Interesting post Lawrence. I’ll answer some of your questions from my viewpoint. We have three blogs (we being my wife and I). We each have a favorite, which kind of leaves one out in the cold.

I empathise with your comments about one blog seeming like work – the third one does to me – but I’m not sure that’s a bad thing. In fact, it may be an advantage as that blog sticks much more closely to it’s original objectives and has a more focused “business-like” feel to it.

I think you can maintain quality across more than one blog, but I think once you get past two, you really need some help.

I think this is where outsourcing comes into the picture. Not necessarily outsourcing your blog writing, but outsourcing the other things that REALLY suck your time (like dealing with advertisers, emails, customer support, blog installation, and whatnot). If you’re able to get rid of that stuff, then the majority of what you have left to do is write. And if you’re just writing, then sure, you can take on more blogs.

As you guys know, I have two primary blog – this one and PCMech.com. I could never run both alone. PCMech is mostly on auto-pilot for me, meaning I take care of the business stuff and the content is 90% written by other people now. If that weren’t the case, I couldn’t do this.

So, even for me, doing this full-time, it is rough having multiple blogs. Like Lisa said, the key is outsourcing.

If you are struggling to keep up with the writing for all your blogs then you know you have too many blogs.

Great insights and worth thinking about. I try to keep three going, a personal/art-related one that has become my baby and gets all my attention; a green issues blog that was my first and has lost a lot of my attention; and a food-related blog that should have my attention but struggles to keep it constantly. I think about selling them and focusing only on what I love, because I think that’s the real recipe for success. Curious to know what others in this position would do. Leave them dormant? Find others to blog? Put re-published content just to maintain traffic and potential adsense revenue?

Mike,

Thanks so much for your thoughtful comment. I visited your blog and love it. Love the videos. Love the images. Love the content. Wow, I used Love thrice in the space of 2 sentences.

What I’m curious about is you mentioned that you have 3 blogs. How did you decide which blog to link? Was it the great athlete blog or the wonderful poet blog?

We met before. I posted the “confessions of a rookie blogger”. You were my first comment then, and now. Thanks, Mike. Your insights mean a lot to me.

Hi Lisa,

What a great blog. Reading you content is like skiing down the perfect mountain. Just flows. I’ve been blogging for 3 months and I think I’ve learned more in 10 minutes reading your blog.

I think it comes down to passion. How many subjects can we be passionate about? I’m hoping my law blog doesn’t read this, but I am passionate about my parking ticket blog. Law blogging is work.

If you use help, where do you find it? How do you find someone who can read your mind and blog?

Really, great information. Thanks very much for sharing your experience.

Franklin,

Thanks very much for joining the conversation. You make a great point in less than 140 characters. You’re right. When blogging becomes work, why blog?

Let me ask you this…what if you are the person that is assigned the work blog? What if you are not passionate about the subject of work blogging? How do you slog through the blog? Do you think your readers will know?

Matty,

That’s the best header I’ve ever seen. Amazing. I just hit the twitter follow button. When did you get started? What was your inspiration?

Looking forward to your insights.

David,

Can’t thank you enough for inviting me to guest post. I hear you about outsourcing, but you are a very special blogger. I marvel at the emails I get telling me what’s up at your blog. Content is spectacular. But…..

When were you first able to outsource? Who would anyone want to help a rookie blogger? How long did it take you to build your credibility and expertise to make people excited to help?

There are so many people out there starting to blog. Have any of the bloggers like you started an “apprentice blogger” program. Great way to learn from the ground up. Used to work in law. Produced great lawyers learning from mentors.

I got started with blogging as a work-related project about two years ago, but well before blogging was all the rage, I had kept an online literary and culture journal alive for a couple years (2001-4 or so). The personal blog was started about November of last year, with the thought that all this internet marketing business would be infinitely more worthwhile if I was just doing it for myself, and for things I really care about. I have my first book of fiction coming out in another month or so, and I knew that since November. I wanted to rank first for my entire name, and I wanted to ensure that when someone typed in the name of my book or my name, that they would find my site. So far, I’ve been able to accomplish that and much more. The header is from a drawing of mine, which is a really finely detailed spider web. The graphic/web design was done in collaboration, with a designer named Emily Yoshida whose been amazing to work with. I gave her some ideas, the image and a color scheme, and then she hit the grand slam and delivered big time on the initial idea. Thanks for your compliments and Twitter follow — I am super late to the game over there, having just opened up an account literally this week.

Hey — If you have any insight into acquiring more email subscriptions, especially with any specific regard for my site, I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Matty,

Thanks for sharing your experience. You’ve created something unique. You’ve asked a great question about acquiring more email subscriptions. I don’t have the experience yet to give you the advice you deserve.

But, you are absolutely in the right spot. David provides such valuable info on all aspects of blogging, including
your question. You may also wish to visit one of his recent posts, offering to answer any questions we may have about blogging.

Best advice I could give you is to ask your question to a real expert, David Risely

Look forward to continuing our conversation.

