Are You All Tapped Out? Here’s What To Do About It

As a professional blogger (or as an aspiring professional blogger), it’s easy to approach your first project with a tremendous level of enthusiasm. You can feel like you are incredibly passionate about your chosen subject or niche, whatever it may be, and you’ve got more ideas than you can handle. The well of creativity is literally overflowing with possibilities. You dive in head first with this sense of unbridled excitement, because you know that you have near limitless potential and opportunity in front of you.

Drip, Drip, Drip…

But how many times have you seen other bloggers approach their first sites (or even their second, third, or fifth sites) with that same kind of enthusiasm, only to have their passion fizzle out a couple of weeks in. They think that they have this bottomless pit of creativity and they have so many things they want to write about, but not long after starting, they run out.

The well of ideas has run dry, they’re feeling a little burned out, and they’re all tapped out of topics for upcoming blog posts. What can they do?

What can you do?

Just Show Up

Well, let me put your mind at ease. Even the best of bloggers, even the most prolific of writers, run out of ideas eventually even if they maintain an ongoing list of potential blog post topics. This is perfectly normal and it happens to the best of us. The truth is that “writer’s block” is generally not the exception; it’s the rule, and you just have to figure out a system for how to overcome it on a consistent basis.

Gavin Aung Than of the popular webcomic Zen Pencils once said the thing that separates the professional from the hobbyist is that the former is willing to put in the work even when they don’t really feel like doing it. Even when they don’t think they can come up with anything good. Just showing up to work can feel like the hardest part some days, because it’s just so easy to come up with an excuse to skip a day. But you’ve got to put in the work, because skipping one day easily leads to skipping another and another and another.

Before you know it, you’ve given up again and that passion project has completely fizzled away.

Tapping into Creativity

So, what can you do when your creative well of ideas runs dry? Dig another one. A great way to reignite that fire and to get you excited about working again is to start something new. Maybe you’ve been blogging for a while and it’s starting to feel too routine. Consider starting another blog on a different topic. Or explore other creative possibilities like writing a book, starting a podcast, or launching a YouTube channel.

These new wells of possibility can reveal all sorts of new opportunities and they allow you to approach the work with the same kind of enthusiasm and passion as when you first started with your first project. Along the way, you’ll form new connections, learn new skills, and develop a better-rounded understanding of your industry or vertical.

This doesn’t mean, however, that you should abandon that original blog or project altogether. Quite the contrary. While you may be diverting some of your attention and resources toward digging a new well, the “old” well will slowly start to replenish as it sits a little more dormant than usual, just like with a real well in the real world. Soon enough, it will once again be filled with new possibilities, ideas and opportunities.

And you’ll be able to tap into it once again.

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How To Do Content Marketing with SEO for More Qualified Search Traffic

No matter how you approach content marketing it’s important you combine it with the right SEO approach. Content is NO good unless you have the right elements embedded within your post like keywords, bold text, italic text, etc. However, we are lucky we live in a time where you can find all this information very quickly so you can start implementing the strategy right away. Much of what I’ve learned has been from studying those before me, especially, those who have built a reputation over the years to be influential within my niche. They continue to provide awesome ways to incorporate content marketing, and SEO together. Next,

Google has been making major changes in the way they rank content so it’s important you stay on top of things. For example, content marketing is NO good unless you have the right SEO elements within your post. This means you have to make sure you do research looking for “target” keywords that actually drive traffic. Implementing this approach will ensure when you strive for content marketing, you’ll generated qualified at the same time.

Let’s look at some strategies which I’ve learned over the years, and how you can apply them to your website too. Your feedback, and opinion will be greatly appreciated.

