I’m really excited that you have decided to read this post.
That’s because so many people start off blogging with great excitement, but their blogging ends up not fulfilling expectations … without many visitors to impact and without making much money (if any).
But I’m going to try to make certain that doesn’t happen to you by showing you the must haves for blogging.
And that’s because at this moment you’re reading a blueprint that will help you turn your content into cash.
” I’m guessing that at the heart of your blog is a desire to help people. That is, you want to use your blog as a platform to impact other people’s lives as your content helps them solve problems, reach goals and enjoy interests. That. Is. Awesome. That servant mentality needs to be at the foundation of your blogging experience. Don’t lose sight of what a difference-maker your blog can be for those who visit. We’re going to focus on “making money” in this post, but it’s important to stick to your values all along the way so that you “make a difference” in your blog community. There’s no reason why you can’t do both!“
For now, I’m going to assume you already have a niche and topic in mind.
And I assume you’ve done your market research to be sure it’s a popular, profitable niche.
We won’t cover those in detail in this course.
But…
If you haven’t gotten to this step yet, then let me share with you several popular, evergreen markets:
- Online marketing/make money online.
- Weight loss.
- Self-help.
- Mental health.
- Travel.
- Fitness.
- Adoption.
- Gardening.
- Golfing.
- Dating/marriage/relationships.
- Pets.
- Home security.
- Music.
- Career.
- Home improvement.
- Investments and money.
Do any of them look interesting?
Do your market research to pick a profitable market/niche/topic. And then you can move onto the next step…
What you need to do now is to be sure you have three essential elements in place:
Choose Your Blogging Platform
This is your actual blog.
Think of it as your home base, and the place where your audience visits to learn more about your topic.
There are two things to note here:
- First, don’t overcomplicate the process of setting up your blog. You’ll want to figure out what your audience wants and what you need your blog to do and then set up a platform that meets your needs. All the bells and whistles aren’t needed – keep it simple, and let your blog showcase your content. This brings us to the second note…
- Secondly, you’ll want to share unique content using a unique writing voice, as this will help you stand out from the crowd. If your blog is just a rehash of what everyone else in your niche is doing with no unique insights, angles or information, then your blog is going to struggle to get readership (much less make a profit). So, to that end, be sure the topic you choose is one in which you can offer something unique to the niche. We’ll talk more about unique content later.
Know Your Audience
This is your audience, AKA tribe or community.
These are the folks who want to connect with you and hear from you.
You’ll attract your tribe with your unique writing voice, insights and content.
Want to really cement loyalty among your tribe?
Then make them feel special.
Make them feel like they really are a part of your community. For example:
- Give them a unique name. For example, people who are members of the WeddingBee.com community are referred to as “bees” (fittingly enough).
- Acknowledge contributions from your community. When someone comments on your blog, blogs about one of your articles shares your links on social media or contributes in some other way, acknowledge it and thank them.
- Offer special perks for your tribe. For example, if someone joins your mailing list, you might give them access to special password-protected posts (which will make them feel valued and special).
Generate Profit from Your Blog
This is the revenue generated from your blogging business, whether it’s your sole source of income or just a side business.
Even if you start your blog as a side business, you can certainly scale it and grow it to be a full-time source of revenue.
It’s important that you decide how to monetize your blog before you even set your blog up.
That’s because your monetization method is going to influence everything from your blog design to the actual content.
While there are plenty of ways to monetize your blog (which you’ll learn about later), it’s important that you choose one PRIMARY method.
Sure, you may actually end up using several different methods, such as selling both your own products as well as promoting affiliate offers.
But you want to focus on one primary method, and then build your blog and craft your content entirely around optimizing that particular method.
If you do use more than one monetization method, you’ll also want to be sure they aren’t at odds with one another.
For example, if you try to sell your own products and sell ad space, then your third-party ads are going to take visitors away from your site (and your own offers), which will dilute your efforts to sell your own products (which is usually the more profitable venture).
As such, be sure to think through your monetization strategy carefully to ensure you’re not inadvertently shooting yourself in the foot.
I’ve just given you an overview above of the three essential elements of a successful blog. All of this will be unpacked in greater detail.
Your Turn
Your assignment is simple: if you haven’t already done so, pick out your niche and topic.
Do your market research to be sure there is a demand for this information.
Then buckle up and get ready for the next post, where you’ll find out how to set up your blog quickly and easily!
