11 Blogging Secrets for Confused Bloggers

  May 24, 2022 blogging tips πŸ•‘ 8 minutes read
Kalkan, Turkey

Kalkan, Turkey

 

(Updated 5/24/2022)

 

Blogging secrets come in all shapes and sizes.

 

That’s the trick; spotting sneaky secrets long buried in your mind helps you to prosper through your blog.

 

But before you and I discuss these secrets I want to share a scary doggy story from the road……

 

Did you know grabbing both dog’s back legs during a vicious dog fight breaks them up?

 

Imagine 2 doggy wheelbarrows.

 

The pooches feel the earth disappear, let go their vice-like death grips and you end a nasty situation.

 

I ask you because I sure as hell didn’t know this. This fact was a secret to me. A secret that would have helped me avoid getting my hand a wee bit injured. Please see the image about for graphic proof.

 

I broke up a dogfight last week here in Chiang Mai, Thailand by punching and pounding and sticking my hands into a mix of savagery, big teeth and full-on testosterone-infused doggies. One doggy bit me. Because I did not know of this clever secret.

 

When you are ignorant of good advice you have yet to uncover the secret. When aware of these facts, the secret becomes good advice. See how neatly that works?

 

Blogging Secrets

 

If you are a confused or outright lost with your blog you’ve yet to uncover and use these 11 profitable blogging secrets.

 

Or maybe you’re aware of these tips but the ideas remain a hazy mystery to you, something that your subconscious mind still treats as a secret, an unknown, some concept you have not fully bought in to.

 

Either way, let’s uncover these profitable secrets today so blogging can stop kicking your ass. Turn the tables. Prosper, instead of struggling to prosper.

 

Stop looking around in a haze. Get clear and increase your blogging profits with these 11 secrets now uncovered.

 

1: Clarity Is the Solution

 

If you cannot seem to make money blogging, clarity is the solution. Lack of clarity is the problem. But getting clear solves your money problems.

 

Confused bloggers wrongly – through their lack of clarity – believe something outside of themselves will bring money to them, like:

 

  • An affiliate stream.
  • A specific product they create and sell.
  • An eBook they write and sell.

 

Not true.

 

The secret: all success is an inside job. Sure you act/work and follow practical tips but how you work determines the success you see. Or lack thereof.

 

Look at a guy like John Chow. He earns hundreds of thousands of dollars monthly through his blog because he is hyper clear on what he does, how it benefits you and goodness he lacks no clarity about his offering. He is bold. He is clear. So the actions he takes yields him millions of dollars.

 

Some bloggers take similar actions but seem stuck. They simply lack clarity. The work ain’t the issue. The clarity is.

 

Solution: get hyper clear on your intent. Why are you blogging? Focus on 1 core reason. Proceed with that intent in mind.

 

2: Promoting Others Promotes You

 

I have only been asked this question 453 trillion times: “How do I get traffic to MY blog? I have tried everything!”

 

The confusion: solely believing that you promoting yourself drives traffic and profits.

 

The profitable secret: promoting others promotes you. Other bloggers become your buddies. Buddies promote you and hire you and buy your stuff.

 

How to befriend other bloggers:

 

  • retweet their posts
  • comment on their posts
  • interview them
  • feature them

 

Cut through the confusion. Help folks drive traffic and profits. Many will do the same for you, expanding your reach quickly.

 

3: The Money Is NOT in the List

 

The Secret: the money is NOT in the list. The money is in both the friendships you build through your list and the convenience of receiving blog posts via email.

 

The confusion: believing inanimate numbers on a screen (# of list subscribers) nets you money. Frustration and anger and annoyance sets in when numbers on a screen do not pad your bank account. Numbers cannot buy, or feel, or respond. People can.

 

Build bonds with the human beings who subscribe to your list. Help them. Ask what they are struggling with. Provide answer-solutions through your blog post. The money is in the service you share with your list, and the convenience with which readers can simply check their emails and read your latest blog posts.

 

4: It’s Your Energy

 

This is a preview to tip #7.