Keyword Driven Content

It’s important to study what keywords bring traffic to your blog because these will ultimately tell you what your audience likes to read. As you continue to write content that your audience loves, you’ll have an easier time generating traffic, and meeting your bottom line. Before going forward, you should have a clear indication of your bottom line, and what you expect to gain from your blog. Next,

I often get asked what’s the best way to track what keywords are driving traffic to your blog, and the answer is very simple. You have a free tool available called Google Analytics which gives you all the data you need to get started. For example, they’ll provide you with a list of the following:

• Location
• Landing pages
• Search queries
• Bounce rate
• Referral
• And more

Here’s what I suggest you do going forward…

It’s important to link your GWT (Google Webmaster Tools) account with your GA account so you’ll have the entire breakdown in one place. When you are done linking the two, you’ll be able to find the search queries data from within your GA account. Head over to GA>Acquisition then Search Engine Optimization. Here’s you’ll find all the relevant keywords which drive the MOST traffic. Now the question is: How can you use this data to write more content?

You know what keywords people are typing, and clicking to get to your blog from the Google Analytics report…right? Start writing content based on these keywords because they are performing well with your audience. Research communities, forums, and competitors to find content around these keywords then creating something even more in-depth while engaging at the same time.

Quality Content Always

It’s widely believed quality content will give you enormous leverage when blogging and within the ranks. With quality content you’ll have the word count to play around with your on-page SEO. For example, imagine writing content which is 2,100 words? You’ll have enough space to add “target”, long-tail, and LSI keyword at the same time. However, with reduced content length you won’t have as much flexibility. It’s also important to mention that Google has tweaked their search engine to look for different types of keywords. This helps increase the user experience helping them find solutions to the problems they are encountering. Secondly,

High quality content has been known to attract the best type of links because others love to link to it. One of the best ways to get quality links is simply by writing the best content then sharing to get it in front of people. This will allow other authority bloggers to share your content too, and link back to it as an additional resource for their readers. What are the elements of high quality content? Here’s quick breakdown.

First, it’s in-depth and is focused around “target” keywords which all provide a solution to a common problem within your niche. Secondly, quality content is structured so it’s easy to read and navigate through. A solid structure will increase engagement simply because your reader will have an easier time pulling out the value from inside. Third, this type of content is very easy to share so make sure you include the right social share buttons throughout your content. I would recommend the top and bottom of your content. Forth, it is very easy to read so make sure you incorporate infographics, images, and even videos where necessary.

Personally, I have linked to so many other posts throughout my blog because it would provide an additional resource to my audience.

Guest Blogging Is Awesome

I started to guest blog late in my career, and it’s one of the biggest regrets I have because it would have jump started my business. Guest blogging is awesome to generate traffic, ROI, conversions and build loyalty with a whole new group of people. It’s also a great way to combine content marketing and SEO to dominate the search engines. You have to remember when your guest blogging, you’re MOST likely focusing on “related” blogs which can add value to your content. This means NOT only are you gaining relevant traffic, but a relevant link back to your blog from within the author bio. The key is to be very selective before you start blogging so you target the right niche blogs. Here are a few tips to follow before starting:

First, make a list of authority blogs within your niche so your blogging will be highly targeted going forward. Secondly, make sure you check out their social profiles because popular blogs will have a high number of followers. This is also awesome once your published because MOST likely your content will be shared on these same social platforms. Make sure you skim through the comment section of each blog to check what type of people have been commenting. I like to click on the user comment website to see what type of niche this person is in. The more relevant to me, the better when they decide to visit my blog. Next,

Pitch the best topic ideas which will increase the likelihood of your content being accepted. Finally, always follow the blogging guidelines as they apply to linking, topics, author bio, spamming, etc. Trust me when I say this process will get easier over time, however you have a good starting point right now.

Remember, the more niche relevant, the better for your content marketing because relevance does play a huge role in ranking content within the SERP’s.

Cross-Linking Is Vital

When creating a solid content marketing strategy, it’s important you cross-link between your different posts so the SEO juice is carried through. One of the best ways to increase your page authority, and relevance, is to link between pages throughout your blog. This will connect related posts together, and those with the same keyword structure. I know this can be hard in the beginning when you don’t have too many posts however overtime this will become much easier. Next, it’s important to understand indexing does take time so build your post profiles slowly, and make sure they are authentic relevant internal links. Here are some other strategies to apply to your cross-linking content marketing strategy.

