Can flying an airplane be easier than promoting my blog?
Flying a plane seemed so simple. It seemed simple because I was given a step-by-step system to follow.
Then I started blogging
Fast forward to a few months ago, when I jumped on the blogging bandwagon – specifically on the “blogging for business” bandwagon.
My intention with blogging for business is to write about useful stuff that potential clients like to read, so that I can earn their trust and – eventually- their business.
Luckily, blogging didn’t sound very difficult at first:
1. Get myself a blog – check
2. Write good stuff – check (I hope!) 
3. Get a decent number of quality followers – not so check. 
To remediate the lack of a decent number of followers, I did a bunch of research. And now I understand the basics of what needs to be done to build a following:
Write good stuff AND promote it
It all sounds so easy – in theory – but in practice, I struggle with promoting my blog. The experts say that the first thing to do is to have a regular posting schedule.
First, a regular posting schedule
First of all, to be able to promote good stuff, one must keep to a regular and, ideally, an often-enough schedule of posting.
My solution to posting regularly is to commit to a schedule, and treat it like a customer meeting (I wouldn’t leave a customer hanging!).
But in order to post content to the blog, it first needs to be written.
The struggle to find the time to write
I struggle to find the time to write content for my blog. After all, I have a full-time real estate job. Sometimes I feel that promoting my business through a blog and social networking is my second full-time job!
The issue with the second full-time job is that I don’t usually get to it during daytime (i.e. awake and profitable) hours, so I don’t get to it as often as I’d like.
How I’m making time to write
My solution for finding time to write on my blog is to prioritize, schedule, and do it early in the day for it to actually happen.
And what if I can only write a little bit each day? The next thing that I had to do was to make peace with what I can actually produce blogging-wise.
Make peace with what I can produce
Once I have a realistic plan for posting content regularly, if it means producing content once a week or just once every two weeks, so be it. I have to remember than I’m not competing with all those wonderful, prolific pro-bloggers who are able to blog 4 or more times a week.
Let’s summarize my solutions for writing regularly for my blog:
These are my solutions for writing regularly for my business blog:
- Commit to a regular posting schedule,
- Prioritize, schedule, and write early in the day, and
- Make peace with my own plan of what I can produce
Now, once I’ve created content on a regular basis, what good does it do if it sits there all lonely in some corner of the blogosphere? After all that work, it deserves to be shared (i.e. PROMOTED)!
I need a system for promoting my blog
Promoting my blog is where I need to come up with a system. I’ve learned about how to use Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, and about participating on other blogs to promote my blog.
In theory, it seems doable, but obviously I’m not doing too well because it all seems so time-consuming. I need a system to get it done without it feeling like a second full-time job.
Perhaps I don’t have the right tools, and clearly, I lack a system. I need a system like the one I used for flying a plane.
Any of you successful blog pilots out there willing to share your successful promotion system?
Here are some questions to get you started:
- What tools/software to do use?
- Do you have a system for promoting your posts?
(i.e. Do you do it throughout the day, or at set times? Do you have checklists?)
I look forward to your responses below so that I can get on with “flying” with my blog. 
Hi Marina,
A friend of mine is fond of saying “the best way to grow your community, is to play around in somebody else’s first.” Essentially, this means finding the time to connect with other bloggers – not just real estate bloggers, bloggers of all kinds.
Last year, I organized a Tweetup. It was simple, I invited 5 friends to come have lunch with me at a local cafe from 11:00 – 1:00pm. 5 turned into 15, then 20, then 27. The premise was simple, if you’re into blogging, technology, etc. Come join us for lunch and to just chat.
I didn’t sponsor the lunch. There was no pitch. Just a bunch of us nerds sitting around talking about what problems we were having, discussing tools/ideas we had and having a good time.
That’s how my network grew and although I don’t do the monthly lunches any more, I still make a point to reach out and connect with those individuals, via comments, email exchanges, engaging through social, etc.
Anyway, I hope that helps (to some extent). And thanks for being a part of the 31 Day Challenge!
