Blogging is not a quick-fix marketing strategy; it can take months or even years to see a financial return on your investment.
I’m sorry if this is bad news, but it’s important to be realistic from the start, or when you feel like quitting.
Though there is no one right answer for how often to blog, consistency is a key to blogging success. That’s why the best blogging schedule is the one you can stick with.
If you’ve been on a blogging schedule but you’ve fallen off, or you’re having trouble picking up any initial momentum, try these three steps:
Step One: Integrate
If your blogging plan is out of alignment in any of these key elements, blogging will always be an uphill battle for you.
- Personal – Are any of your blogging topics or individual posts contrary to your personal beliefs, or beliefs that were instilled in your younger years? Inner conflict may be sabotaging your blogging productivity.
- Internal – Does blogging fit into what you want to do in your business and what you want to be known for as an expert? Do you feel passionate about your blogging?
- External – Do your blog post topics address the issues your ideal clients are grappling with? Are you writing for your reader or satisfying your own curiosities?
Step Two: Evaluate
It’s important to regularly step back and have a look at your blogging results. Consider these three areas:
- Responses – Look beyond your blog’s comment section because some people prefer to comment via social media, or not at all. But they may respond in other ways, such as the “Like” button – an instant endorsement to their network that your content is worth a second look. People may also respond privately by email (especially if you send them your newest posts), or when you see them at an event.
- Reshares – If you’re writing valuable content that’s relevant to your target audience, they’ll want to pass it on to their friends and followers. Everybody wins – they gain esteem with their audience for finding your hidden gem, your new readers gain the benefits of your wisdom, and you start new relationships with people you may be able to help.
- Results – Blogging is not a quick-fix marketing strategy; it can take months or even years to see a financial return on your investment. I’ve had clients who read my newsletter for more than a year before hiring me. Find ways to measure other important results such as brand awareness and brand loyalty.
Step Three: Celebrate
All work and no play makes for a quick path to burnout. Celebrate all the milestones on the road to building your wellness business by blogging.
- Blog posts churned (out) – How do you build a library of 600+ posts like I’ve done here at Content Mastery Guide? One post at a time! So while you keep one eye on your blogging plan and what posts are ahead, keep the other on what you’ve already accomplished.
- Lessons learned – Like any other skill, content mastery comes with practice. And while none of us likes to make mistakes, it’s still one of the best ways to learn. The bigger (or more public) the mistake, the quicker you integrate it into your process so you don’t repeat it the next time. So celebrate the biggest mistakes because those are the ones that are pushing you to be a better blogger.
- Money earned – Even if you can’t tie it back to a specific blog post, when you sign up a new client or sell a program, celebrate that you’re advancing your business. Sometimes the simple act of following through on your commitment to blog regularly is just the sign the universe needs to send good things your way. Plus blogging gives you confidence in your own expertise – confidence that is very attractive to prospective clients.
Once you’ve tallied your wins in one, two or all three of these categories (you’ll always have lessons!!), pause, take a deep breath, give thanks, and congratulate yourself. Then go one step further and plan a fun reward.
Long-term blogging success requires time and effort, but it will be a lot easier if you take these steps to spark your motivation and keep it lit.
P.S. Want more ideas about how to write high-quality content that has more impact, attracts more ideal clients, and makes you more money? Register for my FREE webinar, Write Less, Earn More With Blog Posts That Are Easy to Write and Irresistible to the Perfect Clients For Your Health and Wellness Business.