Well this week’s mentoring has been about getting free traffic to our blogs. The whole purpose of getting traffic is to get people to sign up to your lists so you can make money working online. There have been 5 Webinars over 5 consecutive evenings packed with the most amazing stuff ever. Talk about information overload. So much to do, I hardly know where to start. There are many many ways of driving traffic to your blog but as I go oil rig hopping around other student’s blogs it’s clear that if you are blogging for website traffic you have to brand yourself to be a successful blogger.
Picture by Mazda6
Some of the students are already standing out from the crowd with the way they write and are getting a lot of comments on their posts because of it. I feel deflated. Why can’t I write like that? My post seems so mundane by comparison. Will people be interested in what I have to say?
I start to wonder if I should develop an alter ego. A number of well known people have taken on another persona in the entertainments industry and have been a huge success. But it’s hard to be something you’re not. If you try to be funny and in real life you are not or if you try to be controversial when you are not it adds to the time and effort you put into writing blog posts.
Be yourself
No, I think it’s best to be yourself. It will only come across as false if you try to be someone you are not. I go and check out some successful bloggers blogs and convince myself that it is possible to be yourself when blogging for website traffic.
Of course, that doesn’t mean that you can’t get ideas from the way other bloggers write. You can learn from others all the time. In fact it’s a good idea to visit other prominent blogs to see what they are writing about. You can get ideas for blog posts if you run out of steam any time.
It’s all about branding
Some students are branding themselves already whether they know it or not. Branding separates you from the millions of other bloggers out there. It’s not all about the topic you are writing about but about the ability you have to promote yourself through your blogging.
Give great value
Some students are coming across as characters by telling amusing stories. Others are are being helpful by posting stuff that is going to help the other students. I think both can work as long as you can deliver value one way or another. When you deliver value people will come to respect you and take notice of your opinions and recommendations. Traffic will follow.
If you can post original content, write clearly and get your point over in an easy and understandable way you are almost there. Give first and receive second. You should not expect your readers to buy from you without giving them value first either as posts on your blog or as a free eBook, report or video. If they find the free product useful maybe they will also buy your
product.
There are many other aspects of blogging for website traffic but these points are the foundation of branding yourself. What are you doing to brand yourself?
Hey Sandy,
Great post! I hadn’t thought about branding oneself much before so I really liked your article. I agree that it is important to be yourself, and make sure to convey that part of your personality that is charming to other people. You have a very down to earth way of writing that I can really identify with, it feels like a conversation. Good job on that!
Peace,
Darren L Carter
p.s. I love the pictures you have found for your blog. Where did you find them?
Peace,
Darren L Carter
Hi Darren, I got one from iStock.com which is a credit system and one from flickr.com which are free if you get them from the creative commons section and link back to the owner.
Pictures liven up the blog I think don’t you?
Sandy
Hey Sandy, I want my brand to be honesty, because I am an honest person so I am trying to show that in my posts by always being truthful and never misleading, people respect that. You are certainly providing great value for free, so you have got that down to a tee already, Sally 🙂
Hey Sandy,
really timely blog post! Branding is something I just posted about yesterday and been thinking about so much over the past week.
Thank you for being so honest with us and sharing about how you got a bit deflated seeing other people’s blogs. Trust me, I think everyone feels the same way! But I take that as a good thing as it spurs you on to push yourself that extra mile.
Yes, I totally agree with you about needing to be yourself. I believe that is the best way forward and brings out the best in you so we can be congruent in all aspects of our lives, both professionally and personally.
Looking forward to seeing more of your “brand” Sandy!
Bailey
Hi Bailey, Is this a case of great minds think alike? Thanks for the words of encouragement. I have just commented on your great post too.
Hi Sandy.
I can certainly identify with you.
When I oil rig hop to all our fellow students
and see how engaging they are, I also wonder
what secret formula they tap into.
I got an eBook from Ted Nicholas,
“Billion $ Marketing Secrets”.
Before he writes,
He reads out loud a list of 20 affirmations
stating positive goals.
His last one is:
“I will write with honesty and feeling”.
If he succeeds by being himself,
that’s good enough for me!
Kind Regards.
Rod
That’s a great quote Rod. A good one to remember.
Hi Sandy
I am definately all for be your self. Surely thats what its all about. I look around the blogs and the ones I relate to are the ones that are honest and not pure upsell or whatever. I loved your post!! Keep your chin up and lets work together!
Nick
http://www.workfromhomeideas-nickstentiford.com
Good idea of your’s to use photos on your blog.
Just make sure they are not large files that take forever to upload! Some people still have slow service providers and pay for band width.
.-= Rod Saunders´s last blog ..Traffic Building For Your Business Blog Update =-.
Hi Sandy,
Your ideas on branding are spot on and being yourself is a must for people to trust you.
There are so many great blogs out there it is always good to see what others are writing about and then you can put your own spin on it when you are oil-rig hopping.
Great post and dont get discouraged people will want to follow you as long as you are giving good information and being honest.
Glyn
.-= Glyn Lafferty´s last blog ..How I Have Been Driving Traffic and Optimizing My Blog =-.
Sandy,
A business that follow it’s own advice (…that’s what you arrreee…)
Give great value.
Value that gets people coming back to your blog to see what more you have to offer.
Just like I have.
Reach new heights Sandy
Nathan
.-= Nathan Rufus´s last blog ..What’s The Bridge Between (Internet Marketing) Dreams And Reality? =-.
Hi there Sandy,
A really good post, as the old saying goes “honesty is the best policy” I think what can be done though is as time goes by we DO develop our style and start to feel comfortable with it and as long as we are natural and not trying to be someone we’re not and the content is good we will be interesting and helpful to others,
To everyone’s success
Pete
.-= Pete Burns´s last blog ..Determination, Passion, commitment and self improvement. =-.
Is true that the successful bloggers are those that can put a very personal touch on their websites. A bunch of articles means nothing for readers.