Here are my tips on how to grow your blog audience:

• Interact with other bloggers. This is no “If you build it, they will come” kinda deal. If you build it — no matter how amazing it is — it will most likely sit there. The Web is interactive and you have to get in on the action in order to let readers know your blog exists. Comment on other blogs in your niche, using your name and blog URL. My friend and travel blogger extraordinaire Emily Sims (co-creator of Travelated) recommends commenting on 10 blogs a day in your niche to generate interest in your blog and get your link out there. Many bloggers will return the love and comment on your blog, and at the very least, your link will be on a site in your niche for interested readers to see.
• Social network your little heart out. Social networks offer free advertising and can reach millions of people all over the world. So Tweet, link, share and bookmark your blog posts to attract more visitors. Announce your posts on social networks like Twitter and Facebook and bookmark your posts on sites like StumbleUpon and Digg. Create a Facebook business fan page for your blog and sign in as your business to comment on and like related businesses’ and blogs’ posts. This will help attract more likes to your fan page from people interested in your niche.
• Get active in your niche online community. Contribute to forums, use niche-specific social networks and develop online friends with an interest in your blog topic. Since I write about running, I post on the Dailymile social network as well as The Loop, a forum on the Runner’s World site. Both sites have driven a lot of interested runners to my site and I’ve made some great online friends through them.
• Reply to all comments. When a reader takes the time to comment on your blog, show your appreciation by replying. If the reader leaves a link to her blog, mosey over and comment on one of her posts. (You don’t have to do this for spammers of course).
• Be patient. Most blogs take at least a year to build a steady audience, so don’t get deterred if your blog seems to be puttering along slowly. Stay the course and you’ll come out ahead of the millions of bloggers who start and abandon blogs in the first year. Remain diligent and you will gain a loyal following.
• Post frequently. ProBlogger Darren Rowse recommends writing a post a day in your blog’s first year, as you are still working to build an audience. I have fallen short of this mark due to time constraints, I admit, and usually post five to six times a week. Aim for at least five posts a week in your first year.
• Provide useful and engaging content. Keep your blog’s purpose in mind and write posts that accomplish your main objective. Whether you want to provide useful information, entertain your audience or do a mixture of both, keep your content fresh and engaging and your readers will be hooked.

For more useful tips on growing your blog and making money from your blog, I recommend Darren Rowse’s book ProBlogger: Secrets for Blogging Your Way to a Six-Figure Income, co-written by professional blogger Chris Garrett. Let’s hook up! Follow me on Twitter, check out my Word Whiz Media Facebook page and follow me on StumbleUpon.

For running tips and fitness workouts, check out my blog runstreet.com/

But before you begin harriedly typing away to meet everyone’s wishes, do yourself a favor and just say no to the projects or topics you have no interest or expertise in. Sure, we’d all like to be able to save the world and help everyone with our writing, but the truth is, the more you spread yourself thin and write about topics you have no knowledge of, the more your writing quality will deteriorate.

Think of your name as a brand and your writing as your product. The more writing you have associated with your name that lacks passion, knowledge or know-how, the less your brand will be worth. I am not saying to avoid risks or ventures in new subject areas, or to drop all writing jobs that pay your bills, but rather to focus as much energy as possible on the areas you know about and enjoy. As you write more on your niche topics, your audience will grow. Your experience and knowledge will shine through, and people will flock to your work.

