With click by click video tutorials + bonus trainings covering – narrowing your focus, making money fast & skyrocketing your traffic even if you have no social media following.
Welcome back to part 2 of the Profitable Blogger Series. After this installment, you’ll know exactly what to write on your new blog to keep readers coming back again and again. We’re covering the first 4 blog posts you should publish, the 5 types of posts readers love to share and how to never run out of blog post ideas again.
If you don’t have your blog set up with Siteground yet go back to week 1
In this 5-part series, you’ll learn step-by-step how to create a popular and profitable blog (without selling your soul), in your spare time that makes least $500 or more every month. Here’s what you can expect from the series:
- How to set up a profitable blog in under 10 minutes with full tech tutorials
- A foolproof plan for creating popular + wallet popin’ posts (without tacky ads) <<< You are here
- Your Blog + Your Newsletter List: A Love Story – How to set up your newsletter list the right way & what to do with it
- How to boost your traffic for free on autopilot
- How to start making money with affiliate marketing even if you’re just starting out
Coming up with blog post ideas on the regular…
Most bloggers fall into two camps when it comes to coming up with blog post ideas:
- Oh my god I have so many ideas I just can’t pick one! or
- Oh my god I have no clue what to write!
Which is why today we’re tackling…
The 4 blog posts you should launch your blog with
How often you should be creating new posts
The 5 types of blog posts that make you money and go viral
3 simple hacks for when you’re completely stumped about what to write and don’t want to copy others
This post is a beast ( over 4000+ words) so either: book mark it, pin it!
READY TO SMASH YOUR BLOGGING GOALS?
READY TO SMASH YOUR BLOGGING GOALS?
How many posts should you launch your blog with and what should they be?
Some gurus tell you to wait until you’ve written at least 10 1500+ word blog posts before taking your blog public –
I disagree.
You see, unless your last name is Kardashian or Jenner it’s fair to say, getting gobs of new readers landing on your site in the early days is slim.
Which is why it’s smarter to start with the 4 blog posts I laid out below then spend 30% of your time promoting those 4 posts, 65% of your time trying to land and write guest blog posts, and other the 5% writing new stuff for your site. (More on writing guest blog posts and promoting your stuff in week 4)
The first 4 blog posts you should write
1. “Why I’m so passionate about helping ___________________.”
2. “How I _____________________________.”
3. A review of a product/service you have a referral link for that relates to what you blog about.
4. An interview with a bigger blogger or Roundup post
Let’s break these down:
1. “Why I’m passionate about helping _________________”
99.99% of people hate writing about themselves or saying “this blog is going to be about X”. It’s awkward.
However, when you pour your heart out why you’re soooo passionate about helping, Inspiring and motivating those people that you’re called to serve – your perfect readers. And the unique troubles, challenges, and concerns they face, not only is it a breeze to write it’s unbelievably shareable.
Writing this post will also force you to pick a handful of topics 3-4 max you’ll cover on your blog. Yes, you could write about raising chickens, running marathons, decorating cakes, couponing, fashion, twitter and DIY craft projects. And sure all of those things could help stay-at-home mom life better – but you need to really focus 1-2 related areas you love to talk about. Otherwise, your blog comes off as random and flaky which are two key ingredients in reader repellent!
2. “I how ___________________” post.
Readers love a good “How I did it” posts. Not only does writing one set you up as a trusted authority in what you blog about. But it’s so much more compelling because it happened in real life! Think about which blog post would you click on,,.
- “How to save money on your food bill ” or “How I fed my family of 4 for only $150.00 last month”
- “How to lose 30 pounds” or “How I lost 30 pounds in two months without dieting”
- “7 packing tips for moving “or How I packed up my entire 2000 sq house by myself in just 72 hours when my husband got his PCS”
I know this style of post can drum up those evil voices…“Who am I to talk about this?” “That’s not that impressive” “I haven’t done anything wonderful.”
Average is awesome. Average is relatable. In this super shiny, plastic Instagram world it’s so tough finding people who are sharing small relatable victories. Think about it, if you had 100+ pounds to lose and you stumbled across “How I lost 135 lbs” vs “How I lost 10 pounds this summer.” Which seems more doable?
3. A Review Of A Product/Service with A Referral Link.
When’s the last time you brought something new anything without searching Amazon or Google for reviews? Exactly. This is why reviews are so popular (and profitable) when you have a referral or affiliate link.
An affiliate or referral link is a special link a company gives you to tell your friends (or in this case your readers) about their products then paid you a small fee (anywhere from .10 – $1000+) if a reader buys after clicking on your link within a certain period of time.