First, make sure when you link between content, you are using relevant anchor text because it will add even more relevancy to your content. If you have been writing for some time, then you won’t have a problem finding relevant content for each post to link to. Secondly, make sure each time you link content you are providing value. I know so many bloggers who will link content, but they’ll link awesome content to poor quality. You are NOT adding page authority to your post because the user interaction will be decreased i.e. social shares, comments, and increased bounce rates.

Third, cross-linking is important to get other content noticed by influential bloggers within your niche. For example, if another blogger is on one piece of content, and you have linked to another valuable post then it increases the likelihood of them sharing both pieces of content. By cross-linking, you are getting related pieces noticed, and creating complete visibility on your blog.

It’s time to go through your blog cross-linking related content together. If you are using WordPress then there are several plug-ins which will allow you to do this quickly. You can even do a quick search in Google and find tutorials which show you how to do this correctly.

Final Thoughts

We all know the importance of content marketing however we forget about how SEO is important to this practice too. Above, we have looked at a few strategies which will make a huge difference when marketing your content. I would suggest you start applying these strategies right away because you’ll be able to generate momentum almost immediately. At the same time, you don’t want to over-do it with these strategies either because then your blog will start to look unnatural. Make things as natural and smooth as possible so your content provides value while being authentic at the same time. Here’s the game plan going forward.

It’s time to go through each one of these strategies finding the ones which will apply to you. Some of these you would have applied already, however I can guarantee there are going to be a handful which you haven’t even considered. Make a list of these tips for easy access then create a blueprint of how you’ll incorporate them into your blogging. For example, if you are going to fix your cross-linking then do around 3-4 daily until all relevant posts are connected. Spreading this process will ensure it gets done quickly, and you don’t get tired in the process. Next,

In order to do this right it’s important you have a tracking tool to check growth of your blog overtime. I’ve been using Google Analytics, and this provides me with all the information I need. Once you have implemented the changes above, you can start tracking things like:

• Where your audience is coming from so you can target your content and linking better.
• The keywords they are typing to arrive on your website. You can than write precise content catered around these keywords
• You’ll also find out where your audience is located so when you write you can create content which they understand. This can be in the form of infographics, images or even video.
• They also give you a good indication of bounce rate. Why is this important? With bounce rate you’ll be able to determine where the visitors go on your site, and what content they leave. If the rate is high, then focus on tweaking your content for better engagement.

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Do Blog Contests Still Work?

The good news is that, at least to some degree, the Internet has leveled the playing field. Anyone with an Internet connection can set up a Twitter account. Anyone with a smartphone can launch a successful YouTube channel. Heck, you can get your own blog or website on the web for practically nothing. Anyone can have a voice online. But therein lies the rub, because everyone can have a voice online too.

Hey! Look at Me!

Breaking through this incredible signal-to-noise ratio is truly the greatest challenge for nearly every content creator. You’ve got a blog, but it’s one of an estimated 440 million blogs in the world, a number that’s probably much higher by the time you read this post. So, you have to promote. You have to get your brand “out there” in front of the right audience.

And for almost as long as I can remember, one of the more popular ways to promote your blog is by hosting a blog contest or giveaway. Maybe you fund this giveaway yourself, maybe you get a sponsor to supply the prize, maybe you collaborate with other bloggers for maximum reach and impact. The specifics here don’t really matter.

It’s about giving something away in the hope that you’ll get something even more valuable in return. But do these contests still work in an age of social media algorithms and crushing Google updates?

Contests Suck for Creators

According to a report and analysis conducted by Creator Hype, contests suck for creators. They say that because of how the system works these days, your contest “doesn’t reach your audience, they don’t engage with it, and they don’t win it. If that’s not the definition of broken, we don’t know what is.”

At the heart of their argument is the fact that the overwhelming majority of blog contests and social media giveaways are won by “professional contesters.” These are people who actively search for contests and giveaways online (and offline), people who aren’t really interested in your brand and your blog or your content at all. They just want to win “free” stuff.

This has sparked a whole industry of contesters. In fact, it doesn’t take much to come across several guides on how to become a successful contester, including the various discussion boards and forums you can follow. In the Creator Hype analysis, they looked at 65 contests run by 37 Canadian creators.

