Temple hopping in Bagan, Myanmar. The tops of the temples are pointy. Hurts when you jump on them.
(Updated 6/7/2021)
The kindly lady beckoned me over to her.
She spotted me the split second I turned the temple corner in Bagan, Myanmar.
One part smiled like the Cheshire Cat, a wide grin Guy Smiley would envy. Another part waited for me like a cartoon wolf holding a knife and fork, salivating over a prospective sale, or perhaps, a feasting frenzy as I gobbled up goods from her stand.
After walking me through a smaller temple and showing me brilliant 360 views – all without me asking for the little private tour – she did the semi-hard sell bit, asking me to purchase a few trinkets.
Since I don’t buy out of guilt – and have no home to store larger collectibles – I politely declined and walked away.
I was a totally unqualified buyer; I showed no interest in buying anything from her stall to warrant her showing me around. Â So trying to butter me up for a sale was poor use of her energy.
Meanwhile, other vendors never leave their booth and effortlessly attract tourists to their wares, watching goods fly off of their shelves.
Why do some shop owners struggle like hell to sell even one thing daily while others easily succeed with selling?
It’s all their energy. Stress and tension, versus fun and relaxation. Trying out of fear versus being out of fun.
Same deal with your blogging success.
Energy game.
Since no blogger I know asked the question “How can I fail at blogging?”, this post contains helpful ideas that can inspire virtually all bloggers to rock it out and succeed with their blog.
1: Follow Your Fun
If you ain’t following your fun you ain’t successful.
Follow your fun. Blog your fun. Then, the fun is the reward. Traffic and money and fame is extra.
Taking this energetic stance can make you hyper successful because you won’t obsess over outcomes which trip up most bloggers.
Do not blog mainly for money or fame because money or fame ain’t coming for a long time after years of passionate, fun-loving, energized work. Blogging mainly for fun stabilizes your energy for a sustained blogging journey. Versus being too high with wild excitement or too low from deflated depression you level off solely by blogging mainly for the fun of it. If the work is the reward, what else do you need? Nothing.
2: Blog with Love
I used to blog mainly from a place of fear. I feared running out of:
- money
- traffic
- social shares
- comments
- subscribers
That fear bled through my blog. Killed any chance I had at becoming successful.
I then shifted toward blogging with love. So the fear of running out largely died.
I moved into actions like:
- helping folks
- blogging predominantly for fun
- featuring other bloggers
- opening my blog to guest posting
- creating for the joy of creating
Success made a beeline for me. When I chose to mainly blog from love, versus, from fear.
3: Create Value
Create value. Help people through your posts.
Help people through:
- Quora
- Facebook Groups
- Warrior Forum
- social media direct messages
I help folks freely, making me attractive to more folks who vibe with my blog, my products and services.
David Boozer is a helpful blogger. He is an excellent teacher who explains clearly how to prosper online. Follow him to build your blogging campaign on a rock solid foundation.
4: Promote Other Bloggers
Promote other bloggers as freely as you promote yourself.
Make a ton of blogging buddies.
Watch your success skyrocket.
My blogging success flows through hundreds to thousands of streams opened by my blogging buds. I made blogging buddies by:
- retweeting other blogger’s posts
- Facebook sharing other blogger’s posts
- featuring bloggers here on BFP and through my guest posts
Enstine Muki is a highly skilled blogger who routinely shines the spotlight on fellow bloggers. He provides you with a shining example of someone who succeeds by promoting other bloggers.
5: Learn from Successful Bloggers
Successful bloggers know how to BE successful.
Follow their lead.
Stalk my blog comments. You’ll find rocking bloggers there.
Google for top bloggers in your niche.
Kulwant Nagi is an elite blogger. Learn from him how to prosper online the right way.
6: Invest Money in Premium Courses and eBooks (and Audio Books, While You’re at It)
The fun, freeing solutions for 80% – 90% of your blogging problems lie in my courses, eBooks and audio books.
Successful bloggers pay money to get solutions to their problems, quickly and easily. Pro bloggers save themselves month’s and year’s worth of struggles by buying robust courses, thorough eBooks and valuable audio books.
As a rule, failing, struggling bloggers are cheap, or make money excuses, ensuring that they fail and struggle for years.
Imagine trying to learn Physics through reading free blog posts alone? You pay tuition to go to university, to do that.
Imagine trying to become a successful, professional blogger through reading free blog posts alone? You pay for premium products, eBooks and audio books to do that.
