ProBlogger Podcast: Blog Tips to Help You Make Money Blogging

UPDATE: Because our free March Content Sprint was so popular we are now running a series of paid 7-Day Content Sprints running Live: 13-19 July 2020 17-23 August 2020 14-20 September More information and sign-up here: https://problogger.com/contentsprint/ A Free 7-Day Course to Create New Content Does your blog need a momentum boost? We've decided to run a LIVE 7-day Content Sprint to help support you create a plan and 6 new pieces of content for your blog in just 7 days. Starting next week (Monday 23rd March at 5pm PDT/8pm EDT / Tuesday 24th March at 11AM AEDT) Darren will be teaching live daily on FB in our ProBlogger Community Facebook Group (join here). Each day for 7 days we'll roll out supporting resources here in the course and add the video in case you can't make it live. Join us here: https://problogger.com/freecontentsprint/ Full Transcript Expand to view full transcript Compress to smaller transcript view Hi

Full Transcript Expand to view full transcript Compress to smaller transcript view Hey there friends, it’s Darren Rowse from ProBlogger here. Welcome to episode 280 of the ProBlogger podcast.  It’s been a while since we chatted and I do apologize for that, I needed a little time to get my headspace right and work on a couple of other projects, but I’m glad to be back. I’m particularly glad to be back at this time that we find ourselves in. We currently find ourselves in a bit of a crazy time with COVID-19, CoronaVirus, and all that it is meaning for us in the world we’re living in. We’re seeing so many people impacted, the economy impacted, and we’re seeing lots of new things, or at least they’re new to some people. We’re seeing a lot of people now having to work at home, something that many of us, as bloggers, have been doing for a while. Today, what I want to talk a little bit about is how we navigate this time as bloggers. How do we, as bloggers, not only

How Blogging Led to a Million Dollar Business for Jeff Goins Jeff Goins shares how his blogging business has evolved over the years. What he’s doing now is very different than when he started. Blog 1: Jeff started blogging as an outlet to catalogue his journey across North America while on tour with a band.  “That was my first blog and my first experience with sharing my life and my ideas with the world. Just the thrill of pressing, Publish.” Wake-up Call: While living the dream of playing music for thousands of screaming fans, Jeff’s favorite part was writing blog posts. Blog 2: Jeff moved to Nashville and trained missionaries to blog for a nonprofit. Eventually, Jeff became the Marketing Director and learned about online marketing.  Wake-up Call: Jeff wanted to get back to his own blogging. “I had been helping other people share their stories. I had something to say and wanted to share it with the world.” Blogs 3 to Present: Jeff wanted to make a living as a writer, but didn’t know how.   Wake-up Ca

Evolve Your Blog Does it feel like you’re going around in circles with your blog? It's easy to revolve in your blogging. Let’s look back at my keynote presentation titled, Evolve Don't Revolve, from ProBlogger’s Evolve event in 2017.  It highlights my journey as a blogger and areas where you can evolve your own blog and online business. Plus, the 2017 keynote features a Q & A with Pat Flynn, who shares how he achieved success by evolving his blog, Smart Passive Income. https://www.slideshare.net/problogger/evolve-dont-revolve ProBlogger’s Evolve 2019 event in Melbourne is happening soon!   August 10: Training Day (Beginner/Intermediate) Four key areas of building a successful blog August 10-11: Mastermind (Intermediate/Advanced) Spend time with other bloggers, online creators, and entrepreneurs to workshop your blog and business Jeff Goins will present this year’s keynote titled, Finding Your Voice as a Blogger. He’s the author of Real Artists Don't Starve. Fellow expert bloggers, Nico

31 Days to Build a Better Blog Today’s the day to sign up for our 31 Days to Build a Better Blog course. Why? Well, it’s 50% off for a limited time. And if you register by the end of February you’ll get to be a part of our 31-day guided sprint in March. While the course has evolved, it remains the #1 reason most blogs become successful. But you need to consistently take action to implement what you learn.   The four pillars of blogging are actions and habits you should develop to grow and profit from your blog. Create great content Promote your content Enhance your relationships with your readers Monetize your blog Each day of the course you’ll be taught practical things to do for your blog, including: Setting objectives and goals Creating an editorial calendar Developing social media and email strategies Creating pillar content Optimizing for SEO Identifying and understanding your audience Strengthening reader engagement You don’t have to take the course to become an action-

