This week I'll be a guest on the Hot Seminar Series to discuss taking a blog to max profit potential - including my strategies for getting the most out of every post.
Kelly McCausey is the host of the summer series, and she has been digging into my blog archives to check things out before the interview on Wednesday.
In a recent post she asked me about my objective - and whether I started my blog with a specific plan in mind:
So many people start blogging on a whim and end up fizzling out after a little while. According to the archives on your blog, you started blogging in the spring of 2006 and you definitely never fizzled. I have a feeling that starting a blog was not a decision that you made lightly, right?
Did you have a plan for your blog from the beginning and have you pretty well stuck to it?
Looking forward to your reply,
Kelly
Hi Kelly 😀
I actually started blogging in August 2004, so this month marks 6 years that I've been blogging full time. I started out on blogger.com - then moved over to WordPress, and the domain ClickNewz.com, in March 2006.
My original objective was simply to share what I was doing, and what was working, in my online business. It was very much like a personal business journal in the beginning. I didn't optimize my posts with a keyword phrase, didn't monetize the posts or the blog in any way, etc.
It wasn't until later, and with the rising popularity of blogging for profit, that I began testing and talking about those things ON that platform. Even still, my blog remains a personal biz journal. I continue to share what I am learning, what I'm using, the books I read, the challenges I face and the solutions I find.
While it wasn't my original objective to monetize my blog, meaning I didn't start a blog with the intention of making money at it, it has become a consistent revenue source. This is a natural result of testing ways to make money online, creating live examples and then sharing the results with my readers. Which is what I do.
If you read through my years of archives, you'll see as much personal history of my business growth as you will "internet marketing tips". Almost all of the tips & reviews are intertwined with my thoughts and personal experience - because it started out as, and still is, a business journal.
Intentional or not, it obviously works - and works well. Which is another lesson I learned and then shared along the way. And one I continue to implement on new niche blogs outside of the internet marketing space.
Had I started a blog with the sole purpose of making money, I may have "fizzled out" myself. Blogging is a lot more work than some other methods I've used to make money online - such as affiliate marketing.
Blogging meaning writing conversationally and continuously.
I do use WordPress as a platform for Affiliate Sites now (versus HTML or traditional static websites), but using WordPress doesn't mean you're "blogging" - it can also be used to create pages that look just like the traditional websites.
If you're going to blog it pays to choose a topic you'll never tire of writing or talking about. I've started many blogs over the last 6 years. Several of them did fizzle out. Those that stuck were the blogs that had to do with my deepest personal interests - such as this one about my online business that you're reading now.
Best,
p.s. Even though I write my blog in much the same way as I keep my private business journal, I do have a strategy. I shared that in detail, giving the 7 elements I include, here: How to Write a Blog Post. What to write and how to write it are the two biggest questions I hear - followed by how to increase blog traffic. < That link will give you my favorite method of getting high quality visitors to your blog. 😉
About Lynn Terry
Hey Lynn!
I have Several Blogs in Different Niches that I have started and tired
of Quickly
Any suggestions for running Multiple blogs successfully?
Guest Authors?
Out Sourcing?
Jack Bastide
Hey Jack...
Hope you are well mate?
Why not consider multiple blogs that are in some way related, the core content being on the same thing but from a different angle?
I have seen something similar to that in the "restoring cars" niche... I realised after a while the several different blogs and sites linked on it were the same person, it worked because it was all on topic, relevant.
An idea... hope it helps. 😉
As much as I've taught and learned about personal branding, it didn't occur to me that I could write my blog more from a personal business experience standpoint. My writing style is more of a teacher-student relationship and I'm going through a "dry" period right now so maybe using this approach would help me pick back up my stride.
I've been blogging for 5+ years now as well, and as Lynn said, the key to sustaining a blog over the long term is to write about something you're passionate about. If you're writing just to try and make a few bucks about something you're not fond of, you're going to fizzle out; I've seen it time and time again.
We actually did a post about 5 years back, chronicling the top 35 real estate blogs at the time, and today less than 10 remain. Tells you something . . .
Nice post!
Josh
Lynn,
A few questions if you get a chance
What PLugin are you using to Subscribe to comments?
What about for the Twitter Id?
Thanks!
Jack Bastide
Jack... I use http://comluv.com/download/twitterlink-comments for twitter links... it works nicely. Not sure if Lynn is using the same one as I had to add it each time I made a comment here, yet on my blog you only need add the twitter ID once. 🙂
Have fun on Kelly's seminar.
Blogging can be fun...if you don't mind writing. I think there is an are to it, though. Not only does it have to be engaging, the posts can't be too long. I can't count how many blog posts I've read that have started out interesting and just went on and on and on. It's something I always have to watch with my own blogging.
You should also proofread (which I obviously missed in the comment). "I think there is an *art* to it, though."