Resources:
7: Do NOT Hold Back
Following tips #1 and #2 takes care of this tip nicely. But just be aware of when you may be holding back your talents, your knowledge, your wisdom and your love.
Example; I published a post on my blog recently. I could say “that’s enough for this week”. But I attracted this blog post idea. So I am writing the post. Not because I need to or have to. But because I’m helping folks, having fun, spreading love and….not holding back.
I view it as energetic coasting; quite the opposite from working hard or straining and striving. I have fun ideas for helping you to blog. I share the ideas through my blog and through guest posting. Not trying to be prolific; just sharing love, helping….and not holding back.
Do not hold back. Holding back from energies of fear and stinginess leads to oodles of blogging troubles. Hold back, and it will be held back from you, per ancient wisdom. But giving freely of your time and talents opens a world of opportunities because if you give freely you position yourself to receive freely, too.
Think of cosmic balance. Give to receive. In essence, since we are all connected, anytime you give to other human beings and other living things you give to yourself. We are all one big living breathing. Not holding back allows others to not hold back with you.
Allow this concept to sear itself onto your mind. Be as generous as possible. Blogging will be incredibly generous with you.
8: Invest Money in a Theme
Plunk down some cash for a theme.
Brand yourself effectively. Create a professional-looking blog. Promote your blogging success.
Experienced bloggers don’t mind spending a few bucks to become professional pro bloggers.
WP Beginner explains the differences between a free and premium theme.
9: Build a Brand Not a Blog
Struggling bloggers are….solely bloggers.
Successful bloggers build brands. And work their blogs into their brands.
Exhibit A: Blogging From Paradise. I created a brand. Brands are memorable. Especially when your brand bleeds through your blog.
Think about your brand before diving headfirst into your blogging campaign. Brands make blogs memorable. Branding allows you to stand out from the blogging crowd in a major league way. But the secret to effective branding is engaging in sustained, consecutive, raw thought. Put in the time mentally. See your brand in vivid detail. Build your blog around that brand to stand out from the crowd.
10: Infuse *Your* Stories into Your Blog
I rode a bicycle through the largest Buddhist temple complex during my trip to Bagan, Myanmar.
One part Indiana Jones, one part Greg LeMond, I pedaled my way through ancient ruins, not unlike a fit explorer hellbent on getting some sweet Blogging From Paradise branded shots.
Which taught me a sweet blogging lesson: all branding gold resides in areas where few bloggers want to explore.
Bagan sunset. Yes I biked off the beaten path to PREserve this picture.
See how I worked my personal experience/story into my blog post? Nobody on earth can tell my story. In my voice.
Your personal stories separate you from every blogger on earth. Tell them. Do not be shy. Let loose. Share your story to inspire like-minded bloggers. Allow your story to distance you from other bloggers. We all have genuine stories to tell. Build a one-of-a-kind blog by sharing personal stories no one else can share.
11: Guest Post
Guest post like a freaking boss.
Guest posting helped me expand my presence far and wide. Smart leveraging.
Guest post on well-read blogs from your niche. Learn da guest posting rules. Build friendships with bloggers through blog commenting. GP opps will fall into your lap.
Guest posting simply expands your online presence by leveraging outside of your blogging community. Perhaps all of your blog followers see each of your blog posts but a massive group of potential readers awaits to meet you through guest posts to submit and place on respected blogs from within your niche.
Follow this guide to submit guest posts successfully:
How to Submit a Guest Post Successfully in 12 Steps
12: Blog Comment
Comment on top blogs from your niche.
Create a 3 to 5 paragraph, personalized, helpful blog comment.
Comment on popular, well-read blogs related to your niche.
I stick to blogs like Pro Blogger since I run a blogging tips themed blog.
Resource: How to Build an Online Empire through Blog Commenting
13: Toss Salt over Your Left Shoulder Three Times Daily
Sea salt. More organic. Keeps blood pressure low.
14: Create Your Own Products and Services
126 eBooks. 30 plus audio books. 2 online courses.
All are branding gold. Folks see product creators and eBook writers in a different light.
Each stream also adds to my blogging income. Not a bad look if you want to be successful.
Create your own products and services to distance yourself from bloggers in your niche. Establish your online authority. Expand your blogging success by creating your own stuff from a premium perspective.
Why should you create your own product?
Watch the video:
The Online Course
Did you enjoy this lil’ appetizer? Follow a step by step tutorial to build a successful blog on a rock solid foundation. Get the full course by buying my:
11 Fundamentals of Successful Blogging Audio Course (Plus a Bonus Audio Course)
Your Turn
What tips can you add to this list?
