The last few days have been mind-blowing to me as far as blogging goes. I have thought a lot about the direction I want to take this blog, and where I want to be as a leader of it.
As the title suggests, there are going to be plenty of changes made here. More changes will be made to myself and how I look at things than there will be made to the actual blog look itself though. So, it may not be as exciting to you as it is to me, but the work I plan to do this year will undoubtedly change the face of Blogussion for the better. And I’ll be doing this as a solo blogger, as Blogussion is now a one man – err, kid operation.
A Farewell to Editor, Seth Waite
It is sad to see him go, but the guy I have worked with on this blog for seven months, Seth Waite, informed me last week that he has made the decision to drop blogging due to some complications in his life and will most likely not be returning.
Seth has made a huge impact on Blogussion, and I couldn’t tell him enough how much I appreciated everything he did. I doubt many of you would even be reading this blog if it weren’t for the great marketing abilities he had, and how powerful some of the content he wrote was.
He made a lot of friends here, and definitely had an impact on how I am as a blogger today. It does hurt a bit to lose a friend, no one respected the guy like I did. But, this only forces me to become a better blogger and to really test myself to see if I have what it takes to do the things he did and take up more responsibility for the blog.
Be sure to drop a short message to him in the comments. He still loves blogging, believe me. I know if it wasn’t for this complication in his life that he would still be blogging with us. But I know any messages he reads from you guys will cheer him up.
So that means you guys are stuck with me now. Don’t worry, I’m fun too. And hard working, always trying to make this blog better so you can get more value out of it. Which is why I have a lot of things in which I want to get done now.
I’m going to go through an overview of some of the most important things I have planned over the last few days, so hopefully you will get as excited as I am for this year of blogging.
More Twitter Connections
We have been on Twitter for a while now, and we have a stream of great blogging tips that are put on it daily. That’s great and all, but we could do a better job of communicating with our readers more on it. I can share all the information I want to random people, but I would rather share these valuable resources to my friends. So, a lot will be changing with the Blogussion Twitter account:
- More personalized tweets - Expect more than just a feed of links from now on. I will be posting questions about blogging, looking for feedback, answering questions and just chatting with you guys through the account now. So, don’t be afraid to @Blogussion if you ever want to get to know me better.
- Different audience - I want quality followers, I don’t want just anyone anymore. We used some tactics to build our follower list that basically guaranteed that if you follow us, we follow you back. Sure, we have plenty of people to spread links to, but how many did it actually reach? I will be focusing on cleaning up that account, and following the people I care about – you guys, the readers of Blogussion.
It’s going to be a lot of fun! Follow Blogussion on Twitter and join in on the conversation!
A Simplified Guest Post Policy
The guest post policy on Blogussion has been changed a little bit, and will make writing here a lot easier for you. It will also make moderation a lot easier on me as I will be doing it all myself now.
The main reason I wanted to update the guest posting policy here is actually because of how many posts I have had to decline here. I was too lenient on some of the posts I let through, and as a result – you didn’t learn as much as you probably should have.
You can read the new, simplified guidelines here.
The Rebirth of our Sideblog, UniqueBlog.net
We have a sideblog, but I have my doubts that you have actually heard of it. That’s because it was one of the things we stopped updating. It’s a giant guide called “How to Create a Unique Blog” and while everything should have gone perfect for it – it hasn’t.
Not much commitment was made when it was launched, and I take the blame for it 100%. As of now, expect daily posts on it, all with the intention of helping you create a unique blog.
I would also like to introduce someone to you who will be helping me keep it updated, named Chris Palmer. Chris has written a guest post here, and we have chatted about a lot of things on Skype over the last few days. He is excited to be writing on the blog, and expect to see more of him around the community.
What to Expect Later this Year
Plans were made, even with Seth, that are expected to be carried out this year. We had amazing success developing a community on the blog in 2009, but in 2010, I really expect to spice some things up with some really great stuff. Here are some of the coolest things I want to get done this year.
A Community Forum
With the hugely successful launch of the Blogussion Theme, a support forum was added to the community so customers could go there and get any help they needed with the theme, as well as receive updates. It was our plan to one day expand the forum into a thriving blogging community, and that is what I plan to do this year.
The forum will be skinned to match Blogussion, and will have some discussion forums for chatting with each other about blogging and such. Also, I want to get a section for paid only members, which will give you access to some pretty neat things on the forum. Trust me, I have a lot in store for this community.
