How many blogging experts do you listen to?
After all, there are so many experts out there.
Today’s guest author, Theodore Nwangene, is one blogging expert you should list to.
In today’s post, he cites other credible experts who exemplify the tips he shares.
Theodore, take it away:
Have you ever taken the time to wonder why some blogs always have tons of readers while others struggle to get attention?
I know you have, who hasn’t? Every blogger on the internet has done this at one point in time. You just rounded up a new blog post, and it’s about to go live now, and suddenly, you remembered the last one you published that did get even up to 5 social shares not to talk of comments.
A part of you is saying you should not publish this post because it will end up being like the previous ones. It further advises you to quit blogging and simply look for something else to engage yourself with, maybe look for a job.
Similarly, the second person inside is insisting you publish the post. Who knows, maybe this one will break the myth. Perhaps it will become the catalyst that will open the doors of influence for you.
Now, which of these two advisers will you listen?
Before you answer, let me tell you a story I read some time ago (Can’t remember from where). May this story will help you to respond to the question above. Here it goes:
Once upon a time, a man was having a discussion with his son and below was what the conversation looked like:
FATHER: Two vigorous and aggressive soldiers are fighting inside me, none of them is giving up, and they both are struggling to win the battle.
SON: That’s absorbing dad, so who among the two soldiers do you expect to win the battle?
(Now, the answer this man gave his son is very hilarious.)
FATHER: The one I feed most.
Isn’t that fascinating? What does this tell you? What lesson did you get from this wonderful conversation?
I’m sure with this analogy; you can now answer the question I initially asked.
But before you eventually throw in the towel (If that’s what you’ve decided to do), let’s give you a shocker:
You’re not alone:
Even Jon Morrow, who is considered to be one of the most influential bloggers on the internet today, has also been in such a confused state before, doubt me? Check this out:
See what I’m talking? So, the bottom line is that it’s not about you; it’s about what you’re doing and how you’re doing it.
The good news is it doesn’t have to be difficult to change the way you’re doing it, you just need someone to point you in the right direction, and that’s why I’m here.
Within the next 4 minutes, I will show you the seven unavoidable habits you must adapt to if you want to become a superhero blogger now and forever.
With all that out of the way, let’s get started before my 4 minutes get exhausted.
7 Tips to Becoming a Superhero Blogger Now and Forever
1. Decide What You Want to Be Known For
Ignore this and you will never have a popular blog. If part of your plan is to establish your blog as a sustainable business, then you ought to have an identity; it is simply non-negotiable.
If you intend to build your blog into a passive income source that will potentially replace your day job, then your approach from the onset should be much different from a blog that is striving for an instant result because such blogs are not usually built to stand the test of time.
From an experience, the best blogs on the internet usually have a unique identity that distinguishes them from every other blog in the same niche. Blogs don’t become famous and fruitful by accident; it becomes successful as a result of repeated, focused and intentional efforts.
The rule is to know your identity and then, devise a good sense of purpose that will enable you to conquer every hurdle and achieve your ultimate goal.
As a serious blogger aiming to make money with it, your paths should not be like that of others; you must carve your unique path and follow it diligently until you get what you want.
2. Be Conversational
You should always give your readers a chance to talk and not talk down to them. Let it not be as if you’re lecturing them or as if you’re delivering a sermon.
Your blog should foster a form of a conversation between you and your readers. While writing, the tone of your post should always be more conversational, write as if you’re chatting with a friend this way; your readers will always enjoy your posts and feel as if you’re discussing with them on a friendship level and not as if they’re on a seminar.
3. Make Helping Others a Habit
One of the things that are synonymous with most popular blogs on the internet is that “they help others”.
Isn’t that the essence of building your blog in the first place? Why create a blog if you cannot help your readers with their needs? Let me ask you this question:
Why do you visit any of your favorite blogs?
In case you don’t know, you visit these blogs because they often give you lots of awesome stuff without expecting anything in return. The people behind these blogs are constantly thinking of how they can help you.
Also, think about your friends and the people close to you in real life, why do you often go to them in your dark hours? Because you know, they will always help you even when others turn their back on you.
That is how your blog should be. Make it a habit to always be there for your readers, assist them when necessary and they will love you for that.
