Grecia Costa Rica
Blogging is a mindful skill not a mindless hustle.
Most new bloggers reverse the order. I certainly am not immune from making this error at times.
During my beginner blogger days I wanted to succeed quickly. I had the mansion all picked out in my mind and even saw myself being interviewed by Oprah Winfrey (I told you that I began blogging in 2008!).
At least one part of my mind started intelligently. I paid attention to some pro blogger guidance at the get-go. Yet I also made a litany of bone-headed errors because I did not religiously follow successful blogging guidance.
Figuring out how to blog successfully is not hard at all. Listen to one experienced professional blogger. Follow his or her advice. Succeed. Follow one who knows how to succeed. Do what pros tell you to do. Thrive.
Becoming a successful blogger is a simple but at times highly uncomfortable process seemingly steeped in fleeting difficulty. Things that pros tell you to do trigger all types of unconscious fear in the mind. Extreme discomfort follows, followed by the typical aversion, blaming, failing and quitting.
I want to lay out eight simple tips to follow when shit gets thick.
Hold the Plan in Mind
I recall the Mike Tyson talisman of wisdom:
“Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.” – Mike TysonÂ
The plan below can keep you grounded when you inevitably get punched in the mouth with:
- zero traffic
- zero income
- uncomfortable blogging strategies to follow
- harsh critics to face
- difficult clients to embrace
Blogging gets easier if you follow a successful strategy through thick and thin.
Stick to this guidance consistently.
Succeed by following the fundamentals.
1: Pick One Niche
Choose one blogging niche.
Be a trusted specialist.
I chose the blogging tips niche for Blogging From Paradise Dot Com. Selecting one niche lets me cover this specific topic inside-out.
Tackling blogging tips from various angles builds my topical authority. I do not thoroughly SEO-optimize most blog posts. Yet Google ranks more than a few on page 1.
Why?
I covered one niche thoroughly to develop my topical authority.
Follow these tips to pick a blogging niche:
2: Publish Long Form Content
Publish long form content.
Detailed content increases reader time spent onsite.
Thorough blog posts rank well on Google.
Readers crave detailed resources.
Publish 1200 plus words per blog post. Add all steps necessary to get readers from problem to solution.
Create an outline for blog posts. Expand on each point.
Write truly helpful posts by going above and beyond.
3: Write with Your Readers in Mind
Visualize readers before writing blog posts.
I picture bloggers searching for popular blogging tips before sitting down to write posts. Seeing readers in my mind’s eye puts me in their shoes. Seeing my blog from their perspective influences me to see and solve their problems with my blog.
Publish content to solve reader problems.
Poll your blogging community.
Be open to reader feedback.
Close your mouth.
Open your eyes and ears.
Write for your readers.
4: Embed Images
People love eye candy.
Embed at least one image per blog post.
Readers think in pictures. Do a bit of their legwork by adding an image – or more – to every blog post.
I embed my travel images to remain on brand.
Add relevant pictures to enhance blog posts.
Stand out by snapping photos. For example, sneaker bloggers could take pictures of kicks for their reviews.
5: Link Internally
Make your blog sticky.
Link internally.
Keep readers around by linking liberally to blog posts.
I typically drop 3-5 internal backlinks per post. Google positioned my blog consistently on page 1 – compared to my prior search engine track record – after I linked internally on a consistent basis.
6: Post Weekly
Publish at least one post weekly.
Keep readers current. Be relevant.
I usually post at least once weekly on Blogging From Paradise Dot Com. Sometimes I become lazy. Other times I publish with greater frequency after experiencing a creative surge.
Remember why you blog. Tie the reasons to fun and freedom. Find the fuel to publish blog posts consistently.
7: Write How You Speak
Write in a conversational tone.
I envision myself chatting with friends in the living room as I write blog posts. Maintaining a casual tone makes you relatable.
Readers may feel intimated, overwhelmed or flat out bored by formal “marketing-speak”. You know what I mean; technical jargon.
Bloggers reside in a far different world than journalists. I rarely do things by the book. If anything, blogging less than formally makes my blog increasingly appealing. Most people thirst for easy to understand solutions to their problems.
Be the blogger who offers seamless solutions.
8: Build a Community
Build a loyal blogging community.
Engage readers. Thank followers for their support.
Loyal readers amplify your blogging success by promoting your blog, endorsing your blog and by buying your premium products and services.
Bonus Tip: Engage in Mind Training
Practice observing your mind from time to time.
How do you think and feel about your blog?
Let fear surface. Fighting fear only makes it stronger. Burying fear only poisons your blogging strategy.
Face, feel and release fear to gradually blog from a calm sense of confidence.
Blog abundantly. Relax. Give away the farm to drive:
- Google traffic
- blogging income
Detailed content performs well on page 1 of Google. Thorough posts convert readers into customers.
Blogging with an eye on details depends on maintaining a calm frame of mind.
Being calm hinges on following a mind training regimen.
For starters, meditate for 5-10 minutes daily. Sit in quiet. Watch your thoughts and feelings.
Meditating consistently trains you to watch the mind during day to day activities including blogging.
I find mind training to be particularly helpful when the shit hits the fan.
For example, Instagram suspended my IG and Threads accounts recently for the 3rd time. The reasoning? Impossible to understand.
I trashed each permanently from a relaxed mindset because I observed my mind and saw no psychological attachment to either site. Organic traffic and blogging income flow *from* Blogging From Paradise Dot Com not external, ever-changing channels.
No blog is an island yet the bridges change.
See! I told you that mind training is a key aspect of the successful blogging journey.
Conclusion
Follow the above steps diligently.
Try not to beat yourself up if you revert to failing blogging tactics in moments of panic.
We all do at times.
Dust yourself off, calm your mind and proceed with the steps you learned today.
Doing simple things consistently slowly but surely accelerates your blogging success.
