Don’t let anyone discourage you from blogging.
Yes, you may not be 100% sure of becoming a pro blogger anytime soon, but keep holding on.
The truth of the matter is that when you’re new to any kind of venture, without a mentor or practical guide, you’re bound to make mistakes. Yes.
I know you’re doing your possible best to finally break through the thick clouds of blogging and make your dreams come through. Trust me I know how you feel right now.
It may seem as though nothing spectacular is happening to your business at this juncture, but that’s a ‘BIG FAT lie’ which you must never accept.
I want to share with you the 7 straight-forward ways to decide your blogging success even before you start. And if you have launched your blog, I humbly recommend that you follow these ways. They’re not set on stone so feel free to INNOVATE.
But as much as you can, be guided by them. Being straightforward doesn’t mean ‘instant’ result or ‘easy.’ It simply means there is nothing complicated or confusing about it. The way it appears on this post is how it is in real life.
Let’s go…
1.      Think & Act business
Are you just a blogger or a businessperson?
The only way to know is through your thinking. Most people who run a wordpress blog see themselves as bloggers only.
In case you don’t know, let me inform you that the successful internet entrepreneurs you know all have a different thinking pattern.
No, nothing spectacular per se, but they see their blog or website as an indispensable part of their business.
Most of these people even have offline businesses duly registered. So when they came online and started a blog, they still maintained the same thoughts as if they’re selling physical products. You should see yourself as a real person who is managing a business.
Yes, you’re a blogger but don’t stop there. There are so many limitations to being a blogger. But a business person is challenged to solve any kind of problem.
Don’t just be a blogger who writes articles, become a problem solver. Become a manager, an organizer, an action taker, an investor. Start by thinking like one and you’ll be persuaded to give it a go.
2.      Get a mentor today
source: mentor
The title of this post says “straightforward.â€
And this is where it’s so real and I need you to seriously consider it. You can determine your blogging success by getting a mentor today – if you already have none.
A mentor is someone who has done what you’ve in mind or what you’ve decided to do. Your mentor can add a lot to your life.
He or she can help you prevent errors and guide your every step towards achieving your goals. By the way, before you get a mentor, make sure you’ve written a clear and realistic goal on paper. Then present your goal to him or her and ask for their feedback & advice.
Don’t do this blogging ‘thing’ alone – or you’d end up murmuring when things don’t turn out the way you planned. Can you succeed as a blogger without a mentor? Absolutely YES – but you’ll succeed faster and joyfully when you’re GUIDED.
3.      Read marketing materials
Yes. Don’t limit yourself to e-books and blogs only. There are marketing materials that come in video forms, audio, hard copy books, e-courses and what have you? For you to get a hold on success as a blogger, you’ve to learn how to sell yourself.
Sure, you should also read other materials apart from marketing. It’d help you a lot. I focused on marketing because when you ‘master it’ nothing can stop you from making money online, driving targeted traffic to your blog and living the internet lifestyle.
4.      Don’t read every blog you know
I don’t know how your face looks like right now. But it doesn’t matter right now. What matters is your productivity and the vision you’re blogging with. There are thousands of blogs out there, and a huge distraction and the reason why most people fail.
You should select the blogs you read regularly. Personally, since the beginning of 2013, I constrained myself to 7 authority blogs. Of course this blog is one of them.
It takes discipline to abide by this rule but it will set you on course. Fast forward to this day, I’ve become more productive, writes when I want to without clicking through to another fancy blog.
If you want to make money blogging, find out the relevant blogs where you can learn practical tips that would help you make the money, drive the traffic, become an influencer etc.
Choose the blogs you read wisely because the opinions (posts, videos, podcasts, books et al) of a particular blog writer can make or mar your success.
5.      Focus more on Marketing than Writing
Listen to me, inasmuch as writing makes you a better person, a prolific blogger and someone who commands attention, marketing on the other hand will set you on high. If you know what I mean in section, you’ll focus your attention more on marketing than writing.
The truth is that no matter how useful, interesting and reliable your content is, if the right people don’t read it, you’re doomed.
You might have wasted your precious time researching, writing, editing and formatting. Now, don’t get me wrong. You should write blogs, books and produce valuable content, but also learn how to promote them.
It’s rare to find a New York Times Best Writer, but almost all the time what you’ll read is the “New York Times Bestseller or Bestselling Book.
Any writer whose book has appeared on NYT is unarguably a good writer, but may not be the best writer around. However, they have learned that marketing their works is the best decision to make and that’s why they’re rich.
A great writer/blogger can be broke, but a not-so-great writer who knows how to get buyers is already a success. Seriously, I would prefer to write 1 valuable post per week and get 10 people to read it, than to write 100 posts and only 50 persons accessed them. What do you think?
6.      Write catchy headlines all the time
Blogging is interesting if after pushing the ‘publish’ button hundreds of people read, share and helps in distributing your content. Who wouldn’t want that to happen 99% of the time? Well, you can set the ball rolling with the headline or title.
Spend adequate time writing your headline. Don’t rush it. Don’t be too tired or bored to craft, tweak or totally erase the first headline you have. It’s for your own good. Should you spend hours making your headline catchy and benefit-driven? Yes. But wasting time isn’t too good so…
The best way to write catchy headlines all the time is to “steal†from other people. I’m sure you have been hooked by a particular one before, haven’t you?
Now, go copy the headline and create your own. Don’t copy and own it outright, it’s called plagiarism and could get you into trouble. But you can learn how another blogger/writer wrote theirs and make yours better.
7.      Join The Bandwagon
When I say bandwagon, I mean a group of people who are already successful with their blogs. There is no better way to learn faster than to be with those who have failed countless times and bounced back stronger.
Trust me, life is too short for you to make all the mistakes and get the required experience. All the tedious works had already been done by these folks. Find out where they hang out regularly and start making friends with them.
Networking is essential. Plan to attend a conference, seminar, workshop or the popular webinars that are going on online. You can’t succeed online in isolation.
You may need me to instruct or share my story with you and that could just be the secret sauce you’ve been missing.
Don’t hide in your own shell of ignorance. Get out of your blog and make friends who matter.
Get offline and connect with brick-and-mortar business entrepreneurs. In fact, if you can connect and network effectively offline, you can start making your first online income from local businesses. This is guaranteed!
Do me a favor…
I’ve poured out my heart into this post. I think it’s one of the best I’ve written so far for John Chow and all I want from you is a tweet, a facebook like and your sweet comment below.
As you do those, I’ll be driving to the nearby Restaurant to enjoy a hot meal. Would you like to join me?