Here are a few quick tips to help hone in on your best writing topics:

• Consider your job experience. What fields have you worked in and what can you share about them? Most of us have extensive insider’s tips from various jobs, but many people will not be able to express them as clearly or powerfully as a writer. Combine your real-world experience with your passion for writing to create winning blogs, articles or books.
• What are your hobbies? Think about what you love and how you can share your passion with others. I am a lifelong runner and fitness enthusiast, for example, so it felt like a natural progression for me to start writing fitness articles for Livestrong, as well as various magazines and newspapers.
• Dust off your credentials. Degrees and certifications give obvious clues to areas you are qualified to write about. If you have certifications or credentials in specific fields, mention them in your bio or articles so your readers know you are a qualified source of information.
• Earn credentials. Although I’ve ran competitively since seventh grade and have trained with several different coaches, I didn’t have any certifications to officially qualify me as an expert. So I decided to get my Road Runners Club of America running coach certification to add merit to my running articles. Since then I have launched my own running site, Runstreet, as well as gleaned many new writing ideas from clients I coach. And when people hire me to do fitness articles, I have credentials to back my words.
• Organize your goals. Brainstorm, create a collage or make a Venn diagram with your areas of expertise and writing goals to devise the best plan of action for your writing. If you want to make a Venn diagram, you can download a free Venn diagram template from Microsoft. Organize your Venn diagram according to your goals, interests and writing niche. For instance, I put my areas of expertise in the left circle, my writing goals in the right circle and resulting writing goals for my niche markets in the center. You can arrange your own diagram according to your own priorities and goals. Here is my sample diagram:

1. Do something different

If you want your business to be successful, make sure that it stands out from the crowd. Don’t attempt to be everything to everyone. You need to specialize and focus your energy on serving a particular niche.

2. Plan ahead

You should plan ahead before starting any business. A plan will guide you throughout the course of getting your business up and running and will help you to make strategic decisions. Proper planning will help you in deciding your future goals and objectives.

3. Do not spend too much on image

When starting a new business there is generally no need to spend thousands of dollars on designing, printing and distributing the brochures and other flashy sales materials. According to rough estimates, you can easily spend at least $9000 on brochures and branding items that will rarely contribute to the profitability of the business.

4. The Yellow pages

As an excited entrepreneur you may find it necessary to advertise your new business in the yellow pages. However, advertising in the yellow pages can be a very expensive endeavor and there are other ways of marketing your small business that are less expensive and offer better marketing returns.

5. Do not spend unnecessarily on website design

Getting a professionally designed website can range in costs significantly. The purpose of a typical website is to inform potential customers about your company and most importantly capture leads that your business can nurture into paying customers. Therefore, it is important that you have a website designed from a template, as this would cheaper than having a new website designed from scratch.

6. Not Promoting your services and solutions

Most new small businesses make this very common mistake. Instead of promoting the services or solutions that the business can provide to the customer, businesses spend more time promoting themselves. Customers want to know the benefits that they will receive from using your product of service. Although it is important to brand yourself and your company, ultimately customers only care about themselves and how your goods will serve them. Therefore, make it a point to promote the benefits of your goods and services regularly.

7. Marketing to the wrong market

If you are a baker and you are handing out your brochures at a garage, then you may be targeting the wrong market. You may want to hand them out at grocery stores or similar venues when you can attract customer. Regardless of your business, you must make sure that you are targeting the appropriate market.

8. Never stop marketing your business

This is a very important rule for any business. You should market your business constantly so that people never forget about you or your business. People live business lives and may not initially need your services. However, if you continue to market your business, you stay in the forefront of your target market and generate business consistently.

9. Quitting when the road gets tough

If you didn’t get the expected response for your business, this doesn’t mean that you should give up. Learn from your mistakes and try to rectify any problems that are plaguing your business.

10. Be innovative

It is not necessary that you conduct business in the same manner as other companies. However, you should always be looking for ways to be more innovative, which will set your business apart from the crown and naturally attract more customers towards you.

Overall, starting a small business is a journey with no set destination. If you choose to travel down this less chosen path you will be presented with many obstacles and short falls. However, for your dedication and diligence, you will be rewarded handsomely so don’t give up on your small business.

Kimberly Robinson is a writer at Credit Donkey, a small business credit card blog. Come read Grace’s recent article on leveraging customer service to improve your bottom line.

Ubi resting during a sick spell.