Learn How to Start a Successful Podcast Do you already have a blog, and want to expand into another medium? Then why not start a podcast? A lot of our Facegroup members have asked questions about starting a podcast, especially about gear, content, engagement, hosting, launching and monetization. And to help me answer all those questions I called on an expert. Craig Hewitt is the founder of Podcast Motor and Castos. When Craig started his own podcast, he quickly discovered that audio editing and producing a podcast was a pain. So he started Podcast Motor to help others. The technicalities of podcasting almost stopped me from starting the ProBlogger podcast. That’s why I turned to Craig and his team to handle them. Craig shares the nuts and bolts of podcasting: Reach existing audience in a different way, or reach an entirely new audience. Establish a dedicated hosting platform to store and distribute your media files. Differentiate yourself to develop a brand and identity (i.e. your accent). Sta

How One Blogger Took Action, Left Her Job, and Began a Lifestyle Blog Today marks the end of our series featuring stories from new bloggers. We really hope you've enjoyed them. Jackie Baker recently started a lifestyle blog that celebrates the beauty in everyday life. She considered blogging as a business because she needed a career change that would both challenge her and leave time for a vacation once in a while. But what would she write about? Jackie narrowed her blog's focus to a few topics that bring joy, peace, and happiness to both her readers and herself. Hence the title of her blog: Pretty Things, Yummy Food. What Jackie has learned from blogging: Take action and keep pushing forward when you feel stuck or scared Create a plan to prioritize tasks you need to get done Sign up for courses that show you how to start/launch a blog Connect with other bloggers who understand your excitement and frustration Embrace social media to find readers and build a community Use Canva to design grap

How a Blogger Found the Right Plan and Business Idea Today our series of stories from new bloggers continues with Stefano Caioni, a web developer and photographer.   Stefano's blog offers guidance on various aspects of photography including focus modes, settings and equipment reviews. Using his tech experience, Stefano wrote all the code for his blog himself. But he soon discovered how fun it was to build and write content for it, even though it had no traffic. Then Stefano decided to migrate his existing content to WordPress to benefit from its SEO and security functionalities. But he was inconsistent with posting content, didn’t have a specific strategy or business idea in mind, and ran out of topics. He almost gave up on it. Then he came across ProBlogger.com. He started writing more consistently, this time with a plan and business idea in place. His blog lets him share his passion for photography by writing useful posts that inspire others and offer them value. He’s met many photographers who’

How One Blogger Found Encouragement in Difficult Times Our new bloggers series continues with Melissa, who started Living in the Wait. Her blog serves as a resource for those waiting for something in their lives, whether it’s a job, spouse, home or something else. Melissa discovered you can still live life during that time of waiting for something your heart desperately desires. In Melissa’s case, she and her husband were waiting for a family due to infertility. It’s a painful topic to talk about, but Melissa felt like it was her calling to share her story. Blogging about her journey and wait has brought joy to her life. She wants to continue encouraging people going through difficult times.   First-year blogging highlights: Started The Wait List featuring guest posts to connect with others who were also waiting Selected as recipient of ProBlogger scholarship to further the blog's reach Generated cycle of encouragement: live life to the fullest, and give back to others Melissa’s blogging tips:

How One Blogger is Making the Most from Networking and Interviewing Our series of stories from new bloggers continues with Penny Wilson, who started Lingo Mama to blog about language learning and travel. Penny’s reasons for starting a blog: Return to her passion for language learning Establish accountability and discipline with language learning Share love for language learning with others Inspire others to learn a second language Starting a blog involved a huge learning curve for Penny, especially when it came to the technical aspects of managing it. Fortunately, Penny hasn’t struggled for content ideas. The challenge is getting those ideas across in a way that’s interesting, entertaining and informative, and that adds value. One of the highlights of blogging came when Penny connected with bloggers she respects in her niche. She also created an interview series that lets her connect with other language learners. Making money from her blog has been slow, but Penny has been happy with affiliate a

