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How to Slay Blogging Overwhelm by @marissamonline

July 9, 2019 by Guest Post Leave a Comment


Photo by Eugene Chystiakov from Pexels

by Marissa McDaniel

So, you decided you’re going to start a blog and you are pumped! Blogging seems like a great way to express yourself and maybe you’ll even make a little extra money with your blog. You start your blog, thinking it’s going to be super easy and fun and then it hits you.. Blogging is hard.

You start with the web hosting and before you know it you’re dabbling with web design, branding, actually writing and coming up with blog post ideas, email marketing, affiliate marketing, legal disclosures and your to-do list of blogging tasks is suddenly extending all the way down the street. At this point you’re wondering what you got yourself into. You realize you have no idea what you’re doing and you’re seriously thinking about throwing in the towel.

Believe me, I’ve been there and so have thousands of other bloggers! I’m here to tell you not to throw in the towel just yet. There is hope and there are ways to combat the overwhelming feeling that you can’t seem to shake.

Check out these 4 easy ways you can start slaying the overwhelm today!

 

1. Goal Setting

 

One of the biggest ways to combat blogging overwhelm is to create monthly or even weekly goals. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed when you have a massive list of to-do’s but by breaking these to-do’s down into goals with a specific time frame, they can become manageable. Try setting realistic social media goals, writing goals, traffic goals and income goals. This will help you assess exactly what you should focus on, what progress you are making and what areas might need a little extra help.

 

2. Automation

 

Thankfully there are some ways you can automate your blog and social media processes. For starters, you can automate all of your social media posts with a variety of social media scheduling tools like Tailwind, Hootsuite and Buffer. With the help of scheduling tools, you can schedule your social media content for a week or even a full month in the matter of a couple hours. This is a great way to save you tons of time while creating a social media presence and increasing blog traffic.

As for email marketing, you can also create autoresponders and email sequences that will be sent out when someone purchases a product, downloads a freebie or joins your email list. This is a great way to introduce yourself to new email subscribers, to provide an offer and build trust with your audience. Autoresponders are also a great addition to sales funnels if you have any products you are aiming to sell. Once you your email marketing set up, you can create unique sequences, automations and more to create a unique experience for each subscriber.

 

3. Schedule

 

It can be so easy to get wrapped up in creating as many blog posts as possible when first starting out, but this can make the overwhelm even worse! Instead of trying to publish a ton of content, create a content calendar. If you want to publish blog posts twice a week then make it a point to publish a blog post every Tuesday and Thursday. Come up with a schedule for your blog posts and content so you know exactly what you need to be working on and when. This will also help your readers know exactly when to look for new content on your blog and can promote returning visitors.

 

4. Connect With Other Bloggers

 

Other bloggers can be a great resource! They’ve all been through the process and they understand how overwhelming blogging can be. Communicate with other bloggers, ask them how they solved certain problems or handled a certain situation. The blogging community is extremely supportive and is always willing to help out whenever they can. Not only that, but many bloggers are always looking for ways to save time and make life easier so connecting with another blogger might allow you discover a new product or tool that just might change your life.

By setting goals, automating your processes, scheduling content and connecting with other bloggers, there’s no reason you can’t slay the blogging overwhelm! These strategies will also save you time and help you create some clear blogging plans so your blog can grow and thrive.

How do you slay blogging overwhelm? Do you have other suggestions? If, so share them in the comments!

 

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Marissa McDaniel is the founder of Marissa McDaniel Online LLC which is a blog and online business focused on helping women ditch their 9-5’s and create a life of financial freedom. She frequently writes about blogging tips and tools, online money-making opportunities and offers her very own online course to help other bloggers create passive income streams using online courses, sales funnels and affiliate programs.

Marissa resides in the Denver, Colorado area with her boyfriend and two hiking cats. When not spending time on the lake, she’s likely reading a motivational book, eating a snack or working on her next business endeavor.

mm
Guest Post

Filed Under: Blogging, Guest Post Tagged With: Better Blogging, blogger, bloggers, blogging, blogging advice, Blogging for Beginners, Blogging for Business, blogging schedule, blogging smarter, blogging tips, Marissa McDaniel

9 Simple Sure Fired Blog Secrets To Guarantee New Fans by @XLConsultingGro

May 11, 2018 by Elaine Slatter Leave a Comment

9 Simple Sure Fired Blog Secrets To Guarantee New Fans

by Elaine Slatter | Featured Contributor

Engaging new fans to love what you say and keep them loyal to your brand isn’t really that secret!  Just follow our 9 simple rules of engagement and you can shine online. Check out our 9 simple blog secrets to guarantee new fans.

Pick A Catchy Headline

What makes a headline ‘pop’? There are several free sites that can analyze your blog headline to determine the best scoring headline.   Hubspot’s blog article gives you many ideas on how to write a catchy headline.

Try Using a mixture of the following

  • Common Words
  • Uncommon Words
  • Emotional Words
  • Powerful Words

Pictures and Videos

Attention spans have been reduced to just a few seconds.  Nothing engages faster than pictures and videos. Make sure these are at the top of your blog.  If you don’t have a budget for video, use your pictures to make a video story using the free Lumen 5 software.  In 30 minutes or less you can produce your own video, post it on your blog and your YouTube channel.

Podcasts

Showcase your authority by interviewing guests on your own podcast show.  Software such as SoundCloud makes it easy to upload your podcast and use for different purposes and gain a new group of fans who like to be inspired while driving, shopping or working out.

Be Active and Consistent

A blog once a year doesn’t gain you new fans, but actively developing content on a regular basis (at least once a month) will help you get out in front of an audience that is hungry for your magic.

