There were so many changes and things I’ve been trying that I’ve been making to my blog in order to start transitioning it into a business. This was the first year that I started to invest a significant amount of money into my blog. It was a little hard to justify at first because I’m not making any money from my blog, but I know I will start making the money back soon!
1. Started Considering it as a Business Instead of Just a Blog
This was probably the biggest change and even though I mentioned it in my accomplishments post from Tuesday, I knew it had to be the first thing on this list. Even though I occasionally mentioned that I offered design services, I always considered both things separate. I started sharing more design and blogging tip posts, but I still wanted to be able to talk about my life and the TV shows I’m obsessed with.
2. Started Investing on Things Other than Sponsorships & Giveaways
Ever since I started my blog in 2012, all I’d bought for my blog were sponsorships and some links in giveaways. It was a great way to get to know bloggers a little better. I started realizing that although my followers were growing, I wasn’t gaining any readers. The main thing I started purchasing were classes and I also invested in a coach (see below). Two of my favorites were Badass Babes & Master Your Market!
3. Stopped Offering Sponsorships
Having sponsors on my blog wasn’t beneficial for me anymore and didn’t fit with my brand. The only sponsors on my blog were the free ad swaps and wasn’t sending traffic to their sites. I knew it was time to start focusing more on other aspects of my blog.
4. Had Someone Help me with the Copy for my Pages
Someone from the Blog & Biz BFFs group asked about getting experience with copywriting in exchange for a testimonial. She transformed my about my page and my work with me page into something 100 times better than I could have imagined. I still need to switch the content over and re-do the layout, but I can’t wait to change it. She won’t be launching her services until 2016, but I will definitely be sharing them when she launches so she can help you too!
5. Hired Jen Carrington as my Blog Coach
This was probably the most nerve-racking and exciting investment I made, but I’m so glad I decided to take the leap & do it! Jen has been super helpful and it’s been really weird not talking to her this month while we take a month off for the Holidays. She’s super willing to help you in the best way for you. It’s so amazing to be able to bounce ideas off of her, get advice and help me work through what I’m struggling with. If I hadn’t listened to her Make it Happen podcast, I might not have realized how awesome and helpful she was.
6. Skyped with Bloggers
In terms of my social anxiety, Skyping with some of the people I’ve been talking to for years and even a few newer faces was super nerve-racking. Once we started talking I had a blast even if there were a few awkward silences.
7. Had Raewyn from Be a Warrior Queen Help with my Social Media
Raewyn has been incredible with posting all my social media posts. I had been struggling with keeping up with posts and then schedule social media on top of it so that you would actually see that I’m posting. She’s super easy to work with.I basically just gave her a list of the types of posts I would share if I was scheduling and she’ll even suggest new bloggers if she thinks they would fit! If you are looking for someone to help out with your blog, then you definitely need to hire her!
8. Attended Webinars & Learned a Ton
I got addicted to attending webinars for a while and I learned so many helpful things. I did have to make sure that I didn’t attend too many in order to avoid overconsumption & becoming overwhelmed.
9. Didn’t Give Up
During my super long job search, it got super hard to stay positive. I started feeling really unmotivated to write and post on my blog. There were a few moments where I even wondered why I was blogging and if I’d be successful with it. Those thoughts only lasted for a few moments, but I’m so glad that I stuck with it, even if I missed a few posts along the way.
10. Started a Mastermind Group
This one is still a super new venture, but I created a small group with a couple other bloggers so that we had people to bounce ideas off of and be able to video chat. We had our first chat a couple weeks ago where we basically just got to know each other. I’m really excited to learn more about them and have the opportunity to help each others blogs grow!
I will totally have to look into getting a blogging coach…I bet that’s a great way to learn and build!
Yes it’s super beneficial, but definitely an investment! I think the best thing when deciding is making sure they are a good fit for you, it’s easiest if they have a podcast or create video content! Even better if they do a webinar, you can ask a question and see what advice they give you! 🙂
This is an awesome list, thanks so much for sharing! I’d love to hear your experiences about starting a mastermind group, I’ve been thinking about it for a while now.