2010/01/writing-for-internet-discussing-and.html

21 comments:

  1. Thanks Edie...I hadn't thought about milestones in my blogging. Reading through yours has verified I have done a lot of things right. A big part of that has been reading The Write Conversation over the past 3 years. I am excited about my progress and look forward to the future achieving more milestones as I go. Thanks for you insight and sharing it.

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    1. Sheryl, thank you! But the fact that you are continuing on is the biggest part of your success! Blessings, E

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  2. Thank you, Edie. This is such an encouraging post. Your site is always full of good ideas and instruction. This post is a good reminder for me to make some changes.

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    1. Mary, I'm so glad I'm able to encourage you! Blessings, E

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  3. So inspiring! Thank you. My 6-year blogging mark is coming up soon! Gotta celebrate~~~

    xo

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    1. Julie, congratulations!!! I look forward to your posts every week because they're so encouraging! Blessings, E

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  4. This was very inspiring, Mrs. Melson! I've only been blogging for a little over six months, but I've already been able to mark four or five of the things from your list ;). It's incredible that this is the 2k post on The Write Conversation! Well done!

    ~ Savannah
    scattered-scribblings.blogspot.com

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    1. Savannah, 6 months is definitely something to celebrate! I look forward to reading your posts for years to come! Blessings, E

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  5. Congratulations, Edie!!! You are an inspiration to so many! And someone I am incredibly thankful for.
    Much love,
    Sarah

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    1. Sarah, I feel exactly the same way about you! Blessings, E

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  6. CONGRATS, EDIE!!! them's a lotta blog words!! I hadn't thought much about marking milestones on my blog, but I did just celebrate my third blogaversary I, too, look at my first (feeble) blog post, and how far I've come!! You are one from whom I have taken cues (post regularly and consistenly, for one) and I'm excited how far I've come and where I'm going!
    thanks for all your great coaching posts and here's to 5K!!!

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    1. Robin, thank you! You are an inspiration to me too! Blessings, E

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  7. Yes, Edie, I too extend huge congratulations. I read your very first blog Post and shared on my FB. I look forward to reading All your Posts!

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  8. Congratulations Edie! Here is to 2,000 more! Keep up the great work. Wishing you more milestones and many blessings.

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    1. Thank you for your encouragement! Blessings, E

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  9. Thank you for sharing with us. I enjoy your blog!! I checked off several things I've done right. Thanks for all your advice. Congratulations on your milestone. Looking forward to many more.

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    1. Gail, I'm so glad I was able to help you highlight some of of your own accomplishments! Thanks for sharing, Blessings, E

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  10. Congratulations! I'll hit my 1,000th post on my book review blog in the next couple of months, and I still feel like a learner. Thanks for the encouragement to celebrate what I have achieved, rather than wondering how I could have done better.

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    1. Iola, that's FANTASTIC!!! Congratulations! Thank you so much for dropping by and letting us know and celebrate with you, Blessings, E

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  11. Encouraging as it gives me a list I can handle. I love lists. I'm still working on the consistency aspect.

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