Developing a success mindset

Find mentors. Even the self-appointed ones who have no clue that they’ve taken this role work fine.

 Invest in your online business education. Coaching, classes, courses, training, events, ebooks — whatever works for you. Keep doing it.

 Shift strategies — evolve. It’s OK to change things as you grow. Your blog isn’t static. It’s constantly evolving, just like you are.

 Be persistent — and consistent. You don’t have a choice.

 Celebrate your wins. A few Facebook likes. A couple of retweets. A comment here and there. A guest post invitation by a popular blogger. 70 email subscribers in a day. Orders pouring in. Being completely booked out… You get the drift. Celebrate your positive moments to keep yourself motivated.

Thank your advocates and fans. You’re here today because of them. Don’t forget that.

 Have fun! Be unforgettable.

And that’s a wrap!

I know, it’s a long, long list, but there’s also a bit of a silver lining at the end of the rainbow here. The good news?

Monetization

 Build your email list. First, attract the right kind of traffic to your blog. Then impress them with your savvy, knowledgeability and generosity, and guess what? They’ll subscribe.

 Offer a subscribe incentive. Give new subscribers free access to an ebook or reportthey can’t refuse. Make it super useful. Make it a killer. Give them something they’ll want to read (not something you think they should read).

 Do consultations. The best way to find out what your readers want to buy is to get on the telephone and do some good old-fashioned consulting. Listen to their problems, and then try out different solutions. Soon, you’ll find a common problem and a solution that seems to work for everybody. That’s when you know you have promising product idea.

Create a hire me page. You’re running a business, so start acting like you are. Add a hire me page for all to see. Don’t be shy about this. Use your blog to build your business.

Get and display testimonials. Back up what you offer by positive feedback from past and present customers.

 Be careful with advertising. Only display ads on your blog if the income is too good to refuse. If you do, keep the ads relevant to your audience.

 Consider affiliate marketing. When you’ve reached the point where you actually have a substantial list, it might make sense to recommend quality products that will solve some of your audience’s problems.

 Venture into creating your own products and running continuity programs. Multiple income streams… The name of the game.

Forming strong connections

Follow blogs in your niche. Your blog is not an island. You can’t do it alone. You have to find your tribe and become a part of it. Find your people or remain invisible.

 Comment on other bloggers’ posts. Be strategic about it. Be smart. Know what you want to gain from your efforts. If you said traffic only, you’re in the doghouse. Quality connections are just as important.

 Reach out to A-list bloggers via email. Keep it short and tell them why you appreciate their work. Ask how you can help them (not the other way around).

Follow them on social media. No brainer.

 Link to them. Duh!

 Interview them. Ask them to answer a few questions on a topic they’re passionate about. When they’re committed advocates for some cause, it’s hard for them to say no.

 Ask for a guest post. Only after you’ve developed a meaningful connection with them and know their blog and audience intimately, pitch them a great idea. But be sure to do your homework first.

 Ask them to share a post published on your own blog. Only after your guest post has done really well, or you have guest posted multiple times. Only when your post is your best work, and will really resonate with their audience. There aren’t any exceptions.

Be consistent in your guest posting strategy

You don’t have a strategy, you say? How on earth do you plan to grow your list? If you can’t get people to come over to you, it only makes sense to go where they are. Devise a strategy

Have fun with content syndication

Submit your content to various content syndication sites like Alltop. These sites can be good sources of targeted and engaged readers.

Have fun with content syndication.

Submit your content to various content syndication sites like Alltop. These sites can be good sources of targeted and engaged readers.

Engage with your community.

Aim to increase the number of comments on your posts every time you write one.

Create link bait.

Give people reasons to link to you… Epic posts. Huge list posts. Interviews. Reviews of other (popular!) bloggers’ work and products. One successful link bait post can bring you traffic and subscribers for years

. Add a call to action to every post

What do you want your reader to do? Give it apowerful ending. If you inspire people to act, they will see results and love you for encouraging them.

Show off your personality.

Develop your personal writing voice. Dare to be a little different. Don’t try and sound like everyone else. This will help you seem less boring.