All I Do Is Win, Win, Win

Of all the people who entered the contests, more than three-quarters entered at least half of all contests. This is “absurdly high” given that the contests and creators spanned such a wide variety of niches and verticals. These “professional contesters” are entering everything and anything, so that means that real readers, the folks you’re really trying to engage, have a pretty slim shot at actually winning you select the winner at random.

The stats continue to show that 83 percent of all the tweets for entering these contests are coming from the professional contesters too. It probably won’t shock you to learn that 97% of the Twitter accounts of these professional contesters are used ONLY for entering contests. They might be real people, but for all intents and purposes, they’re really not. Professional contesters have ruined it for everyone, apparently.

It Starts With Strategy

But is that totally true? I don’t think so. Professional contesters are certainly an issue that need to be addressed, but they’re only one part of the picture. Blog contests can still be effective, depending on the actual goals you’re trying to accomplish with these contests. They can still be used to build your mailing list or grow your social following if you’re looking for a numbers boost. We all know how important and powerful appearances can be, even if you’d rather have a large following of truly authentic and engaged users.

It also depends on how you choose to setup your contest in the first place. Remember the ice bucket challenge from 2014? That was for charity and for raising awareness, so the context is a little different, but you can certainly borrow some inspiration from the virality of the stunt. You can also see how the “personal video” dynamic of that stunt virtually eliminates the problem of the professional contester altogether. If they’re willing to put in the effort to make a real video, they may as well be a real entrant.

So, at the end of the day, the answer to our original question is the same answer you’ll find to so many other questions. It depends. As Rebekah Carter of SproutSocial says, social media contests still work, “but only if you use them carefully.”

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The World’s Smallest Minivan at Cars and Coffee

Sally and I head to South Orange County Cars and coffee to check out all the cool cars, plus the world’s smallest minivan. That little sucker can sit six people and it no bigger than a VW Bug!

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How To Create Audience Loyalty By Blogging

A loyal audience is very important when blogging because this can translate into some serious conversions. For example, with a loyal audience you’ll have a guarantee that you’ll keep growing as a blog within your niche. I’ll admit it can be hard to build loyalty, however once you have, it can go a long way. The problem I’ve noticed over the years is that many people don’t put enough emphasis on building their brand, and taking care of their customers. This means in the long run they have a higher chance of losing their readers to competition. The good news is we know a lot about reader loyalty because we can learn from those before us. For example, some of the best lessons I’ve learned come from authority bloggers I have networked with throughout the years.

Over the years I have learned this can be split into “4” areas:

• Research
• Quality content
• Responding to comments
• Build personal brand so people trust and find you to be credible.

Let’s get started, and look at creative ways to build loyalty from your audience.

Research

Solid content always starts at knowing how to perform the right type of research. Through research you’ll be able to target the right audience which increases the chance of them building loyalty with your brand. I have written extensively about the importance of research, and how this can help build momentum quickly. By performing research you’ll be able to:

• Find popular topic
• Find trending topics
• Find out about your audience which will help cater to them
• Come up with a solid marketing plan going forward

I believe there are “3” awesome ways everyone should use to perform the research they need. I’ll outline them quickly below:

Google Search

One of the best ways to find awesome keywords because you’ll find all different types of content. Not to mention, Google is great at providing a list of relevant keywords which are popular with searchers. Always try and start to type with your target keyword, and look for the others words provided by Google.

Forums

One of the best ways to gather popular topics, and niche relevant keywords. You have to first find relevant forums so head over to Google, and do a search using target keyword + forums. You’ll find a handful, but it’s important to only focus on the MOST popular. How do you know which ones are popular?

• Look at the member count
• Look at the members online
• Research the topics posted

Once you have found the forums which provide you with all of the above, you can skim through finding topics. Hopefully you’ll know more about your audience so can focus on topics they want to read.

