It’s okay to admit it. That deep, dark secret you don’t want anyone to know. That thought which keeps you up night after night. You want… to rule the world! You want to dominate your industry and be the envy of all. You want the house in the Hamptons and the spoils that go with it. You want two appetizers with your entree. But you’re afraid. You’re afraid of what others will say when they hear about your dream. You’re afraid it will seem too big — too crazy. Just like you’re afraid of what the waitress will think if you order onion rings and chicken tenders. But mostly? You’re afraid because you don’t know where to begin. You don’t know how to go from where you are as a blogger to where you want to be. You don’t know how to get from here to there. The good news? Just like eating an elephant, you don’t do it all in one bite. World domination — or any major blogging goal — is a journey you take one milestone at a time. Embed This Infographic On Your Site Why Bloggers Need Meaningful MilestonesWhen you break large tasks into small, manageable ones, what once seemed big and scary isn’t as daunting. Renovating your entire home? Start by painting a room. Training for a marathon? Walk to the end of your driveway. Want to start a rock band? Get a guitar and start practicing. Blogging isn’t any different. Your journey as a blogger is filled with incremental milestones. They start small, gradually increase in size, and culminate with you owning sharks with frickin’ laser beams attached to their heads. Want 10,000 subscribers? Start with 100. Want to quit your job? Focus on making your first sale. Want to be Jon Morrow’s best friend? Get him to notice you. These milestones comprise your bucket list. They highlight what you’ve already accomplished, what you’re striving toward next, and what still lies far ahead of you. To help you in your quest, here are the 21 major blogging milestones (and how to reach each one). Ready? Let’s dive in. #1. Starting Your BlogYou’ve been talking about doing it forever. You’ve been reading blogs like Smart Blogger, Blogging Wizard, and Be A Better Blogger for months. You’ve been planning, scheming, and daydreaming about starting a blog for so long that people have started to worry about that glazed look in your eyes. So don’t you think it’s time you finally did it?
How to Start a Blog
What to Do Next
Once your blog is up and running, it’s time to start writing.
But first, savor this moment. You’ve already accomplished more than many wannabe bloggers ever do… You’ve started a blog. You did it. Now… Let’s get to work. #2. Writing Your First Blog PostBloggers blog. It’s what we do. So once you’ve setup your blog on WordPress, Medium, or wherever, it’s time to make this whole “blogging thing” official. It’s time to write your first post.
How to Write a Blog Post
What to Do Next
After you publish your blog post, it’s time to promote it.
Share it with your friends and family on email and social media. Email it to your subscribers too (if you have any yet). #3 Getting Your First TweetGetting your content shared on social media for the first time is a big milestone. Each time your posts are tweeted, pinned, or liked, your content is exposed to new readers. These new readers are potential email subscribers. Potential customers. Potential allies in your quest for world domination.
How to Get People to Share Your Content
What to Do Next
Be friendly and appreciative. When someone shares one of your posts, thank them. In addition to being good form, this act of gratitude will increase the likelihood they’ll share your posts again in the future.
To boost the number of shares you receive, try using interesting images with embedded headlines as the featured images in your posts. Be sure to choose a relevant picture, or one that creates curiosity. #4. Receiving Your First Blog Comment From a StrangerIt finally happened. The moment you discover someone other than your mom is reading your blog. Your first comment from a stranger. It’s the first sign you’re engaging a real audience (not just friends and family). The first indication your words are striking a chord with readers. The first evidence you have what it takes to succeed.
How to Get Blog Comments
What to Do Next
Were you raised in a barn? Thought not. So once you’ve received a comment, respond to it. Continue engaging with your reader.
Next, visit their blog and leave them a comment. If they don’t have a blog, thank them in an email. True, this level of dedication will be difficult once you’re receiving dozens of comments. But in your blog’s early days? There’s simply no good reason not to go above and beyond to express your appreciation. After you’ve received a few comments, it’s time to implement strategies to further boost your comment count. #5. Gaining Your First Email Subscriber“The money is in the list,” says every blogger (even if nobody has asked them). It’s cliché, but it’s true. Email subscribers are far more likely to read, share, and engage with your content than someone who simply follows you on Twitter or “likes” you on Facebook. Email cuts through the noise. A person might receive a few dozen emails in a day, but they’ll receive several hundred (or more) tweets from their followers. If you want to reach the top of the blogging mountain, you must build your email list. And it all starts with that first subscriber.
