Human beings are suckers for good storytelling. Blogging is meant to tell stories and attracts readers with the purpose of entertaining, educating and possibility sharing something of value.
The blog subjects one can choose to write about are plenty. Looking at the top 10 blogs for any given year, technology, politics, celebrity gossip, food, travel and leisure feature prominently. Some of the names are familiar to you: Huffington Post, Engadget, Moz, Perez Hilton, and Copyblogger.
What do these sites have in common? They earn $500,000 per month or more through blogging. Some of the blog sites in the top 10 started with less than $1,000. All these blogs inform, entertain, and engage emotions. They earn money through advertising and from subscriptions for premium memberships.
Why should you blog?
Blogging takes time, so topics of your posts need to be sustainable. In other words, when the blog turns to work, like plugging out a 1,000-word post at 3 A.M.; you will need a real reason to keep going.
Content Marketing king, Joe Pulizzi, calls content creation (aka blogging) a “war of attrition.” To win a war of attrition, one army’s “why” has to be bigger than the other army’s. If you start blogging to bring attention to your product or service and your only motivator is money, the blog will not last.
Check out these phrases: freedom from a corporation, to impact other people’s lives in a major way, and to give my children the freedom to do what they want when they want. Those are huge “whys”. For your blog to last and eventually turn a profit, you must have a very big ‘WHY’.
7 reasons for successful blogging.
If you are looking for freedom from your current job or have a burning desire share a skill or experience that is otherwise overlooked in your current occupation, you have a better chance of success as a blogger.
ONE: Blogging allows you to showcase your skills while keeping your current job. You can build an audience and engage with them, without having to get a business loan or lose your home while changing careers.
TWO: Blogging provides a platform to advertise products alongside the stories you tell. If you have published a book or eBook or have items of value that your readers may be interested in, your blog is the great place to showcase and connect with people who want what you have to offer. Selling your own products or other people’s products through affiliate marketing is still the best way to monetize your blog.
THREE: Blogging is a great way to advertise your services. Great bloggers know how to use their writing space to sell themselves while telling stories. Good bloggers know how to place the right ‘buy buttons’ on their blogs to sell their services. It doesn’t matter what your service is, business coaching, ghostwriting, or freelance graphic designing, every business has a story to tell. Writing about your skills and experience adds value to what you offer.
FOUR: Blogging, especially for business, allows you to showcase your craft. If you are a business coach, write about your work, your skills and experiences as a coach. Writing makes you an authority in your field of expertise. One way that your clients will know you are clued up about your work is by writing about it. It also improves your ability to articulate what it is that you do. Posting 2-3 articles per week forces on to learn more about their business and industry.
FIVE: Blogging is a great instant feedback tool. If you follow great bloggers, you will notice their writing journey expands over time. Each blog post is their way of sharing their story, creating interest, and keeping people reading. Obviously some posts are better than others. How do you know that? By the number of clicks and shares; also known as instant feedback. This gives you a clear indication of what interests and resonates with your target audience.
SIX: Blogging broadens your audience. A lot of “marketing experts” would tell you to “go narrow” with audience and customer base. It’s great advice when you are starting off. However, as your business grows, you will need to broaden your reach. Some people don’t know what they need until they have learned more about it.
SEVEN: Blogging is a great way of leveraging your time. Think of a blog that has about 100 daily views, that blog basically has 100 prospects every day who learn about your business and if they like what they read, you have new clients. Could you speak to 100 prospects every day without blogging and social media? Not likely.
Should you be a blogger?
If you don’t like coming up with ideas and typing them into 1,000-word articles, then blogging isn’t for you. Don’t worry, there are other alternatives such as “video blogs” or “vlogs.” Try another medium to get your message out. Another reason people don’t blog is fear of ridicule. The web can be ugly, and if you are afraid of what others think, don’t blog (at least publicly).
Don’t worry if you are not a good writer. There are plenty of people out there to help you type up your ideas into a compelling story. You can find a wealth of skilled writers and content creators on Fiverr and other freelance websites like Elance.
Blogging takes time and is work. If you don’t think it is sustainable, then look for other subjects or alternative platforms. If you can’t get your idea out of your head and can come up with 50-75 titles, then go for it. Blogging takes time away from family and friends, but overall, it can make you wealthy.
Remember! It is a War of Attrition.
