A Guest Post by Nathan Hangen of Making it Social.
As much as many of us want to get our blogs up and running and create an overnight success story, the truth is that having desire alone just isn’t enough. For starters, guys like Darren make it look extremely easy now, but it’s not like he rolled out of bed one morning and became an instant success. He poured hours of blood, sweat, and tears into his blogs before they became income worthy, but don’t fret just yet, help is on the way.
Even though we have to make our way through the learning curve until everything “clicks” into place, there’s no reason that we can’t shorten the learning curve so that we can spend less time wishing and more time living. By learning from our own experiences and, more importantly, the experiences of others, we can do just that. Darren does a great job of doing that here, but I’d like to present a list of things I learned the hard way, things I wish I knew sooner, and things that I think new bloggers could use to elevate their game to the next level.
1. Good design is crucial
Most bloggers don’t have a very long time to make a good first impression, and with the abundance of great content throughout the interwebs, readers try fo find ways to cut back and/or make quick decisions on which content they consume. One of the ways they do this is by judging a book by its cover. It might not be fair, but it’s reality. You dont’ have to give your kidney for a good design. There are dozens of theme providers that have both inexpensive and free themes that look much better than what was designed 2-3 years ago.
2. Narrow Your Niche
This is something that took me a long time to understand. I thought that by covering a bunch of topics, casting a wider net so to speak, that I would attract more people to my blog. The problem with that strategy is that when you do attract new visitors, you throw them off if your content isn’t consistent. They’ll wind up leaving and you’ll have to recruit new readers for every single post. So, try fishing with a spear instead.
3. Comments Really Do Matter
I didn’t take this seriously at first. I thought that my content was special enough to get noticed on its own. Boy was I wrong! It wasn’t until a few months ago that I crafted a comment policy that has helped my traffic explode. I do it by subscribing by email to a dozen or so blogs in my niche so that I’m notified as soon as there is a new post. I try to comment right away and do my best to add something meaningful to the conversation. More importantly, I come back and reply to other comments in the discussion. Do this often enough and on enough blogs and you will start to get noticed. You can’t give commenting lip service either; it is something that needs to be done every day.
4. Don’t Underestimate the Importance of Your Knowledge
When you master a skill, it’s easy to think that others might be on the same level as you, which can lead you to discount the value of your skill set and experience. However, most people don’t know what you know and would to pay you to teach them. Things that might seem simple to you can look like Greek to a reader. Don’t ever take your skill set and knowledge base for granted.
5. When You Have a Blog, You are the Authority
Own It! – We blog from behind a desk and see our lives as imperfect or incomplete. However, to a customer or new reader, you have an incredible amount of authority. If you have gone through the work of publishing content, then you need to step up to the plate and own that content. Take the authority and use it. You might be a 6 or 7 (on a 10 point scale), but to that new person, you are a leader. This excites people…they want a piece of your vision. Use that authority to step up to the plate and give them what they want. Don’t be afraid to be an expert!
6. Consistency Counts
I thought I could get away with blogging whenever I felt like it. I thought I could change the topic based on what felt right at the time. Looking back through my archives, I’m almost embarrassed by the casual attitude I took with my blog. These days, I know better and I keep a steady editorial schedule (3 posts per week on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday) and have narrowed the topics of my content to a degree that keeps my readers feeling like they belong. Changing it up all the time confuses people and scares away good readers.
7. Have a Plan
What are you going to do when your readership doubles? How are you going to handle getting hundreds of emails per day? How will you respond to comments? How do you see your platform evolving over the next year, 2, or even 5? These are some of the questions that you need to address early and often. Your plan might not be perfect, but at least you’ll have a direction to head. There’s nothing wrong with being flexible, but allowing your circumstances to dictate your business can lead you down roads that are better left untraveled.
8. Start Networking Early!
I cannot emphasize this enough. Use Twitter, comments, and guest posting as a tool to meet new people. The wider your reach, the easier it is to get noticed. Don’t wait for people to come to you…get out and network. People love personal connections! Go to conferences and shake hands with other bloggers. You never know which contact could turn into a great guest posting opportunity, a JV deal, or a new devoted fan. Blogging is a business, and you’ve got to get out and meet people if you want to take your blog to the next level.
