How to Create a System for Blogging Success in 2023 – 90 Days and Beyond

Every business takes serious dedication – starting an online business is no different.

There will be many new skills you’ll have to learn, and you’re going to work harder than you ever have before – if you want to achieve blogging success.

If there’s one important piece of wisdom to remember – “we all start at zero” ~ Ruth Soukup.

When you look at other successful bloggers, podcasters, and influencers, just remember, they all started at zero.

They all had zero followers, zero page views, and zero email list subscribers.

Are You Willing to Do what It Takes, for as Long as It Takes?

Starting a business is hard – whether it’s home-based, online, or a brick-and-mortar business, it’s something that takes hard work, discipline, perseverance, and the willingness to make mistakes, and keep moving forward towards your end goal, no matter the setback.

If you’re willing to put in the time it’s going to take and the effort that’s going to be required, then running a profitable online business is indescribably, awesome!

Not only would you be able to work in the comfort of your own home, but you could travel anywhere in the world, and your online business goes with you.

Once you’ve put in the hours required, built your blogging business up, and created a site that generates gobs of traffic, your business will be generating a steady stream of passive income.

You need to understand that your newly found home-based business might reach the point of having a passive income somewhere between 6 and 18 months from now, and – it’s not going to be a walk in the park.

QUESTION – what if it took you 2 years before you’re able to walk away from your dreaded 9 to 5? Would getting up at 5am every day, 6 days a week, for the next 2 years be worth it?

How would it feel to be semi-retired at the age of 36, or whatever age you are? Take your age and add 2 years to it, this could be your semi-retired age – if you put in the work to get there!

Let Me Ask You This…

Is it worth it to YOU to work your A$$ off for 6 to 18 months (even if it takes 2 years), so you can FIRE YOUR BOSS, have the FREEDOM you desire, and never have to worry about MONEY again?

– – If you answered YES, make the commitment – TWEET BELOW!

Let’s Get Started…

Are YOU READY?

It’s time to create an IRON mindset that will push you past your limiting beliefs and set you up for a successful blogging business.

Something that will help you reach this goal is for you to have the mindset that – today is your first day to start your journey thinking like an entrepreneur, not just a blogger.

We’ll discuss this in greater detail later.

Once your blog starts developing a passive income, you will no longer be considered ‘just a blogger’ – YOU, my good friend, will be an entrepreneur and business owner.

A Little Story…

In late 2020, I was one of the unfortunate ones to be diagnosed with the Covid virus.

During my 14-day quarantine, there was a movie I watched called: Love, Wedding, Repeat.

I love to laugh, and comedies are my favorite, so when I saw the advertisement for this movie, I just had to take the time out of my busy, virus-stricken day and give it a watch.

Because I am a true believer that ‘Everything Happens for a Reason,’ what was said struck me to my core.

Here’s what was said:

“Have you ever thought about how small the chances are that you’d be born?”

“If just one thing in history had changed, just one of your millions of ancestors hadn’t crossed paths at the exact moment they did, then you wouldn’t exist – you would’ve never even lived a single day.”

“It’s pretty scary, but if we’re honest with ourselves, it all comes down to chance.”

“I guess life is about grabbing those chances, when they come up.”

What’s my point?

You are not on this page by accident – everything happens for a reason!

I consider the moral of this story to be:

I am here for a reason, and YOU are here for a reason, don’t pass up on this opportunity to make something good happen for yourself – you’re reading this for a reason – continue what you started!

If you already have a blog, let’s talk about your productivity and how to maximize your efforts in the most efficient manner.

Let me ask you a question – are you one of the millions of people in recent years that started a New Year’s Resolution to lose weight, stop smoking, get out of debt, or start an online business?

It doesn’t have to be one of these, but whatever resolution you came up with – did you achieve your goal?

You see – most of us tragically fail to meet our goals even though we know exactly what’s required to achieve them.

Having a meaningful goal and strategy to succeed is the foundation of success.