Be Honest and Vulnerable

Your readers will connect better with you if show vulnerability.  That doesn’t mean you have to pour your heart out with every post, but sharing some downs as well as your ups, will make you seem more real.  It’s closer to everyday life.  It helps your readers to know that your life is relatable to theirs.  We aren’t all movie stars!  Share your doubts, too.

Be Authentic

We all have different personalities, but being “you” is what’s important.  No-one can write like YOU.  Our voices are all different.  Make sure your true, authentic voice is what is your followers will hear.  They will detect anything less than sincere.

Two-way Communication

In today’s world customers are looking for an “experience”.  Disney and Apple are always wowing their customers, and you can do the same.  Listen to your tribe, what questions do they have, how can you deliver a better experience?  Do you wrap your arms around them and deliver everything they could wish for before they even know they need it?  That’s what Disney and Apple do!  Your blog can do that too.

Be Helpful

If you have developed a two-way communication with your readers, then you are in the best position to be helpful.  But first you have to know how to help, so put out questions in your facebook group so you can answer the pain points in your blog.  If you have examples, so much the better as we all relate to someone else’s journey.

Story Telling

To sum up, everything you write is a story, it has a beginning, a middle and an end.  Your blog needs a structure that your readers can follow and genuinely enjoy.  If you can find the emotional connection, then you have followers for life.

It’s simple, write often, write from your heart, write to engage and watch the results.

mm
Elaine Slatter

Elaine Slatter is a Small Business Expert, founder of XL Consulting Group and author of the popular book, “Fabulous Fempreneurship”, a complete business guide for women. XL Consulting Group helps entrepreneurs with market planning, strategy, branding, web design and social media. She has over 30 years of executive business and marketing experience and is ready to help you rocket your business to success. Elaine is passionate about mentoring women to become successful women entrepreneurs. To find out more, visit XL Consulting Group or join the Fabulous Fempreneurship mastermind.

https://xlconsultinggroup.com/

Filed Under: Blogging, Featured Contributor, She Owns It Tagged With: Better Blogging, blogging advice, Blogging for Business, blogging smarter, blogging strategy, blogging trends, women entrepreneurs

Blogging Smarter, Not Harder: Become One with Analytics by @stylemethrifty

March 28, 2014 by Madeline Van Tassel Leave a Comment

How to Become One with Analytics

by Madeline Van Tassel | Featured Contributor

When I launched my blog Style Me Thrifty (almost exactly three years ago now — they grow up so fast!), I quickly got wrapped up in all the excitement that comes with blogging.

The words, the photography, the freedom to say whatever the heck I wanted! It was all so inspiring. And really, really fun.

During my first year of blogging, I focused my efforts exclusively on all the awesome aspects of blogging — like writing, tweeting, and opening up freebies from companies — and none of my time on the not-so-fun aspects. Like analytics. I mean, talk about a buzzkill. Who wants to poke around in Google Analytics when there are outfit posts to style?!

I had spent hours (days? weeks?) churning out content and about 45 minutes looking at my analytics. I didn’t have a good sense of who was reading my blog, where they were coming from, and what content they enjoyed. If I was going to be a player in this massive blogging industry, something had to change.

It was time to roll up my [fashionable] sleeves and become one with my blog’s analytics.

Data Will Set You Free

Understanding the metrics behind your stories, whether it’s pageviews, top posts, or referring sites, will give you valuable insights into your readers. What content is resonating with them? How are people finding your stories? What keywords are they searching for to find your blog?

Sure, analytics sound scary, especially to us writers, but they don’t have to be!

How to Become One with Analytics

1) Start with Baby Steps

Many blogging platforms provide a bare-bones analytics system. It’s a nice start, but I recommend downloading a free analytics plugin so that you can see a bit more detail on your blog’s stats. As a WordPress user, Jetpack is my analytics plugin-of-choice and I can check my stats while still in the comfort of my blogging platform.

2) Learn to Swim with the Big Dogs

Once you’re comfortable with the terminology (pageviews, referring traffic, etc), you’re ready for a more robust system like Google Analytics. Don’t be intimidated. It’s free, it’s super comprehensive, and easy-to-use. When in doubt, there are million forums online to help you navigate through Google’s stats.

3) Listen to Your Numbers

The tools are in place, you’re making time for your metrics. All that’s left is listening to those numbers. Make a commitment to check your analytics daily. Yes, daily! You’ll have real time information on who is visiting your blog. Plus, seeing all that traffic is super rewarding!

[Word cloud created via Wordle]

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Madeline Van Tassel – Blogging Expert – Alexandria, VA

Madeline Van Tassel Madeline Van Tassel is the founder and author of the budget style blog, Style Me Thrifty. After years of politely telling her family and friends how to dress (e.g. “Never, ever wear jeans to a bridal shower!”), she decided to combine her love of fashion, writing, and overall thriftiness by launching Style Me Thrifty in March 2011. In addition to her fashion blog, Madeline has also made a career out of blogging by running the blog of one of the largest nonprofit organizations. With limited hours in the workday, and even less in the evenings, Madeline has mastered the art of blogging smarter, not harder.

When Madeline’s not writing, playing around in WordPress, shopping, or tweeting, she can be found enjoying the newlywed life with her supportive husband and their cat Bandit.

You can follow Madeline’s fashion adventures at stylemethrifty.com and by following her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.

Madeline Van Tassel
http://www.stylemethrifty.com/

Filed Under: Blogging, Featured Contributor Tagged With: analytics, Better Blogging, blog smarter, blogging smarter, google analytics for bloggers, Madeline Van Tassel

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