Contest(s)
We have been around for well over a year now, and haven’t had a really big contest yet. Well, that’s going to change this year as well. Seth and I have discussed and planned out, in quite good detail, two contests we wanted to have on the blog with both very different intentions, but amazing prizes. I hope to at least launch one this year, but I will be shooting for two no doubt.
From Planning to Earning Updates
Seth and I coauthored a pretty massive guide last summer titled From Planning to Earning. It is a great guide packed with information that any blogger can use to start a successful blog. However, it hasn’t been updated too much and could really use one. So expect this to happen pretty soon.
Newsletter
We have a Blogging Tips Newsletter which we haven’t sent out in a long time. To be honest, we started the newsletter without much knowledge or what to even expect of a newsletter, so it kind of died out because of that. However, it will be renewed and it will be 100 times better than it was before.
Design Updates (Periodically)
The only reason I ever feel the design of this blog needs to be updates is because I need to make room for new content. As you can see, there are a lot of things I want to do with this blog for the year, and the way I want to implement them just wouldn’t work out too well with our current design. I think Blogussion is one of the best looking blogging tips blogs no doubt, so keep in mind I will only change what needs to be changed in order for us to stay that way. The same Blogussion look and feel will always be the same.
It’s going to be an exciting year
So far, 2010 couldn’t have started any better. Statistically speaking, this blog has some great things going for it. There is a great community of commentators, RSS readers, email subscribers, Twitter followers and friends here. Plus, I earned some money great money from it in January, so things can only get better.
Even though my best friend Seth will not be continuing with the blog anymore, I will not let it ruin the success that lies ahead. Blogussion will be just fine, and it will really test the kind of blogger I have become as I was with Seth for those seven months.
I hope you’re as excited as I am for the year, and I wish you all the best of luck with your blog in 2010.
The Discussion
Leave a Comment Read Again?Wow, what a surprise. Seth, we will miss you terribly. Whatever has come up, I hope and pray that it works out smoothly and that you can move forward in the direction that you desire.
Alex, sounds like all kinds of great stuff coming up this year! I’m excited, and can’t wait to get involved in the opportunities around here throughout 2010! Hang in there- this year is going to be awesome!
.-= Steven Corbett´s last blog ..PHPmotion V3.5 Released! =-.
Yeah, it was very sudden and I’m still surprised by it. But he’ll be alright, he’s a happy guy.
I’m really going to make Blogussion have an impact in the blogosphere. Maybe it won’t happen this year, but I’m going to work as hard as possible to really try and make it happen.
In my opinion, it has already made an impact. Even if you account for what all of us readers have done with the knowledge we’ve learned, you’ve done a great job!
.-= Chris Palmer´s last blog ..Aviator90 Episode 5 =-.
Hey, there’s a nice way to look at it.
Alright: I want to make a BIGGER impact.
Sounds awesome. Looks like you have a lot of things planned for the year. Can’t wait to see how they pan out.
.-= Amey´s last blog ..Video Review Of Using Artisteer To Create Unlimited Wordpress Themes =-.
Thanks Amey, there’s plenty more too…but I thought I’d just highlight some of the biggest things.
Well glad to hear you parted on Good terms I didn’t know the dude but he sounds like a TOP notch blogger. So changes are all over the places as people looking for the ” answer ” I found it was right there in front of me and I like all the things you mentioned to let you engage people better
Will be keeping an eye out
thanks
.-= John Sullivan´s last blog ..Super Bowl Sunday Blogger Luv announcement Who DAT ? =-.
He was a cool guy John, you can tell from the posts he wrote.
Thanks for the support too man, I appreciate it.
Hi Alex,
I’ve been following Blogussion for sometime now and I’m proud to be a Blogussioner. It’s good to see that Blogussion has a promising year in 2010. I can’t wait to see and enjoy the new changes that are coming this year. Especially the long waited Unique Blog community.
While I’m happy to hear good news from Alex, I’m also sad to see that Seth is leaving. Only other way to follow you is on your blog and Twitter. We’ll be missing you.
Also, I’m really happy with Blogussion theme so far. You guys have provided excellent support over at the forum. It also makes my blog more unique and stand out.
Good job guys!
Kevin Tan
Haha, glad to have you as a faithful “Blogussioner.” :p
It does suck to see Seth go, but at the same time it is forcing me to really take control and work extra hard…which I’m totally psyched for. So I’m trying to stay as positive as possible here, and so far it’s been great.