How to Get Email Subscribers
What to Do Next
Make your new subscriber feel welcomed.
When someone subscribes to your list, your welcome email should be warm and inviting. Encourage them to ask you a question. Tell them to follow you on Twitter and say hello. Give them a link to an unexpected freebie bonus. (But don’t do all three at once — you might scare away your only subscriber!) #6. Getting Your First BacklinkSearch engines love backlinks — they help them discover how pages are related, and in what ways. Landing a high-quality link from a relevant website is great for SEO and results in more search engine traffic flocking to your website. And who doesn’t want that? When a website links to yours, it’s effectively telling Google, “This dude is cool. He’s with me.” Want to rule the world? You need Google to think you’re cool.
How to Get Backlinks
What to Do Next
Keep going.
Numerous untapped backlink resources are available to bloggers willing to tap them. And if you don’t, your competitors will. #7. Reaching 100 Visitors in a Single DayIn your blog’s early days, visitors are scarce. Occasionally, you’ll wonder if anyone is reading your blog. But slowly, little by little, your numbers creep higher and higher. And then it happens. The day your blog reaches triple-digit visitors. The day your hard work begins to pay off. The day you get your first taste of power. Intoxicating, isn’t it?
How to Get Blog Traffic
What to Do Next
Implement strategies to keep readers on your blog longer. This increases dwell time, which is another way to get Google to like you.
Linking to other posts on your blog, embedding videos, displaying related posts, and encouraging readers to leave comments are all effective methods for keeping visitors on your website. #8. Receiving Your First Piece of Fan Mail (Well, Email)This is strange. You receive an email from a stranger, but it has nothing to do with male enhancement or an unexpected inheritance from overseas. It’s an email from a reader. And she’s telling you how much she enjoys your blog! Your first “kudos” email from a reader is a big milestone for bloggers, and those who go on to rule the world receive many of them. (Mine may or may not be printed, framed, and hanging from the walls of my office.)
How to Get (True) Fans
What to Do Next
Reply to the email. Thank your reader for contacting you, and try to answer any questions they may have asked.
But don’t stop there. Follow them on social media. Visit and comment on their blog. Subscribe to their list, if you like what you see. Your response will make a lasting impression in the mind of your reader. Don’t waste it. #9. Getting Your First Negative Blog CommentAfter weeks of praise, attaboys, and well-wishes, you receive your first negative comment. You try to laugh it off by making a “these are where the tears would be if I could cry” joke, but it doesn’t work. You’re confused. Hurt. Maybe a little angry. (Plus, your spouse quickly reminds you of the time you cried like a baby watching Field of Dreams.) Don’t let it get you down. As you gain in popularity, criticism is inevitable. Consider it a badge of honor — every popular blogger receives negative comments. It’s proof you’re on the right track.
How to Reach This Milestone
What to Do Next
As much as you would like to respond to the negative comment with a barrage of sarcastic wit and venom, don’t do it.
Delete the comment, ignore the comment, or respond to it in a professional manner. But whatever you do, remain calm. Don’t let the insults fly. Others will see how you respond, and it will leave an indelible impression of you in their minds. #10. Landing Your First Guest PostSooner or later, you’ll discover that commenting on other blogs and making friends on Twitter will boost your traffic only so far. You need to reach new audiences. As the marketing crowd would say, you need fresh eyeballs on your content. In other words, you need to write a guest post.
How to Kick Tail as a Guest Blogger
What to Do Next
Your job isn’t finished once your guest post is published. No siree, Bob.
