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Mary Jaksch: What follows is a case study by Scott McIntyre of Vivid Ways. Scott lays out a super simple strategy of what to do before you launch your bog in order to secure success.
His strategy paid off: although Scott has only recently started his blog, he was named on Problogger as ‘One of the bloggers to watch in 2011′. There’s actually a back-story to his story – which Scott doesn’t know yet… I’ll reveal it here:
In December 2008 I wrote a guest post for CopyBlogger, called Why Leo Babauta of Zen Habits Gave Me His Blog. I talked about earmarking possible joint-venture partners for the future. Here is what I wrote:
When you feel an affinity for a colleague on the Net, listen to your intuition and add them to a list of possible partners, no matter how remote the chances appear at the moment. I have big bloggers, such as Leo Babauta, as well as writers who are still quite inexperienced on my list.
There’s even one guy who hasn’t even launched his first blog yet! I don’t care how much or how little experience someone has. All I care about is that they are nice people, and that they have talent.
Lots of people asked me who the mystery guy ‘who hasn’t even launched his first blog’ was. I’ll reveal it now: it was Scott McIntyre. How did he get (and stay) on my radar? The answer is simple: he kept on emailing me, asking, “Is there anything I can do to help you?”
How a Blogger Without a Blog Became a Blogger to Watch
A case study by Scott McIntyre of Vivid Ways.
It all started with a comment I left on a blog.
For a few months, I’d been doing research on blogging and was a frequent visitor to many ‘how to’ blogs. Unusually, I didn’t yet have a site of my own because, rather than just diving straight in, I was preparing myself by reading up on all aspects of the ‘art of blogging’.
I’d taken an interest in blogs as a way of connecting with readers and building a community of people with similar interests. As I subscribed to more and more of them, I was fascinated with the potential that the audience has to interact and shape the content of their favorite blogs. It was definitely something I wanted to be involved in. But, I didn’t feel that I knew enough back then to get started.
I kept reading the lively comments sections of the blogs I visited and felt too shy and self conscious to leave my own. “What value could I possibly add to the conversation?î, I asked myself. After all, I wasn’t even a blogger!
A Blogger Without a Blog
Then one day, A List blogger Liz Strauss wrote a post in which she discussed how business blogs could attract offline customers and readers who didn’t blog. At last, here was a topic on which I had the expertise to leave a comment. I knew what I was talking about. So, I shared my views with Liz and her readers.
I was blown away to receive an email from Liz to follow up on that comment I’d left. I was even more stunned when she asked me to contribute a weekly series on Connecting with Offline Customers.
In that column, I looked at ways in which bloggers could reach people who didn’t have an online presence and how the experience of visiting blogs could be made more user-friendly for non-bloggers. I’d gained a lot of ideas as I’d visited a wide range of blogs in a variety of niches.
Here was I – a blogger without a blog – writing for a thought leader and much respected social media expert. Liz had been willing to take a risk on a new and untried voice in order to bring a fresh perspective and value to her community. The series of articles was well received and I learned much from the experience.
Getting this unique opportunity allowed me to interact with readers, which I love – it’s what attracted me to blogging in the first place. I was also able to start building a presence online – albeit a very small one. That said, it still took me 18 months to launch my own blog. I guess other areas of my life took priority over blogging and I wanted to focus on them instead.
Although it wasn’t the right time back then, I knew that one day I would become a blogger, so I kept up-to-date with developments in the blogosphere.
The A List Blogger Club
I kept popping up on blogs as I continued to leave comments on posts I enjoyed, including on Mary Jaksch’s GoodLife Zen, which was still in its early days back then.
That’s where I learned about the A List Blogger Club and the training materials it offered. This ‘one-stop shop’ approach appealed to me as the information was all packaged together in one place, rather than me having to search all over the internet to find it.
Also, I’d reached the pivotal point when I knew that it was now or never – either I was going to start my blogging career in the near future, or else give up on the idea entirely. Spurred on by the success stories emerging from the Club, I decided to finally launch my own blog.
Making Contact With Other Bloggers
Throughout the period since I’d written the series for Liz Strauss, I realized that the articles could be a useful resource to help others reach out to an untapped audience. So, I got in touch with a few bloggers to bring the series to their attention. It seemed to intrigue quite a few of them that I wasn’t pushing my own blog but, instead, was highlighting the content on someone else’s simply for the value it could provide them.
I had no agenda when contacting these bloggers. No blog to promote. No name to raise the profile of. All I had (and it was more than enough) was the useful content I’d written for someone else.
As a side-effect of this, I built up several good relationships and was able to help out a few bloggers along the way. I kept in touch with Skellie, a writer who I’d admired for a while, and worked with her as I developed the concept of the blog I was planning.
Helping Out Other Bloggers
I’ve always been eager to improve my skills and knowledge of the craft of blogging. But, without my own blog during this time, it was difficult to get any hands-on, practical expertise. The next best thing was to try out everything I was learning by offering to give other bloggers a hand – for nothing. That’s right. I helped out without expecting anything in return.