Although most of us know exactly what needs to be done, we fail because we either DO NOT follow through or there is a flaw in our strategy.

It’s Time to Change That!

Let me ask you another question – when it comes to your blogging business – what is it that you do?

If a person were to ask you, how would you respond?

How do you see yourself? How do you see your business? Would you talk about your blog and what it has to offer? Would you say, “I’m a blogger?”

Most of the time, blogging starts as a hobby or a side hustle, but usually, it isn’t started with the idea in mind that it will be your future bread-winning business.

Treating a blog like a business can be a scary thought – not to mention pretty dang risky, right? And what if you fail?

Here’s a life-changing lesson I learned from a mentor of mine – “going ALL IN is the only way to make it!”

Here’s the lesson… “success only comes through failure and mistakes.”

Success will only happen when you’re willing to go all in and keep going no matter what happens.

Success will only come from taking risks and putting in the hours, and working harder than you ever thought possible.

I know I mentioned it earlier, but it’s time to transform your blog into a thriving business, to not see yourself as “just a blogger” but as an entrepreneur and business owner.

A person who takes themselves seriously about their new-found business and who doesn’t make excuses for why something cannot be done.

To get there – you’re going to need to make a few changes. You’re going to need to embrace the possibility of a new way of looking at the world and start thinking like an entrepreneur.

The point I am making here is that an entrepreneur has a tendency to look at the world in a different way.

And, if you are going to have blogging success, you are going to need to adapt to the change.

1st Lesson…

Each Failure is Not a Mistake – It’s a Lesson What Not to Do

One of the first mindset shifts you are going to need to do if you want to have a successful business is that it’s perfectly OK to take risks.

And, more importantly, IT IS OK to make mistakes.

“There are NO Mistakes – Only Lessons”

Making mistakes and failing to succeed with a certain task is the most important part of being an entrepreneur.

The majority of your learning will be a result of your mistakes.

The biggest mistakes – can lead to the biggest breakthroughs.

Not allowing yourself to make a mistake is actually the biggest mistake you can ever make as an entrepreneur. Why? Because it means you are not taking any risks.

You are not putting yourself out there and daring to try new things.

“Without the Risks – There Will Be NO Reward”

It’s Not Personal – It’s Business

I’m sure you’ve heard this phrase before, “it’s not personal, it’s business.”

If you’ve watched “The Godfather” or a similar type of movie, you will most likely have heard this phrase.

The whole point is to not take anything you encounter as negative or to heart – it’s nothing personal.

As an entrepreneur, there are going to be people jealous of your success that may want to fire out at you on social media or the like.

Don’t take it personally. Let your “drive to be successful” at your new found blogging business be the one thing that overrides the fear of putting yourself out there.

And – allow this to be the defining factor that allows you to separate your personal feelings from your business.

Here’s a hard truth:

As an entrepreneur and business owner, you don’t get the luxury of having feelings or getting emotional.

Yes, there may be a time when you break down from overwhelm, but the cold, hard fact is – you will just have to suck it up and keep a smile on your face no matter what happens.

Wondering Who has All the Answers? – AVOID THIS!

Do you know what the biggest killer is to a blog or a home-based business?

It’s Shiny Object Syndrome!

Shiny object syndrome can be bad news – it can keep you from success (click on the link above now – the link will open a new tab for you to read it afterward).

For years, I fell for shiny object syndrome – unfortunately, shiny new things still tempt me.

It put me about 3 years behind. I continually purchased the next, latest, and greatest training. I spent the majority of my time reading, watching the videos instead of actually doing the work needed to move forward.

I do know one thing that is a fact – the next biggest trend, or the latest training to create a successful business, etc., is a GIANT distraction that will keep you from continuing on your journey towards your goals.

Yes, there are 9 different ways to skin a cat, as it’s said, but sticking with the basics will move you toward a successful blogging business.

You’re stepping into the unknown, and what may have worked for others may not work for the type of business you’re going after, so stick to the basics to get you to success.

Then, once you’re a raging success and your business is on autopilot, buy into every shiny object that is offered if you choose.