You need to promote the post on your social media accounts. You need to email the post to your mailing list (even if it’s small). You need to respond to any comments readers leave on the post. And, most importantly, you need to thank the blogger or bloggers who gave you the opportunity to write for them. Guest blogging, as much as anything, is about the connections you can make. Backlinks, traffic spikes, and a bump in email subscribers are all nice. But establishing a long-term connection with an influential blog owner? That’s worth its weight in gold. #11. Getting Featured in Your First Interview or “Expert Roundup”When people see you repeatedly mentioned on other sites via interviews and roundups, their perceptions of you change. Yesterday, you were just an attractive guy or gal oozing talent but drowning in anonymity. Today, you’re a freaking rock star. You’re no more knowledgeable than you were moments earlier, but suddenly your powerful words carry more weight with readers. That’s because someone they trust just called you an expert (or treated you like one). To reach world-leader status, others must view you as an authority. They need to consider you an expert in your industry. Participating in interviews and roundups is a great way to make that happen.
How to Become an Influencer People Want to Interview or Quote
What to Do Next
Take advantage of the networking opportunities an interview or expert roundup creates.
If you’ve been interviewed, respond to those who leave comments. Engage with them. Give them a reason to visit your blog. If you participated in a roundup, you now have some common ground with the other bloggers who participated. Follow them on social media. Tag them when you tweet the roundup. Send them emails saying how much you enjoy their blogs. #12. Hitting Your First 100 Email SubscribersFinally. After having single- and double-digit subscribers for what seems like forever, you finally reach 100. One hundred individuals decide they want updates from you. These first 100 subscribers are arguably your most important. They’re the ones who found your blog in its early days. They’re the ones who decided to follow you before you were popular. They’re the ones likely to be your biggest supporters as you rise through the ranks and vanquish kingdoms.
How to Get More Email Subscribers
What to Do Next
Why not survey your subscribers? You’ve built a small tribe and it’s time to discover what they think.
Find out what kind of content they want you to create, and what kind of content they wish you would stop creating. To encourage participation, turn your survey into a contest. #13. Seeing a Post You Wrote Go ViralWow. That was unexpected. One of your posts takes off. It goes viral, as the kids say. At its simplest definition, a viral post is one which has a life beyond your own promotion of it. As such, it gets considerably more clicks and shares than your typical post. And, as a result, your blog receives a nice (if temporary) bump in traffic. Even if it’s short lived, a viral post means more eyes on your content. And that’s just what a prospective world ruler wants.
How to Go Viral
What to Do Next
Since the bump in traffic is only temporary, you must capitalize on it. You must turn as many of those visitors into subscribers as possible.
Make sure your call to action is clear and singularly focused. Offer a content upgrade for users who subscribe. Use one of the dozens of available WordPress plugins designed to help you boost your subscriber count. #14. Getting Mentioned or Followed by an A-list BloggerWhen Bob the bellhop from Bolivia mentions you on Twitter, a small handful of people will see it. That’s nice. But if John Lee Dumas, Pat Flynn, or Jeff Goins mentions you on Twitter, a small army will see it. That’s even better. When you’re mentioned or followed by an A-lister, it means much more than a small bump in traffic. It means you’ve made it onto the radar of someone with influence.
How to Connect with Influencers
What to Do Next
Just as a couple should keep wooing each other even after they’re married, you should continue doing the things which caused the A-list bloggers to notice you in the first place.
Keep sharing their content. Keep leaving comments. Keep engaging with them. #15. Hitting Your First 1,000 Email SubscribersNow we’re talking. Around the time you hit the 1,000 subscriber mark, your emails begin to carry more weight. You’re able to generate traffic for new posts simply by emailing your subscribers. Even better? You can begin making real money from your blog. As a rule of thumb, you should be able to make at least $1 per subscriber each month — more if you really know what you’re doing.
How to Get Even More Email Subscribers
What to Do Next
It’s time to think about monetizing your blog.
Affiliate programs, sponsored content, digital products, and consulting/coaching sessions are common methods for making money with your blog. And speaking of those last two… #16. Successfully Selling Your First Product or Consulting SessionYou tried your hand at sponsored ads. Maybe you even had a little success with them. But eventually, you aim higher. You decide to offer your skills as a coach or consultant. Or maybe you decide to create your own digital product because you like the idea of unlimited income potential. Whatever the route, the desire is the same: to pad your wallet with twenty dollar bills.
