So I toddled off to the Problogger Event in Brisbane last week, not really knowing what, if anything, I would learn from it. I was mostly interested in meeting other local bloggers!
After all, I’ve been blogging in one form or another for over 7 years – so you’d think I’d know a fair bit by now!
Not even close. Turns out, you CAN teach an old blogger new tricks!
What is a fulltime blogger?
First of all, my notion of what constitutes a fulltime blogger was challenged.
I thought it was someone who worked on their blog 5 days a week, and that’s it. Heaven only knows, blogs are hungry beasts and it would be easy to devote this amount of time to a blog – writing, editing, formatting, taking photos, responding to emails and comments, visiting other blogs, finding ideas etc.
One of the examples of a “fulltime blogger” was a tradie, blogging about concrete benchtops – which he also happens to instal. The blog now generates enough business that he no longer needs to instal concrete floors; instead, he is able to specialise in (and write about) what he knows and loves best: concrete benchtops.
Others turned blogging into a fulltime job by having a number of income streams on their blog – advertising space, sponsored posts, ebooks, courses, speaking, etc.
However in most cases, the “fulltime bloggers” provided writing or social media services as an adjunct to running their blog. And that’s when I had a light bulb moment – that’s what I do! Does that mean *I* am a fulltime blogger?!
The theme of the day was “How to Stand out in the Crowd”. With over 88 gazillion blogs on the web, it can be easy to feel lost. It’s something I am all too familiar with – many is the time I hit “publish” on a post I’m really excited about, only to hear … *crickets chirping*.
New Tricks for Old Bloggers
So here are some new tips and tricks I picked up on the day, about how to make a blog stand out from the crowd.
- Pick a Fight – aren’t there already enough trolls in the blogosphere I hear you ask? No, it’s not that sort of fight. It’s about choosing a battle, and taking a stand on something that’s important to you – and others. What do you stand for – or against? Fights are important because they draw the right reader; they create momentum; and grow a community on your blog. Fights can be long-term; or short-term. Now I just have to think what fight I want to pick!
- The Value of Insomnia – what is keeping your readers awake at night? Provide ideas and solutions to these problems, to make your blog irresistible to readers!
- Comments – you probably already know that comments from readers are a valuable source of inspiration for new posts. Take this one step further, by checking out the comments left on the blogs where your “ideal readers” hang out, to see what you can glean there!
- The High School Musical Principle – Recently I started the “Shelf Style” series here at Middle Aged Mama, featuring a special guest each week and their Ikea shelves. It’s been a lot of fun and drawn heaps of interest already. By getting others involved, they spread the word for you … turns out I was already harnessing the power of the “High School Muscial” principle without even realising it!
So … what keeps you awake at night?! And was there any advice from the day (or this post), that really stood out for you?
Linking up with Essentially Jess for IBOT.