For now, keep in mind that you will be trying something new, then something different, then something else after that. You will be testing and retesting different avenues to reach your success.

Why – because that is what an entrepreneur does.

Get Started Now – AND, Why YOU Should

Every journey begins with taking that first step.

Even when you don’t have all the answers in front of you – you just have to start!

Don’t ever wait for the moment to be right – I think there’s a commercial that says something similar.

Why do I say this?

You can’t wait for the perfect moment to start because it will never be there.

You can’t wait until you feel like you know exactly what you are doing because it will never happen.

You just have to do it – take that first step to greatness.

Baby steps are all that is required – as confidence creeps in, so will the courage for the next great move.

How Much Time is Required to Get Your Business Going?

You need to be expected to work at least 10 hours a week on your home-based business.

If you can’t give your side hustle at least 10 hours a week, then you truly don’t have any business building a blogging business right now.

If you’re serious and you actually want to succeed in the time frame I mentioned in the beginning (6 to 18 months), it’s time to reprioritize a few things in your life and dedicate the 10 hours minimum it’s going to take.

Spending more than your minimum 10 hours a week on quality work will get you to the results much faster.

If you were to put in 20 hours a week – you guessed it, you will see results twice as fast compared to the 10-hour minimum.

Moving On…

There are 3 habits you MUST create that will help you to be successful with your business.

Master the following 3 habits – and the sky is the limit!

3 Common Traits of Successful 6-Figure Bloggers

HABIT #1 – Acting with a Purpose

Have you ever wondered how the world’s top businesses, Fortune 500 companies like Walmart, Apple, and Amazon, are successful?

These companies have a mission in mind, along with a strategic plan to get there.

Each layer of management has a certain task and responsibility to further the company’s mission.

Any new project or action must fit the organization’s overall vision that they have put in place.

It’s important to come up with goals that will play to your strengths.

Once you have your goal in mind for where you’d like your business to go, then it’s time to implement a strategy to move you toward your end goal.

HABIT #2 – Create a Strategy to Reach Success

You can create the most amazing strategy of all time and still fail!

You can take online course after online course, mapping out your own path to success, but fail to meet your end goal.

For many – juggling family or dealing with hectic, everyday life will get in the way of success. This is when many people will throw in the towel and give up.

What’s the difference with those that have broken down the barriers and gone the distance?

Are you listening???

Successful people NEVER GIVE UP!

You heard me right! In the face of obstacles – successful people keep going!

Successful business owners Do Not rely on willpower alone to succeed.

Successful people create systems so that their tasks and goals are always met.

These tasks include daily routines and rituals, including planning sessions, batching-related tasks, and more.

More about this below – keep reading!

HABIT #3 – You MUST Believe in Yourself

“Successful people accept responsibility for their results and believe in their power to achieve the desired outcome, no matter what happens”

1. – “Successful people accepting responsibility for their results” means that you must adopt a ‘No Excuses‘ mindset.

If something unexpected happens, which it will – you’ll have to decide how you’re going to respond.

You can take the majority of people’s responses and blame outside sources, or you can take responsibility head-on and make some changes.

The most successful people know where they stand – they alone are responsible for their results, no one else.

2. – Blogging success (success as an entrepreneur) means to “believe in your power to achieve the desired outcome.”

We all carry a certain set of beliefs and fears. What we do with those beliefs and fears is what will establish our successes or failures.

Some of our beliefs will hold us back – but not allowing negative thoughts and recurring events to limit your success is key.

Instead – you MUST believe in yourself and the mission you’ve put in front of you to reach your blogging success.

3. – No matter what happens – you must learn to “Do It Scared” ~ Ruth Soukup.

To find success with your business – you must face your fears Head-On – and keep moving forward, no matter what happens.