I used to run a lot of different blogs, well I guess I still do, but when I started focusing on just one blog, the results have been much better. I just couldn’t keep up with running multiple blogs. When my main blog starts going and can run without me doing hours of marketing, etc – then I’ll look into another “primary” blog.

Mike,

Thanks so much for joining the conversation and sharing your experience. I visited your blog and will never have to drink another cup of coffee again. Your header is fabulous. Great idea. You are the virtual Starbucks.

One of the problems I experience is shifing gears between a law blog and a business blog. My business blog is my favorite “child”, so I try to treat them equally. Not working.

How about you?

Thanks for the compliment about my blog. I’m really focusing on this one, putting a lot of blood, sweat and tears into it, so hearing a compliment is great.

I find that I have to focus on one blog they all the others become redheaded step children. They’ll get some attention when needed, but I always feel like my newest projects are always better than the old ones.

Mike — Just checked out your blog. As a LOVER DELUXE of coffee and an online enthusiast, I have to say your website looks awesome and is a real smart idea. Good luck to ya!

Thanks very much Matty. I really appreciate the comment. I know there’s a lot of people like us, that might not be coffee gurus, but still want a good tasting cup of coffee.

So glad to ‘see’ you again, Lawrence.
I have 1 blog currently, but am losing interest in it fast as it’s constructed now. Originally I started it to help independent musicians/bands learn to manage and promote themselves as part of the marketing arm of Priestess Designs and BelieveInMagic.net and it was quite successful, netting a great many leads on website design and publishing from the advice blog.
The owner of PD and BIM, who I was working for as marketing director died, leaving me adrift financially and, since Amy was a great friend, emotionally as well. I’ve just lately come back online attempting to start my own company as an online research assistant, struggling through learning about marketing myself instead of someone else. As you know, it’s harder to sing your own praises in a subtle way than merely advertise the excellent points of a very good friend.
I plan to have at least 3 blogs: online research assistance, cleaning and apartment hunting tips (I clean vacant apartments professionally) and ‘gig’ links for my continuing relationship with bands/musicians I’ve assisted over the years.

Oops. My blog was originally on MySpace @ http://www.myspace.com/blnd_n_dngrus48 When I came back online I moved what I could rescue from MySpace’s error prone blogging system to their current location on Blogspot.com

Hi Molly,

Great to “hear” from you. You have a heart of gold. I visited your blog, and it clearly provides valuable info. The missing children widget is wonderful.

I hear you about your plans to have 3 blogs. My question is, What is YOUR passion? You are a terrific writer and you understand what internet marketing is all about. How can I help?

Lawrence,
You’re terrific! I ‘stole’ the missing children widget from my MySpace profile. I plan to have it on any site I control.
My passion is looking stuff up online and sharing the information with anyone who sits still long enough. I love research and the web is my personal library. I tend to spend so much time researching I don’t take time to ‘work’ necessary stuff like my new website, blogs, etc.. I’m a ‘linkaholic’, sorting my links into folders and even copying them to DVDs for posting on my website ‘eventually’. (The reason for the name infolode).
You help by just being you. I look forward to reading your posts and just talking to you. I must have all the information I need to develop a great site and blog in the links I’ve been saving (David’s and yours being prominent). It’s just getting down to the nitty gritty of actually implementing what I’ve learned that’s giving me problems and unfortunately you can’t help me with that.
Molly

Molly,

I can’t add. Even if you give me a calculator. I can’t find my way home. Even if you give me a GPS. Here’s how I compensate….I work with people who fill in my “blanks”.

You have some amazingly strong points. Find someone who can’t research. Can’t find the info. Can’t come up with the ideas for a post and collaborate.

Channel you wonderful passion with a partner and get going. I want to read your stuff!

Lawrence,
I can get lost in a U turn so I feel you about directions. The purpose of my new website is to find those who can’t research correctly online, give them the free tools right there on my site and, if they don’t have time and/or inclination to use the tools I provide, charge them a minimal fee to do it for them. I am also self taught in listing sites in directories, accumulating a myriad of free or low cost ones over the years. I thought maybe I could monetize that as well to some degree as I was successful in promoting PA and BIM minimally using free directory listings as part of my marketing strategy.
As for partners, I’ve subscribed to several VA (virtual assistant) sites, lurking the forums/groups for awhile to determine if I want to go in that direction and making friends/contacts as I go (including David’s VA, who’s a dear).
I know a little about a lot so as I find something that I seriously enjoy doing, I branch out, dig deep for knowledge on the issue and add it to my personal knowledge base. I’d love having a partner who could take my acquired knowledge and turn it into real world applications.

I am glad I read this as just thinking about this today. It seems if you had more then one, almost without trying they might blend into each other. Am getting alittle more focused on this and social media, and know I have alot to learn on this blogging area as want to do it right and be successful at it. I do see how it can be very very powerful marketing medium for a online business. Oh this is going to be good:)