Last week, I asked you if you had any questions on blogging or business. I was pretty astounded at all the questions I received. And it made me excited to see how many of you were interested in a weekly column tackling business and blogging-related topics.
My plan is to answer one question per week for as long as there’s interest and questions being asked. We’ll see how it goes!
Here’s today’s question, emailed in from Alyssa:
Currently, I am considering the possibility of starting my own blog. For the past several weeks I have done TONS of research. So naturally, I was really excited when I saw your post about asking you questions about blogging.
I haven’t been able to find much yet in terms of tips or suggestions for once your blog is live (like the first couple of months). It seems like there is endless information out there about the logistics of getting the blog off the ground and running. And then, there is quite a bit of information out there for different ways to monetize your blog and make your graphics beautiful.
But, what I haven’t found very much of is strategy for your first couple months while your blog is just getting started. I would be curious to see more information (from you in particular) about what you would recommend a brand new blogger focus on in that first few months.
Quality content is obvious, but what marketing techniques would you recommend and what strategies would you use for optimum growth? -Alyssa
Great question, Alyssa! And I’m guessing you’re not alone in wondering what some of the first steps would be once you’ve actually started blogging. {If you’re still in the thinking of starting a blog stage, be sure to check out my comprehensive post here on How to Start a Blog & Make Money Blogging.}
I thought about this question — and especially back to my early days of blogging as well as to bloggers who have started in recent years and what I’ve watched them do. With this in mind, here are my top 3 recommendations for what you should do after you start your blog:
1. Blog Consistently
This is a must. Do not, I repeat, do NOT, start a blog, put up a few posts, and then disappear for days at a time.
If you want to do this blogging thing well, if you want to build a successful blog, if you want to make money blogging, you MUST be a consistent blogger.
Now, this does not mean that you need to put a post up at 8:01 EST a.m. every day like my amazing friend and virtual assistant, Andrea, does. Though you are more than welcome to, if that kind of consistency is your thing.
The consistency I’m referring to here is that you show up regularly. That people know they can count on you. That you treat blogging like you do a real job — because it totally can become that with consistency.
This might mean that you post an in-depth post every other week. Or, it might mean that you post every day. Or it something in-between or something entirely different.
But whatever you do, be consistent about it. Perseverance for the long haul is the key to success in blogging.
If you pay attention around here, you’ll know that I don’t always blog at the same time every single day. But I pretty much almost always blog every single day. You know that when you check in here each day, I’ll be sharing some deals, sharing some inspiring ideas, and maybe sharing a peek into my life, too.
You never know exactly what you’ll get or exactly when my posts will go up (because I’m more in the “blogging by the seat of my pants” camp), but you do know that, unless it is Sunday, I’ll be updating this blog every day.
I don’t always feel like blogging. I don’t always feel like showing up. But I show up every day because I love you all, because I’m committed to this blog, and because I know that staying consistent in blogging is one of the biggest keys to success for the long-haul.
Blogging consistently every single day is a habit I developed years ago and the rewards have been far beyond what I could have ever dreamed or imagined! I love this community. I love the amazing ideas shared. I love getting to learn from you. I love the encouragement I receive from here.
And our family is also grateful for the income this blog provides that gives us flexibility and the ability to pay cash for purchases, save for the future, and give generously.
None of these things would have happened had I started blogging and blogged faithfully for a few weeks and then fallen off the planet for weeks. Start and stop blogging — where you blog consistently for a few days and then go long periods without blogging and then blog for a few days in a row and then go missing again — is a surefire way to sink your blog. People will only show up consistently if you also show up consistently.
I encourage you to consider carefully what you can realistically commit to in regards to blogging and the time you have available to invest in it. Don’t bite off more than you can chew.
Start out slowly — maybe committing to post 1-2 times per week, if that, and then gradually increase if you feel like that works for you. When it comes to blogging, quality content is almost always better than quantity content.
In addition, I encourage you to plan out post ideas for at least the first 6-8 weeks of blogging. This exercise will get your creative wheels turning and will help you to refine what your blog is about and determine whether or not you have enough content inspiration to write dozens and dozens of posts on those topics.
2. Experiment Strategically
It’s good to have a plan in place for where you want to go with your blog, but in order to make traction and figure out what works for you, you’re going to need to do a lot of experimenting.
It’s easy to go into Experimentation Overload mode… where you’re trying lots and lots and lots of ideas all at once. However, this is not only a recipe for burnout, it’s also going to inhibit you from really drilling down and learning what is working.
So rather than trying to implement 33 new ideas in the first 3 weeks of blogging, pick 1-2 ideas. Set some goals for those ideas, map out a plan for experimenting with those ideas, and then get to work!