Competitors

I’ve used this strategy for years to find targeted keywords and popular topics within my niche. Keep in mind some of your competitors have been in the business longer so have a better idea of the topics, keywords and audience. Learn from them because it’ll save you enormous time going forward. It’s as simple as skimming through their content looking for content with the highest shares, comments and looking at how often certain keywords are used. The more familiar content you find published on the blog shows that the audience likes these types of content.

Quality Content

Once you’ve gathered the keywords, and know what to write about then putting together high quality content is very easy. You have to make sure your content is formatted correctly, and you provide the value you had in mind. It can be very easy to go off track however with solid keywords, you’ll have an easier time structuring your content. For example, your main and relevant keywords should be used as the headings as well as the sub-headings. Each time you approach a section you’ll be able to write about the target keywords allowing you to keep your focus.

Here are a few more things to keep in mind:

First, always make sure you provide the value you know your audience has in mind, and this is why you spent enormous time researching keywords + the right topics. Give yourself some time to write out content meaning until you have covered all the fundamentals. I often get asked the question: How long should my content be? My answer is as long as it has to in order to get the value across.

Secondly, it’s important when writing content, you include the necessary elements to communicate your value. This means to include images and infographics where possible. These are two great ways to illustrate your points quickly, and efficiently within a short period of time.

Third, value can only be communicated if you keep your “target” keywords, and points within your mind. This means you should always stop in between, and go over your complete master plan. Having focus will allow you to write what you think is valuable instead of going off track.

Here’s something I read when visiting Neil Patel’s blog at QuickSprout.com.

96% of people decide to come back because of the quality of the content. This means the better the content, the higher the user retention. This also means you have a 96% higher chance of doing better than your competitors if you provide more value than them. In my first point I emphasized the importance of doing research, and provided some cool ways to use your competitor content to find creative material they missed out on. Find ways to make your content better by adding the following elements:

• Images
• Infographics
• Longer depth
• Videos
• And creating a blog which is more interactive then others.

Responding to Comments

This is a form of engagement, and respect for the people who take time to read your content. You have to keep in mind many of the people visiting are newbies which means they will have some questions afterwards. In my experience, there are two ways people will communicate the questions they have:

• They’ll post a comment within the box below the content
• They contact you directly using the form on your blogs contact page.

Whatever way they choose to communicate their thoughts or questions, it’s important you reply to them. Even though retention rate is much higher because of the quality of your content, it’s important to note that 24% of readers come back because of the relationship you have formed with them. There has to be something which distinguishes you from your competition, and building a relationship with your readers is definitely up there on the list.

The good news is replying to comments is NOT tough because the interface on many blogging platforms is very easy. Another cool thing is many other readers will help answer questions because the comments posted are visible to everyone.

You have the option to change up your comment box to make it more interactive. I hope by now your using a blogging platform because it gives you the option to customize your plug-ins. Add a box which is interactive, and allows leaving comments more easily.

Your Brand and Credibility

Your company’s brand and credibility can go a long way in building loyalty with your customers or audience. When you have a brand people trust they automatically come to you for information. This means their first choice will be your blog to find an answer to their common problems. In the long run, you’ll save enormous money marketing because you won’t have to strategically plan how to get your content in front of people.

Think about huge brands like Apple or even Coca Cola and you’ll realize one important thing…

Both brands you trust to create awesome products so when you shop for a computer or go for a drink, you’ll most likely turn to them first. The point I’m making is you should always work hard at building a brand for yourself no matter what other objectives you have.

Here are a few things to avoid going forward:

Content without a strategy: You have to always have a clear vision about the direction you want your content marketing to flow to. Many times people will write WITHOUT having a clear vision about where or who they want to engage.

Fresh content – A few months back Google introduced a freshness update, and they reward people with updated content with a boost going forward. However, you also want to keep in mind your readers, and what they are looking for. They are reading your blog to learn so it’s important you provide them with fresh ideas, content and news.

Not connecting readers – Make sure you always provide a way for your readers to connect with each other through comments or social media. This is a great way to keep building your blog, and attract more loyal readers. Always include at least “4” social media buttons next to each post, and focus on the MOST popular like Facebook, Twitter, Google and LinkedIn.