Recently my furry kid and famed co-worker, Ubi (check him out on Twitter and Facebook) became critically ill. After more than a year of vet visits, misdiagnoses, infections and unknown sicknesses, the vets finally determined that he has a large prostatic cyst that has to be removed. The news that Ubi needed immediate surgery hit quickly, as he had just gone in to have his cyst drained and then fell seriously ill afterwards. The only solution was surgery, the specialists said.

To make a long story short, I had tapped out all of my resources to pay the thousands in vet bills Ubi had racked up in the last year, and had no idea how I could pay for surgery. Thanks to Google, I came across IMOM.org, a nonprofit that donates funds to help cover emergency vet bills for pets that would otherwise die or have to be put to sleep. Unfortunately, Ubi fell in that category, as the vet said if I couldn’t afford surgery, they’d recommend euthanasia to end Ubi’s suffering.

After 10 years and traipsing all over the country together — from college in Illinois to a newspaper office in Atlanta — the thought of putting Ubi to sleep made me sick. I could not eat, I could not sleep and I could not focus on anything but Ubi. I spent long hours glued to my laptop typing article after online article to try to fundraise, but the money I was making was immediately going to pay for Ubi’s emergency vet visits as his condition worsened.

The whole time I knew something would work out and I could not give up. Ubi never gave up on me and remained by my side through many life changes and challenges, and I could not abandon him when he needed me most. He has been the one loyal companion in my constantly changing life. There was no way I was going to have my best friend put to sleep because I was too broke to pay for him. Right at the point where I was beginning to consider selling my soul, IMOM popped up in my Google search. After a quick but thorough series of correspondences and getting the application papers signed by Ubi’s vet, IMOM approved us for assistance and set up a fundraising page for Ubi.

And to my surprise and excitement, funds came tumbling in, from generous IMOM members — some of whose pets had also been saved by IMOM — as well as friends of Ubi’s from all of his social networks. Ubi is quite a popular guy with friends all over the world, from his real-life travels (he loves road trips and we have moved a lot) and his online tales. To my amazement, we reached the $1,000 fundraising goal in just a few hours! I have never experienced so many generous people reaching out to help me in a time of need, all of them anonymous.

The whole experience made me cry often throughout the day, out of relief, happiness and gratitude. By evening, I felt like I could outcry Oprah. At one point, I went for a run to relieve my growing anxiety about Ubi’s surgery (scheduled for tomorrow), and afterwards I drove by a homeless guy asking for money. Inspired by the generosity of Ubi’s donors, I literally gave him my last dollar. I had a roof to go home to, food to eat and Ubi would be taken care of, so I felt like giving a dollar was the least I could do.

I continue to be in awe of the generosity of fellow pet lovers, friends of Ubi’s and friends of mine who reached out to help in what is a tough economic time for many of us. I wish I could thank each donor individually but the process is all anonymous, so the best I can do is continue to update Ubi’s continuously growing group of followers and friends online, and pledge to support and share IMOM’s mission with as many people as possible. Who knows, someday I may be pledging thousands to help a pet in need, starting my own nonprofit or creating an animal rescue group. The goodness and generosity of IMOM and Ubi’s supporters — from the ones who re-posted and offered encouragement on Facebook and Twitter to the ones who donated — will continue to motivate me to give, faithful in the power of compassion that I have witnessed.

Blogging? I got blogs for days~ what site you wanna hit? Hobbies? Honey, I can tell you about anything from pole dancing to dog agility training. Awards? Oh, I’ve racked up a few in my time. Certifications? I have a bartender certification and I’m almost done with my pole dance instructor certification and running coach certification. And I’ve studied to be a personal trainer, a real estate appraiser, and yes, even a financial planner (my friends are laughing at this one, I know). Not to mention my lifelong experience with dogs, from studying breeds to practicing different training techniques (once again, please stop laughing. I tried to train Ubi, ok~ Akitas are just um, challenging). Then there are all the job experiences – from peddling makeup to mopping floors. Let’s just say I’ve dipped my hands in a lot of endeavors. Perhaps it’s the curse of ADD, or maybe just an active mind.