Even when you are faced with what seems to be a setback that you can never recover from…

There are ways to strengthen your belief system – YOU CAN:

• Practice Gratitude – some of the most successful people make gratitude a daily habit. They may share the things on a daily basis that they are thankful for. Gratitude is a way of spending time enjoying the things you have and less time worrying about the things you don’t.
• Create a Vision Board – many people swear by them, including me. A vision board is a way to visualize how your life can be better once you achieve your goals. The idea is to place images on a corkboard (or similar) that reflect what it will be like once you achieve your dreams.
• Say Affirmations – affirmations can be right up there with practicing gratitude. The only difference is that you have a mantra that you repeat to empower yourself to be better. It can be as simple as: “I am so grateful to help people reach their full potential – to the point they can work out of their home.”
• Meditate – meditation is another powerful tool. I have to admit I have done it before and need to do it more often, but meditating can help you overcome fears, deal with stressful situations, and help you stay focused.
• Surround Yourself with Positivity – Surrounding yourself with successful people – is a powerful one. People that believe in you and your goals will lift you up. Surrounding yourself with negative people will bring you down. Avoid toxic people at all costs, and surround yourself with people that support your efforts.

Having a system in place can help you take action no matter what roadblocks fall into your path.

These systems could include:

• Daily or weekly routines
• Learning a new skill
• Measuring your business progress
• Outsourcing where you need help
• & Accountability systems

Habits are important – it will be a difficult journey to reach your blog’s potential (a successful online business) unless you practice, practice, practice.

Systems Used by Successful Bloggers and Entrepreneurs

Accountability Systems

If you are already blogging full-time, then you know the freedom that you enjoy to work when, where, and how you want.

The unfortunate part about being a blogger is that you have one big disadvantage over the standard corporate type of business.

• You don’t have any accountability from superiors – as in, no boss telling you what to do
• No time clock to punch or reporting structure to answer to
• No threat to lose your job if you don’t show up for work

As a blogger, there are countless temptations in your path:

• Binge-watching a Netflix program
• Meeting a friend for coffee
• Waking up whenever you feel like it
• Surfing Facebook or Instagram for hours, etc.

There are endless reasons to avoid actually sitting behind a computer and getting the work done.

This is where an Accountability System will help.

Below, you will find a variety of ways to keep you on the straight and narrow – your path to blogging success.

Find an Accountability Partner

I’m sure you’ve heard of an accountability partner before. This is someone with similar goals to you.

Having an accountability partner can be someone with that you bounce ideas off and face challenges together.

This is someone you can meet with regularly to brainstorm and report on your progress.

Joining a Mastermind Group

Similar to an accountability partner, a mastermind group is a group of people who meet virtually, or in-person to help each other with their goals.

The advantages of a mastermind group add to accountability. Their main function is to give and receive input/support from their peers.

The concept – 2 minds are greater than 1. Or, in this case, 2 to maybe even 12 minds.

To find a mastermind group, you can do a Google search or visit Facebook and type [Your Topic] mastermind groups into the search bar (minus the brackets, of course).

Share Your Goal with Others

Are you the type of person that – your word is your bond?

Well – maybe we don’t need to go that far, but are you the type of person that doesn’t like to let people down?

If this is you – Share YOUR Goal!

NOTE: If you are more of a private person – not one of those that like to share what you had for breakfast on Facebook or Instagram – then consider telling a close friend or family member about your goals.

Execution Systems

Below, you will find some systems that will help you execute important tasks so that they will always get done.

Now, even though many of these tasks will be on autopilot, there is work involved.

Creating a Content Calendar to Help YOU Stay On Track

Creating a content calendar can help you stay organized and keep you on track for the posts that you plan to publish on your blog.

Having a plan for your content will improve your consistency and blog quality.

How far ahead you make a plan for your content will be up to you.

Personally, I plan one month at a time only – that is just my preference.

You will just need to figure out what works for you and your site.

To make a content calendar, you can use virtually anything you’d like. You can use an actual calendar, an app on your phone, an excel spreadsheet, etc.

I personally use a large weekly planner that shows not just the days with lines to write my daily To-Dos but a monthly calendar in which I write my post schedule for the month.