How One Blogger Worked With Others to Start a Blog We continue our series featuring stories from new bloggers who have recently completed our free Ultimate Guide to Starting a Blog course. We hope they’ll inspire others as part of our International Start a Blog Day on February 7. Today’s story comes from Jacob West, who started the blog Live Life Liberated. His blog questions social norms and traditional ways of thinking. Jacob's blog doesn’t tell you what to think or do. Instead, it provides a friendly and open-minded environment to discuss such topics and build a like-minded community. Jacob’s tips on how to prepare, if you want to start a blog: Ask friends for help. Share skills, learning curve, and success Care about blog’s focus Stay passionate. Always have goals to pursue Be willing to work hard and plan for various tasks Links and Resources for How One Blogger Simplified Starting a Blog by Sharing the Load: Live Life Liberated Podcast Motor Courses Starting a Blog ProBlogger Pro

How Starting a Blog Helped Transform the Life of a Blogger Happy New Year! This first episode of 2019 launches a series of stories from new bloggers who started their blogs after completing our free Start a Blog course. The course features seven steps, which makes it a perfect way to celebrate International Start a Blog Day on February 7. The first story comes from Denise Bumby, who took our course last year and launched her Does Size Matter? blog about six months ago. Denise was searching for a way to cope with changes in her life. And she found her way through blogging, which brings her joy and hope. She may not have many subscribers yet, but that number is growing daily. And so is Denise. Denise’s tips on how to boost your blog: Consistently produce content Use social media Post content in various formats (videos, etc.) Get mentioned on other blogs Learn and implement affiliate marketing and sponsorship Keep working. Don’t give up or get discouraged Despite what you may think, anyone

How a Blogger Uses Pinterest to Boost His Following Welcome to the final episode of our Blogger Breakthroughs series. Today we share a story from Rowan Sims, Digital Photography School writer and ProBlogger podcast listener.   Rowan's also a landscape and travel photographer who uses his blog to teach readers how to improve their photography, as well as share his photo adventures and location guides. The biggest challenges he faced with blogging were being inconsistent and not attracting the right audience. So he switched his blog's focus from just sharing photography to teaching it as well. He's also written some guest posts. Don’t underestimate the power of guest blogging. It’s about more than just link building. Another breakthrough for Rowan was discovering the power of Pinterest. It’s become Rowan’s largest source of referral traffic. Rowan has used various tools and social media sites to promote his photography, but Pinterest needed a different approach and was a steep learning curve. No matt

How a Blogger Expanded Her Income Streams and Engaged Readers in a New Way As a blogger, do you feel like you’re on a hamster wheel? Do you need to continually feed the machine to keep your blog generating traffic and income? We continue our Blogger Breakthroughs series with Anita Joyce, who experienced the same problem with her Cedar Hill Farmhouse blog.   Anita was working non-stop on her blog. She didn’t even have time to go to the grocery store or relax with her family. But the income from her blog was tied to page views, so she needed a breakthrough. Anita shares what she did to diversify her income streams and engage her readers in a new way. She started a podcast that turns listeners into friends, and a store that provides relevant products and valuable content for her audience. Anita has some tips to share with you: Survey your audience to find out what they want from you and what you want to give them Partner with others to gain expertise in areas you need covered Don’t give up if you f

How One Blogger Pushed Through Her Fear We continue our Blogging Breakthroughs series with Krista O'Reilly-Davi-Digui, who has a blog called A Life in Progress. Krista knew nothing about setting up a social platform. But she overcame procrastination and fear to show up regularly. Krista shares how her first viral post "What If I All I Want is a Mediocre Life?" made a major impact, resonating with people across the world She's been invited by others to share her story. Through collaboration and connections, her number of followers grew from 1,000 to 35,000. Her work brings her joy and has given her a voice. She is just like everyone else - not perfect. She affects others by giving them a chance to be seen and heard as well. Take imperfect action, and remember to enjoy each step of your journey. The world is incredibly noisy. We don’t need more people being the same. We need honesty. Don’t be afraid to be you - raw and real. Krista’s always found a way to love herself through the freedom that telling th

