4 Rules for Developing Your Blog

byDavid523

96 followers

5 years ago

Where do I start?

Discovering your niche can seem so difficult because many of us don't even know where to start.

In my case, I have had a full life with a lot of different experiences. I have been on four of the seven continents, I am married with two kids, I can speak five languages, and I have worked in almost every industry you can think of.

I know a good amount about a lot of things. It's really not all it's cracked up to be either. It makes it hard to focus. I enjoy learning so much that I am easily bored by old things and intrigued by new ones.

So I had to brainstorm exactly what I needed to do to figure out what Niche I would start with. This leads us to our first rule for discovery...

Don't wait around for inspiration

I read in a book once that lazy artists wait around for inspiration but great artists actively seek to become inspired.

Being an affiliate marketer is as much an art as it is a science. You can't sit around hoping that something will catch your eye. You have to get up and do something.

This is what I did...

I opened up a Word document and made a bullet list of every role I have ever filled (father, husband, brother, etc.), every job I have ever had, my hobbies, what I would do if I never had to worry about time or money, and what my guilty pleasures are.

Why?

Because it helped me connect myself to potential audiences and evaluate which niche I would have more expertise. I chose music because I have been in music for almost 20 years and I have a very special perspective to share.

I didn't sit around waiting for something to come to me. I chased after it and found it.

The second rule...

Use the tools

This should be so obvious but it isn't. I can't tell you how many posts I have read that were not well thought through and were riddled with spelling and grammar errors

USE THE TOOLS!

You don't have to be a journalist to write well anymore. I know you're not competing for a Pullitzer but you should still use the ABC tool to clear up any obvious discrepancies.

If you don't, you're just being lazy. It's time to wake up and have some pride in yourself. Don't settle for making useless mistakes.

Not doing a spell check is like forgetting to wipe. It's disgusting and nobody wants to read something you just dumped on a page. Clean it up. You owe it to yourself and to your audience.

Get Regular Feedback

There are a few principles at play here. Getting feedback means you're also giving feedback. Both are essential to your growth as an affiliate marketer.

Critiquing someone else's blog will help you improve yourself and see things from the perspective of the customer. This is vital to your success!

Having someone critique you is even more essential. We all have blind spots. Sometimes we are the last to know they are there. Get feedback. Just do it.

Imitate until you can Innovate

This is a concept I have applied in all sorts of areas in my life. In fact, we all have. We grew up imitating our parents until we became independent and developed our own personalities.

Find what other bloggers are doing and copy it. They don't even have to be in your niche. Copy what others do until you find your flow and can start innovating.

You'll get there eventually!

Give yourself some grace. You're not going to be writing award-winning material when you start. Don't expect that of yourself.

Start with imitation and find your flow along the way.

Recap

Don't wait around. Get moving. Epiphany is motion-activated. If you want that lightbulb to come on, you need to start doing something.

Use the tools. Don't stop at using them. Optimize them. Get really good at them. Learn them like you developed them. They will make you much more productive and effective.

Get regular feedback. Feedback is essential for your own growth. It'll help you minimize your blind spots. Get it, give it, and grow through it.

Imitate until you can innovate. Don't despise humble beginnings. Everybody starts somewhere. It's not about where you start, but where you're headed and how much momentum you have to get there.