How many hats do you wear during the day? Have you recently added “blogger” to the pile?
Everyone talks about the power of blogging – how you can quickly get ranked in the search engines simply by writing a blog post or two every week. But what they don’t tell you is how to do it effectively, and how to stay out of blogging overwhelm just a few short weeks after you start.
1. Start with a plan.
A plan isn’t “everyone says its great, so I want one.” A plan is “to write twice per week every week from now on because I know it will have a solid impact on my business now, in six months, and 5 years from today.”
Your plan has to answer two questions: the why, and a measurable outcome. In the plan “to write twice per week every week from now on because I know it will have a solid impact on my business now, in six months, and 5 years from today”, the why is building a solid, successful impact on my business. And the measurable outcome is twice per week every week.
2. Follow Through
Now that you have a plan, how are you going to stick with it?
If your goal is to write two blog posts every week, put them on the calendar and get them done. Having trouble writing? Hire a ghost blogger to ensure you have quality posts each week.
Just like you have to pay taxes, pay the bills, and get client work out the door, your blogging has to become a priority in order for you to succeed.
3. Refinement
Take a class, hire a coach, or read a book every once in awhile about blogging. Are you doing everything you can for traction? Are you writing your titles in the best way possible? Are your posts long enough? Are they written about things people are truly searching for?
Rules change every day in the online world. What worked 6 months ago may not work today. In fact it may even get you banned from Google. Because you have your business to run, you may not stay on top of the most current rules and advice, so it’s important to check in with the experts here and there, and make sure you’re doing things in the best possible way.
4. Baby steps
When I show people the results I’m gaining every day, they get excited. Its easy to get caught up in what’s possible, and expect it instantly yourself. Just remember your business didn’t go from $0 to $100,000 overnight, and it won’t go from nothing to top search engine rankings overnight either. I’ve been blogging for years. I’ve built success into my online presence because I do a little each day.
You have to start somewhere. So why not let it be today? Imagine where you’ll be a year from now?