Spell check doesn't catch real words. 🙂
Hi Lynn and Kelly
I've been going through a bit of a dry spell myself on my main blog (WebCopyResults.com) - not because I've lost interest in the topic, more because I have so much writing to do elsewhere.
Lynn, you once pointed out to me that most of blog posts tend to be lengthy article-type posts (which is true) - I definitely need to figure out a way to condense the time I invest into creating each post, while keeping them informative and (hopefully) interesting... 🙂
Consistency is key and is definitely something I plan to make my #1 priority going forward...
ps Ken, you are correct - proofreading is key! 🙂 Spell check also does not pick up missed words! (I meant: ... you once pointed out most of MY blog posts...)
Lynn,
Thank you so much for this post. This gave me a whole different perspective to blogging. I also sometimes run out of posts to make from a teaching standpoint.
Thanks again, Lynn.
A lot of newbie bloggers try to start a blog on "how to make money online". They are not going to have success if they are in solely for profits. Besides, who's going to listen to them when they are not making big bucks obviously. 😛
Blogging with no plan means plan blogging to FAIL. My personal blog site just celebrate 1st year, sometimes I feel still a lot of things to do in my blog since only hundreds of visitor each month.
I'm speaking on the Hot Seminar Series at 1:00 Eastern today (Wednesday, August 4th): http://www.hotseminarseries.com/lynn
Coupon Code: 48A945640F = half off!
Great question from Kelly and a great answer too! ClickNewz has been one of my favorite blogs for several years and it's the conversational tone and the personal tidbits that help bring it all to life. Thank you for deciding to blog that day all those years ago 😉
Nowadays, I believe 90% of those creating a blog are with the "make money from home" thought in their minds. However, about 90% of them usually fail. 🙂
That's no coincidence... 😉
You said
"A lot of newbie bloggers try to start a blog on “how to make money online”. They are not going to have success if they are in solely for profits. Besides, who’s going to listen to them when they are not making big bucks obviously. :P"
i am one of theese! 🙂
I think that the one thing that make this blog great is indeed your writing... that beyond being a clear evidence of your experience as a internet marketing professional, it also shows a brilliant personal side and fabulous sincerity. Two vital qualities that I wish all bloggers could brag about!
Hey Lynn-
I agree that you have to choose something that you are passionate about for it to stick. I too have started many blogs over several years that have fizzled as I have lost interest in them. One way I have beat this, when I truly have an urge to build a great page about a random topic, is to build a squidoo lens on the topic, update it as I can then ping it at squidutils.com. Also promotion of my squidoo feed is a great way to help promote your lenses if you want to build pages or articles on a variety of topics.
Thanks for the great post! You have to stick with it to blog.
I remember you starting blogging Lynn... about the time I started too wasn't it... 🙂 Do you still have the midnight marketing snack one? 😉
Good times back then, linking to each other, helping each other... when blogging was real blogging. 😀
I don't think anyone ever answered Jack's question. I run multiple blogs. Two are business and one is just for personal ramblings. For my business blogs I just publish on alternating days so I am not trying to publish both blogs on the same days. When I get really busy I do outsource. I also use guest posts. I hope that helps. Now I've got some blogging to do! Later.
When you have multiple blogs do you reveal that it is you in each blog? What I'm wondering is if you are blogging in several different content areas, especially if you are doing affiliate marketing, is it a good idea to put your name, photo, etc. on all of the sites? This is something that I never really see talked about from people who say they make money with many different sites and I have been curious about how it is done.
Great response to her question. I didn't realize that you started 6 years ago. That is when all this blogging stuff was getting started. How exciting! I hope to come back in 6 years and read about how happy you are doing what you do!
I found firepow quite good for managing multiple wordpress blogs and sites. Its a bit costly though but they have a free or low cost trial i think.
Suitable for people who are already monetizing their content, for newbies it may be a little bit of a steep price.
Hope this helps
congrats for being a part of hot seminar series..what if I'm doing blogs as my outlet for my burdens..Can I also do that but hide my identity??
Its amazing how many things can be achieved with wordpress. I have stopped working on traditional websites, and now work more on WordPress based sites, it saves a lot of time.
I've been blogging for 3 years. I find it very helpful especially when you want someone to talk with and you can't find a perfect person to suit it. It just saddened me when a lot of newbie are making this art as making money online. They actually missing the fun.
I think if you’re objective is to make a lot of money with a particular niche, then a blog is a necessity. It helps you tell stories about your life while tying them into the blog. In short, it makes your marketing more interesting.
There was a prominent online marketer who once did a test telling a story for 10 days in a row with his list. I believe he said it was the most money he'd ever made in a 10 day period from his list.
I think one of the biggest benefits of a blog BESIDES establishing yourself as an expert is that it simply makes your marketing more interesting.
Congrats on having such a wonderful blog for 6 years! Amazing how fast time flies! You have great content so it must be fun for you to have this wonderful site.