Whatever you call it, I find it difficult to pick just one or two niches and stick to them. But I think I am finally whittling it down to a few prospects. My freelance writing work has been mainly in the fitness arena for the past year, and my hobbies and part-time job (teaching pole dancing) are also fitness-related. So I think I’ve finally landed in a niche that I can stick with. I have been running for about 15 years, so that’s a good predictor of my being able to stick with this niche, right? And pole dancing, well that’s less than a year old, but oh I’m so in love and I believe this relationship will last. It just always makes me feel good…

Don’t get me wrong, I still have other ideas (ok, pages and pages of ideas) floating around out there, but I am sticking to mainly fitness writing for now. Besides ferreting out possible niche topics, I gotta think about what pays. Because Ubi’s gotta eat, and I’m not takin my pole dancing to a club any time soon. And let’s face it, who is going to pay me for some of my other niches, like writing poems? I’m no court jester, I see no wealthy patrons looming about…so anyways, before I get off topic, here’s to deciding to stick with this niche, and here’s to you finding yours and enjoying the ride all the way to the bank.

To me, love is not just romantic, love sustains life. Without love, none of us would be here now. Someone had to love and care for us to help us grow from helpless infants to adults. And someone had to love and encourage us along the way during life’s problems and challenges. Even when you are all alone, a stranger will offer a kind word or your pet will lick your face, and you know that all is not futile.

Love inspires:

• going to the quick shop to get your lover a snack at 3 a.m.,
• telling your mom thanks for the food she made you that you loved in fifth grade but really kind of stopped liking 10 years ago
• chatting with your friend at 3 a.m. when he feels completely alone
• making soup for your lover when she is sick, and picking up her medicine from the pharmacy
• telling your co-worker she did a great job, even if she did better than you
• giving your friend a hug and telling him he will do better after a breakup
• spending the end of your paycheck on a gift for your partner
• getting up at 4 a.m. to feed your baby when you’re so tired you can hardly see straight
• taking your pet to the park when it feels like alaska outside
• caring about strangers and offering a kind word or compliment
• listening to a lonely person at a store or restaurant
• being genuinely happy for people who are doing well, even if you are not

Love is not always glamorous, exciting or easy, but it is rewarding in itself, especially when you recognize its many forms.

And that is my Valentine’s Day rant. Carry on, please. With love.

On vacation with a friend from high school.

Creativity abounds in everyday life, from the clever and hilarious text your friend sends you from the front lines of office hell to the off-the-wall ideas your significant other concocts in the middle of a lazy night. Not to mention the lyrics that pump you up during a workout, the lines that resonate with you from a movie or the way your friend pairs a $5 sweater with kids’ earrings for a smashing, one-of-a-kind ensemble. You can even find creative inspiration on Facebook (add me!), in a friend’s striking photograph, a timely quote or a cleverly worded update. The art forms that inspire us in our everyday lives help us realize we’re not alone. It can be a character on your favorite TV show, an editorial blog or a glance from a stranger that connects you, making you realize there are others on your wavelength.

Some of my biggest inspiration has come from creations that I never learned about in school: from Tupac’s lyrics to my best friend’s bold resourcefulness while traveling through Europe with no money. Traveling has swept me off countless creative blocks, inspiring me with new combinations of sights, colors, people, ideas, smells and tastes. Hip hop has also kept me going in life, accompanying me through loss, grief, despair, trials and triumphs with more strength and determination than I could muster on my own, often voicing feelings I could not.

Who or what has inspired you in your life? Take a moment to think back on what has helped you stay motivated, kept you going through tough times and made you want to do more with your life. Whether you are an accountant or an artist, creative inspiration influences you by sparking excitement, making you want to stray from your usual path, take risks and make positive changes in your life.

