7 Tips To Help You Blog Write Now

No, that's not a typo in my post title.  Last night I attended the What Blogging Can Do For You webnar hosted by the lovely and ever helpful Tara from The Young Mommy Life.  If you weren't one of the 13 lucky attendees, check out the replay here.  Getting back to the title, we used the hashtag #BlogWriteNow as we tweeted about all the great stuff Tara was sharing with us.  But just in case you're not following me on Twitter and you didn't make the webnar, I'm sharing 7 of the tips that I thought were most the most helpful and important below.

1-Exposure is King: Don't be shy or too timid when it comes to self promoting or plugging your blog.  Getting yourself out there is the key to successfully building your brand and attracting readers.  Also, if you're  looking to work with other brands, they want to be sure that you are capable of giving their product or service the proper exposure to their target market and attract new customers.

2-Find Direction: Before you start your blog take the time to think about the direction you want it to go.  What do you want to offer your readers?  Then put out content that follows that specific path.

And if you've already started your blog, ask yourself why and how your blog is different or how you want it to be different from the sea of other blogs out there?  Create content and an overall feel that reflects that answer. Remember, when it comes to blogging being unique and different is a great thing!

3-Own Your Space:  Would you buy food, clothes or even a house from a store or bank that had no name or employees?  No!  Well, readers and brands feel the same way.  The fact of the matter is that if you're trying to turn your blog into a business or brand you need to put your name or identity on it.

Putting your identity on your blog helps readers and brands not only better relate to you but it helps to establish a certain level of trust because they know that you're real.  Nobody wants to buy a product from you if you're afraid to put your name on your own goods. Now, I'm not saying you have to put your full government name and social out there but a nickname or first initial and last name will get you farther.

4-Be Consistent:  Post on a regular and consistent basis instead of taking the "whenever I feel like it" stance.  Sure you have a job, kids and household to run.  However, that's why Blogger and Wordpress have  a function that allows you type out posts and then set a date you want them to post.  So, you can write on your day after you've put the kids to bed and set them to post the same time everyday or every other.  Either way, you're making sure your readers aren't going weeks or months without hearing from you because when you go ghost, your readership will too!

5-Open Your Mouth:  Those of you not familiar Matthews 7:7 it says, "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you."  Want sponsors?  Need products to review or giveaway?  Secretly desiring to write for a big name magazine or website?  

Well, if you don't open your mouth and initiate contact you won't get anything of those things.  I got one of my first sponsors by sending them an email first to let them know that I wanted to really work with them.  I told them how long I had been using their product and send link to posts I had written about it on Facebook.  Sure you might get rejected but the key is opening that line of communication and being persistent in your search.

6-Have More Than One Hat:  At the end of the day, any successful blogger that you look up to can tell you that to get to their level of success they've done more than just blog to make money.  Try dabbling in selling ad space.  Lend yourself out (for fee) as a freelance writer.  Turn some of your blog posts and learned lessons into an ebook.  You can even go beyond the ebook and take your show on the road as a public speaker.

You already heard what Drake said: "There's money to made..."  So, make sure you're getting your fair share.  After all you have to survive in this economy.  Now days it really pays to diversify and not put all your eggs in one basket!

7-Enhance Not Subtract:  At the end of the day, whatever you're adding to your blog should always add to your greatness not take away from it.  With that said make sure you know your audience. Don't throw curve balls like awkward ads or sponsored posts out there because it could scare away readers.  I'm not saying don't take risks.  You're dealing with a lady who's blogged about sex and vibrators on here before.

What I'm saying is warn readers if you want to take a different direction or introduce something that is totally left field.  However, don't go too left just because the money looks good.  Not all lefts can be turned back into a right!

I hope that I've been able to shed some light on this challenging world of blogging with the tips I've learned.  Also, be sure to stay on the lookout for more webnars from Tara.  Below are some tentative dates and titles for webnars to be hosted by her in August.

August 3rd-Building Your Blog Purposefully

August 10th- Creating "Shareable" Content Easily and Quickly

August 17th- Money, Money, Money

August 24th- TBD