antique french clock When I was in sales management, I made a conscious effort to keep sales trainees away from veterans, or at least limit the interactions. The problem I kept running into – and it’s a good problem to have – was that the veterans were always giving advice to these eager new people. And though the advice was excellent, the timing was off. For instance senior reps would preach relationships, relationships, relationships. Nothing wrong with that. But the senior reps knew the products backwards and forwards. The first thing I wanted new reps to focus on was learning the products. Without a proper foundation, relationships are built on sand.

Same applies to blogging. Timing is everything. Many experienced bloggers like to write short posts, idea fragments if you will, that stimulate conversation. Is that a good writing strategy for a new blogger? I don’t think so. Short, provocative posts that scream for comments don’t work unless there are readers ready to jump in. More than likely, a new blogger taking that approach won’t get much commenting activity. After a while that gets depressing. It’s the right blogging style, but the wrong time.

New bloggers are probably better off writing more compete posts that invite comments but can stand on their own. Longer, more finished posts establish authority. They gives readers, who are mainly strangers to the blogger and each other, a fuller sense of who this blogger is and what the blog is all about.

Have you ever received the right blogging advice at the wrong time? How did it work out for you?

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