Palm Springs California USA
You may be surprised.
You may experience that saying no to certain strategies precedes your success.
All bloggers get too caught up in doing specific things to drive organic traffic. But what about subtraction? Do you need to say “No” to the call, to your email inbox or the joint venture? Turning down the wrong opportunities is as important as seizing the right opportunities.
Today is a travel day for me. I am heading to the desert in California. As soon as I sat down to blog, a few ideas popped up in my mind. I thought of checking social media for replies. I considered sharing old blog posts to social media.
But I looked past the strategies to sit down and dictate this blog post.
I had to skip doing the small potato stuff to do what moves the needle. Every full-time blogger develops this skill; usually after suffering from saying “Yes” to every opportunity flowing down the blogging pike. Count me in this camp.
Do What Matters Most
Deciding to write and publish this post drives maximum organic traffic and blogging income. I said “yes” to doing it because publishing blog posts matters most for bloggers. No activity supersedes blogging. We are bloggers, after all. The offsite stuff needs to take a back seat. Turning down the non-essentials gives you time to work the essentials.
I had to say no to checking social media for replies and posting old blog posts to social media in order to say yes to this activity. After looking past the small potatoes, remaining vigilant to avoid temptations became paramount. The self-sabotaging stuff emerging from the unconscious mind tries to ruin your day as much as possible.
I feel as if most blogging careers are a study in doing stuff that doesn’t really matter. Bloggers waste significant time checking email, trying to write the perfect newsletter and delaying in various forms. All the while, I continue to write and publish new content which positions me favorably in the blogging tips niche. Of course, I screwed up by chasing the not at all important stuff, too, for a bit. But I learned my lesson. Let me be the blogging guinea pig. Learn from my errors. Save yourself heartache.
Watch Pro Bloggers
Other established bloggers do the same thing of course. Professional bloggers understand that doing what matters drives organic traffic and blogging income. Full-time bloggers also understand that saying no to what doesn’t matter is just as important. I had to do it consistently to understand what mattered. I even stopped actively checking email years ago to drill this point home. Far and away, email may be the worst time suck going. Learn how to say NO to it consistently. Look past the temptation. Get back to doing what moves the blogging needle. Then, check email sparingly.
How About Yourself?
What do you need to look past? What strategies do you need to let go?
List specifically what you do and how you feel while working sites like Facebook and X. Do you spend a few hours daily publishing fresh, new content for social media to drive users to your blog? You damn well should be if you want to actually use social media to drive traffic and income. Use social media like a blogger not an aimless social media user.
Most bloggers never go that route. Let’s be honest guys. Most bloggers fiddle around on social media. Some bloggers get lost in their inbox. Other bloggers get lost in comments. Yet other bloggers spend hours talking to random human beings in their mainstream. How does engaging in these activities send highly targeted traffic to your blog?
Do what matters most by looking past what doesn’t really matter. I could have spent one hour this morning updating old blog posts. However, writing and publishing this post makes sense because it matters more than updating old content.
I had to say no to updating content to say yes to publishing a new post.
Make no mistake about it; updating old content plays a lesser role in driving organic traffic. I still do this every 6 to 12 months. But publishing targeted, new content plays a greater role in increasing my skills, exposure and credibility which maximizes organic traffic and blogging income.
Look Closely
Look closely at your blogging strategy to see what needs to go. Focus exclusively on core blogging activities.
First and foremost, publish new content at least once a week. Write long form posts spanning 1,000 words or so. List practical steps to walk readers from problem to solution. Stick to your niche to develop topical authority. Be ready to always say yes to this one because it is the most important blogging activity.
After that, observe what needs to go before you decide what needs to stay. Be extra careful when it comes to observing your relationships.
I remember the hours I spent going back and forth with people because I feared losing them. I replied to individuals from outside of my niche because I felt guilty. I felt guilty because I victimized these individuals.
Eventually I said no to replying to folks from outside of my niche because my guilt wasted my time. I certainly wasn’t helping them and I know they couldn’t really receive help from me since their ask was outside of my wheelhouse.
Observe your mind as you engage in blogging-related activities.
Keep what feels relaxing, yields true helpfulness and generates organic traffic and blogging income.
Let go of everything else.
Conclusion
Be honest with yourself.
Going pro usually involves subtraction.
We all waste time and movement sometimes.
Perhaps you outgrew certain blogging actions long ago.
Maybe it’s time to step it up to genuine income-producing blogging activities.
Most of all, do not say yes to people because you feel bad or guilty about not responding to their message.
Break this mindless habit to save yourself serious blogging headaches down the road.
Agree only to what yields the most helpfulness for all.
Save time.
Save work.
Succeed.