Chances are, your creative inspiration is not all in “the classics.” So take a moment and give props to the people and creations that inspire you. Cause really, isn’t it time Shakespeare shares some of the limelight?

1. Profess your religion with cult-like emphasis, and proclaim anyone that does not agree with you 100% is going to hell. It’s always good to remind everyone how sinful they are, and condemnation will have your friends fleeing in no time. Add some bite to your bark by posting links to cult videos and photos (any will do, because really, don’t all those bonnet-clad cult members look alike?). End all of your updates with “in Henry Horner’s name, through blood, death and rebirth.” This will make you more convincing as a cult member and spark the curiosity and admiration of your truly lost friends who are searching for a cult of their own. Who knows, you may even get followers and a book deal out of this.

2. Post disturbing, TMI updates where you bitch about how you’re always wronged in your dating life, by these bitches (yes, even if you’re a girl say this). Write you’re not paying any f****** child support, that the kids can get their own damn jobs, and  for good measure, include some domestic violence references. Post links to songs about violent relationships and cryptic lyrics alluding to wanting to kill people. If this doesn’t scare people, don’t worry. You’re just setting the stage for more disasters to come. Who knows, you’ll probably even attract some dating prospects from the utterly lonely, confused and masochistic.

3. Only update about politics for three months straight. Update at least 10 times a day with your views, which must be extreme. End each update insulting and name-calling anyone who disagrees. This will not only alienate those in the middle but also help you get blocked in many people’s news feeds. Who needs those fascist dissidents anyways? Tell them to remove you if they disagree or you will report them to the FBI, whom you have special ties to.

4. Lie to make yourself appear to be rich and famous. Include updates about celebrities you are partying with (“Kim Kardashian’s friends are even hotter than her, and they’re all fighting over me…how do I end up in these messes SMDH”). Say you just cashed in on a multi-million dollar deal and are jetting off to your second island. The more ludicrous, the better. You want to alienate the average person and spur admiration among the clueless on your list. Include false promises to hook them up with celebrities or cash. Post poorly Photoshopped photos of your head on someone else’s body, standing by a celebrity. If anyone questions you, say they’re just jealous and this is the price to pay for fame and fortune. Say you will donate to a homeless charity in their name.

5. Include only online acronyms in your updates. Besides the staple WTF, SMH, LMAO, FML and LOLs, throw your own inventions into the mix, adding LYP, XQV, ZZT and FOP to your proclamations. Do not use any regular words but only update in acronyms for a month straight. If anyone asks what they mean, tell them OMG, GTHFI with no explanation. Post random photos with acronym captions to complete the confusion.

If you still have 1,000-plus followers after following the above steps, you’re doing something wrong- stop being so damn likeable. Stay tuned for Part II.

Be sure to include bonnets in your cult pics.

I have a long history of low-paying jobs with long hours — from bartending at an often empty restaurant to working long nights at newspapers — that have left me feeling exhausted, drained and under appreciated. The positive outcome of these experiences is that I am learning to identify these all-consuming, low-paying jobs and turn them down. I now realize that if I spend all my time chasing a few dollars for someone else’s profits, I won’t be available for higher paying jobs and more fulfilling and possibly lucrative personal projects. There are of course considerations besides pay, including prestige and portfolio clips, to consider when taking on freelance gigs, but this particular job had no such benefits.

And turning down more work for this company has already led to a rise in my productivity and profits. Here are a few quick tips I concocted to help you identify customers whom are time and money drains for your business:

• Does this customer pay at or above your hourly rate?
• Do you reap other benefits, such as clips, valuable links, lots of publicity or prestige from this project?
• Do you feel fulfilled and satisfied with your work and pay after completing a project for this customer?

If you answered no to any of the above questions, it may be time to devise a “Just Say No” strategy of your own. If you do, don’t fret; you will be in good company.