Do you want to grow your influence and command bigger marketing campaigns?
That seems to be driving many bloggers these days. Bigger audience = bigger influencer = bigger payday.
Of course, the difficult piece of that equation is the bigger audience one, but it somehow gets overlooked for quick tips and tricks on monetization.
I think that’s a mistake. A big one.
It’s time to go back to the basics.
As bloggers, the only way–I repeat, the only way–to grow your audience is by creating authentic content consistently.
You can learn every fancy trick in the HTML book, but unless you’re creating quality content that is genuine to you, you’ll never grow an audience of loyal fans. And without them, you won’t build your influencer, and you won’t command those big paychecks.
So, let’s go back to basics, shall we? How do you grow an audience of loyalists? By upping your blogging game!
Here’s how to be a better blogger in 3 simple steps:
- Post quality content. Don’t post crappy content. It’s as simple as that. Be thoughtful and purposeful in what you write, and edit ruthlessly. Don’t get sucked into learning every little tip and trick and “hack” on Pinterest. Focus on the work. Focus on the writing and the imagery. Do your best with every single post. If you don’t feel like it’s possible to do your best on every post, you’re probably posting too much. Scale back so you can do your best. Which leads me to…
- Post quality content consistently. You know you need to publish your best work. But, you need to be cognizant of your readers’ time and attention. If a post pops every day for two months, then suddenly it’s crickets for a few weeks (or vice versa), you’ll lose readers. Decide how often you can create your very best work, and stick to that schedule.
- Be true to you. If a collab feels wrong, it is. If a guest post exchange feels off, it is. If a product doesn’t fit you or your lifestyle–even if it comes with a heft check–you have to pass. As a blogger, YOU are the brand. You’re putting yourself on the line with everything you write, and if you write things that are inauthentic, readers will know and will abandon you. Be true to you in all things. Then you can never fail!
I think many people jump into blogging because it seems or looks easy. We know it’s not. But publishing awesome content consistently and staying true to yourself ensures your long-term success. Stick with those three tips, and you will grow your audience, you will build your influencer, and you will command those big paychecks.