London, UK
Meet David Boozer.
He has followed Blogging From Paradise closely since just about its inception.
He reads posts here. He purchased one blogging course. He bought these eBooks.
David introduced me to no less than 15 bloggers who found me through his blog; he promoted me tirelessly to his community.
Meet Lisa Sicard. She has promoted my blog for years and has commented on BFP diligently.
Meet Chris Desatoff. He reads every post on BFP and drops comments left and right.
Meet Morris Grande. He has pushed my content just like Lisa and Chris.
Lisa, Chris and Morris are dear friends who genuinely believe in me and my blog, just like David. Their collective efforts made Blogging From Paradise what it is today.
Loyal blogging friends who enjoy your work beat 1000 disinterested followers because engaged human beings amplify success while numbers are vanity metrics.
Why Is This Difficult to Understand?
The ego mind equates success with things not human beings.
Get more things. The world will love you. Get more things. The world will beat a path to your door. Get bigger numbers. The world will give you big money.
But none of the above statements are through and through true because numbers are:
- inanimate
- not sentient
- neutral
- unable to do anything
A disinterested follower is a number. Nothing genuinely happens if someone who cares not much about your work follows your blog.
Human beings who love your work:
- read your blog posts
- buy your stuff
- hire you
- increase your referral traffic
- increase your referral business
12 Times Sales
One blogger long retired reviewed my eBook a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away,
Sales for the eBook increased 12 times the normal volume for the week’s period after the review.
She deeply believed in my work. Her readers deeply believed in her deeply believing in my work.
One loyal fan is worth 1000 disinterested followers.
Point blank; 1000 disinterested followers will not even click on your eBook link, let alone buy it.
Fans Do What You Cannot Do
I can only do so much as a single human being.
1, 5 or 10 fans can amplify my presence exponentially.
In essence, this is why companies who carefully handpick passionate employees rise stupid fast. Groups of energized human beings working together with the same vision amplify the founder’s intent in rapid fashion.
Connected bloggers with a small but loyal fan base of readers who love their content, products and services can experience a similar meteoric rise, albeit over perhaps a longer time frame.
Stop Chasing Numbers
Stop chasing numbers.
Numbers cannot do anything because numbers are not alive, sentient, thinking, acting life forms. Numbers are lifeless.
Of course, you and I seem to sometimes fall into the trap of chasing numbers because the ego believes that a number brings success. But numbers do not genuinely bring anything.
Non-targeted, disinterested followers do not enjoy your blog, do not benefit from your content and certainly do not grow your traffic and business. Do not necessarily reject these numbers. Nor should you turn away this crowd. But observe numbers for what numbers are; followers who casually check out social media handles or blogs and do nothing more.
Disinterested followers are window shoppers, at best.
Stop Blogging Solo
Blogging solo to create as many numbers as possible to get as many numbers as possible is another slight of hand, ego illusion-trick guaranteed to promote struggle, failure and quitting.
I formerly tried to publish 60 posts daily between two blogs some 15 years ago. Posts spanned 100-200 words. Short video embeds comprised most posts. Needless to say, the experiment did not work out too well.
Bonding with loyal blog followers by helping fellow bloggers and listening closely to my readers put the solo act behind me. I pumped my blogging brakes on chasing inanimate numbers. I also stopped working myself to the blogging bone as a one man blogging show.
Think Team Work
Loyal Blogging From Paradise readers blast my content for the world to see. Their readers benefit from my content. I benefit from exposure boosts.
Think team work to lessen attachment to numbers and to increase focus on fostering strong relationships with human beings.
Read comments on your blog. Listen closely to loyal followers. Spot their pain points. Pinpoint their issues. Reply mindfully to their comments. Create blog posts based on their particular problems to generate return traffic by being loyal to your readers.
Follow these steps to build a strong blogging community. Blogging communities of a few die-hard fans dwarf the efforts of huge, bored followings who casually gaze at blog posts.
Humanize Networking
Focus heavily on meeting reader needs by humanizing your networking strategy.
Laser focus on each human interaction through:
- your blog
- other blogs
Listen closely to the person. Read their words. Understand from their perspective. Reply mindfully.
Give the gift of your attention to tap into the power of one loyal reader, one person at a time.
Loyal Fans Connect You with their Networks
David is a dazzling example of a loyal reader who patiently built a huge, trusting network of bloggers.
Some of these bloggers flocked to Blogging From Paradise.
Collaborating with successful bloggers amplifies our collective presence.
Everyone wins but based only on one-to-one, strong bonds carefully developed between genuine human beings.
Being kind, compassionate and truly helpful gradually connects you with power brokers who rocket you higher and higher in blogging circles.
Success has a clever way of finding you through the strong, individual connections you establish patiently.
Keep making blogging friends. Blogging buddies will mushroom your blogging success over the long haul.
The Challenge
Ultimately, the biggest challenge is to avoid number-induced temptations based on measuring effectiveness solely on number outcomes.
I do understand how the world gauges success based on metrics like traffic and income.
But visionaries see beyond the numbers to focus exclusively on building rock solid, 1 to 1 bonds with rabid fans who amplify business exponentially over the long haul.
Most business empires experienced severe droughts if not crippling debt for a while; based on the world’s judgment, each appeared to fail miserably for months or even years.
Yet iconic founders leading these business ships patiently built an incredibly loyal fan base one follower, customer and client at a time who gradually expanded the empire one referral follower, customer and client at a time.
One rabidly loyal fan does the work of 1000 casual followers.
Human beings beat numbers.
People who love what you do will bring your blogging business to great heights if you bond with them and allow them to do so.
Conclusion
Stop trying to grow your blogging business through your own steam by manipulating numbers.
Appreciate your fans. Listen to them. Solve their problems. Show ’em love.
One fan can take your blog places you hadn’t even dreamed of.
Build strong one to one bonds with people who love what you do.
Allow your tribe to amplify your blogging success.