The key to these viral reviews are to…
Be honest – nothing is perfect so while you can gush about what you love about it also state some drawbacks.
It MUST relate to your blogging topics! While I might love Stitch fix ,since I talk about marketing and blogging it would make no sense for me to review on here. But if I invest in and love any tool or course related to blogging or marketing – I ALWAYS look for a referral link since I help other’s grow their business & blog. A couple of favorites are:
- Siteground for Webhosting
- Ivory Mix Stock Photos for Bloggers + Freelancers
- The Thrive Quiz Builder
- Tailwind For Scheduling Pins on Pinterest
- Countdown Monkey (It’s a countdown timer that will actually redirect to a new page when the timer hits zero…no fake timers here!)
But before you head over to your favorite tools and services website looking for an affiliate program go to ShareASale first.
ShareASale is an affiliate network. Which means they house a whole bunch of companies affiliate programs under one “roof”. Meaning it’s waaaay faster to hit the $50 minimum payout because you can have 2-15+ products/services all funneling into that one ShareASale account. And ShareASale has products in every niche. It’s kind of unreal.
While scrolling through ShareASale I actually found an affiliate program for the graphics program I use Picmonkey and my accounting software Freshbooks. And get this, the referral fee for Freshbooks‘ pays out more on ShareASale then ron their own website. Crazy right?
Some other affiliate networks and programs to check out are:
- Amazon Affiliates – lots of stuff low commission
- VigLink
- CJ Affiliate
- Ebates
But review posts are just one of the useful post you can make money with. (More on those in a minute)
4.Interview a Bigger Blogger You Love or Do A Round Up Post
This one is going to require you emailing people! Scandalous I know. But these are the quickest (free-est) ways to get traffic to your blog and make friends in your industry. Because the people you interview or include in your round-up post will most likely share it with their audience on social media. Which means lots of traffic for you.
First a Round Up Post – that’s where you ask a bunch of bloggers/ business owners your ideal readers would already be following to answer 1 simple question. Then you…
- Round up the answers
- Create a well formated post with all the answers linking back to the bloggers/business owners website
- When the post is live email everyone who contributed with a link to the article, pins and click to tweets for easy sharing.
You could do something like…
- 25 Yoga Teacher which app they can’t live without
- 15 Military wives their best tips for telling the kids you have to move…again
- 22 PRO BLOGGERS SHOW YOU HOW TO OVERCOME BLOGGER OVERWHELM – That’s one I was featured in it.
Bonus $$$ – If you do decide to go the “What app…?” “What product…” or “What Book…..?” you can always include Amazon Affiliate links or referral links to the products they suggest. (Be sure at the beginning of your post you include… “this post may contain affiliate links.”
Interview one of your blog crushes with a big following.
Even “big influencers” are still flattered when asked for interviews. If you ask for the interview nicely, showcase their blogs and are professional they’re may share the interview with their following.
Here are a couple of tips:
- Don’t have a generic theme like “How did you get started?” – Think of something your audience would be interested in reading that’s different. Are you amazed they can still blog even though they have 10 kids? Ask them about blogging productive hacks if you blog about blogging. Did they just have a really big win your readers would love to have too? Like lose 100 pounds, a 6-figure launch, getting on Oprah?
- Follow up. Did you reach out last week and heard crickets? As PR Christy Laventy said on the Inbox Bestiest Podcast…you must follow up. Be Polite. Remind them about your pitch and topic. Offer to do the interview via email or Zoom.us then transcribe the answers
- Send the final article before it gets published –These bloggers and influencers spent a lot of time building up their brand. Even if you think you shared their story in the best of light you still want to get final approval before hitting publish.
- Say thank you! If you really want to kick it up a notch send them a physical thank you note or even a small gift showing your appreciation for their time.
Bonus $$$ – Interview big time bloggers whose courses or products you’ve purchased and loved. Since many of them have an affiliate program, you can seamlessly earn extra money by asking them about the course/ebook in your interview. And provide your own two-cents about the product
5 More Popular + Profitable Blog Post Types
Okay so we already tackled the review post and weaving affiliate links to both round up posts & interviews – here’s 5 more profitable post people love to read, share and buy from.
1. Review + How I Did It
Say you want to help other college students save money you could have an article like “How I Earn $500 a Month with Ebates – My Honest Review.” (Sidenote, if you do any shopping online and you’re not a part of Ebates you’re really missing out.)
Here’s how you would lay out this detailed a casestudy of yourself:
- The exact steps did you do to earn $500 a month
- What features of Ebates made it wicky easy for you to accomplish that
- Show any screen shots of social media posts or other blog posts you wrote that helped you earn the money. Explain why you think they were so effective
- Did you do anything different like set up a business as a personal shopper for friends and family? Explain that too.