Glad you enjoy the theme! I want to get some more themes out this year too, so definitely check them out later!
OMG Alex, should I be happy or sad by hearing this? I just bought the theme not long ago and you’re gonna release some new themes soon LOL. A huge discount for existing theme users would be perfect!
Well it sounds excited anyway and I’m really looking forward to see every good things about Blogussion this year, as a “Blogussioner”.
.-= Kevin Tan the WP Blogger´s last blog ..3 Important Key Factors to Consider Before Starting Your Blog =-.
Definitely happy, you can collect them all and get a prize for doing it.
A discount sounds great for you guys, but I’d be a bit hesitant about actually doing it, haha. :p
sorry to hear that Seth will not be blogging again.
.-= Palabuzz´s last blog ..Lindsay lohan is topless on Machete =-.
Thanks for the comment…it sucks to see him go, but it’s for the best.
Its hard saying good bye to seth, i has been a great man and i hope is going will be better for the blog and of course for he himself…
I can promise you this blog will only be getting better. I hope Seth gets better too, but this was the best thing he could do.
I hope all seth’s completed things can resolve so he can back to blogosphere again. I really like his writing.
Btw, God luck for this new blogussion Alex.
.-= Dana @ Blogging Update´s last blog ..GoDaddy Discount: 15% OFF =-.
I don’t think he’ll be back, but I do know he will get through this little setback in his life.
Thanks for the luck, I appreciate it Dana.
Good bye Seth and good luck in all you do. I echo the wishes above and hope you will be back one day.
Good luck Alex and if you need a little lift after telling us this news, your blog is featured under the social media tab at http://wizardsofalchemy.com, which should spread awareness of your blog!
Have a great week
Nic
Thanks for dropping by Nic! Appreciate the kind words.
That’s great, thanks for including us there bud! I hope it spreads some awareness too.
I hope whatever is going on isn’t affecting Seth’s goal of becoming an attorney. Good Luck Alex, I’ll still be reading
.-= Evan´s last blog ..Thank You Fellow Bloggers! =-.
I certainly hope not, but hopefully we’ll still be in touch and I can keep you updated.
Glad you’ll be sticking around. My articles can be interesting too. :p
I saw this coming yesterday when I saw the renewed About page. and I wasn’t very happy about it. We are going to miss Seth – a lot. Though what can be done, if that’s his decision – we will respect it.
I am really looking forward to ever new Blogussion. If you ever need any help – I am here, always. Let’s hope to get that Fan page in order and then the newsletter.
Check your mail. I should’ve wrote it earlier but at least I wrote it and it took courage.
Let’s be Aesome
.-= King Sidharth´s last blog ..A How-to on Hardcore Motivation =-.
Yeah, the about page was finished before the announcement was made, so I guess the really observant readers of the blog were the first to figure this out!
I appreciate the help here King…the Facebook page was awesome, I’m going to get around to responding to your email.
Courage to talk to ME? Haha, that makes me feel pretty cool. :p But really, email me whenever you want man, I respect you.
Thanks for the comment!
Respect me?! Why, thanks man!
Though it makes me feel ancient (I am just 18) or maybe it’s cultural where ‘respect’ is used for elders and affection / compassion / ‘gratitude’ is for pals. Oh! That definitely sounds cultural!
Nice to hear that I can spam you as much as I want. You’re so gonna regret this! HAHA! (Laughs Evil Laugh)
.-= King Sidharth´s last blog ..A How-to on Hardcore Motivation =-.
Err. don’t get me wrong… I really loved your reply. Going to make my day again and again as I read it again and again.
.-= King Sidharth´s last blog ..A How-to on Hardcore Motivation =-.
That’s a bummer about Seth. I’m glad to hear this site will keep going though.
.-= Eric C´s last blog ..The Sports Team From My Area is Superior to the Sports Team From Your Area =-.
Yeah, a shame, but it had to be done. Blogussion will just keep getting better, promise.
Now that I see Chris’s picture under Blog Authors at the bottom of the page.
.-= Kevin Tan the WP Blogger´s last blog ..3 Important Key Factors to Consider Before Starting Your Blog =-.
Well, he’s an author at Uniqueblog.net. He guest posts here from time to time, so you’ll see him every once in a while. But you’ll be stuck with my articles for the most part. :p
Oh boy! I hope my sorry mug didn’t scare you! It’s a blast to be around all you like minded bloggers. Blogussion has been awesome so far, and I can’t wait to get more out there.