How a Blogger Used Viral Content to Grow Her Income Enough to Cover Her Mortgage Payments Rachel Miller is back on ProBlogger for our Blogging Breakthroughs series, which features bloggers’ stories about traffic, income, and other parts of blogging. Blogging has transformed Rachel's life, and made a difference in the lives of others. Rachel shares various breakthroughs that helped her generate a blogging income that went from paying for her groceries and mortgage to building a six-figure business. How’d she do it? By harnessing the power of her audience and going viral. Virals aren’t just about people seeing your content. They can also help you grow your bank account. Every time you love on your audience by creating content that engages and resonates with them, it takes your brand to the next level. Rachel went from affiliates to dropshipping and fulfillment through Amazon. She went from making pennies on each product to a decent percentage. She always puts a product on a viral. Don’t create a viral

One Blogger's Experience of Growing Traffic Without Producing New Content If you've been blogging for a while you'll relate to Todd Tresidder’s story in this episode of our Blogger Breakthroughs series. A blog that’s been around for a year or more ends up looking messy, and gives readers an inconsistent user experience. Content is old and repeated. Links are broken. Content comes in different styles and voices. Graphics look dated. A blog can become a house with many extensions that hasn't been architecturally designed with any clear thought or plan. So what should you do? Scrap the blog completely? Or is it worth giving it a major overhaul? That can take time – sometimes years – but the rewards come quickly. What Todd did: New code base New theme New redesign New internal linking New navigation structure Deleted junk, irrelevant and out-of-date content Redirected deleted content to other posts Rewrote, combined and updated remaining content Branded image and social media policy Todd

How One Blogger is Using Online Events to Build Engagement and Make a Difference We continue our Blogger Breakthroughs series with a story from Trixi Symonds, whose Coloured Buttons blog teaches kids how to sew. She also created Sew a Softie Day. Trixi started her blog in 2009 to post kids craft projects. After a few years, she started posting more hand-sewn, well-designed and simple projects that kids could do. She soon discovered that kids love to sew. They feel empowered when they can make their own bag, cushion or soft toy. So Trixi decided to teach kids all over the world to sew. The goal behind Sew a Softie Day was to have a day where people all over the world would teach a friend, neighbor, or anyone how to sew a simple softie (a soft toy). July 16, 2016 became Sew a Softie Day. And Trixi knew she had to promote it. She contacted anyone and everyone for help – bloggers, friends, influencers and magazines. People were happy to help. Sew a Softie Day was so successful that it turned into Sew a Sof

How One Blogger's Vulnerability Resulted in Growing Her Blog In this episode of our Blogging Breakthroughs series we feature Mim Jenkinson and her blog Love From Mim. Mim started blogging for one reason, but ended up blogging for a different reason altogether. On her blog Mim shares tips on how she stays organized as a busy mom and juggles time for work, home, and herself. But when she was diagnosed with breast cancer, she used her blog to share her story. It became a kind of therapeutic outlet for her, and made her feel better. And by showing her vulnerability she also grew her audience. Remember: readers are interested in your content because of you and the topic you're writing about. Mim now earns a six-figure income through multiple streams from her blog. She shares a few tips to help take your blog to the next level and monetize it: If you want it to be a job, treat it like one Set goals Create a structure Plan each week Work hard and be professional Mim stays true to herself and r

How One Blogger Created a Directory that Attracts Readers We continue our Blogging Breakthroughs series with Carolyn Edlund, whose Artsy Shark blog focuses on the business of art. Carolyn shares the story of how she created a directory to attract readers to her blog instead of having to chase after them. It revolutionized her blog, and helped her build a successful business around it. Carolyn understands the importance of building strong business relationships and creating win-win situations through collaboration. Her directory identifies places artists can sell their art online. It also provides solid business information and helps artists gain exposure. To attract readers for your blog, ask yourself: What do your readers want? What problem can you solve for your readers? What issue can you help your readers overcome? Based on tips from Carolyn, what kind of magnet do you plan on creating to draw readers to your blog? Links and Resources for PB 262 - How Carolyn Started a Directory to Attract Re