Don’t be nervous about giving away all your secrets. Most readers will sign up for this service but won’t actually, follow through on the steps that you laid out.
**Remember check out ShareASale & the company’s website to see which has the best affiliate program for that product/app/service.**
2. Comparisons / Why I Switched From…
This type of post can be super powerful both if you used both services but ultimately decided one or just laying out why you chose one thing over the other and if you’re happy with the decision. It can also generate double moo-lah if you have affiliate links for one or both services.
Get creative here. What two things would your perfect readers be comparing that falls in your blog’s wheel house?
One question I get all the time is where should I host my online course? So I’m releasing a Thinkific VS Teachable post for hosting your digital course. While both services have real high points, ultimately there’s one I recommend time and time again.
Did you upgrade your plan for a service, app or product? Explain why you choose to upgrade and break down the added features. Just be honest. If there’s something you don’t like about product say it!
You could do a pros and cons list of family vacations spots, hotels, stores, vitamin A vs Vitamin B, courses you’ve taken the list goes on and on.
3. Detailed “How To Post”
You can take this in two directions: The Straight Up Walk Through or Results/Benefits Based With The Help Of A Product
Walk Through:
For example, I could do a complete walkthrough of Trello. An awesome project management app for keeping your business, blog and life organized and running smoothly.
I could show you how to set up boards, create cards, checklists and how to get Trello to “talk” to your other apps. I could also go over the excellent bonus features you get when you upgrade to Trello Gold for $5 a month or how you can get it free if you refer friends.
Other examples:
- “How to start up a branded email for your blog using G-Suite”
- “How to use a curling wand” featuring your favorite brand and an Amazon affiliate link
- “How to build your own bookcase”
Photos and videos are key for getting this kind of blog post to take off like wild fire.
Results or Benefits Base Post:
While I could still go over the basics of Trello, I’d be focusing more on a benefits or strategies I use for/with Trello result my my readers also want.
So I could create a post How I shaved 75% off my time off my writing time but I’m making 50% more from my blog. Or How to have a five-figure launch and not go crazy.
I would highlight how I use Trello in that process. From keeping an organized list of ideas by my blogging bucketing (themes). How I keep templates, files, and checklists so I don’t miss a step in my blogging workflow. How I chat with my VA for faster editing time using the team chat.
The whole time showing screenshots for my work flow, including a video walkthrough and I could even sell my Trello board set-ups to make my reader’s life easier.
Heck, I could make it a 2 part series “1 Walkthrough + 1 Results Post for double the traffic and double the chances for commission
Other examples:
- How to triple your traffic from Pinterest – (Featuring Tailwind)
- How to save $1000 on your next trip to Europe
- How to wear yoga pants and still look like a million bucks
4. Gear Guides + Top Picks
This one is probably one the easiest to write and gets shared like woah especially on Pinterest. Because everyone loves buying stuff.
I debated putting it as one for your first 4 blog posts instead of the “Review” post. But I found the review posts tend to generate more income since you’re only talking about one thing.
Think about it, if I write an entire review of Russell Brunson Book’s Expert Secrets (Click here for a free copy). Sharing juicy tidbits, Ah-ha moments and “ewww – nos” you’re waaaay more likely to click on my link and get the book for free + shipping. Then if I created a “Top 7 Marketing Books Every Mom Blogger Must Read.” because you have 6 other options to check out and buy.
As a reader, you might get overwhelmed, because they don’t have the time or money to buy 7 books. So you end up getting none since you’re second guessing yourself.
That being said…didn’t you kind of wish The Top 7 Marketing Books Every Mom Blogger Must Read was a real link?
Why? Because you’re’s curious to see if your favorites made the cut. If you read some and if there’s some hidden jewel book that could make all the difference in you business but no one else ever talks about. Which makes it’s a super shareable post. (yay free traffic).
Some other examples of tops pick/gear guides are
- Family-Friendly Rugs (With Style!) by Alyssa Turner Cairns Founder of the Mama’s Designer Mastermind
- Top 5 Unique Gifts for coffee lovers
- When you’re feeling a little lost these books will help pick you up
5. Seasonal Sale or Promotion
This is one really great for my fashion & lifestyle bloggers. Heck, I even whipped up a quick post on the Top 5 Deals For Amazon Prime Day Every Serious Blogger + Online Business Owner should know about.
The sense of urgency (and commissions) for these posts are unreal. Because everyone wants a steal of a deal and when people know that price is going to be gone tomorrow they whip out those credit cards fast.
