Getting back to "Me" Guest Post by Susan Silver

                                             A Story NEVER told

Here is a story rarely told.  Back in May 2010 I was steadily working on a blog with a colleague. That was the proving ground for many of my SEO tactics. We were finally building an audience and then... it ended. Not with a bang but a whimper as they say. My friend informed me that she had been hired and that she had signed a non-competition clause. That was the end of that.

At first I was a little devastated. I think anyone would have responded that way after building something for 6 months. I wasn’t quite sure what the next step was going to be. I had my own personal blog, but it was nothing. I needed a fresh perspective. I saw Darren “Problogger” Rowse’s tweet about the SITS Girls 31 Days to Build a Better Blog Challenge and that seemed like a way out.

At that time, Cirquedumot was just a crazy experiment to show off the power of Twitter. It has become the cornerstone of my blogging experience. Through SITS I finally understood the power of networks, word of mouth, and having support for your ideas.

This seems all off topic right? This is supposed to be about getting back to me, not the tale of where things started. Off topic... the doom and gloom of any blog. It’s called a niche, not my continuing interest in the world & everything. Staying on topic is something any blogger will struggle with.

The bad news, my blog had plateaued at about three months in *faceplant*. My network trailed off and I find myself lost again. I was wondering if our online networks are nothing more than fair weather friends.  I focused on search engine optimization and content. After all, these two aspects where within my control.

I had forgotten something that made those early blogs stand out, heart.

Heart?

I forgot about heart!

You see those early success were built on the relationships I had with people on the forum. When the challenge ended where was I, not on SITS. Don’t get me wrong content and SEO matter. They will never replace your friends and supporters. They are what keeps us going when the going gets tough. That is what I was missing.

How am I getting back to me?

My blog is all about word of mouth and that means bringing back a sense that there is a person behind the content. I am just going to follow my original mission. Explain marketing mumbo jumbo and give real tips that people can use. My number one goal for the New Year is to treat my blog as the personal journey it represents. After all people relate to people not concepts.

I hope you will continue on this journey with me as we navigate the online world together. I want to take the time to thank Ms. Positivity for her support that has kept me on the path! Thank you everyone who has taken the time to visit, read, and comment! 

To get to know Susan better check her blog out at http://cirquedumot.com and you can catch her on Twitter!!