Presentation on lessons learned going from hobby blogger to full time blogger. Learn more at http://www.killerblogging.com

1. B Y : J O H N L Y N N
J O H N @ C R A S H U T A H . C O M
H T T P : / / W W W . C R A S H U T A H . C O M
@ T E C H G U Y
From Hobby to Full Time Blogger:
Lessons Learned from 5 Years of
Blogging

2. Audience
 No Separation of Blogging from WordPress
 New Bloggers
 Current Bloggers
 Start More Blogs
 Keys to Blogging
 What matters most?
 Passion
 Motivation

3. Hobby Blogging – June 2005
 Lesson Learned: Great Content Matters
 Lesson Learned: Monetize Early (Ad Focused WP Theme)

4. Topic Blogging - EMR
 December 2005
 Goals
 Become an Expert in EMR
 Reach the First Page of Google for “EMR”
 Lesson Learned: Have Goals
 Lesson Learned: Don’t be Afraid of Failure
 Lesson Learned: Stats Addict
 WP.com Stats Plugin
 Google Analytics
 Ad Stats (ie. $$$$)
 Not Comments (bad stat)
 Lesson Learned: Stats Motivate (Perspective Changes)
 Spikage RULES!!

5. Spikage Rules!!

6. Paid Blogging (PayPerPost) – Learning Phase
 Blogger 61
 Incredible Motivator
 Be Social
 Drives Traffic
 More Fun
 Learn
 Don’t Believe Anything You Read!
 Top Blog on WordPress.com
 WordPress.com Slap Down (TOS Violation)
 Lesson Learned: Platform Matters

7. Finding the TV Niche
 Lesson Learned: Great Backups (wp-db-backup)
 Lesson Learned: Not All Monetization is Equal
 Splurged on 5 New Domains
 Pure TV Network
 Lesson Learned: 5 Minute Install – Much Longer to
Build Content and Traffic

8. Scaling a Blog
 Stimulus Money Worked for Me
 Lesson Learned: wp-super-cache works!
 Lesson Learned: Consistent Readers Rule…mostly
 Must Blog Consistently
 Lesson Learned: Advertisers and Revenue
Rule…mostly
 Must Maintain Traffic
 Need an Accountant
 Lesson Learned: New Sources of Traffic
 Lesson Learned: Monetization is Never Over
 New Opportunities with No More Effort

9. My Future Blogging
 There is no future, it’s just part of my life!
 Opens Up Crazy Opportunities
 Backstage at TV Show Tapings
 Satellite Radio Show
 Media/Press Access to Events
 Not Just Writing
 SEO
 SEO Plugin (All in One SEO Pack Plugin)
 Good Titles
 Good Tags/Categories
 Internal Linking
 Newly Popular Keywords
 Lesson Learned: Don’t Pay for Promotion…maybe
 Lesson Learned: Do LOVE the Process!!

10. About My Blogs
 5 Years Later
 2 Electronic Medical Record (EMR) Blogs
 4 TV Related Blogs
 2 BuddyPress “Blogs”
 ~6000 Blog Posts
 ~13 Million Pageviews
 Far Too Many Comments
 “Built a Media Empire”
 King of My Blogging World

11. B Y : J O H N L Y N N
J O H N @ C R A S H U T A H . C O M
H T T P : / / W W W . C R A S H U T A H . C O M
@ T E C H G U Y
Questions?