Keep focusing on those 1-2 ideas for at least 3-6 weeks. Keep tabs on how effective the idea is. Does it bring more traffic? Is it increasing social media engagement? Are you getting good response via comments or emails? Or whatever measurable ways there are to track it.
Also, consider personally if that type of writing or implementing that idea is fulfilling to you. Do you love it? Hate it? Or somewhere in between?
It’s important to remind yourself often that what works for one person won’t always work for another. And that what one person loves, another person will loathe.
Your sweet spot in blogging is where you find what you love writing about/working on that also brings traffic and engagement. However, please don’t compare your traffic and engagement numbers to someone else. Every blog is going to be different, just as every person is different.
It’s easy to get caught up in the numbers game and become so focused on that that you lose sight of what you love or why you started blogging in the first place. Remember that all the traffic and engagement and income in the world isn’t worth it if you’re miserable in the process.
Do what you love and what works best for you. Don’t worry about what works for someone else or how much traffic they have or how much income they are bringing in.
It’s also good to realize that a successful blog and business is constantly growing and experimenting and changing as technology and blogging and the online space changes, expands, and morphs. The day you get stuck in a rut and refuse to keep growing and experimenting is the day your blog begins to die.
Be willing to fail. Jump out and try new ideas. Change up the way you post. Experiment with different voices and writing styles. Try video blogging or podcasting.
Read books. Watch other bloggers. Learn from them and be inspired by them, but always remember that it’s most important to be YOU.
You have a unique story and perspective that no one else on the planet does because you are the only you in existence. So be you, bravely.
Be okay with breaking the “blogging rules” if doing so means you are staying true to yourself. Be okay with having less traffic or making less income if doing so means you keep your integrity or have your priorities in place. At the end of your life, you won’t regret it.
3. Network Religiously
One of the best things you can do for your brand-new blog is to get to know other bloggers. Some ideas:
Join Facebook groups with other bloggers.
Leave well-crafted comments on other blogs.
Reach out to bloggers via Twitter.
Offer to write a highly-relevant and well-written guest post for a blog you love.
Use hashtags on Instagram and find other folks who are interested in the same things you are.
Comment on Facebook/Instagram posts of bloggers you love.
Join Pinterest group boards and re-pin posts from bloggers you love.
Write a blogger and tell them thank you without asking for anything from them.
Now, this list might seem really long and overwhelming… and it sort of is. Which is why I encourage you to just focus on the 1-2 networking-related goals like we talked about earlier.
You can’t do it all, but you can reach out a little. And a little bit of the right kind of reaching out can go a long way.
What do I mean by this? Well, I’ll let you in on a little secret.
Want to know the best way to develop relationships with other bloggers? Stop making it about yourself and what you can get from them.
It’s a huge turn-off to get pitches and requests from people again and again and again when they want nothing more than to just use you as a step stool for their own personal success and gain.
Instead of networking with bloggers for the purpose of what you can get from them, start looking for ways that you can give to other bloggers. Promote their links. Retweet their posts. Send them encouraging emails just because. Tell them thank you.
Truly show that you care about them as a person, not that you only care about what they can do for you. Expect nothing in return.
Let me tell you, because it’s so rare that someone reaches out and says thank you and gives without asking for anything in return, I take notice of it right away. And that’s how some of my best friendships and blogging relationships have been formed.
I’m so over the whole “You scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours” philosophy and I know how lonely and discouraging it can be when you are constantly hearing from people who are complaining or who wants something from you, that I am always looking for ways to serve, celebrate, and give to others. It’s so much fun and it’s so fulfilling. And bloggers genuinely appreciate it and often go out of their way to build a relationship with you as a result.
Some of these relationships have not only blossomed into deep friendships that have blessed my life in numerous ways, but they’ve also opened doors of opportunity that I never would have expected.
Bloggers: I’d love to hear what YOUR advice and recommendations would be for Alyssa. Tell us in the comments!
Want to Pick My Brain About Blogging/Business?
Option #1: Ask A Question & I Might Answer It In a Blog Post
Have a question you’d love for me to answer regarding business and/or blogging? Leave a comment on this post or shoot me an email (crystal @ moneysavingmom.com) with your question. Each week, I’ll choose one question from those submitted to answer in-depth in a blog post.
Option #2: Hire Me As Your Coach/Consultant
I’m available on a very limited basis for blogging/business coaching. If this is something you are interested, you can read more about the packages I offer here.
I also just recently started offering a monthly coaching package (not listed on the page above). This consists of a monthly hour-long call via Skype, a followup email with a plan of action, and the ability to reach out to me with questions and/or to report your progress and stay accountable to your goals. You can fill out the form here if you are interested in finding out more details on this.
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