9. Be Everywhere
This is tied in with the previous point, but to keep it simple – try to be in as many places as you can. Use Twitter, Facebook, USTREAM, YouTube, LinkedIn, and any other social network you can. You don’t have to live there, but having a presence there is important. People need to be able to find you in as many places as possible. You never know where that next source of income or the next reader might come from.
10. Hustle
Really, it all boils down to this. If I had to give you one piece of advice, it would be that you need to work your tail off to become a problogger. There’s no secret recipe, no golden ticket…you’ve just got to work hard and treat your blog like a business. It might seem like you aren’t getting anywhere at first, but be patient and keep at it. Adjust your plan on the fly if you have to, but never stop hustling. You’ve got to love what you do…absolutely enjoy doing it every day, if you really want to quit your job and go full time. If you don’t love what you do, then stop what you’re doing and go do what you love. Trust me, the work will come MUCH easier at that point.
Although this is just tip of the iceberg, I believe that if you just learn to improve on a few of these points, then you’ll shave a tremendous amount of time off your learning curve. You still might have to learn the hard way, but at least now you’ll have the context to understand what’s might be going wrong. If nothing else works, then you can’t go wrong with #10. In fact, I’d say that’s a great place to start.
Nathan Hangen is an entrepreneur, social media consultant, and co-author of the book – Beyond Blogging.
Good design does not mean too many digital images, that will slow down the loading.
I can’t stick to a narrow niche, that’s why I make it a board niche, or else I bored myself to death. It’s hard to talk about making money online everyday.
And don’t buy every single blogging product available. Stick with one or two, use it, take action, implement ideas, see results and then, perhaps, move on.
Buying too many can be very overwhelming.
Andrew
Thanks for the post!
For me nrs. 8 and 9 proved to be the most important. But it just shows that what’s right every other professional field is right for blogging too – the more people you know, the more connections you have, the better it is.
Great list! I definitely see a lot of people undervaluing comments, so I’m really glad you included it. People don’t believe me, but I keep telling them that the biggest source of traffic when my site was young was the comments I left on other blogs. It really, really does work (as long as your comments are relevant and useful).
Awesome!
This is exactly what I needed to hear right now.
Great post, i’ll share this for sure.
Thanks.
#8 is my favorite tip. I love ready other blogs for tips and help with my own. Great post.
This is a keeper! As an apprentice blogger, I went with the ideal of writing about my passion, not concerned in the least about the monetizing of it. Though I am still not ready, after several months of very hard work due to many obstacles, to introduce my blog, I got a call in a different direction, and started another one. Oooh! Don’t know exactly what I am doing here, but, again, from the advice of the probloggers, have followed my passion. Merry Christmas to all and God bless you immensely. Great choice of a guest on your blog, and Darren, you deserve a medal for blogging EVERY DAY? for HOW LONG, now? You were the first problogger I read about back in July. Love ya, brother.
Thanks for this very interesting blog. It’s a good place to learn about the power blogging can be.
I myself have developed a brand new system that also works great when it comes to make money online.
It’s called “Hack Cash” and is amazingly effective.
Good luck!
Thanks for the great tips. We’re just starting out and appreciate the valuable information we get from others who have been there! The “patience” part is probably the most difficult!
These are all great points. One of things I wish RSS technology would allow is the ability to comment from my RSS reader. I think this would generate more comments for all of us, since our raving fans tend to subscribe to our blogs.
Good stuff. Thanks.
This are great tips. Point number 4 makes all sense and now I know that a little better. You want a quick example “if you know how to add a youtube box to your facebook profile” amazingly, that is knowledge. I was asked twice about that in the last month . Little things that you learned in the past can help people in the future. To finish, “Hustle” hard work always will get you somewhere.
I think the “design” point is a bit more murky than it seems. There are many very successful blogs that have designs that leave something to be desired, personally, I see design as a boost. It isn’t at all necessary but it can only be benefitial in the long run.