The good news is if your using a blogging platform, you can install a simple plugin which will add them for your very easily.

Be Your Own Voice

Searchers are looking to follow someone with their own voice. Having your own voice will allow you to build a brand which is unique compared to all others. If people can resonate with your voice, then you’ll have NO trouble building loyalty with them in the long run. However, you have to always stick to the game plan because as a blogger I know it can be hard to stick to your focus and voice. The good news is that establishing your own voice is NOT hard because you are letting things flow naturally.

The next time you sit down make sure you write in your own voice, and let the content flow from your mind. Speak as you would when talking to someone face to face, and let things flow naturally.

Final Thoughts

Building reader loyalty is very important because with so much competition, it’s important you stand out compared to others online. However, I’m surprised at the amount of people who fail to utilize the strategies listed above to build customer loyalty. It’s NOT too late to start to implement the tips I’ve listed above so start doing that right now.

Here’s the game plan I want you to follow going forward:

Start by reading over my content again making notes about the important points outlined. When you have a better understanding of the strategies discussed, only then, will you be able to implement all of them into your blogging. I recommend NOT implementing all the strategies as once because it’ll be hard to manage which one’s actual work compared to others. Your trying to find out proven techniques within your niche which help build loyalty with your readers. Every niche will be different so you’ll have to tweak your approach going forward.

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How To Work Less and Be Merry (Especially If You’re Over 40)

Depending on where you live, there are certain societal conventions that many of us have come to internalize. As a kid, I really enjoyed watching Saturday morning cartoons, for example. But really, was there actually a reason why Sunday morning cartoons weren’t more of a “thing”? Or early Wednesday evening cartoons? Why is it, for example, that most students in Canada and the United States typically attend school from 9 o’clock in the morning until 3 o’clock in the afternoon, Monday through Friday?

Exceptions and variations exist, of course, but most of us have come to expect to see that as the “standard” schedule because that’s how it’s always been. Except it hasn’t always been that way. Just like how many students expect to have July and August off in the summer, but some schools operate year-round and other schools have different schedules for summer holidays too.

The exact same kind of standard expectation extends into our adult lives. By and large, we expect to work 40 hours each week, split into five shifts of eight hours each, working from Monday to Friday. We call it the 9-to-5, because that’s the typical expected schedule… except a lot of people don’t necessarily do the 9-to-5, Monday to Friday type deal. Maybe they work Sunday to Thursday. Maybe they work 10 hour shifts, four days a week. Maybe they pile on 60 hours or more to make ends meet or to stay top of mine when an opportunity for a promotion comes up.

Conform to the System?

But why? Especially if you end up spending several of those hours daydreaming about how you’d rather be spending your time. And if you do, you’re not alone. And as it turns out, research might be on your side about this whole “working less” idea.

A news article on Simplepost cited a recent study from the Melbourne Institute’s Working Paper Series. The study concluded that people over the age of 40 could be way better off if they shifted from a typical five-day work week to a three-day work week instead. They say that by working fewer days (and fewer hours) each week, these “older” workers would still be productive but they’d be less likely to burn out.

The study looked at over 6,000 Australians over the age of 40, getting the volunteers to perform a number of cognitive tasks. What they found is that as people worked more, their cognitive functioning improved, but only up to around 25 hours a week. Beyond that, cognitive functioning actually worsened. This means that working up to 25 hours a week is good for your brain. It keeps you sharp. After 25 hours, though, you likely suffer from fatigue and set yourself up for burnout.

Working a 40-hour work week is better than not working at all, in terms of cognitive performance, but working over 55 hours a week is actually worse than not working at all.

Working Less, Making More

You can see how this all relates back to the appeal of the dot com lifestyle. Remember that John originally set out on this journey to discover if he could make a full-time income from part-time blogging. Seeing how he’s raking in six figures a month, I’d say he has accomplished that mission.

Working less doesn’t necessarily mean your income has to take a hit. Instead, it’s about figuring out how to work smarter and deciphering how to get your business to keep generating money for you even when you’re not actively working at it. That’s the beauty of passive income.

