The Four Fundamentals of a Successful Business Blog

If you landed on this post, you are probably deep in the trenches and trying to figure this blog thing out.  Maybe you have already started a blog? Maybe you have just started considering it? Either way, you still aren’t clear on how to figure out the essentials. Don’t worry! I was right there with you, and it took me months of deep research to finally break all the details down in to the basic fundamentals that great profitable business blogs were made of.  In this post, I want to share with you the four basic fundamentals of a profitable blog and what to do to supercharge your blog or get it off on the right foot.

1. The Blog

In order to have a profitable blog, you need to start one!  That sounds a little obvious, but let me explain.  Of course you need to get the blog launched and if you need help, check out this free master class or read this post.  If you are looking for an awesome deal on web hosting, check out Bluehost.  Beyond the basics of having a blog online, there are a few really important things that need to happen.

• Show up consistently!  It is better to create one quality blog post a week and continue with that pattern, than it is to post sporadically or post often but the content is not really giving your audience the value they need to stay engaged.
• Don’t forget to optimize your posts, and do some keyword research before you write your blog posts.
• Include links to other relevant posts to keep visitors on your website and give your SEO an organic boost.
• Create a consistent brand image.  When I look back at some of my initial posts and graphics, it is a little embarrassing!  Try to use consistent color schemes and fonts.  This way, your audience recognizes your brand and you stand out.
• It is best if your blog posts are at least 1000 words.
• Don’t forget an opt-in or a link to a freebie (lead magnet) with every blog post.  This is what draws readers in and builds your email list.
• Focus on serving your audience and providing them solutions to their pain points or problems.
• Every blog post should have a clear take away that is helpful for your readers.

2. Traffic

Now that you have a blog and some awesome content, you need people to see it.  If no one visits your website, then all that hard work and knowledge just floats in cyberspace and that isn’t helpful.  There are both paid and organic ways to get traffic to your website.  Here are a few ways to increase traffic to your website/blog:

• Design graphics that draw in your audience.  Use Canva, it is a free tool that is easy to learn and use.  Catchy headlines and a put together brand image is essential.  I use CoSchedule to optimize my blog post headlines.  I also pay a small fee for Canva for work.  This allows me to create a brand kit that keeps my colors and fonts consistent.
• Make sure to optimize your website and each of your posts for SEO.  If you don’t do this, your site will be much farther down in the search results and the likelihood of being found organically dramatically decreases.
• Use Pinterest!  I can’t stress this enough.  It is much easier to rank in the search results than Google.  You can also use amazing tools like Tailwind to schedule all your pins and track your analytics/stats.
• If you can find someone with a similar audience work together on a webinar (joint venture) or share a freebie for the other party (link sharing) with your audience.  This is a fast way to boost traffic and get more quality leads on your email list.
• You can also choose to run paid ads, though this should be a task that is carefully considered with a cost/benefit analysis on how much you will spend vs. what you believe the results of that spend will be (return on investment).

Don’t forget that you need an email list. Starting collecting emails from day number one.  No matter what, no algorithm or search engine can take away your email list.  It is a direct line to your ideal client.  When you post to social media only a very small percentage of your following actually see your posts.  When you send an email, the recipient always gets it in their inbox, no messy algorithms included!  Ideally, when a potential customer/client finds you online via a blog post, search engine, social media, you name it, they end up on your website and opt-in. The best way to get new subscribers on your list is through a freebie or lead magnet.  After every new sign-up, your freebie gets emailed directly to the subscriber.  If you need to sign up for an email marketing platform, I recommend either ConvertKit or Get Response.  Here are more tips on engaging your email subscribers:

• Create a welcome sequence!  This is a basic introduction to who you are, what you offer, and why you are qualified to help them.
• Be yourself!  Sprinkle in little bits about who you are and tell a story or two.  Subscribers want to know and like you and this increases trust and the likelihood that they will purchase a product or service from you in the future.
• Be consistent, don’t sporadically send emails.  Tell your subscribers what they are opting into and how frequently you will contact them and then do it!
• Don’t be spammy and don’t send low quality stuff just to churn out more emails.  Be thoughtful and ask yourself what you are trying to accomplish in each email.
• Only pitch a product or service after you have offered them value.  Doing this makes you seem salesy and that know, like, trust factor decreases.  Always give something before you ask/invite them to purchase a product or service from you.
• I also recommend avoiding anything that can be interpreted as bait and switch.  No one likes or appreciates that!

4. Monetization

In order to make your blog a business, you need to monetize.  There are several ways to do this.  Here are some suggestions:

• Ads (Google Adsense and similar) these ads are placed on your website and an ad company places targeted ads on your website.  If the visitor clicks through and/or makes a purchase you will get a commission.  Each ad company has a different payment structure, some paying for clicks others for conversions.  Sometimes, you need to have a certain amount of traffic or page views before an ad company will work with you.
• Affiliate Marketing is a great way to start making money with your blog.  You write about or recommend products or services you love and if your readers make purchases using your links you get a commission.  This is easy to do and anyone can do it, even newbies!
• Selling your services if you provide value through coaching, social media management, web design, etc.  Those are only a few ideas, but you get the point.
• Sponsored Posts or partnerships where you seek out collaborations with other brands and are paid to promote their products or write a review on a product or service for another brand and share it with your readers.
• Selling digital products/services or courses which can include ebooks, online courses, membership sites, group masterminds, etc.  It is more typical for bloggers to start with easier and less intensive monetization options and then scale up to digital products as they gain authority and experience in their niche.

That sums up on a basic level the four fundamentals of a profitable blog.  Of course there are many nuances and details involved in each of these categories.  If you are serious about getting started and need some training, check out The Business Lounge.  It is my absolute favorite platform for on-demand learning as it relates to running an online business.  Hopefully, this post outlined the basics in simple language, so you can remind yourself that building a profitable blog, though it is not easy, really boils down to some simple fundamentals!