Unfortunately, this is a hyper-competitive niche, and is very saturated. Add to that, the normal community pitfalls of not having enough people seed discussions, and you have a community that looks like a failure due to lack of activity, and attraction of activity.

Sure, there are ways to make it look like there is an active community that exists, so that people feel more interested in joining and being part of something that already exists, but my original intent was to search for people that don’t just want to join in, but instead they want to lead. Lead discussions, lead actions, and really grow both their own business and the businesses of others.

The difference between the actions taken to build a successful community and a community that is an ineffective flop can be hard to see, but with patience, effort, and persistence, anyone can be the lightning rod that brings brilliant people, ideas and energy to their community.

Wish me luck with my own and let me know, in the comments below, how you got your community started off on the right foot.

*Shameless Plug* In case you are interested in my forum, you can find it over on EarnersTalk.com and I’ve released two free e-books based on my blogging experiences there.

Ever sit down and list all your tasks as a blogger? Chances are, it’s no small list. You do a lot just to write and promote a single post. As a blogger I think about my skills all the time. There’s so much expected of me. So much, in fact, it inspired me to sit down and list all the skills I learned as a blogger and think about the places it could take me.

Here’s the fun part…the things we learned as bloggers are skills- the skills needed by big and small businesses alike. Many are launching successful blogging and social media campaigns and need experienced people to run them. That’s where this e-book comes in.

I’m not going to lie. There are no secrets in this short book. There’s nothing here you can’t figure out on your own. The purpose behind this 23 page e-book is to inspire you to take the skills you learned as a blogger and use them to propel you bigger and better things.You’re not guaranteed a job upon completion of your reading, but you may be inspired to seek out a new career. I just want you to think, and if you work hard enough, make a lucrative career choice.

I’ll give you a case in point:

A year ago I was working as a blogger for several different networks. I love blogging and all that comes with it, but I wondered how I can take it to a whole other level and make it into something more profitable. So I started checking the job boards. I came across a job for Community Manager that listed all the things I loved doing best – blogging, social networking and yes, hanging out on Twitter. Next thing you know, I’m the new Community Manager for the popular online social radio community, BlogTalkRadio. My story isn’t unique, either.

Are you interested in exploring the world beyond blogging?

I’ve written a short e-book detailing the possibilities and giving you some things to think about. Beyond Blogging: Using Your Blogging Skills for Bigger and Better Things is about realizing your potential, and using it to your benefit. In addition to suggestions as to the types of jobs and careers you look into, Beyond Blogging will also show you a few places to look. At only $9.95, I hope it’s a both bargain and a valuable reference.