.-= Chris Palmer´s last blog ..Aviator90 Episode 5 =-.
Hello there, Christ. Congrats and happy joining Blogussion and Unique Blog. I’m also looking forward to see its great success in 2010.
.-= Kevin Tan the WP Blogger´s last blog ..3 Important Key Factors to Consider Before Starting Your Blog =-.
Seth – You will certainly be missed. Good luck in your future endeavors.
Alex – Good luck in moving forward on your own. You will do great. Here’s to the continued success of Blogussion!
.-= Chad @ Tech201´s last blog ..Upgrade Your Web Browser =-.
Thanks for the comment and support Chad! Let’s make this an awesome year, for both of our blogs.
I have only been following this blog for a couple of months, but I work on a couple of collaboration sites too, and it is always hard to see one of the writers go.
One thing about uniqueblog.net, that font is really hard on the eyes….
Looking forward to seeing you progress this year.
.-= Keith´s last blog ..Where Are Your Readers? =-.
Hey Keith,
Thanks for the tip. I’ll pass it along to Alex.
What exact area of text is hard on the eyes?
.-= Chris Palmer´s last blog ..Aviator90 Episode 5 =-.
Yeah, that font used to be on this blog too…I changed up the design over at UniqueBlog, should be a lot easier.
It’s sad to see Seth be gone. I have enjoyed a lot of his articles, best of luck to him wherever life may lead him. And I am glad to hear Blogussion isn’t shutting down for good – I love the community and I am happy to see it staying to deliver more content!
.-= Blogger Den´s last blog ..How to Use Any Font on the Web | The Interactive Wall =-.
I’ve lost a partner here before…no way I’d let that shut me down, I have experience with these kinds of things.
Dear Seth! To commemorate you and your contributions to Blogussion I am going to reflect on the first online connection we ever made…
I found your site. Read a few articles. I remember specifically reading how you submitted a guest post to Problogger. Made a comment here and there. You sent me a personal email thanking me for my comment. That blew me away! Then, awhile later, you became a partner with Alex on Blogussion and I was pumped! Sorry to see you go, man. Things will turn out well for you.
Dear Alex! Keep rockin’ it, dude!
.-= Nick Tart´s last blog ..Interview: Michael Dunlop, Voted ‘Most Likely to be a Millionaire’ =-.
It’s little stories like that which make Blogussion awesome.
.-= Chris Palmer´s last blog ..Aviator90 Episode 5 =-.
I bet while you were typing that you were playing some sort of dramatic music on your computer. Then, when you pressed “Submit, a tear trickled down your eye.
Or is crying not your thing?
In all seriousness, it sucks he’s gone (and it’ll make out interview sound a bit outdated), but we just have to keep moving up right?
I bet this is how a lot of people came to know Seth and Blogussion. He was amazing and did an awesome job networking within the community. Seth truly brought the feeling of community every time he posted. I hope he gets time to read the comments to know what and inspiration and teacher he was to so many readers.
.-= Blake @ Online Marketing Review´s last blog ..Don’t Judge A Blog By It’s Homepage: At Online Marketing Blog Content is King =-.
It’s so saddening to see Seth go. I wish him success in whatever he does and is going to do in the future
.
Great goals for Blogussion, Alex. I remember when you told me sometime back in 2009 that you had other plans to monetize Blogussion instead of banner ads and I’m glad to see that those other plans are working out for you
.
Great job done by you and Seth.
Wish you and Blogussion all the best this year and beyond.
To Our Success in 2010 And Beyond:).
.-= Shirley´s last blog ..The New Twitter Hovering Feature – The Twitter Hovercard =-.
Same wishes here for Seth! I hope he drops by every once in a while to leave a comment or two.
Yeah, I want to try everything but ads, so I’m going to give it my best shot and just let whatever happens happen.
Thanks for the support, and best of luck to you too in 2010.
The write for us link:
http://www.blogussion.com/write-for-us/
did not work from my e-mail feed, for some reason.
I recently (a month or 2 ago) subscribed to Blogussion. I’ve enjoyed the blog so far and look forward to learning more from you throughout this year!
cheers,
Mary
Thanks for stopping by Mary! Glad you enjoy the blog.
Good bye Seth and good luck in all you do.
.-= Ban Asbestos´s last blog ..Radiation therapy as a treatment for Mesothelioma =-.