As a blogger-to-be, I would be getting some valuable experience that would come in very handy for when I eventually ventured out with my blog.
I edited posts and crafted the headlines for a few bloggers, including those of a fast rising star of the blogosphere with whom I’d become good friends. Together, we worked on a number of articles which did very well on social media.
Bear in mind, that I was still blogless at this time.
I Launch My Blog, At Long Last
In October 2010, I finally set out with my blog, Vivid Ways.
Should I have started sooner? Most probably. But I’m a great believer that things happen when they’re meant to. And I now felt ready whereas I hadn’t before.
Because of the relationship I’d previously built with Skellie, she was happy to contribute a couple of guest posts for my fledgling blog. Having an A List blogger write for a blog which was only a few weeks old was a big deal. It gave my new site a little more credibility and meant other bloggers noticed what I was doing.
I was, therefore, thrilled to be included in Problogger’s list of Bloggers to Watch in 2011.
I guess Jade Craven captures my approach perfectly when she wrote in her profile of me: I believe he [Scott] is one to watch because he made a conscious choice to focus his effort on developing relationships and learning as much as possible. Most people are busy sucking up to the big names, rather than finding ways they can contribute to the community.
As I’ve mentioned, when I contacted other bloggers, it wasn’t to advertise my blog or to raise my profile as both of these were non-existent! I totally believe in the idea of giving your community the best value possible – whether it be those readers who gather around your own blog or the members of the wider fellowship of bloggers.
That’s why I recently offered to assist in the organization of the Top 10 Blogs for Writers Contest held on Write to Done. I knew Mary was exceptionally busy with other projects and could probably do with support to ensure the contest went smoothly. I was pleased that I was able to lighten her load a little and give something back to Mary as a ‘thank you’ for providing the useful content on GoodLife Zen over the few years I’ve been a regular reader.
Lessons I’ve Learned
Everyone’s blogging journey is as unique as you are. One of the most basic lessons I’ve learned is that you have to adopt the skills and techniques which are right for you and fit well with your personal blogging goals.
By all means read up on the success stories of your fellow bloggers, and learn from what they’ve done that’s worked out – as well as from their failures. But try to implement those winning strategies which support who you are as a blogger and will benefit your own specific audience.
Here are a few other points I’ve picked up along my blogging way which I hope you’ll find useful:
The Potential of Comments
I still love to leave comments on other blogs and will keep doing this. It’s how I got started. Some bloggers have decided to switch off comments, preferring instead to interact with their readers in other ways e.g. on Twitter and Facebook. I strongly encourage the Vivid Ways community to have their say in the comments section.
1. If you frequently comment on a blogger’s posts, they’ll begin to notice you. This is a great start to getting on their radar. You never know what opportunities this might bring.
2. Try to leave comments that add value to the post itself and show you’ve thought about what’s been said
3. Don’t underestimate the power your comments on other blogs have to build your personal brand. What you say can add to – or take away from- the brand that you want to create for your blog and yourself. One reader told me he’d first visited Vivid Ways because he kept coming across my comments on other blogs he subscribed to.
Reaching Out to Other Bloggers
It’s often said that relationships are the life force of the blogosphere. It’s never too early to begin networking and become comfortable connecting with other bloggers.
Some experts advise that you only focus on those who are at a similar stage of their career as you. Certainly, this might be the way to go if you’re not confident in blog networking and you’d prefer to start gradually. But, if you want to reach out to the big guns, there’s no reason to limit yourself. Bloggers – whether they are superstars or just starting out – are busy people and this could be your inroad to making first contact.
1. It usually helps the initial introduction if you’ve previously shown an interest in the blogger’s content. This might be by leaving comments as described above or regularly sharing their posts on social media. You’re more likely to get a positive response if you don’t just turn up out of the blue.
2. Work out what help a fellow blogger might need and the ways in which you might offer your support. For example, would they appreciate a guest post? Do you have technical skills they might benefit from? Could you act as a moderator on their forum?
3. Think of your real-life relationships. The best and most productive ones are those where there is genuine, mutual support. It’s important to set off with the attitude of ‘how can I help your blogging activities?’ rather than ‘what’s in it for me?’. People can tell when another blogger approaches them with self-serving and selfish aims rather than in an open and helpful manner
Tackle all of your blogging activities with the mindset of: a) building strong relationships; b) always learning, and c) adding value to your community… and you’ll go far!
Scott McIntyre is a great believer in how ordinary people can do great things everyday. He writes about how you can live a colorful life – right now – at Vivid Ways. You can also add color-in your life by following Scott on Twitter.
I’ve found the A-List Blogger Club to be a great place to make valuable connections and access first-class training that you just can’t find anywhere else. There’s a real sense of community in the Club, with other members only too keen to offer practical advice to help you become a success. The training on offer is also superb – there’s no fluff, only stuff you really need to develop the latest skills and knowledge to blog smarter and better. – Scott McIntyre: Vivid Ways
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