“consistency counts” both with posting and marketing activities. I can see clear connections between my traffic and both of those activities…
Too bad you forgot the most important thing– be human. You are a person, not a brand. The only rule worth following is the Golden Rule. One can only hustle and network for so long before it stops working. People will only respect and follow a hustler for so long as they always have one foot out the door.
As a new blogger, I am happy about that these points i know now. I won’t be worrying later as you do. :) Anyway blogosphere gets changes much more faster than before it was. I should get time machine and watch what we need in 2012(world ends :) )
Darren,
Your point number 3 about commenting is something that always confuses me… many bloggers speak to the importance of commenting, but fail to show how THEY do it.
How do you keep track of your comments to make follow ups for sites that don’t have a “notify me” feature?
And how much time do you devote to commenting, say, on a weekly basis?
To me, #1 on the list should be CONTENT. Something so many (including myself) bloggers seem to overlook while worrying about ads, widgets, and getting links.
Everyone have story and you have tried many steps to be better. And I think your knowledge is so sweet to be shared.
Thanks Nathan
Great points – as one who has been fortunate enough to make it a full-time job, number 10 stands out to me the most. There are many ways to cut a pie, but if the hard work isn’t there is likely isn’t going to happen…
Nathan – you nailed it!
Especially the hustle part. I totally agree that there is something valuable to be said about being consistently in action – not sporadic, but consistently acting in the 20% of actions that produce 80% of the results.
This took me some time to learn, but I can totally relate to what you’re saying. For instance I could blow off an entire week of blogging without it having a huge impact on my traffic. The reason?
Because I’ve built a foundation. SEO is good on my site and I’ve got some RSS readers and a healthy following in my Newsletter. I’m not saying I would blow off an entire week, but I could do that without getting into too much trouble.
All that being said this is not something I could have gotten away with when I started my blog. The reason I say that is because it would have killed my momentum and my confidence.
So to add to your list: #11 Be Consistently in the Hustle
Steve
To Narrow Your Niche is really important I think, since it will be more easier for you to focus on the niche and get the source from a stable way.
Take myself for example, the niche of Essential Blog is a little wider for me, including blogging tips, blog news, twitter, wordpress, etc, I think it will be better if I focus on twitter or wordpress at the first.
And I think another blog Free Nuts just fine for the niche, since it only focus on free web apps.
These are excellent. As a new blogger, I am always looking for advice. Thank you.
Nathan,
These are great points and I have to agree with ChristianPF — it does take a LOT of work to become a problogger and you MUST love what you do or else you will NEVER be motivated enough to keep keeping on.
I also agree with comments. I had someone tell me once that comments made no difference on sales. I knew in my heart that the person was dead-wrong.
Comments means people are engaged and it’s a great way to come up with new ideas for future content.
Thanks for a great post,
Krizia
Excellent article. These pointers are really useful to a starting blogger like myself.
At one point I started commenting on other blogs and I can really say it’s worth it. With meaningful comments you can really get some good targeted traffic and it’s also a good way to start getting new friends.
Wow, very well written and said. I totally agree with your points. I too try to have a consistent schedule for blogging, I blog Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays. My readers expect to find something new on my blog on these days and I ensure to have something on there as well. I’ve noticed that by networking in other blogs, social media and in person I have increased the comments received on my blog postings. Which is great!! I appreciate the love from my readers.
Thanks for this post!
Arie Rich
@arierich
“consistency counts” – I am a new blogger, and I have just posted my 12th post. I have a goal to make 1 well thought post a week for 3 months.
“comments count” – I am finaly de-lurking on blogs I have been reading for the past few years to share my comments. I liken comments to the virtual hand shaken. Have a firm non-sweaty grip.
“everywhere counts” – I am reserving my user names on every site that I find, but I really only plan to engage with a few where the audience make-up will be interested in me.
Question – Is there etiquette for responding when someone posts a pingback as a comment?
ciao
TNSInc
Darren
Solid points as usual. I have been following your blog back to the day you were on the .net domain :)
i have started niche blogs here and there over the years but never had a chance to focus on one full time. Now I have the opportunity focus my attention to a unique niche that experts are all agreeing will be the next thing for 2010.
