We all want our blogs to grow. I do, you do, we all do. But as many are now finding, it’s getting more and more difficult to experience growth quickly, especially in industries that are more saturated with many great bloggers and tons of excellent content.
Notwithstanding, every year bloggers come from nowhere and explode onto the scene, finding a way to build a large audience quickly and become a leading voice of authority and trust within their field.
So how does it happen? How can a newbie blogger increase their ascension to the top of their chosen industry? This article will demonstrate qualities of successful bloggers and how they have found a way to stand out from their peers in a very short period of time.
1. Be Relentless in Getting Stuff Done
I put this one first because often times when we read about ‘shortcuts to success’, we forget the most important principle of all- hard work. And when I look at bloggers that have shown a propensity to push with an unrelenting enthusiasm to get things done, one name really stands out to me — Danny Iny.
For those of you unfamiliar with Danny, he started his blog Firepole Marketing at the beginning of 2011 and managed to not only build a name for himself, but also produce one of the Year’s best works (IMO) with his excellent book, Engagement From Scratch, a must read for any blogger.
What was so impressive about Danny was the sheer amount of ‘stuff’ he did during the year to get going. Not only did he produce 2-3 great articles each week on his own blog, but he also managed to land more guest posts in one year than anyone I’ve ever seen… by a landslide.
Moreover, Danny also commenced a marketing training program, published his book, and found the time to get married in the process. Seriously, I thought I was pretty motivated until I saw everything Danny was able to accomplish in 2011, but he certainly opened my eyes to the possibilities if we put in the time and truly ‘will’ success into our lives.
2. Think Wayyyyy Outside the [Opt-in] Box
Whenever there is content saturation in an industry, one major key to standing out is the ability to think completely outside the box and offer fresh perspective on principles most folks have never considered. One person that comes to mind immediately when I consider this is Derek Halpern of Social Triggers. Derek was the first person (that I’m aware of) that put an opt-in box on his home page, something that many bloggers big and small have done since learning about this feature. (I added it recently myself and it works extremely well.)
Although Derek doesn’t write a prolific amount of content, the stuff he does write is always extremely thoughtful and often times questions status-quo best practices, a quality that has helped him build an email list of over 10,000 names in less than one year. He also started a podcast on iTunes which debuted at #2 in Business – Social Triggers Insider: Marketing, Psychology, and Business.
3. Know Your Shtick and Go After It Aggressively
I’ve talked about ‘knowing your shtick‘ quite a bit on my blog but the phrase refers to one’s ability to know their core strengths and passions, and then actively pursue this direction without distraction.
A perfect example of this is Amy Porterfield, who, in less than one year, has become known as one of the premier experts on using Facebook for marketing and business.
Instead of trying to be all things to all people, Amy has focused her efforts in one area, and boy have the dividends paid off. In fact, Amy recently launched arguably the most thorough online training course for Facebook marketing ever produced—Facebook Influence.
4. Learn to Post Powerful and Effective Blog Titles
I honestly feel one of the biggest problems in the blogosphere, especially for newer bloggers, is that they simply don’t understand how to write blog post titles that arouse reader interest and lead to a high click-through rate.
Although this may sound self-aggrandizing, I’m going to list a few examples from my marketing blog to show you exactly what I’m talking about:
- Chris Brogan Unfollowed Me on Twitter and Now I Hate My Life
- Eventually, Mr. Blogger, You Actually Have to Do Something
- 10,862 Comments Later, I Realize Blog Comments Are NOT a Business Model
- 7 Reasons Why Having a Twitter Feed in Your Sidebar is a Really Dumb Idea
5. Think Like a Teacher
If you’re a great teacher, and you find a way to speak to your audience in a way they can understand, it’s a good chance you’ll find success as a blogger.
A perfect example of this is Pat Flynn from Smart Passive Income. Anyone that has ever read Pat’s blog will always describe it with this word—Helpful. In fact, it’s not just helpful, it’s extremely helpful.
Pat has a magical way of putting himself in the shoes of an inexperienced or beginning blogger, and then showing techniques, practices, etc. in such a way that anyone can understand. If you read Pat’s blog, there is a good chance you’ll leave every post with something new and applicable you can apply to your blog and business—the truest sign of a great teacher.
Your Turn
Although all of these qualities will surely help you to build your blog and brand more quickly in 2012, there are many more worth mentioning, and I’d be curious to know what other qualities you’d add to this list. Also, if you’ve noticed other bloggers demonstrating these qualities, don’t hesitate to mention them as well. As always, your thoughts, comments, and shares are very much appreciated.