 

But…..it is all your energy. Blogging is an energy game, which befuddles struggling bloggers who believe that working harder and longer and straining and striving is the answer. Sure it’s the answer to: Β working even harder next month, until you go entirely broke, and get sick, and have nothing to show for it but hospital bills.

 

One of the most frustrating things about being a confused blogger is that you seem destined to fail – and do fail – until you realize all the results you see are mirrors of your mindset.

 

Follow your fun. Work diligently. Dive into your fears. BE the person to become the person. Do what you do not to avoid fear, but to have loads of fun, to spread love and to dive full bore into your fears.

 

5: Your Dreams Sit Surrounded by Your Fears

 

Every dream you cling to like:

 

  • circling the globe as a pro blogger
  • retiring from your 9-5 job through blogging
  • becoming an author
  • making more money through your blog than your current job
  • opening a steady passive income stream through your blog

 

sits within a lair surrounded by your deepest fears.

 

Example; in 2016, Kelli and I lived in a remote Costa Rican jungle. I would hike up to the orchard through deep jungle bush, macheting my way through some heavy foliage and dealing with bullet ants, army ants and poison dart frogs to reach the sweet oranges and tart lemons I used for cool, refreshing juice drinks.

 

The dream: enjoying fresh juice in an environment that was close to 100% humidity on some days.

 

The fears: wildlife and a dangerous incline path I could easily have slipped from and busted my butt.

 

Blogging is no different. If you have yet to achieve some dream you need to dive more deeply into your fears to see that dream manifest more quickly.

 

For example, you may deeply fear embedding a pop up form on your blog for annoying readers. But if your intuition guides you to add a pop up simply embed the pop up to help more people and to thrive. Face, feel and release the fears of criticism, failure and of wasting time. Step into fear. Increase blogging profits.

 

6: Open Multiple Income Streams

 

Establish multiple streams of income to profit.

 

Opening varied income channels:

 

  • appeals to varying reader tastes
  • boosts income by allowing money to flow to you through multiple streams
  • safeguards you against income streams disappearing
  • cultivates your abundance mindset

 

Bloggers usually struggle to profit for relying on one income channel. Give readers options. Give yourself more options through which to make money.

 

Income Stream Ideas

 

  • write and self-publish eBooks
  • engage in affiliate marketing
  • sell advertising space
  • sell sponsored posts
  • create and sell online courses
  • coach
  • consult
  • offer freelance writing services

 

Income channels do not make money. Skilled, credible bloggers with exposure make money.

 

Practice. Write. Create content. Build relationships. Be generous, patient and persistent.

 

Turn a blogging profit by working patiently.

 

7: Set the Tone of Your Day for 30 Minutes After Waking

 

Spend the 30 minutes after waking doing a few things to set the tone for the day.

 

How you wake determine how the day proceeds. Β This may seem like a secret to you, especially if waking up feels like being let out of the starting gate like a thoroughbred.

 

This mystery seems far-fetched to struggling, confused bloggers who wake and fire up their smart phone or laptop to dive into the work day. This gets ya living outside-in, which guarantees failure at worst, and muted success at best.

 

Spend those 30 minutes post waking aligning yourself for the day. Meditate or pray or exercise or, do ’em all.

 

As within, so within.

 

8: Aligning Your Blog 100% with ONE Core Message Drives Buying Traffic (Laser Targeted Traffic)

 

Aligning my blog top-down – ensuring every element aligned 100% with Blogging From Paradise: How to Retire to a Life of Island Hopping through Smart Blogging – helped me drive targeted traffic. Doing 1 thing and aligning your blog to represent that one chief benefit drives targeted traffic on auto pilot.

 

But this secret eludes bloggers who work like pack mules on websites other than their own, cyber killing themselves to get that sweet, targeted traffic. Take care of home base before you go gonzo offsite. Get clear. Prune all elements and pages and posts not aligned with your core message. Draw in targeted traffic with increasing ease.

 

Then when you guest post and blog comment, it’ll be easier for your ideal reader to know what you do.

 

9: Being Comfortable with Selling Helps You Make a Bunch More Money Blogging

 

Guide people to buy your stuff persistently. Or ask them. Either way, being comfortable with selling helps you make more money blogging.

