Today I’m heading to the annual Problogger conference.
Yes, my non-blogging friends, there is such a thing. This is the sixth conference for bloggers looking to create a business or an income around their blog.
I wasn’t at the first one in 2010 but I’ve attended ever since.
I remember following the first event roll out on Twitter and getting even more excited about this industry or profession that I’d accidentally fallen into.
Tomorrow about 700 delegates – mostly bloggers – will descend on the Gold Coast for two days of learning and networking.
Not all will have an established blog business. Many will be attending for the first time and looking for solid tips on how to build a business around their online platforms.
I often get asked if you could start a blog tomorrow and build a business from it.
I say yes you can.
BUT.
It’s not necessarily going to happen overnight. In fact it probably won’t but if it is something you’re super passionate about – super obsessed about – it will happen.
5 blogging for business tips
1. Find your niche. For some, the niche might find you but if you’re intentionally setting off to start a blog then choose a niche or topic that you’re so obsessed about and connected with that you never run out of ideas. In fact, get that niche right and you’ll have more ideas that you know what to do with.
2. Find your voice. Don’t be someone else. YOU are awesome. Connect via your blog and social media the same way you would if you were meeting your reader in real life for a coffee or glass of wine. Don’t worry if your voice is a bit scratchy to start with. The more your write, podcast or video, the more you’ll give your voice the practice it needs to develop.
3. Be consistent. Create a blogging or content schedule that you can realistically keep up with. Everyone has different time pressures. Create a consistency that works for you. If you can only publish once or twice a week, decide which days you’ll publish and stick to publishing them on the same time and day each week. This creates an expectation for your readers as your blog grows and that expectation creates a reader habit.
4. Be persistent. I hate to disappoint you but building a blog business takes a lot of work – a lot of work and effort that may not eventuate for years into a profitable business model. If you’ve chosen your niche well and you LOVE what you’re doing and creating then you will find being persistent an easier thing to be.
5. Create content that adds value, makes a difference, entertains or inspires. What you put on the internet doesn’t to be all of these things at once but it should be at least one or two. There is so much information out there for people to access and tap into. Quality wins out over quantity every time for building a blogging community.
Last week I shared these blogging for business tips with journalism students at QUT – it’s a lecture I’ve given annually since 2011.
So much has happened in those four years.
Australian bloggers have created solid businesses out of their blogs. I was interviewed for this story published in The Age yesterday about that very subject.
Australian fashion bloggers have been featured on their TV show, Fashion Bloggers TV.
Many bloggers have graced the cover – and pages – of inspirational magazine, Renegade Collective.
I’m also the first blogger to win a Telstra Business Award. I head to the nationals in Sydney next week, flying the blogging industry flag (if you’d like to send a message of support, you can do so here) and I hope more bloggers do enter submissions next year.
It’s an extensive process but having your business judged by independent successful business people is worth the considerable time and effort.
If someone had told me 28 years ago when I first started out as a journalist that I’d be writing on a computer and sharing my thoughts on a thing called the internet, I would have laughed so much the hairspray in my hair would have fallen out.
And there was a lot of it. It was the ’80s after all.
Do you blog? Thought about starting a blog? What do you most like about the blogs that you currently follow?
PS. If you are attending Problogger, and would like to share your outfits with me, please add the hashtag #everydaystyle and tag me @stylingyou on Instagram … I’ll be sharing a post featuring conference style tips and want to feature as many of those attending as possible.
Comments 24
Congrats Nikki on your business award. Great to see. You’re a beautiful role model for female entreprenuership – yay!
I wish I was there at this year’s pro blogger – but it’s a bit hard with a 3 yr old & a 1 yr old :/ next year is the plan and make it a bit of a family holiday.
I’m in the process of launching a new blog http://www.abeauthome.com.au it’s a home design blog, discussing ideas around design, styling, home organising & also building a business around the home. Things are changing in the business world, female entreprenuers are thriving, but we’re still figuring out how to balance our work/ passions around kids, our hubby and home life. I’m also hoping to launch a homewares shop early 2016 with 10% profits going to empower female entreprenuers in poverty areas.