So, while we may look up to the incredible hard work and dedication and innovation of amazing entrepreneurs like Elon Musk and Casey Neistat, working excessive hours might not necessarily be in our best interest. You still have to work hard, of course, but you’ve got to give that brain of yours a break sometimes too.

Or, as John put it after partying hard with Gary Vaynerchuk at Affiliate Ball, what’s the use of “making a six-figure monthly income if you don’t have time to enjoy it?”

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Why Just Blogging Is Not Enough

When I first started publishing content on the Internet nearly 20 years ago, I had no real ambition to make any money at all. It was just a hobby and I’d be thrilled with I’d get a message from just one random stranger. My words were actually reaching real people all around the world and this was an incredible power I hadn’t ever experienced in my life before. The Internet has been truly remarkable in this sense.

And when I decided to give this “make money online” thing a go starting around 2006, the focus — outside of my freelance writing business — was my blog, Beyond the Rhetoric, which is still very much around today. Over the years, I’ve dabbled in a number of different ad networks, tried my hand at affiliate marketing, and taken on some paid post opportunities. However, whatever money I made was largely generated on the blog itself.

But a lot has changed in the past decade. If you want to “make money blogging,” more and more you have to recognize that “just” blogging isn’t enough. It’s not just about using other channels as a means of driving traffic to your blog either. The opportunities have expanded far beyond that, especially since getting the kind of reach and numbers on your own site is arguably harder than ever before.

Enter the Mommy Blogger

There was an article published in the Money section of the Time website that discussed “the new mommy blogger.”

“But I’m not a mommy blogger,” you might say. Wait. Hear me out on this one.

Even if you don’t self-identify as a “mommy blogger” and you have no interest in discussing the topics of motherhood, the key insights from this write-up should not be ignored. They’re just as applicable to practically anyone else who wants to make money from blogging, just adapted to a different vertical for a different audience.

The Diversified Platform

The first big takeaway, as you might imagine, is that making money from just your blog simply is not enough anymore. That’s not what the Internet looks like today and if you focus 100 percent of your efforts on just your blog, you could be leaving hundreds, thousands, or even millions of dollars on the proverbial table. One example they give is a “mommy blogger” named LaShawn Wiltz.

She’s had a blog since 2009, but she makes a “full-time salary” by diversifying her income sources. In addition to the blog, where she hosts online advertising and sponsored content, she offers an online course of “aspiring Instagram influencers” where she charges $150 a head. If you’ve proven your success, you can leverage your success and experience into more success and more experience.

There’s storytelling, sure, and there’s this “word of mouth on steroids” as Everywhere Agency founder Danica Kombol puts it, but there’s also this potential to offer “advice to the development of a vast coalition of female entrepreneurs and influencers set on not just making money themselves, but helping others do the same.” In other words, you make money online by teaching other people how to make money online. Sound familiar?

And the point of making money as an “aspiring Instagram influencer” is not to be taken lightly either. Even Gary Vaynerchuk has said that the power of online advertising — via podcasts, social media, YouTube videos and more — is still greatly undervalued. There’s still a lot of money to be made and we’ve only seen the tiniest glimmer of what influencer marketing can become in the very near future.

Make a Name for Yourself

It’s not just about sponsored content on your blog. It’s about sponsored Facebook Live videos, sponsored Instagram stories, sponsored Twitter discussions, sponsored YouTube videos, sponsored podcast episodes, sponsored mentions in an e-book or e-course…. the list just goes on and on and on. You need to do more than “just” blogging.

When I first started blogging professionally in 2006, it was still the very early days of Facebook and Twitter. I had accounts on both platforms, but I used my Facebook business page mostly as a broadcast tool to announce when new blog posts had gone up.

Today, I actively share content from other creators, actively elicit conversations with followers, and engage much more on the platform as “Beyond the Rhetoric” and not just as “Michael Kwan.” You can say the same about Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and every other social platform. Broadcasting isn’t enough. You need to engage.

If you want your blog to be a profitable business, you have to treat it like a business. And just like a business, there are many more moving parts and opportunities involved than just your core product.

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