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Key takeaways from today’s episode with Nick
1 – Find your follower’s channels, then produce content for THAT channel
Maybe back in 2007 people actually hung out on blogs.
Not anymore.
We hang out on Twitter. And Facebook. And Reddit, Instagram, Snapchat, and more. We go there first…then we might make it to a blog post or two.
Nick brought up this huge point: it’s vital you figure out where your tribe is, (where they’re hanging out), and produce content specifically for that channel.
Sure, blog comments are great. Pageviews and other metrics are great….but they are a means to an end. What is your “end?” To quit your job? Make more cash? Be an influencer? All of the above?
There are loads of different ways to build up the reputation (and later cash flow) other than getting people to your blog.
Produce content on their channels.
At the very least, make sure your own site’s content is optimized for sharing on your preferred channel. (See that featured image for this post? It’s optimized for Twitter. That’s where most of my traffic comes from.)
Marketing in a nutshell:
- Identify your tribe, specifically
- Discover where they hang out on the internet.
- Go to them there. Produce content for them there. Put your blog in front of them there.
Repeat and adapt as needed.
2 – Wanna just make some extra money? Freelancing > blog monetization
I get it. You see my income reports, or Bobby’s, or Michelle’s, or even Pat’s…and you wanna launch info products and make affiliate income.
Don’t get me wrong…those things are great, and you absolutely should work towards those blog monetization methods…
BUT if you’re honestly just looking for some extra cash now…freelance. I know a bunch of you might shy away from that word, because it occupies a strange spot in your mind. It did mine too.
But making money via freelancing does not require an email list, or massive traffic, etc. And even better still, you can make money freelancing…doing the same sort of work you enjoy.
I.e. blogging?
Social media management, other blog marketing, community management, graphic design, content production…all of these are in very high demand by other bloggers, content marketers, local small businesses, and even big corps.
Yes, you still need the ability to add value, and to sell that value…but there is no time distinction like there is with making equivalent money via ads, affiliates, or products.
You can start today. Literally.
(Though the topic of what to do and how to get clients is probably a longer discussion for another day. Hopefully Nick’s interview helped with that.)
3 – Audio and Video can offer some crazy huge advantages.
Let’s be clear…I’m bias.
I run a podcast and a YouTube channel in addition to the blog. But there are some obvious benefits to audio and video formats…
1 – It’s more personal
I hate the word branding, but in this case it’s true: building a thriving blog depends entirely on fans of your “brand.” Your fans and followers are going to be much more connected with you when they KNOW you…and written text is probably the least effective way to build that connection.
When you listen to my podcast, you might be in bed. Or on a run, or with your kids, or in your car. I am “with you” in a completely different way, and you know me.
Video, same thing. It’s the closest thing we can produce to mirror a real-life, offline connection.
2 – It builds trust.
People connect and maintain relationships with people they trust. Offline and online. People also buy ONLY from people/companies they trust.
The reason audio and video formats build trust so much better…is it eliminates much of the “B.S. Factor.”
I.e. If we’re on YouTube trying to sell a product, people can see right through an inauthentic sales pitch. Trust destroyed.
On the other hand, if someone watches me on video selling Blogger U, and they see that I’m 1,000% transparent, honest, and authentic, that builds a ton of trust. It’s why videos on sales pages are so effective. People need to feel the trust.
3 – There’s less competition, and more opportunity.
Producing *high quality* audio and visual format is harder than producing text blog content. It just is.
It often requires equipment (Mics, better computers, cameras, editing software, etc), which costs $$$. Not everyone wants to do that, and that’s fine.
More opportunity for those of us looking to take advantage of different formats. There is (still) a lot of opportunity for YouTubers and Podcasters at the moment.
I encourage EVERYBODY to at LEAST experiment with different formats, even if it stays on your own blog!