In this presentation, which I gave at the Minnesota Blogger Conference as the keynote on Oct. 14, 2017, I discuss the real benefits to growing your blog (and they have nothing to do with money or income).
20. ACHACH
Questions to ask yourself:
• What are you doing to connect with fellow bloggers
and others in your space? Guest blogs?
Commenting? Sharing? Coffees?
• Could you create a blogger mastermind or
networking group? (i.e., Twin Cities Collective)
• Could you team up with a “competing blogger” to
create something bigger than the both of you
(Talking Points Podcast, #mnblogcon)?
#mnblogcon
25. ACHACH
Questions to ask yourself:
• Could you use your blog to do more “good?”
• Which posts have you been most excited to write
over the years? Focus on writing more of those.
• Think bigger than your blog—how can you make a
difference through your blogging?
#mnblogcon
31. ACHACH
Questions to ask yourself:
• Do you appreciate the little things that have
happened to you as a result of your blog? Do you
talk about them with your friends/family?
• Could you say “yes” to as many requests as you can
in the next year? (you never know where random
requests may lead)
• Are you getting personal enough with your posts
and content?
#mnblogcon
Growing your blog is about: Meeting new people; random acts of kindness; opportunity to express yourself creatively (get what you can’t get at work); generate new ideas; enrich your soul
Thank Mykl/Jen; community has grown a lot in 7 years
Very saturated space; maybe the MOST saturated space
Started on Blogspot in 2008; started at 0 just like everyone
Ask people to screen shot and tag their #myfirstpost – needed a place for creative expression/I just wanted somewhere to rant
Consistency, community, commitment
CONSISTENCY - Search biggest traffic drive for your blog; consistency isn’t sexy but it’s damn effective; how did I do it? Making my blog “a client” and finding ways to blog that don’t include me writing and researching a 2,000-word post (Rock Stars posts); when I have an opinion I drop everything and blog; if I’m on a roll, I blog (creating 4-5 posts at a time)
COMMUNITY - Community has always been at the heart of my blog—but made a shift about 5-6 years ago to more of a local community vs. national one
Ripped off from Skimm—any Skimmbassadors in the audience?
COMMITMENT - Commitment to your perspective or opinion; need to find a way to say what no one else is saying (or, what people are HESISTANT to say publicly);
Meeting new people through countless coffees; probably 1,200+ coffees over last 8-9 years; example of recent coffee meeting with Janet S. leading to blog post and meeting members of her team
People I’ve met through my PR Rock Star series: Who’s now a professor with our sparked program; I’ve featured her as a PR Rock Star
The people I’ve met through events my blog has led me to: Like Julio as we planned first #mnblogcon
The people I’ve met through other projects as outgrowths of my blog: Like Kevin Hunt who is more friend than partner now
My blog gave me the opportunity to do good for others, and experience not-so-random acts of kindness
Chance to research and write about interesting case studies and companies; take advantage of your unique perspective and passion to grow
The chance to start things bigger than me—like our social media training program—sparked
A RT by a Hollywood director and celebrity
Speaking gigs in Seattle, Atlanta, Destin and Fort Worth
A killer Cirque du Soleil Elvis show in Vegas
And one visit from the Wienermobile
Think about the 3 Ps
* Don’t do it JUST for the $
* Follow your heart—not necessarily an editorial calendar or the metrics
* Focus on YOUR PERSPECTIVE – it’s what makes your blog unique. It gives people a reason to visit. Remember that commitment!
* Reflect regularly and blog about what makes you happy or gets you going. Enjoy the joys your blog brings you. Blogging is much more about creative expression than it is about making money or growth.