4. Stop Blogging and Start Content Marketing
I know this may seem confusing at first, but you need to hear me out first before hitting the back button.
If you’re still blogging in the sense of being a blogger today, then I’m afraid to tell you that it will not go down well with you. Sorry if I sounded harsh, but I need to tell you the truth.
I wrote about this on my blog some time ago, and it attracted many different reactions, but overall, most people ended up agreeing with my points.
There is a big difference between a blogger and a content marketer. A blogger often puts all his focus and attention on writing and writing and then publishing more and more articles on his blog even when no one is reading or listening to him. But believe me, that is a dumb idea, such an idea must have come from hell.
How long do you want to continue publishing those articles on your blog without anything to show for it?
Are you looking at the few comments you usually get? Jon Morrow calls that “vanity metrics.” You might get a few comments and social shares whenever you hit the publish button, but sadly, that will not get you anywhere.
Content marketers understand that posting many articles on their blogs when they’ve not built a sizable audience is crazy; hence, they post less on their blogs and more on other popular blogs in their industry.
Therefore, I urge you to start playing it smart henceforth, unless you already have a huge reader base for your blog then, it’s okay to devote most of your time to engaging with your readers, but if not, start networking and connecting with the influencers in your niche. They are the people who will promote you, trust me.
[Related: How to Explode Your Blog Growth: 101+ Actionable Ideas to Explode Your Traffic Growth]5. Spend Less Time on Social Media
Social media is a time killer for new bloggers. I understand that social media is good, it’s effective, and you can build a good audience on that platform, but that’s if you have the money to invest in ads.
If not, give it less of your time because you will not get much out of it. Even though I’ve seen many people who build their blog solely on social media, but if you fully depend on it, you might regret it someday.
As a beginner, your time should be channeled on building an email list; there’s nothing like it.
If you’re serious about building your blog into a sustainable business, then you need a list of eager subscribers. It does not matter if you have 10k friends on Facebook, 12k on Twitter, those fans of yours can be taken down one day, and you will lose everything.
While on social media, you should always channel that traffic back to your blog and convert them into long-term fans.
And if you’ve not created your blog yet, you’re making a mistake. You might think that with social media, you can get all the money you want but mind you that it’s not guaranteed. You might wake up one day and discover you’re account has been deleted as happened to Noah Kagan sometime ago.
6. Be Nice To Them
Don’t be a difficult person; you need to be friendly to your readers. Respond to their comments both on your blog and on social media.
Even when a reader becomes rude to you by calling you names or making the occasional foolish remark on your posts, don’t fume up but instead, delete the comment and move on.
Let me tell you something, in life, people usually walk around carrying lots of garbage and looking for somewhere to dump it. If you give them the chance, they will dump the garbage on you, and you will start getting mad at yourself, so please, don’t allow them.
The person attacking you might be having a bad day and is, therefore, trying to share his frustration and aggression with you, but that’s not your problem, it’s theirs, they want to spoil your day, but you should not allow them. Let them dump their garbage elsewhere.
7. Stop Reading, Start Doing
According to Gary Vaynerchuk, you should not always remain a student; you ought to graduate and become an entrepreneur (couldn’t have agreed more).
How many blog posts have you read on the internet since you started? How many how-to and motivational videos have you watched on YouTube? How have many online courses and Ebooks you purchased so far?
Now here is the final question, how many of the things you learned about these products have you implemented? (Seriously, I would like you to answer these questions via the comment section of this post).
I will stop it here so we can further the discussion in the comment section. But I will leave you with just one word before I go……..”Stop reading and start doing”.
Have you launched your blog? If not, go do it now. As Nike always says, ”Just Do It.”
Author Bio
Theodore Nwangene is a freelance writer and on a journey to help bloggers/writers and entrepreneurs build a better and profitable blog, increase visibility and boost their online authority. He also writes insanely helpful guides on blogging and marketing at Topbloggingcoach.com. Get his free report on How to Write Kick-Ass Blog Posts That Will Always Swoon Your Readers.
Host Blogger’s Comments:
In closing, blogging success takes time. While you’re waiting, you might have to consider selling feet pictures.
Readers, please share Theodore’s post so other bloggers know how to succeed online instead of being ignored.
I would love to hear what you thought of Theodore’s post in the comment section. Of all his tips, which one resonated with you the most? Why?
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