Creative Blog Talk – Where Are You on the Blogging Timeline?

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Where are you on your blogging journey? It's time to take and inventory and plan for the next phase.

It’s Creative Blog Talk time again! We’re taking a brief break from crafting to cover some behind the scenes blog topics. Today we are talking about the blogging timeline. This topic is a natural follow-up to our previous topic of How to Beat the Blogger Blues. Part of the blogger blues can be triggered by comparing your blog progress against other bloggers without acknowledging your own journey and successes along the way. The blogging timeline below is a guide to help focus your efforts and move you along to achieve your own goals and should NOT be used as a measure of relative success by being farther along the timeline.

Reader Challenge:

Before you read further – take a breath and be proud of how far you have come on your own blogging path. Whether you are just starting or a pro looking for a fresh perspective, congratulate yourself for being here today and continuing your journey. It’s worth the bumpy ride. Don't compare your beginning to someone else's middle - SERIOUSLY!

The Blogging Timeline:

1.  Foundation Building – In this stage, you are building up your blog basics, including defining your brand, setting up your blog systems, and building up your social media accounts. Focus areas:

2. Content Building – ‘Content is King‘ according to Bill Gates back in 1996 and that continues to be a truth 18 years later. The value you bring to your blog is the content you share through perspectives, tips, tutorials, pictures and videos. Focus areas:

  • Find your voice (find your own voice and build on your brand)
  • Stay consistent (publish on a consistent basis)
  • Build your skills (improve photography and video-making skills)
  • Find your tribe (connect with others at the same point in the blog journey path with whom you can connect and share questions)

3. Monetizing – Monetizing is not a requirement for blogging. You can continue to blog and build a large following without making a penny. Focus areas:

  • Determine if you are displaying ads (a much larger topic of it’s own – but most start with Google AdSense)
  • Apply to blogger networks for access to sponsor opportunities (check our Home Page sidebar for networks where we are a member)

4. Supporting Growth – Your efforts are starting to pay off and you are seeing your Google Analytics numbers jump to new tiers. How will you support the growth? Focus areas:

5. Expanding the Brand Beyond the Blog – Similar to monetization, brand expansion beyond the blog may not be for everyone. For those who want to be the next Martha Stewart or Bakerella, it’s time to think outside the blog box for your brand. Focus areas:

  • Revisit your Mind-Blowing Blog Goals
  • Consider expanding your media presence online (through additional media properties or blogs)
  • Build classes or tutorials for sale
  • Write a book
  • Establish direct Brand sponsor relationships (beyond a single sponsored post)
  • Offer related products through Etsy
  • Become a consultant (party consultant, blog consultant, social media consultant)

Where are you on this journey? It’s almost a new year and a great time to revisit goals and set some mind-blowing goals for the next year! Blogging Tips for Creative Bloggers

As we continue our Creative Blog Talk Series – we would love to hear from you! What topics would you like to see us talk about? You can comment below or fill out our Creative Blog Talk Series form. We will continue the series here, but also send exclusive content directly to #CreativeBlogTalk subscribers. Sign up here for free.

We hope you catch up on our past posts:

crafty is contagious

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