I am excited to note that alot of these points you mentioned I have applied and I’ve seen fantastic results. There are a few points that I will continue to implement and I am curious to see the results.
Looking forward to other quality posts!
Really good points!
Sounds like a cliche, but I really wish I had these when I started out. Anyone new to blogging should use these as their Mantra.
To be taken very seriously.
You say, “Although this is just the Tip of the Iceberg” its a very good tip! Looking back at my archives, I see I am guilty of more than one of this top 10 list and better at others.
Consistency, Comments and Content are critical components to any WebBlog. The one area I see my of my Blogger biddies miss the boat is what you referred to as “narrowing you niche”.
Since there’s so much info out there (in 5 different languages) I think the more laser focused your content is, the better and more likely our readers will 1) Leave a Comment 2) Digg your post (I use share it for this) 2) Do the #1 thing you want most ~ subscribe to your RSS feed.
The one item I would add to this already useful list is to include more VIDEO in your content and make sure the vid is only 3-5 minutes max in length. Video Blogging is becoming a must have element in the Blog I visit more than once.
This post makes so much sense. The consistency issue and treating it like a business are my biggest roadblocks. I get so much project work that blogging takes second place. I “get” that I have to change my priorities. Now I just have to do it.
Thank you, too, for reminding me about narrowing the niche. In the few months I’ve been blogging, I already can see where I have strayed with topics. I’m getting a clearer picture now of where my focus should be.
I’ve just started a new blog and coming in at the ground level is tough. You’re advice about niche narrowing is certainly helpful, though makes me worry a little about my blog; it would be difficult to narrow my content much as it’s a very broad area.
I would say if you are able to sum up what your blog covers in one simple sentence, this is niche enough.
Extending from the point on authority: How exactly does one exert authority in their select field?
Owning the blog is very important, I agree. I realized some time ago that I really shouldn’t be writing for anyone but myself and if people don’t agree with my opinions then too bad for them. You can’t satisfy everyone, but at least you can satisfy yourself. All the points you mentioned are important, but really owning your blog and being the leader is something not everyone mentions on these blogs about blogging sites. Good job, Nathan. Cheers!
Nicely written Nathan, when i started I never knew about Problogger, that is where I went wrong, I still repent on the time i’ve wasted till today.
These are good tips, and they are commonly shared with the top bloggers across various niches. Working on each of these.
Thanks Darren!
I’m starting to realize too that comments make a big difference.
I’m now trying to get readers more engaged in the comments, not an easy thing!
Super duper list, Nathan! Seriously, I’ll be printing this out and glancing at it before each and every one of my blog posts from now on. #2 regarding your niche is especially important. Good stuff!
Thanks Nathan, for sharing your experience and what we can learn from it.
I find I should give a lot of thought to. #7; about having a plan and thinking beyond today. Not that I don’t, but it tends to get pushed to the back-burner often, what with social media marketing and all
Blogging is my passion, my job, my source of income so as far as #10 goes, I hustle like there’s no tomorrow ;)
Gotta say that most of the time I see posts like this I skim over them because they are mostly fluff. This is a very well written post and one of the few that, as I read each point, I said, “Yes! This guy is right on!” Nice work.
I think point 2 is the breaking point for most bloggers. If they can understand that narrowing the focus actually means expanding the opportunity for success, they have a better chance of making it. It’s a hard concept to actually implement.
Great top 10 list. I personally like #2 “Narrow Your Niche”. There is a fine line between too broad and too narrow, but if you focus on a specific area/topic, and you become quite knowledgeable in that area, you can really captivate your audience.
And a captive audience means more $$$ or reaching your non-monetary goal faster and more effectively.
Rob – LexiConn
When U Comment More and On More Blogs Then U are indirectly on more blog nd if u comment on ur niche of blogs from where u need audience i.e traffic then u are focusing correctly…and do blog around some topics only that u mentioned so ur niche is as such becomes narrow…btw great guest post by nathan…nd u forget one point Try Guest Posting also like u did here ;)
Nathan,
Great post! Well thought out, simple and at the same time detailed.