I think these days you can make money from blogging, but the earlier you set out a plan; how you’re going to make money, the better. Otherwise you sorta feel like you’re doing all this work, no one is reading your blog and ya kinda lose enthusiasm.
Thanks Melinda xx
I definitely believe if you want to build it as a business that you start with that end result in mind. It won’t be an overnight thing but a clear intention and professionalism gets you on that path. Good luck – love your idea.
I definitely believe if you want to build it as a business that you start with that end result in mind. It won’t be an overnight thing but a clear intention and professionalism gets you on that path. Good luck – love your idea.
Congrats on your win – you totally deserve it! This post has come at a good time for me! I am about to launch my photography business and have been wondering if a blog would be a good platform for marketing and networking (as well as my website). I will keep an eye out for blogging conferences for the future. Have a great weekend!
Hi Petra,
A blog is a great way to launch your photography business. Using a blog ( WordPress in particular) gives you great SEO – that’s Google language for people to find you. I see a lot of photographers on just Instagram, but what you have to realise is -you own your WordPress site & it’s content – you have control. If Instagram decide to make changes – (which they will because Facebook own them ) you’re gonna be upset, you could lose a large chunk of visability overnight.
Also as a photographer don’t feel you have to write large long posts. Your strength and communication will come from your photography itself.
Good luck, email me if you need further help 🙂
Thanks Melinda! I’ll follow your blog! All the best with it.
I would have your blog as your website – not separate. You can have it custom-designed to look like a website but with all the SEO goodness of a blog.
Thanks Nikki – I will investigate that further.
I thought there were some thoughtful points in the article here and the Age article. As a reader, I do want a balance between “I love this and want to tell you about it” and “This is a sponsored post”. As a reader I keep looking for the authentic voice and I think that is what keeps me coming back here Nikki. It’s really important to me that you are “local” and “reachable” in what you present. Enjoy the conference
Thanks Karen … that is always my aim. Otherwise, I’m just another website without any connection.
Great tips! I blog but it is so much harder than it looks right? Well lots of work to it! My biggest problem is probably inconsistency I would love to blog more frequently and do when I can. But then life gets in the way. Ah well. I enjoy it, love the community and have learnt a lot through it so I press on!
Consistency isn’t just frequency Jess … it’s about posting consistently each week at the same time and on the same days – or once a week at the same time.
I’m a reader too and I’ve culled my blog subscriptions to 5, occasionally checking out others. It’s a bit like junk mail used to be in the letterbox. Everynow and then something catches your eye, the rest binned. I imagine blogging is hater work than it seems! You are top of my read list !
Thanks Angela I hope I do stay there!! I’ll work hard at that. x
I so love logging on and seeing your comment each day, thanks so much Kathryn. It means a lot!
Yep love the photo too. Thanks for the tips. I didn’t know there was a conference, might have to come along next year. Thank you for sharing.
It is such a great event, a good vibe and plenty of new people every year.
I’m with Lisa: I’m a reader, not a writer.
Besides that the things I’m interested in reading are really well covered internationally by the bloggers I’m already following. In fact, I regularly cull from my subscriptions if I either don’t bother reading posts or feel annoyed or bored by posts for any period of time.
Johanne, I’m so grateful to have you as one of my loyal, daily readers. Thanks so much for checking in each day.
Enjoy Problogger Nikki,no i wouldn’t ever start a blog I’m a reader not a writer! I am so happy that you’re the first blogger to have won a Telstra business award,because your blog is the only one I look forward to reading everyday and I appreciate all the hard work you put in.
Love the picture Nikki weren’t the 80s fun,have a great time catching up with your blogging friends Xx
I love that you read here every day Lisa – I’m so grateful for that. Thanks for your lovely message on the State awards night. It meant so much to me. x
You’re very welcome I hoped you see it Nikki Xx
Enjoy ProBlogger. I think I may need to avoid social media for a few days to avoid PBEvent-envy!
Good points. I suspect my lack of niche is still a bit problematic for me really getting ahead in blogging, but I keep plugging away nonetheless! 🙂
Deborah your niche is your expertise – books! No-one covers new-releases like you do. I may be biased though 😉