There are even plugins for WordPress. You can do a search for ‘Content Calendar’ in your WordPress dashboard under the Plugins tab > Add New.

Just find what method works for you.

You can also do it the old-fashioned way – find someone who has created one and follow their lead.

Before writing anything into your calendar, think ahead for a moment.

Will you be teaching something? Meaning, will any of your posts be part of a series of articles?

Ask Yourself:

• Are any of my posts related to an upcoming Holiday or event?
• Do any of my articles work in a series that needs to go in any special order?

If there is no specific order for your articles, then let’s start with a decision as to what day you’d like to publish blog articles within the next month.

For me, I always publish on Tuesday morning around 6am my time.

From my research, Tuesday seems to be the best day for me to publish articles with the best reader response. Choose a day and stick with it for a few months to see what results you get.

If you will be posting an article once a week on Tuesday, then assign a Headline for each of the dates you plan to publish.

Once every two weeks, do the same.

If you choose to publish articles twice a week, spread your articles out to where they’re fairly, evenly spread, like Tuesday and Thursday or maybe Tuesday and a Saturday, Wednesday and a Saturday, etc.

NOTE: One thing to keep in mind when considering your publishing schedule.

Be careful about choosing a Monday or Friday.

– Monday readership seems to be lower, in most cases, due to it being the first day of the work week, and they are busy playing catch up, answering emails, or dealing with issues from over the weekend.

– Friday readership is usually pretty low because it’s the day before the weekend, and many folks are counting down the minutes before they can leave their 9 to 5 and enjoy the weekend.

They are not as focused on a Monday or a Friday as much as the other days of the week to learn something new or do research.

Outsource Tasks to a Virtual Assistant (VA)

If you are at the point where you can afford to pay for someone’s help, consider outsourcing repetitive tasks to include things that you don’t enjoy as part of your business.

Not only will your tasks be done, you will also leave yourself some time for those activities that you enjoy doing.

Plan Your Time in Advance

Similar to a content calendar, there are many planning systems available to you.

If you’re the type of person that likes online Apps – one that I recommend keeping your life and business in order is Asana.com.

– Asana has a Free and paid version, the free one works perfectly fine. You can upgrade later if you choose.

Planning out your entire week is what many bloggers do, including me. For many business owners, Sunday seems to be the day when they can concentrate the best and figure out their important, upcoming tasks for the week.

Some bloggers will design their entire week in a daily planner, which will map out what tasks get done on which day.

If you decide to plan your whole week, it’s good to make a habit of checking your To-Do list every night before you head off to bed to see if there’s anything you need to add to the list for the following day.

When you plan your time in advance, you are more likely to get the most important stuff done and avoid wasting precious time.

Batching Related Tasks

Batching is a word used, which means to block out a designated amount of time, whether it be an hour, 1 day, or a couple of days, to do certain tasks.

Or, it could mean 1 hour each day to answer emails, create graphics for upcoming articles, etc.

Many bloggers will schedule a specific day or two, such as a Thursday or Friday, to write 4 or more articles.

This is a method that many bloggers use. They will spend 2 or 3 days writing articles, sometimes enough to get a month or two ahead, so they can work on other tasks and still always publish their articles on time.

Batching helps with maximizing your efforts and reducing distractions.

MORE Strategies to Ensure Your Blogging Success – 90 Days and Beyond

One Must-Do Daily Habit – You Must Write Every Day

Like any other habit, if you were to write 300 to 500 hundred words every day, it would become second nature – and you might actually start to enjoy writing if you don’t already.

There doesn’t have to be any specific topic, just write whatever comes to mind.

When you write, make sure to be yourself and inject your own personality within your content – this will help you find your writing voice.

You will be writing daily, not to publish, but to practice. Creating content every day may seem like a daunting task, but push through it, and it will become easier.

A little bit of sacrifice of your daily routine may be required.

Using me as an example – I’ve always been addicted to binge-watching whatever Netflix series caught my eye at the time.