I must admit, I looked at one post from a year ago: it was horrible!!! I mean it sucked!!! But “to live is to learn” and I am learning.
I wholeheartedly agree with # 6. I’ve made the commitment to blog every single day. I’ve been very haphazard in the past…but no more. I’ve been blogging everday for sometime and have seen great results…I will continue this trend:)
Thanks for the advice!
Good points all thru this article.
Scheduling posts for days of the week is important. If you make it a habit to post something on Mon, Wed, Fri, your readers will make it their HABIT to visit on those days.
I like to follow friends and bloggers I like in Google Reader and then comment when I have something worthwhile to add. Don’t comment for the sake of commenting. You’ll look like a spammer.
Narrowing your niche is good advice. I keep my niche focused on small business owners and entrepreneurs who want to learn how to use social media to market their business. I make sure my topics are of interest to that specific reader. I ask myself all the time, is this something an entrepreneur would be interested in?
It’s easy to stray from your niche, but a focused blog means your readers will be those who are very interested in this one niche.
Point 3 – Comments really do matter?
I don’t allow comments on my blog, and i do think my content is king. I’ve seen traffic somehow. May be i’m ignorant and silly enough to say no to comments, but irony is i do comment when i see something i can relate to, and people do come. Its not like my blog is going to die without comments?
Mine is a professional blog, a zero ad, zero solicit blog with no sales pitches. And people do seem to like that approach !
Great summary, thanks for sharing. I needed to be reminded of the importance of subscribing to blogs in my niche and commenting on them regularly.
best wishes,
Roger
These are the same things I wish I knew then and now. It’s hard to understand most of this when you start because you’ve got no idea where you’re headed.
The good thing is it’s almost never too late to make corrections and continue.
Loved it.
@Nibras:
I thought you were joking, but after viewing your site, I see you’re serious.
If you have no comments, and no ads… how are you making money from your blog again?
I my mind, “professional” doesn’t just mean serious, it means earning income from a blog’s value. If you don’t do that, then I don’t know how seriously you could call your blog “professional.”
Don’t take it the wrong way, I too have a personal blog that is ad free and doesn’t serve a purpose of earning income, but I wouldn’t venture to call it “professional” in that capacity.
Nathan,
Your points are focussed and informative. I need to carefully consider all the points, but especially 2,3, & 10. Thank you for the share.
Design is subjective, one design will be loved by some readers and some will hate it.
I think if you keep it clean and easy to navigate, then it will work just fine.
Rest of your tips are great..
These are really great tips. The first one, good design is crucial, is so true. Many bloggers spend just a few seconds before clicking a design. Most readers barely spend anytime on websites or blogs at all. The first impression is often the one that counts.
I think that the second point though, is too much of a generalization. It is normally true, but in a lot of cases, it is not. For example, in my blog, http://johnstond2015.wordpress.com/, I cover technology, not just blogging or building a website. This is because I’m trying to reach people who need help with technology in general, not just bloggers. It all depends on who you are trying to reach.
The third one, comments really do matter, is something that should be in the bloggers bible, if there was one. Even if people don’t go to your blog from reading comments, they’ll know your name, and if they eventually stumble upon your website, there’s a greater chance that they’ll become a reader. Also, you will get a lot of traffic from people who want to check you out, as well as the person (people) who run the blog will want to see where you come from and if you can add something good to the conversation.
The fourth and fifth ones are also extremely important. If you don’t believe what you’re saying is true, then why would anyone else?
Consistency is one of the most important things for building a successful blog. People prefer to read things that updated frequently, although how frequently depends on your niche.
Of course, with almost anything in life, having a plan is key. If you don’t know where you want to go, chances are good that you won’t end up there.
Networking and being everywhere are also crucial ingredients to getting noticed. The more places that you are, the better chances your chances are of other people finding you.
And, obviously, you are right when you say that content is KING! If your blog or website is empty, then why would people want to be there? Also, if your content isn’t useful, then why would people want it?
All in all, great post Nathan!