I’ve been getting asked a lot recently for tips on how to start a blog and how to market and brand it successfully. My Answer… a Lot of work, but it can be done. And if you have some good tips, you can grow your brand quickly and more successfully without having to work quite so hard.
In the last year, I have actually been able to support myself solely from my blogging income as well as my Image Consulting business (still most of my Income coming directly from my blog). I started blogging from scratch with no idea what to do. I just started doing it for fun. It wasn’t until a year or two later I really started gaining valuable information for how to successfully market my blog and start earning money.
These are some of my tried and true tips that have helped me reach a professional blogger status (and a full-time income!) and information I wish I would’ve known when I was first starting blogging 6 years ago!
How to Brand & Market Your Blog to Earn a Full-Time Income:
- Develop a Good Email Subscriber List- Ask any blogger and they will tell you how important developing a good email subscriber list is. This of course, is because it keeps you on your reader’s radar! One of my best tips for getting email followers is by offering something of value for your readers when they subscribe. Tip: Many bloggers create e-books of their most popular posts and give this away upon sign up.
- Develop a Large Social Media Following – This is a no-brainer. – It’s Free advertising for your blog! Twitter, Pintrest, and Instagram are my most responsive social media outlets. Tip: Join blogger giveaways or create your own, and require entrants to follow your social media in order to enter. This is a great way to start developing your follower count!
- Advertise Every Blog post on Your Social Media– Again, free advertising and getting your blog posts out there to the masses!
- Network with other bloggers (especially in your niche!) – Join in on their giveaways, comment on their posts, join blogger facebook groups, attend blogger conferences. The possibilities are endless when it comes to how much this can help you build your business and brand!
- Join Groups and Sites that connect bloggers with brands and Check them Often – This is one of the best ways I find paid opportunities to earn some money blogging. It also helps you create lasting relationships with brands too! Some of my favorite sites for this are Tomoson.com, BrandBacker.com, BloggersRequired.com, Acorn Influence, and Swayyem.
- Offer Frequent Giveaways on your blog– People loveeee FREE and this is a great way to gain exposure to your blog as well as develop your social media and email subscriber following!
- Post your Blog posts to sites for bloggers to Gain exposure – Being a fashion blogger, Lookbook.nu is one of my favorite sites for posting outfits. It’s a great way to connect with other fashion lovers and get my brand out there to a very targeted audience. Find sites similar to this in your niche and get posting! It’s a great way to build your brand, connect with other bloggers, and find brands to work with too!
- Submit your blog posts to Huffington Post – Instant exposure and lots of followers to be gained from this! I’ve heard of many bloggers posts’ going viral once it’s been posted on Huffington Post too. Tip: Be sure to link your twitter account and website to your blog post so Huffington Post readers can find and follow you! Mogul is also another great site to post blog posts too in order to gain exposure, and so is Linkedin Pulse, Tumblr, Reddit, and Stumble Upon.
- Build Relationships with Brands – Keep in Touch with them and don’t be afraid to let them know of future projects you will be doing and ask them to get on board and sponsor your post!
- Guest Blogging for Brands and Bigger Blogs – This is a great way to expose your brand to a bigger audience in your niche!
- Keep Learning! – Follow blogs who talk about blogging specifically, listen to podcasts, read books on blogging, attend blogger events. Keep leaning and you will find more and more ways to successful market and build your brand!
Hopefully, some or all of these tips work for you like they have for me, and that you too will be earning a full-time living from doing what you love most!
What tips have helped you in your blogging career? Let me know in the comments, I love hearing from you!
Looking for a great site to host your blog? I love BlueHost and right now you can sign up with them and get your own blog for just $3.95 a month!
Interested in getting some help in marketing your brand? Check out act-on.com for more information! Be sure to check out their awesome new Ebook that will be coming out later this month!
Happy Blogging!