While these are good for a quick burst of income, they’re not evergreen (timeless) posts. So I wouldn’t spend too much time writing them. Maybe 1 per 6 months or once a season only.
Need even more ideas?
How Often Should You Write On Your Blog?
Just like the “How many posts should you have when you launch your blog ?” – “How often you should blog?” also drums up a mix bag of replies.
Let’s get one thing clear – don’t blog every day.
Not only with it clutter your blog with too many “meh” posts but it’s the quickest way to burn out. More importantly, it’s robs you of the most important activity you do need to be doing every day….Promoting YOUR Posts. Because what good it turning out new content if no one is on your blog reading it.
As Derek Halpern says “You should be spending 80% of your time marketing your content and 20% creating it.” Now my numbers were a little different since I want you spending most of your time creating content for other people’s blogs because they already have readers.
So how often should you update your blog then? Once a week + publish on the same day. Maybe, maybe add in a second post per week every once and while AFTER your traffic starts picking up a bit and you’ve done at least 8 guest blog posts. As it turns out Google, just like your readers will reward quality consistent content.
To make your life instantly easier:
- Do a monthly series – like this one all about launching a profitable blog
- Batch your posts – Imagine how much free time and brain space you’d have if you spend two days at the begin of every month creating all the content for the blog you’ll need. Then you could spend 28ish days out there promoting and doing collaborating with other bloggers.
- Have bucket & themes – Not one for planning? At least break your blog into 4-5 categories then assign a category for each week of the month ie the 1st week is recipes a 2nd week is affiliate tools post 3rd week etc.
3 Simple Hacks For When You Have No Clue What To Write About & You Don’t Want to Copy Anyone
Wowsters. We’ve covered alot so far. Besides the 4 posts you should launch with, the 5 wallet poppin’ posts and the slew of examples for each one, you still might be a little stumped as to what put in your weekly blogs or monthly series.
Don’t worry homeslice, I have 3 simple hacks that will provide you with an endless stream of blog post ideas people actually want to read without having to copy your idols or creep on the competition.
1.Keep an “idea parking lot” on your computer & phone
The worst thing can do is sit down to write a blog post and have no idea what you’re going to talking about. Download a free app that works on both your computer and phone like Trello, Airtable or Asana so when inspiration strikes You can jot down your ideas in one spot that you can always fine.
2.Search Facebook Groups for your topic or industry
Head on over to Facebook and hit the groups tab then search for group deciated to your topic. Join at least five active groups, where your ideal readers are already hanging out. Say you blog about dogs you could search Bulldogs, Dogs, Pet lovers etc.
But don’t go in there all guns blazing asking “Hey. What’s the one thing that you really want to know about your dog?” Instead observe. Use the search feature to search for the phrases like “rant” “I just can’t” or “how do I”. Make sure you have you your idea parking lot app open because it’s a treasure trove of quality ideas people care about.
3.Google Yo!
This one is my favorite tricks. Say you’re a vegan blogger go to Google and type in vegan…..
instantly you’ll see “Vegan Lunch Ideas” “Vegan Breakfast Ideas” “Vegan Dinner Ideas” & “Vegan Recipes” auto fills. (Write those down). Then hit search.
Then scroll all the way to the bottom and check out the other related searches. Jackpot.
Write those down then either click on one of those then scroll to the bottom those searches or start a new search with the auto-fills answers like vegan breakfast. Keep going until you have a mount of ideas. 🙂
Got the brain juices following yet? Drop 3 blog post ideas in the comments.
If I could offer one more piece of advice when it comes to blog posts. Always ask yourself “What does my perfect reader, really need to hear this week?” Then write it.
Next week we’re tackling why you need an email list for your blog and how to actually use it. Until then…see ya in the comments
READY TO SMASH YOUR BLOGGING GOALS?
READY TO SMASH YOUR BLOGGING GOALS?
Related Posts:
- How to set up a profitable blog in under 10 minutes with full tech tutorials
- A foolproof plan for creating popular + wallet popin’ posts (without tacky ads) <<< You are here
- Your Blog + Your Newsletter List: A Love Story – How to set up your newsletter list the right way & what to do with it
- How to boost your traffic for free on autopilot
- How to start making money with affiliate marketing even if you’re just starting out
A detailed, well-written piece. I intend to start blogging soon and will be using this as a guide.
Thanks Sandra! What are you going to be blogging about?
Thank you for writing this! I’m about to start writing the first few posts for my blog, which is set to launch Feb 1 of next year. The round up or interview is definitely happening, since I’ll be spotlighting artists.