 

This secret evades struggling bloggers. You may feel terrified to send out emails on consecutive days asking readers to buy your new eBook. But this is the fear of losing (readers, money, subscribers, reputation, etc, etc, etc) manifest.

 

Get comfortable with helping people. Add a price tag. This is called premium help. Ask readers if they need premium help. So they get comfortable with you asking, and so they are familiar with you asking. A funny thing happens: people buy your stuff or hire you. You make more money.

 

10: Blogging Empires Grow on 1 to 1 Connections

 

This is the biggest point of confusion for most struggling bloggers. Thinking big numbers, and leveraging, they try to reach 1,000,000 things/numbers/data points/statistics per action, versus making 1 powerful, lasting, life-changing connection with 1 human being at a time.

 

Blogging empires grow solely on 1 to 1 connections. Make a ton of good friends by helping them out in as many ways as possible. Those good friends will promote you, support you, spread your word and become rabid brand advocates. This is how to build an empire; one personalized email, one tweet, one Facebook share, one eBook review, one blog comment and one guest post at a time.

 

11: Choose the Host with the Most

 

Confused bloggers may follow tips 1-10 to a “t”. And they still fail to make money blogging. Because they do not convey a professional brand. Because they buy a poor hosting package from a less than solid hosting company.

 

Bloggers who profit pay premium for excellent hosting. Awesome up times, fast loading, professional experience all the way.

 

The secret: buying the right hosting package from a reputable company lays the foundation for a successful blogging career.

 

Buying crappy hosting destroys your blogging career. Because people need to be able to read your blog quickly and easily to extract value from your posts. Ain’t happening if you go with cheap, unreliable hosting.

 

Conclusion

 

Revealing these secrets can add clarity to your mind.

 

Getting clear on your blogging campaign goads you to follow simple, powerful tips for profiting.

  1. David Boozer says:
    at 8:12 am

    That was my pain spot, not asking for the sale, and I was a successful salesman for two decades! Here I thought it would just naturally happen, but that is not true! Ryan, you are right, you have to ask or lead people to the sale… I do not mind having a few unsubscribes here and there, as long as those who need my service get it, I can live with that… =) Thank you Ryan…!

    • Ryan Biddulph says:
      at 9:44 am

      David that is the perfect way to frame it. If some folks sign out or unsubs, a few folks will buy our products or hire us, the good matches that we are working for. Let in the perfect matches and release on the poor matches. Thanks much brother πŸ™‚

      Ryan

  2. Ian Watts says:
    at 7:47 pm

    Hi Ryan. I’ve only just found you through a friend but I’m glad I have. Really enjoyed this blog post. Made absolute sense to me and explained a couple of things I haven’t been doing right. My current blog certainly doesn’t focus on one thing and that could be confusing for some people.

    I’m going to have a real good look at my blog and sort that out.

    Thanks again. I’ll be back to read more later.

    • Ryan Biddulph says:
      at 10:23 pm

      Ian that’s awesome. Thanks for stopping by and sharing.

      Ryan

  3. Matt Hutson says:
    at 8:57 pm

    I love your tips! It’s time for me to do all of them and more. Thanks for all your help mate. Blogging buddy from Indonesia.

    • Ryan Biddulph says:
      at 10:21 pm

      Cool Matthew thanks πŸ™‚ We love Bali BTW.

      Ryan

  4. Anil Agarwal says:
    at 12:21 pm

    Hey Ryan!

    It’s pretty cool to have stumbled on this post today…you know I was just leafing through your blog and I saw that you have just updated your blog and so I thought to click through and yeah I must admit too that the headline was something that draw me into wanting to check…

    …Sir, you did awesomely well and as usual on mentioning the 11 profitable secrets for confused bloggers and I must admit that too many bloggers feels, just like me that money is really in the list and you have just demystified that for me today.

    So to make big money from your list, it has to be that you have built quality relationships with them and you make it easy for them to catch in on your latest blog posts or latest offers. That’s it. So simple. πŸ™‚

    And yes, I concur to the fact that to be successful as a blogger one need to be clear on what he want’s to offer his/her target audience. You don’t want to be teaching how to blog when you are in the inspiration niche. Right?