What do I do to be more productive? I only watch TV during meal breaks, then back to producing results (of course, this is an example of my committed work hours.)

By practicing daily, you’ll begin writing naturally, allowing your own charismatic, authoritative, or magnetic persona to shine through for others to see.

It’s a good thing because your unique voice is what people will recognize and come back for more.

This is a new business, so discipline yourself. If you need to – wake up an hour earlier before work or crank out a few hundred words after dinner.

Just do it, write, and keep writing until this becomes less like work and more of an enjoyment.

You’ll want to form a habit where you’ll have the desire to sit down and put words on the screen. Writing is now a big part of your business, the more you write, the better you will get at it.

Article Publishing Time Frames – The Importance of Sticking to a Schedule

Publish 1 article weekly – if you can.

You may have heard this before, but if not, “It’s better to publish an article twice a month, every single month, than to post 2 articles each week for one month straight, then nothing for a couple of months.”

Consistency is key, so be realistic – if publishing one article a week is too much, be sure to follow your content strategy and do what you know is possible.

Just remember, because you are in the learning stage, your writing will not be perfect, nor does it need to be published right away.

Try not to be too critical of yourself, this is why writing daily is a good practice to make your writing natural – to find what works for you and stick with it.

If you are wanting to publish an article you already have, but something just doesn’t seem right with it, set it aside and come back to it later.

When you do, re-read it out loud, make any corrections needed, then hit publish or schedule your post to publish at a later time.

The cool thing about using WordPress for your blog is that you can always come back later, even after your post has been published, and make changes.

You can switch out images, edit wording, or literally anything you want to change. Then, preview your edited article, and hit the Update button, it’s that simple.

The key is to be consistent with whatever you do. If you were to publish 1 article per week, you would have roughly 12 articles in the next 90 days.

Having a dozen or so articles will surely get the attention of Google and other search engines.

This will begin Google’s work to see where your articles belong within the search engine results pages (SERPs), for your raving fans to find.

1 SIMPLE Must-Do for Your Email List

YOU MUST make it easy for your reader to subscribe to your email list

Creating an email list is probably one of the most powerful methods to keep your readers engaged and excited about your blog – and the work you are doing with it.

And – it’s also one of the greatest assets (passive income streams) for your blogging business. There are many people earning a good income with nothing but an email list.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gone to someone else’s blog to find it nearly impossible for me to find and subscribe to their list.

Or…

They don’t have an email list at all.

Because your readers are already fans of your work, they will be more likely to want to join your list.

Don’t make this mistake, make it easy for your readers to find and sign up for your email list.

The key is to attract targeted readers to your blog, then encourage them to join your email list.

If you truly want to build a successful and sustainable, passive income-producing business, then your email list is where it’s at.

IT IS – the MOST powerful weapon as a blogger.

If you haven’t already researched and invested in an email service provider (ESP), be sure to invest in one that will grow with you. ConvertKit (Affiliate Link) is a highly-recommended Email Service Provider for bloggers.

Put Your Marketing Strategy into Action

You may have created the “perfect” blog post, which reveals a breakthrough vaccine that can heal disease or offers a product that will help electrify the struggling economy, but it doesn’t really matter if no one knows your information exists.

When it comes to marketing, there is no perfect formula – you must find what works for you and your business.

Cyberspace is full of helpful marketing blogs, not all are worthy of your time, but most are.

Here are some of my choices which cover different marketing topics:

• Backlinko – Is great for learning Search Engine Optimization
• Neil Patel – Marketing Guru – covering content marketing, entrepreneurship, eCommerce, and more
• CopyBlogger – Content Marketing at its best – great for improving your writing skills
• aHrefs – SEO and Marketing: detailed tutorials, case studies, and opinion pieces
• CopyHackers – Write persuasive copy to get results for more leads and paid conversions
• Buffer – Social media marketing, digital marketing, case studies, and posts on news and trends
• Hubspot – Learning resources and industry trends for anyone working in marketing
• SocialMediaExaminer – There is no better authority on social media marketing
• OptinMonster – Great email marketing tips to get more opt-ins, clicks, and sales

These are just a few of the blogs I frequent and recommend for particular marketing and promoting your blog topics.