Ricardo Bueno recently posted..Take the 31 Day Blog Challenge: Sign Up Here!
Hola Ricardo,
You are right – sometimes the most basic and “old-school” networking practices are the most effective.
I’ll make a point of connecting off-line with other bloggers near me (perhaps by hosting a tweet-up).
Your post also reminded me that I have a small network of world-wide friends which I haven’t connected with properly.
Thanks for stopping by!
Marina, you are right; “basic and old school” networking techniques still work well. I haven’t been employed in 2 years, yet I am still in many people “invite” list and thus get invitations to attend all sorts of networking events – and I still do. Attending receptions and “get-togethers” may seem pretty basic and old school, but I often attend events and it is not only good to see people I’ve known for many years, who are still around, either doing the same thing, or doing something new, but they introduce me to new people with whom I then become connected and many of whom I like to stay in touch with; often times they want to stay in touch with me.
I have worked as a P.R. professional, in Denver, for over 30 years and know a lot of people in the City and they know ME, what I’ve done, where I’ve been and many want to talk to me about “old school” and “old technique” kinds of things, as well I find many actually want my advice and opinion – and when they call, I am always willing to help out wherever I can, which takes me back to another subject discussed in this forum – that of following up, which is an essential part of closing the deal, getting the contract, whatever the case may be. Not following up and not doing what you’ve promissed to do costs money, time and reputation, all very important ingredients of success.
Flying an aeroplane, or even an airplane is much simpler, I’m sure!
But anyway, the thing that has got me to page one for my chosen key word in recent days has been a focus on the first three words of the title tag of your blog. That is easy when you use Word Press.
That is part of getting a readership. I reckon I have about 2 main readers now, and so you may as well not read this comment! But I hope to grow that as I listen to what people are talking about, and what the media is serving up, and provide comments, one page 1 of google.
Many page 1 listings are home pages. Surely a blog post will be more interesting to some. I hope so. We’ll see.
Neil Smith
Neil Smith@Life Insurance New Zealand recently posted..Life Risk Limited won’t be out of business come 1 July 2011
Hey Neil,
Good point. Blogging about current events or about topics which people have questions about is a good strategy to gain readers.
I can see that you have been working hard at it in the last few weeks and that it’s paying off. I’ll make a point of using news and questions as a source of inspiration for my posts.
Cheers!
Marina
My blog is embedded in my website and because I became President of Arizona CRS, I have not had the time to blog for several months. But when I do blog and follow the analytics, I am amazed at who is reading my blog from all over the world. I do not think I get a lot of business from my blog, but I do tell my clients to go and read certain articles I’ve written because it helps them understand the real estate process. Blogging is something that mounts over time, it’s not something where you see instant results…kind of like loosing weight! I blog because I enjoy it! Check it out: http://www.terrybishop.com/blog
Hi Terry,
Congratulations on becoming the President of Arizona CRS, and thanks for sharing your experience with your blog.
I think you’ve hit the nail in the head: it takes patience to build up a following, so we might as well have fun doing it!
Glad you stopped by. Hope to see you again soon!
Hi Marina,
It’s all about attitude.
My flying metaphor is a bit different. Lots of flyers in my family, brother, niece, brother-in-law. My father waited until after age 80 to fly.
I spent lots of time on a simulator. Flight Simulator that is. Practiced hours. So when it was my turn to fly, it was in a glider.
I needed help from others to get off the ground. But when I was in the air, I was flying with eagles. You see, eagles think gliders are just rally big birds.
Whenever I glide, I always need someone’s help, but my rewards are so much greater. I view flying in formation with our nations bird quite an honor.
When it comes to blogging, we need to have passion, practice alot, and ask for help from others and then reap the rewards.
It’s all about attitude.
Morris,
Your flying metaphor is inspiring. I totally agree with you – to have a successful blog, passion must come first, then practice, and a little bit of help make it for a worthwhile flight.
Just like in life.
Thanks for sharing!