    Thanks for elaborating on these points, Ryan. It’s definitely a great read for me. Plus I love your point on helping other people…it works, I know, because I have tried it in the past.

    Have a great time over there friend!

    Anil

    • Ryan Biddulph says:
      at 8:57 pm

      I had a really tough time with that list building thing and money Anil. I did it half heartedly – list-building – and my numbers aka subscriber based was stagnant. Then I saw some growth through guest posting and adding a pop up but it slowed down in time, and I also saw little revenue through my email list purchases. Eventually I did a full out list building blitz and realized the money is in the relationships I build with subscribers,and I prosper more through my list than ever. Thanks Anil for the comment!

      Ryan

  5. Sherman Smith says:
    at 2:53 pm

    Hey Ryan,

    As you may already know, I’ve been on this branding/messaging ordeal and #1 really is the beginning for setting the stage for profiting. If you’re not clear as to what you’re blog is about, then how do you expect that your visitors will.

    It sounds like it may be common sense, but how many of us weren’t getting the message across (raising my hand). And you know what? I’ve changed my message a few times to be more crystal clear about it and it’s evitable that I’ll change it again to be more clear.

    Thanks for the share Ryan! Have a good one!

    • Ryan Biddulph says:
      at 8:52 pm

      Sherman I am with you buddy. I too get clearer and no doubt will continue in that direction as my vision grows clearer. For me that meant making a few big changes recently. Adding a pop up form. Promoting fewer eBooks more aggressively. Tracking metrics. Guest posting. Blog commenting like a boss. All happens as I got clearer and clearer on my blog and brand. Thanks for the comment!

      Ryan

  6. James Bartram says:
    at 4:00 pm

    Hey Ryan,

    Love this article! Thanks for sharing!

    I particular am keen on the human connection you reference throughout these tips. Sometimes I think the online world can be perceived as far different to the offline world. Just because we generally communicate on a β€˜faceless’ level online, the same principals should apply in how we build relationships.

    Often, I see it as having a best friend and thinking back to when you first met that person. You sure might have had chemistry together, but best friends? Straight away? Someone you trust and know inside out? Surely not. That takes time.

    As you say, it’s all about those 1 to 1 connections!

    Genuinely got some great value from this!

    Thanks again Ryan

    P.S I had no idea about pulling a dogs back legs away to stop a fight! It’s almost made me encourage two dogs to fight just to test it out.

    Disclaimer – I would never do that

    • Ryan Biddulph says:
      at 8:44 pm

      James I totally know what you mean. Sometimes we forget that online, we are dealing with human beings. Said humans usually needing time offline to build friendships. So said humans behave the same online πŸ˜‰

      Ditto on the dog fight. It fascinated me to learn how a simple trick breaks them up. Think it is a survival thing. I also read how many big dog owners – or owners of multiple dogs – use fire extinguishers to break up melees. Sucks out the dog’s breath, temporarily blinds them and it does not damage save the initial shock, which of course helps break up a potentially fatal situation.

      Thanks much πŸ™‚

      Ryan

  7. Harleena Singh says:
    at 1:13 am

    Hi Ryan,

    Totally agree with ALL your points πŸ™‚

    I was literally nodding my head, as I read down the points! You are so right about the clarity point raised, without which you can get lost! Yes, the money is not in the list, as most people say it to be. It is in those relationships we build over time, slow and steady, which stay with us for years to come. Don’t we know how it’s worked for us – isn’t it?

    Great tips shared here indeed! Thanks for doing so, and have a nice rest of the week as well πŸ™‚

    • Ryan Biddulph says:
      at 3:12 am

      We get lost so fast Harleena if we lack clarity. Fabulous point. Thanks for commenting πŸ™‚

      Ryan

  8. Gaurav Kumar says:
    at 1:58 am

    Hi Ryan,

    I always say that blogging is for everyone, that means it is a simple thing but most of the bloggers get confused when they start blogging.

    Clarity is always the solution, A blogger should know what he want to do and what will he achieve with his efforts. I have seen that many blogger just focus on themselves and stay alone. But blogging is a social work, the mroe social a blogger become the more help he can get from other bloggers.

