As a blogger there are many ways to be successful (make money) and there are many ways to do it badly.
When I first started blogging, I pretty much did it all wrong. I had some success which brought me some attention and money, and of course I jumped at it.
I thought “hey, I’m making money with my blog,, so cool” how-to-be-a-successful-blogger
Unlike most of the mistakes I have made in my life, (I’m a Taurus.. what can I say :) ) I saw the error of my ways really quickly and realized that the money was nice, but I was hurting my credibility, my readers, and my blog in the process.
Almost daily, I see blogging friends and clients that are doing it all wrong and keep asking me…
”Hey JP” I been blogging a long time, but I still don’t see my traffic or opt ins or comments or shares growing!”
Let me share a secret with you, if your blog has been around awhile and your still not seeing success in those areas, it probably has nothing to do with your content!
So if the content is good, what can you fix?
Here are 4 ways to help you
be a successful blogger and not sell your soul for that quick money.
rnMake Sure Your Product Kicks Ass
I don’t care if you put together a free guide for opt-ins or a pay for product. Hell I don’t care if the product will cost $2 or $200.
What matters is that what you share has to be valuable and helpful and worth my money or email.
WHY?
As any good marketer knows, your first product isn’t so much about making big money, as it is about building a list and proving you know what you know.
If you do this right, you will have an eager customer base ready to buy your follow up BIG ticket product.
If you do this wrong, you make a little money in the front end, but lose all credibility and pretty much F***ed your potential to make repeat sales.
I lead by example, when you
buy blog reviews from me, you are guaranteed to get the best I can give to help you.
rnKeep Your Ads Targeted and High Quality
There is nothing wrong with selling banner ads on your blog, but they have to be targeted and quality products or services.
Do you know how bad you and your blog look when I visit it and you have…
#1 Ads that have nothing to do with what your blog topic is about?
#2 Ads for products or services that are targeted, but are GARBAGE?
WHY?
You own your blog, you control what goes on it and what doesn’t. When you throw up banners for products that don’t fit your topic, or products that are low quality and not helpful, you hurt YOUR credibility.
You goal with your blog is to share what you know and help your readers in the areas they need.
How are un-targeted ads helpful to them?
How are low quality rip off products helpful to them?
Plus, having those banners up, you won’t make sales and the advertiser won’t buy again since he made no sales from your blog.
So you piss off your readers, lose credibility making it harder for you to promote anything in the future anddddd you lose the advertiser.
rnRelax Your Banner Ads
This one ties into #2 above, but decided to split it up because I like even numbers haha
This is probably the #1 mistake I see a lot of bloggers make.
Having 5 – 10 banners ads on their blog. It’s a damn mess and every one of your readers and visitors are thinking the same thing.
Having to many banner ads makes your site hard to navigate and hard for people to find the content they are most likely there for in the first place.
You are hurting your results.
How can you expect a visitor to click an ad when you have soooo many on your blog?
WHY?
The goal of selling banner space is to get people to click the ad and drive traffic, op-ins and sales to the advertiser.
Now if you do that well enough that advertiser will continue to buy ad space on your blog long term.
But do it badly, and they will leave after the first month.
rnDo Real Product Reviews
One of the best ways to be a successful blogger that makes money is to do product reviews.
But do you know which reviews make the most money?
The reviews that are real, honest and in-depth!
Honest one’s, in-depth one’s
But, “how do I write one of those reviews JP?”
Well it’s simple, USE THE DAMN PRODUCT FIRST! :)
The only way to do a quality, helpful review is to actually use the product. At the very least use the product for a week so you get a good feel for how it works and what you like and dislike about it.
Nothing erks me more then when a blogger does a review and he was paid for that said review but forgets to mention he was paid for the review.
So if you are paid for a review, then you still have to use the product first, and make sure to mention in your post that you was PAID TO WRITE THE REVIEW!
WHY?
When you write a review after you have actually used the product you will be able to share more details and your readers will see that.
There is a big difference from a review from a blogger that just watched the products sales video and a review from a blogger that actually used it, and tested all the features and can share their view on what they loved, liked and disliked.
Oh yea, plus you get the product your reviewing for free :)
At the end of the day, YOU alone own your blog.
Think of it like this…
You and your friends are driving around having a good time and suddenly for no reason you get pulled over by the cops.
They come over and ask you all the step out the car, and they proceed to search inside your car, and they find some smoke. (how did that get there?)
They then ask who it belongs to and no one steps up and takes ownership. Do you know what happens now?
You as the driver goes to jail!
Because YOU own the car and YOU are responsible for what is in YOUR car!
To be a successful blogger, YOU need to control what goes on YOUR blog!
Disclaimer: I’m not saying this happened to me, I watch a lot of crime TV shows :)