The idea is to read & consume other bloggers’ genius, which will expose you to creative ideas and challenge you to grow your own blog in ways you may not have imagined.

For more marketing advice, be sure to visit my in-depth article: Promote Your Blog with These 11 Proven Digital Marketing Strategies

NEVER Stop Educating Yourself – Wealthy Entrepreneurs Have This One Thing In Common – KEEP READING!

Commit yourself to learning as much as you can about business, marketing, and your craft.

Did you know that the wealthiest people READ? And they read a lot.

They will read materials related to their career or education to better themselves. Research shows that 88% of the wealthy will read for at least 30 minutes each day.

Steve Siebold, a broke college student, was plagued with a question for years. “How does someone become rich?” So, he decided to find the answer.

He set out on a mission to interview as many successful people as he could find.

To date, he’s interviewed over 1,000 of the wealthiest people in the world.

Guess what he found?

He discovered a common trait that almost every person he interviewed shared – they ALL read books, lots and lots of books.

• Mark Cuban – Reads more than three hours per day.
• Bill Gates – Reads about one book per week.
• Warren Buffet – Devotes five to six hours of his workday to reading.
• Oprah Winfrey – Loves reading so much that she chooses one book she has read each month for her Book Club members to read.
• Elon Musk – Credits learning how to build rockets to reading books.
• Tony Robbins – Spends at least 30 minutes a day reading.

Does reading really make that much of a difference?

Tom Corley spent five years studying the habits and attitudes of rich and poor people and here’s what he found.

• 88% of wealthy people read at least 30 minutes a day, but only 2% of poor people read at least 30 minutes a day.
• 86% of wealthy people love to read, and only 26% of poor people love to read.
• 85% of wealthy people read two or more educational books per month, compared to only 15% of poor people.
• 63% of wealthy people listen to audiobooks while commuting, compared to only 5% of poor people.

The Data is Irrefutable.

Self-made, wealthy entrepreneurs have dreams and work hard to succeed, so they continue to educate themselves.

The best thing you can do for your journey to wealth is to start reading as much as possible.

When you read and self-educate, you can make an immediate impact on your life.

One of the secrets of the truly wealthy and successful people in this world is the simplest of them all – pick up a book and spend a good amount of time reading!

Connecting with Influencers – Your Shortcut to Business Success

Reading books will help you learn more about business and the marketing of your craft.

But it’s time to add to your routine. Spend time reading other bloggers’ content and connecting with influencers.

If you are not familiar with schmoozing influencers, this is the act of building relationships with popular bloggers, podcasters, and social media experts, along with entrepreneurial gurus, within your own niche.

These influencers can assist you in helping your blog become more popular – if you get in their good graces, of course, they will help you get traffic to your blog.

As the old saying goes, “It’s not what you know – it’s who you know.”

I know, I know, you are probably one of those people that doesn’t like to feel like you are using others, but don’t look at schmoozing influencers as using them.

Getting to know these authoritative bloggers is a great way to learn – you will discover that most of the successful bloggers will love nothing better than to help you succeed.

It’s a Win-Win situation for them. And, in most cases, better for them.

Here’s how they look at it. If an authoritative blogger helps you succeed or has amazing content or training that guides you toward your goal, you’d be willing to tell a friend about him or her, right?

What better way to increase their following, increase their email opt-ins, and increase their bottom line, than for you to tell a friend.

If anything – they are getting more out of it than you are.

If you stalk them in a legal manner, of course, you will find out through their actions, what is working for their business, and what is not.

This will be a shortcut to your blogging success because others have tried and failed in many areas.

In fact, an entrepreneur, as a general statement, has failed more times than they have succeeded, and if there is something that you are wanting to do, and they aren’t doing it, the chances of it working are pretty slim.