    I must say, you are always the one who makes me read your blog not just because you write but because you engage with other bloggers also.

    Thank for sharing, keep writing

    Cheers!

    • Ryan Biddulph says:
      at 5:11 pm

      Gaurav you are one of the more social guys out there. Thinking about others and connecting with others. Well done!

      Ryan

  9. Ryan Biddulph says:
    at 5:55 am

    Will do Pavitra πŸ˜‰

    Ryan

  10. Yash says:
    at 1:07 pm

    Wonderful article Ryan. I’m definitely gonna try them, especially ‘Set the Tone of Your Day for 30 Minutes After Waking’. That’s something interesting and amusing πŸ™‚

    • Ryan Biddulph says:
      at 11:34 am

      Good deal Yash. Thanks for reading. πŸ™‚

  11. Donna Merrill says:
    at 5:31 pm

    Hi Ryan

    Fab article!

    Everything is point on, even the “money is NOT in the list” notion that made me blink twice.

    But you’re right.

    It’s all about the relationships you build with your list (and blog), not the numbers of subscribers or amount of “traffic.”

    Gotta get clarity, especially first 30 minutes of your day and gotta keep focused purely, simply and daily on your central core message.

    Great job, Ryan.

    -Donna

    • Ryan Biddulph says:
      at 11:35 am

      This journey involves physical work Donna but we need to keep migrating inward to establish the clarity and focus that you mention. Living a life of freedom and guiding other minds to do the same is so worth it.

  12. Bree says:
    at 10:38 pm

    Hi Ryan. I’m interested in starting a blog, but would only have a few hours a week to invest in it. Do you think it’s worth doing if I can only put out one or two posts a month?
    Thanks for all your helpful information.
    Cheers,
    Bree.

    • Ryan Biddulph says:
      at 9:46 am

      Yes you can succeed Bree but you would need to highly optimize all posts for SEO to drive passive, targeted blog traffic around the clock while you blogged for just a few hours weekly. You can experience some success for sure but would need to be highly intentional to make every minute count. I’d say, write 1500-2000 word, highly-detailed, in-depth blog posts to publish once or twice per month. Spend 4-5 hours writing and publishing each post. Slowly but surely, you will succeed.

  13. Dan says:
    at 3:03 pm

    I have been reading through your posts and as helpful as they are I still can’t seem to start.

    Over a year a go I wanted to start a blog – fitness is my niche. I have been reading a lot on SEO (still struggling with it)

    I have already wrote down many ideas for articles, I have even wrote an Ebook which is 90% complete.

    I have also had ideas of building an email list and offering online personal training

    Yet I just can’t start. I am still so overwhelmed and constant negative thoughts.

    I know I need to just take action with the plan I have and to stick with it

    Thanks for listening. Dan.

    • Ryan Biddulph says:
      at 8:53 am

      First off Dan, great job on:

      – researching SEO, list-building, brainstorming articles and writing your eBook; each proves that you are serious about blogging
      – sharing your thoughts through this comment; moving fear from your mind out into the world slowly dissipates that overwhelmed feeling

      Consider starting to blog right now. Buy your domain and hosting. Write and publish your first fitness related post. The blog is the center, the hub, the trunk of the tree. Begin there.

      List-building, SEO and sharing (or selling) your eBook are like the branches, spreading from the trunk. The negative thoughts of overwhelm are the ego distracting you, trying to tell you the branches are important when in truth the trunk is most important for a solid online foundation.

      Once you’ve written your first blog post we can chat about SEO, list-building and writing and self-publishing eBooks.

      Keep up the good work buddy.

      PS….ask any questions you want through this comment thread. I am happy to answer.

  14. Beverley Bell says:
    at 12:30 am

    Hello from Adelaide Australia Ryan
    I am just starting out in the blogging world as well as affiliate marketing and really appreciated this post. Thank you for the clearly explained advice. Not sure about breaking up dog fights- Just firmly saying “no” before the fight starts works for me.

    • Ryan Biddulph says:
      at 9:06 am

      Hi Beverley πŸ™‚ My pleasure. As for the dog fights, that sounds like a sound strategy to me!