Seth was a fabulous blogger and it is really sad that he will not be blogging anymore. Btw Alex, I like your posts too, but yes two bloggers are always better than one.
.-= gautam hans´s last blog ..How to Write Quality Blog Posts That Engage Your Readers =-.
He was really good, but I guess he just wasn’t meant to be a blogger as ironic as that sounds.
Glad you enjoy my stuff too, I’ll try not to disappoint.
Seth’s other blog, Blogging Agenda, is what I used as a tutorial to start up my blog last year. (I also found him through a guest post on ProBlogger!) He has a knack for making things clear to beginning bloggers. Reading his posts here always made me feel I was connecting with an old teacher — even though he’s probably least half my age. :>)
My very best regards, Seth. And everything for the best to you, Alex, and your exciting plans for the year.
.-= Cheryl´s last blog ..The Glass Castle =-.
I actually visited BloggingAgenda a few days back and was surprised to actually see it still up. But I remember reading his content on there before he joined Blogussion, and of course it was great stuff. I might have even subscribed at one point, I can’t remember now!
Hey Alex,
Just wanted to chime in and say how totally bummed I am that Seth must depart. Sounds like his reasoning is just, but he will still be missed quite a bit.
Seth, great job man. I learned a ton from you and I’ll always be grateful for that.
Above and beyond that, I’m excited for the opportunity to work on uniqueblog alongside Alex. It has been a joy so far and I have really enjoyed the short type of posting.
Rock on Blogussion!
.-= Chris Palmer´s last blog ..Aviator90 Episode 5 =-.
Sad to see him go, but it’s definitely what’s best for him. I learned plenty from him as well man, any Blogussion reader probably did.
We’ll make UniqueBlog rock. So far so good, right?
Good luck Seth. We’ll miss you. Thanks for all your tips/ideas/thoughts etc.
All the best Seth.
David
.-= David´s last blog ..When you run out of money or time you ship =-.
It’s a woman, isn’t it!
I’m kidding of course, whatever it is, may it be swift with a preferred ending.
Any chance of getting Seth’s deepest darkest marketing secrets?
Need anything Alex, hit me up.
.-= Dennis Edell´s last blog ..Here We Go! Theme Construction Part 1 – Your Participation Is Wanted-Needed! =-.
Never, they’re all mine and locked up for good.
I think he did stuff sometimes he didn’t even want to tell me how he thought up, because he had some crazy ideas sometimes man.
Well that’s bad news. lol
.-= Dennis Edell´s last blog ..UPDATED – Here We Go! Theme Construction Part 1 – Your Participation Is Wanted-Needed! =-.
I am totally bummed to see Seth go. He always wrote amazing articles and on more than one occasion published an article that I was thinking just the day before “no one has written about.”
I hope that whatever the real life things getting in the way are, they aren’t bad news and that good will come of it. I had to take 6 weeks off for offline life, and I’m glad to be back. Hopefully, Seth will at least have a chance to show his face around here time to time
We’ll miss you Seth. God bless!
.-= Blake @ Online Marketing Review´s last blog ..Don’t Judge A Blog By It’s Homepage: At Online Marketing Blog Content is King =-.
Yeah, he had an interesting mind and it fit in just perfect with the sort of posts we like to get out here! Hoping to keep that kind of stuff up though.
You turned out fine after your break, and I know Seth will be just fine. I don’t think he’s returning, but I know he’ll be just fine in life.
Seth certainly we are going to miss you. Your posts were really innovative and interesting to read. Best of luck for your life.
Really impressed with your planning and the way you chalked out your plan is simply superb and showing that in coming years we will be able to see one blogger.
.-= ZK @ Web Marketing Blog´s last blog ..10 Things I Learned From Doing SEO For Competitive Keywords =-.
Thanks ZK, I just hope these plans actually turn out as well as I hope they do.
Hi,
This is one of my favorite blogs and I am just now seeing this post. I am saddened that Seth is leaving and want to wish him the best of luck in his endeavors.
Alex, I am confident that you will make the best of this situation and continue to provide us with thought provoking content. I really do enjoy t
his blog!
Thanks for everything!
.-= LaTosha Johnson ´s last blog ..How to Experience Guest Blogging Success =-.
Perfect for my blog!
.-= Techmill´s last blog ..No multitasking for Windows Phone 7 =-.
Woops wrong comment on the wrong page, sorry.
.-= Techmill´s last blog ..No multitasking for Windows Phone 7 =-.
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