BlogRush launched its service recently, allowing bloggers to cross-promote their blogs. Some bloggers gave their approval to this service while others resisted the temptation. Amongst the few that added the widget to their site are: John Chow and Shoemoney. That being said, ProBlogger opted not to display the widget. What’s the rationale for their decision?

Note: Out of the three, John Chow is the only one to use MyBlogLog.

This goes to show that “online blog promotion” also depends on the personality of the blogger. For most bloggers, blogging also has a personal component to it. Promoting a blog online therefore is not the same as promoting a website. There is not that same emphasis on staying true to your image/ vision of things when promoting a website.

Also, different people have different perspectives on things. These three bloggers must not see the same advantage or benefit in using BlogRush/ MyBlogLog.

If you are a blogger, you already know that inspiration is not always there. The easiest way to be inspired is to have passion for what you write about or to write on a subject you’re familiar with. If, for instance, you have a hobby, why not start a blog discussing your hobby? It won’t take much more of your time and will be something you enjoy doing. Don’t start a blog with the idea that it will bring you income. It won’t.

Many webmasters make the mistake of searching for which Adsense keywords pay well and starting a blog on that basis. If, for instance, each click pays on average $2, they just need a few clicks a day to pay for their stipend. The problem is that just to get a few clicks a day is not that easy, although it may sound like it. The result? Many people start blogging dreaming of earning additional income online, just to give up a few months down the road.

One of the biggest lessons I learned as a webmaster is to be patient. Nothing comes easy or fast online. This stands is stark contrast with most people’s attention span when they surf the Web. What an irony.

“To Blog or Not to Blog, That Is the (Real) Question”

Starting a blog is hard work and requires commitment. Many people start with a lot of goodwill and enthusiasm, just to let that go after a few weeks or months. The rewards of blogging are first and foremost personal from my perspective. Writers write because they enjoy it and, as a plus, hope to make money out of it. Same for blogging. If you start a blog with the expectation to make money, you will soon find yourself disillusioned. Traffic doesn’t come easily… and without traffic, money doesn’t come. Money on the Web is a simple process: build your traffic and then monetize that traffic.

The best when starting a blog is not to write too many posts. At the beginning, nobody will read your blog anyways, so why put in the effort? From experience, it is better to start slow and find your rhythm. Once you have found your “style” and what makes you different, you can proceed to write more frequently. By that time, your number of readers will probably justify you investing more energy into your blog.

Start slow but try to be consistent. Ever heard the story of the turtle who beat the rabbit in a race?