Blogging Tip #1: How to grow the blog you just created!

Hey ConvenienceBigs,

A few days ago, I sent you a PDF on how to start your own blog. Did you get it up and running yet? If not, feel free to ask me any questions. I'm happy to help get you started!

I've learned a lot about running a successful blog over the last decade and I'm want to share what I've learned with you.

Today, I'm going to start off with five tips that can give you an edge over everyone else. If you start doing these five things, you'll be half-way towards success:

1. Read!

I am always shocked at how few travel bloggers read business books. Running a blog is like running a business, and if you don't go to "school" and constantly learn, you're going to fall behind. Every successful person I know is a voracious reader.

Why reinvent the wheel?

Learn from the masters.

Read what experts have to say, learn what works, and apply their tips to your blog. Read marketing books. Read strategy books. Read management books. Read history books. Read biographies. Even if you only get one idea from a book, that book was worth it.

Here are some of my must-reads to start you off:

• Influence, by Robert B. Cialdini
• The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, by Stephen R. Covey
• What Got You Here Won't Get You There, by Marshall Goldsmith
• The Psychology of Persuasion, by Kevin Hogan
• Start With Why, by Simon Sinek
• Ask, by Ryan Levesque
• On Writing, by Stephen King
• Lonely Planet's Guide to Travel Writing, by Don George
• Choose Yourself, by James Altucher
• Confessions of an Advertising Man, by David Ogilvy

Read on your commute. Listen to an audiobook. Read before bed or while the food is cooking. Just read. The more you learn, the quicker you'll grow. All these books have been instrumental to my success.

2. Think different

Whatever you are going to write about, try to present that subject in a way that hasn't been done before. If everyone is sharing sponsored content, don't. If everyone is writing text, make a video. If everyone is serious, be funny. If everyone has complex designs, go simple. If everyone is doing one-off blog posts, create a story through a series of posts that keeps people coming back for more. Combine interests. Write poems.

Always innovate. Do something different and unique. Don't just create another travel blog hoping to "inspire people to travel." You won't stand out that way.

3. Invest in your blog — and yourself!

For a long time, I viewed everything as an expense that had no return. "A designer would be nice, but I can't afford one. I'll just create a crappier design myself."

But I soon realized that money spent wisely is an investment that pays for itself. Now I pay for designers, SEO auditors, conferences, video and audio editors, copy editors, books, courses, and much more, so I can improve the reader experience on this website, develop products, work on other projects, and free up time to write. All of which makes me more money, which allows me to pay for those people in the first place.

It's easy to say, "Oh, that conference is too much. I don't want to spend that much." But if that conference results in one strong business connection that leads to new sales or a guest-posting opportunity, then the conference was worth it.

Even when you are just starting out, spending a little bit of money can go a long way.

I didn't start out hiring lots of people. I hired one person, then another, then another. Even if you spend $100 on snazzier banners, that can go a long way to improving your readers' experience, which gets people coming back to your site and clicking on ads or buying more products, thus making you more money.

Plus, when people see you investing in your website, they are going to want to invest in you too. Why? Because they'll see that you care. When they think you care, they'll care too.

4. Be niche

Back when I started blogging in 2008, it was easy to maintain a general budget travel website. There were only a handful of bloggers. You could cover a wide range of travel topics and face little competition. Now, there are too many long-established blogs and websites to do that.

I recommend being as narrow and focused in your topic(s) as possible. Whether it's RV travel, gluten-free travel, Turkey, Thailand, NYC, or your own small town, the power of search lets everyone define their niche and still be able to reach millions of potential readers. In fact, being niche now is better than trying to be a more general resource site like mine.

Don't try to be everything to everyone. Go narrow and go deep.

5. Take the long view

Rome wasn't built in a day — and your blog won't build itself overnight either. Maintain realistic expectations about your blog. Don't expect anything but hard work for the first year. Don't rush. Build something that will last. The light is always at the end of the tunnel, but too many people give up right before the end. Keep going. You'll make it! Trust me. Take the long view. Be here for the long term. If you play the long game, you'll find success.

***

These are the five basic things you should do to grow your blog. These tips will get you in the right mindset and help you think strategically. Nothing else will matter if you don't do these five things.

And, before I go, I want you to reply to this email and tell me what your number #1 pain point is. What do you feel you're struggling with? I want to know...and I want to help!

Let me know.

Talk soon!

Best,

Nomadic Matt

Quick Note #1 - If you're looking for more tips on how to stand out in the blogging world, I've created an in-depth blogging course to help you start your blog, make money, crush it in Google, and get heard above the noise! This course will teach you everything you need to know to succeed in blogging! It has all my tips and tricks! (Use the code 10off to get 10% off as a thank you for signing up for this newsletter!)

Quick Note #2 - If you haven't started a blog yet, here is free PDF on how to start your blog in 20 minutes. Just click here to download it! If you have any trouble setting up your website, let me know. I'm here to help. Really.

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