How to Connect with Influencers

A good way to start is to build yourself a list of at least 20 blogging influencers within your niche, then start following their every move on social media, their blog, podcast, etc.

You will eventually want to narrow your list down to 3 or 4 influencers.

One method you can use to find them would be to do search queries such as “best [TOPIC] blogs.” For example – “best marketing blogs” or “top self-improvement blogs,” etc.

Another great tool to find influencers is Feedly.

Feedly is:

• Used by 15 million+ curious readers, busy professionals, and businesses alike. It’s a news aggregator application that will work with any device.
• An online App that compiles news feeds from a variety of online sources for the user to customize and share with others.
• An online source for bloggers where you can see their blog posts and read them all in one location.
• A way to research and find influential bloggers within your own niche, categorize them, read their articles, mark articles as read or unread, etc.
• Such an easy-to-use tool that you can search for an article within your niche, then follow their link to check out their site, along with any comments that are posted for that article.

To learn more about Feedly and what it has to offer, follow the link: Getting started with Feedly or use the link above to sign up for FREE.

Once you have a list of influencers, you’ll want to keep an eye on them in any legal way possible, learning their every move. Remember, the more you pay attention, the more you’ll learn.

At the very least, you should subscribe to their blog’s email list, download anything they have to offer, and follow their podcast if they have one, along with legally stalking them on their Facebook page, Twitter account or Pinterest, and any other social media sites they hang around on.

You should be supportive – frequently comment on their blog posts, on their social media accounts, videos they create, etc., which will eventually get you on their radar.

The key here is to be different, to have something interesting to say, to stand out in a respectful and professional manner – to make a real effort.

Popular bloggers are busy and bombarded with emails daily from people that provide no benefits and are also usually needy and pushy.

The key is to get on their radar by you showing them how you appreciate what they’re doing via commenting on their articles, videos, and podcasts.

Treat this like you would any other relationship that is important to you. Don’t ask too much, too soon. And don’t expect help or support if you haven’t given it first.

Over time, these influential bloggers and podcasters will notice you and be much more open to supporting you by sharing your content or, quite possibly, even linking to one or more of your articles.

Over the coming years, you’ll want to develop a relationship with each and every influencer on your list. The more you know about them, the easier it will be to make a connection and the smarter you’ll sound when you finally get a chance to speak to them.

So, set some time out of your day to dedicate to watching their activities. Pay special attention to the topics they cover, projects they are working on, other authorities they communicate with, and anything they share from their personal lives.

Watch them carefully because one day, you’ll be able to reach out to them as a friend.

Conclusion – One Baby Step at a Time

Starting a blog and turning it into a business, as you probably found out, is not a super-simple task, but the rewards will be amazing.

Just remember that building a blogging business is a long-term project which truly never ends. You have to play the long game with blogging – not the “right now” game.

You may be asking yourself – how the heck will I ever complete all the tasks mentioned in this article?

How am I supposed to create amazing content for my loyal fans, drive traffic to my blog, monetize my blog effectively, and create a solid business plan for my home-based, online business, all at one time?

I’m sure you already know the answer, but I’ll tell you anyways…

You Need To:

• Prioritize what you do to receive the highest ROI (Return on Investment)
• Reevaluate as you go and make tweaks as needed to improve your business
• Outsource tasks that you don’t enjoy or have the skills for
• Shift your focus when it’s required

In other words, one baby step at a time.

Considering the everyday hustle and bustle that goes on in one’s life, when you are barely able to find time to eat, let alone blog, the thought of actually getting ahead with your newly found business may seem impossible.

As Nike says, “Just Do It.”

As a mentor of mine, Ruth says:

“You will never regret the time you take to be purposeful about your blog and your business.

If you have to, get up half an hour earlier every morning and spend that time working only on your plans and your long-term goals.

Those thirty minutes a day, spread over the course of a year, will add up to a very big change.” ~ Ruth Soukup

Whenever I discover new blogging tips or resources, I will be sure to share them with you.

Until then, put your mind in the game and Never LOOK Back.