How to Get Started in Blogging & Podcasting

If blogging is writing, and Podcasting is speaking, then why lump these two things together?

Because they both involve you communicating with a (hopefully) ever-growing tribe of people who log in to see what you have to say today.

You might choose to start blogging and podcasting simultaneously. I read a post the other day that asserted you have no business doing a podcast if you haven’t already blogged a certain number of times and blah blah blah.

Nonsense. If you know your topic, there is no reason why you can’t do both, since the two will synergistically support each other. Your podcast can send people to your blog; your blog can send people to your podcast. You get the idea.

Your blog and podcast can be on any topic in the whole wide world, but it’s best to narrow it down to something that can turn a profit for you.

Choose a niche that people are enthusiastic about and in which people also spend money. Here are some examples:

Health:

• Weight loss
• Weight gain
• Muscle building
• Curing diabetes
• Getting pregnant
• Diets
• Nutrition
• Depression
• Natural health
• Hair loss
• Yoga
• Stop smoking
• Headaches
• Herbal Supplements
• Anxiety
• Stress management
• Addiction
• Exercise 

Dating

• How to get a boyfriend
• How to get a girlfriend
• How to get your ex back
• How to improve your love life
• Dating advice for men
• Dating advice for women
• How to save your relationship
• Online dating

Making Money Online

• Online jobs
• Blogging
• Business opportunities
• Search engine optimization
• Facebook marketing
• Twitter marketing
• YouTube marketing
• Traffic generation
• Copywriting

If people are interested in the topic and willing to spend money on that topic, then it’s probably a good one.

You might be wondering, how do you make money by blogging? First, you lay the foundation. Then you start promoting your blog, collecting subscribers, and finally, you get monetization.

Typically, you’ll start by first creating your blog and adding useful content. Write about what your target audience wants to read.

Once you’ve begun making great content, it’s time to find blog readers and get then to your blog.

Your job is not just to write blog posts, but also to promote your blog so that readers can find you. To do this, find out where your potential readers hang out online. What are they currently reading? What forums do they frequent? What podcasts do they download? Are they engaged in social networks?

Once you’ve found your potential readers, offer an enticement to get them to visit your blog, and subscribe to your email list. A good report on a hot topic should do it.

When they get to your blog, build engagement, and community. Respond to comments and do everything in your power to keep them coming back to your blog time and time again.

Next, you start making money from your blog through a variety of income streams.

You can offer affiliate products to your readers or sell your products. You can sell advertising on your blog, such as Google AdSense.

You can even run events, such as big conferences or simply smaller meet-ups for your readers.

You can promote memberships to give you recurring income or create your membership to offer to your readers.

You can promote other businesses and services, do consulting, or public speaking. Once you’ve got the audience, there is a myriad of ways to make money blogging, and you can pick and choose any combination you like.

Podcasting works much the same way. You’ll start by recording your first couple of podcasts, and then you’ll start working on getting subscribers to your podcast.

Last, you’ll monetize your podcast by promoting your products, other people’s products, or whatever method you choose.

Things to Know about Blogging and Podcasting

Here are the things no one tells you ahead of time…

Don’t Fear Competition

With blogs and bloggers numbering in the millions, and with podcasts steadily gaining ground, it might seem discouraging with so much competition out there.

But if you have something unique to say or specialized expertise, or you’re especially good at interviewing experts, either one or both of these avenues might be right for you.

No Expertise? You Can be a Reporter

And if you’re not an expert but you have a passion, you can take the role of reporter and report the latest news and pieces of interest to your readers.

This is a great way to build a large following, especially if you put your unique slant and personality into your writing and Podcasting.

Profitability Takes Time

You’ll need time to build a following and get subscribers, which is why it’s best to start blogging or podcasting part-time while you do something else for income.

But if you find the right topic – and most importantly, you find your tribe – then it is possible to build up to a very decent five and even 6 figure income.

Find Your Voice

You don’t want to sound like everyone else, nor do you want to appeal to every person out there.

First, when you have your unique voice, people have a reason to like you. You’re authentic, and you have something to say. Don’t be afraid to state your opinions and back them with facts. This will cause your tribe to gravitate to you as you build more and more rapport with them.

Second, if you try to appeal to everyone, you will appeal to no one. Choose your perfect reader or listener, and then speak to this person.

For example, if your topic is motorcycles, you wouldn’t want to appeal to everyone who has a motorcycle, doesn’t have a motorcycle, likes motorcycles, and even doesn’t like motorcycles.

But if you speak to the 55-year-old dentist who rides his Harley Davidson on weekends, then you’ve narrowed your niche to professionals on Harleys. And while this excludes most everyone else, it makes those professionals on Harleys much more likely to become loyal readers and listeners.

You’ll Become Well Connected.

As you become more well known in your niche, you’ll find yourself becoming friends with some of the experts in your field.

If you’ve ever wanted to meet them or talk to them, then becoming one of their peers with your blog or podcast is a great way to do it.

Blogging and Podcasting might be thought of as hobbies you can turn into businesses.

They are fun, relatively easy to get started, and an adventure in the making. The bigger your audience grows, the more potential you have for making money.

And one day, in the near future, it could be entirely possible to quit your job and podcast and blog for a living.

And if you're like me, this sounds great but you just don't have the time to do all this writing. Then I have a simple solution that can bypass all the hours you might spend writing your own content.

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