Why are You on Twitter?
I have read quite a few articles about Twitter lately, and one recurring question is: Why are you on Twitter?
So, Why am I on Twitter?
Not the most exciting answer I know. But he blogged about it. I joined. End of story.
I was not looking to market anything or gain blog traffic or even chat.
I thought it was potentially a great microblogging tool especially as the number and frequency of my blogs decreased. Twitter was a way to say something online without having to come up with a blog post idea.
Oh well, it feels good to confess. 
Heeeeere’s Johnny
I’ve decided to start blogging here again. I seem to have a love-hate relationship with this blog. Years ago, when I started it, I was aiming to be a SEO expert, and it turns out now that everyone is an “SEO” expert.
I won’t bother to delete any posts this time around. I wish I had kept some of the old ones from previous blog rebirths. It would be interesting to read what I was thinking at that moment in time. The main reason this blog and some others bit the dust was that my online fire simply fizzled out. But life is cyclical and I’m all fired up.
What will I blog about this time around?
Probably, a lot about Twitter – my latest online obsession.
Friendfeed will enter the mix as I learn to work it.
Or pretty much anything else web-related – blogging, social media, SEO, cool sites, etc.
Good to be back. 
Moving on Up to the Top
I’ve switched my online approach.
Instead of working from the top down, I have decided to work from the bottom up.
This includes focusing on one blog until the infrastructure is in place. That basically means creating and maintaining a viable blogging schedule, compiling sources for blog post, tweaking the template, building links, etc. I have even begun posting to the future, which is great because I don’t have to blog on weekends ,or when my offline work schedule becomes hectic. Yet I can still have posts showing up everyday.
Giving Up My Celebrity Blog
Well, I’ve decided to give up my entertainment blog. While I have an opinion on celebrities and movies and whatnot, I just don’t give a hoot about writing about that stuff. Plus, there are already so many really good celebrity blogs out there. It was hard to delineate myself from the rest.
Anyway, from now on, I’ll just be reading them.
Finally Figuring Out Google Referrals
I’ve finally figured out how to make a little spending cash with Google referrals. Well, at least for Google specific products, e.g. Firefox or Google Pack.
It turns out that a little description or endorsement of the product goes a long way with getting folks interested in the link.
Webmaster Vs. Blogger
So while I may have narrowed down the number of blogs that I’m working on, now I am beginning to re-thinking my whole approach to my online pursuits. I just don’t think I’m much of a blogger. I may shift back to “webmaster” and drop the “blogger” moniker altogether.
Blogs on the Chopping Block
Well, I have finally decided to let go of many of my blogs. Alas a blogging goddess I’ll never be. But infrequent posting and even worst, uninspired posts are no way to build an audience. Spread too thin. So I let more than a few sinking ships sink. Now I can focus my efforts and try to find a voice for the blogs that I have decided to keep.
So what did I keep? I am keeping four blogs (Detroit, contests, pop culture, and this one). In addition, I will keep my personal and professional blogs going as well.
Half-Way Point of My October Challenge
I haven’t quite blogged as much as I would have liked to, but I have definitely blogged a lot more than before the challenge.
What has worked:
- Blogging when the idea strikes – Too often I would wait thinking I would do it later. Well, of course later I would never post. Now, even if I don’t like the draft, I at least do a draft.
- Reading more – I have dramatically increased my blog subscriptions. I also check out more varied news sites.
What do I need to do:
- Pick what blogs I’m working on – There are only a couple blogs where I post consistently. One thing about trying to increase my blog productivity is that I’m finding out what topics are most appealing to me. I need to let go of some blogs, but it’s not easy.
- Come up with better marketing of my so-called network – Definitely, “the sell” is not one of my strong suits. I think as I define my blogs, and narrow down the consistent ones, it will help with “the sell.” Right now, things are still a little garbled and inconsistent.
My October Challenge
So this month, I decided to kick my blogging efforts up a notch. So far, I have blogged a little more than usual. Traffic is also up a bit. I plan to use this experiment to find a more definitive voice on a few of my sites. I’m trying to break out of the “regurgitator” mode.