How to Reach This Milestone
What to Do Next
Don’t rest on your laurels.
Once you’ve created your first product or course, create a sales funnel with an email autoresponder series. Then start working on your next product. #17 Reaching 1,000 Visitors a DayWhen you reach 1,000 daily visitors, your blog will be perched at a level many bloggers never see. Your blog has momentum, which means your email list starts to grow on its own. You’re selling more products and services. Your social media shares are increasing too, which is bringing even more new visitors. Your hard work is paying off. “Soon,” you say to yourself before laughing maniacally. “Soon.”
How to Get More Traffic
What to Do Next
Resist the urge to publish more often. Even though you receive traffic bumps on the days you publish, your time will be better spent on promotion.
If anything, scale back on your blogging and focus even more time on promotion. For example: targeted advertising. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and others offer bloggers the ability to advertise and bring in additional traffic to their sites. #18. Reaching 100,000 Visitors in a MonthWhen you reach 100,000 visitors in a month, you’ve reached a level of success most can only dream of. At this level, practically anything you try can be lucrative.
How to Boost Blog Traffic
What to Do Next
Dig into Google Analytics and learn how to make the most of its data. Discover which topics and posts are performing best, and optimize your blog accordingly. Identify your most important traffic sources, and adjust your outreach efforts.
And if you haven’t started monetizing your blog yet, you’re leaving real money on the table each month. Get started! #19. You Hit 10,000 Email SubscribersAs Jon Morrow likes to say: 10,000 subscribers is the “magic number.” With 10,000 subscribers, publishers beat down your door to give you a book deal. With 10,000 subscribers, you could make a full-time living as a coach or consultant. With 10,000 subscribers, you can easily sell a course you have created. In short, earning a six-figure income from your blog is entirely realistic when you have 10,000 subscribers. It’s arguably the most important blogging milestone.
How to Supercharge Your Email List
What to Do Next
Look for ways to improve your email open rates. It doesn’t matter how big your list is if nobody bothers to read your emails.
As your list grows, and your humble blog starts to look more like a viable business, you may need to trade your email provider for a more sophisticated solution, such as Infusionsoft that can handle e-commerce and relationship management as well. #20. Finally Earning Enough Money to Quit Your Day JobIt’s the dream of most bloggers. Being able to quit your job and blog full-time means you’re able to quit the rat race. It means you can set your own schedule, pursue your passions, and spend more time with your loved ones. It means you’re the boss.
How to Quit Your Job
What to Do Next
Don’t quit your job just yet! Instead, create an exit plan.
Decide what kind of financial buffer you’ll need just in case things get tough. Your buffer will depend on your risk tolerance and personal situation, but a good rule of thumb is three to six months of salary in the bank. Use the time leading up to your departure to ensure your blog is running smoothly by the time you quit. Automate everything you can. Create processes to ensure you can work as efficiently as possible. Because when the paychecks stop, you don’t want any additional drag. #21. Achieving World DominationYou did it. They said it wasn’t possible, but you made it happen. The world is your oyster. You’re the master of your own destiny. And it’s all thanks to your blog. Now it’s time to take a vacation. Maybe even move to paradise. Heck, you earned it. So What’s Your Next Big Blogging Milestone?You realize they’re yours for the taking, right? The niche you want to dominate? The house in the Hamptons? The sharks with frickin’ laser beams attached to their heads? They’re all out there… just waiting for you. They’re waiting for you to decide, “Today is the day I’ll make my dreams come true.” They’re waiting for you to stop reading and start doing. So, don’t just sit there. Work out where you are on the list and what you must do to hit that next big milestone. And let’s do this thing. Because the world isn’t going to rule itself.
About the Author: Five years after first writing this post, Kevin J. Duncan’s dreams of quitting the rat race, blogging full-time, and world domination came true when Jon invited him to join the Smart Blogger team as our Blog Editor.
Never give up, folks. Never, ever give up. The post 21 Blogging Milestones on the Path to World Domination appeared first on Smart Blogger. from https://smartblogger.com/bucket-list/
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