Figuring out how to grow your blog is one of the biggest questions that plagues both new bloggers and professionals who have been blogging for years. Honestly, blogging can feel like a never ending marathon; always churning out new content day after day. If you approach it like a sprint, pushing yourself to the max right out the gate, you'll most likely burnout before you even get started. So today I'm answering a reader question and sharing my top 3 secrets to growing your blog quickly and sustainably!
>>> Join my FREE 5 Day e-course and learn how to launch a successful blog here!! <<<
If you're new, I have an “Ask Rachel” section where readers can submit questions! One reader asks about my secret to growing my blog:
“Hey Rachel! I absolutely love your blog. Every post has such valuable content, your brand and design is really gorgeous, and you seem like a genuine person as well! Since I read your post about your 1st blogivesary I've been wondering: What's your secret? Would you mind sharing the one thing that you did that you feel really contributed to your blogs growth? Or can you point me towards any helpful resources you used?”
3 Secrets To Growing Your Blog
Ahhh! First of all, I am so flattered by your kind words! Thank you! I really can't give you a “one secret” response though! Instead, I'm breaking it into 3 secrets to growing your blog (plus a bonus one at the end!!)! In the last 4 years, I've grown my blog to reach millions of people, earning over 6 figures a year since year 2! These are my ultimate secrets that have really set my apart!
Secret #1: Listen To Your Gut.
I really don't use a ton of traditional resources. There's no one post I've found that I was like “THIS! THIS IS WHAT I'VE BEEN MISSING!!” TBH, most posts/resource guides or webinars I've been in actually hurt my self esteem when it came to blogging. I did a roundup post on some of the digital entrepreneurs I've learned from. However, even consuming too much of their content could get in my head and get me down. I started to listen to my gut and stopped consuming so much of other people's content. I think that's allowed me to maintain a positive mindset.
As a blog and business coach today, I've seen my clients tailspin down rabbit holes countless times. They begin searching for a certain topic and find countless contradictions on the web. If that's happening to you, I would recommend hiring a coach until you can get to a place of listening to your gut. Otherwise, in my experience, you can be swimming in a sea of self doubt without a life preserver.
[RELATED] How To Overcome Those “First Post” Jitters
Secret #2: Put in the time & refine.
I want to take a beat and give you some background on my career and how I ended up here. While TCM is only a year old, the skills I put into my blog have been refined over many years.
I started blogging technically when I was 14 or 15 years old (over 12 years ago!) it was AWFUL. You can actually still read it here (seriously don't judge, it was 2005 haha). On a professional level it was also helpful since I could see why no one (other then our friends back then) would ever read my blog. It was a great learning experience of what not to do and I tried to carry that insight into my future.
Struggling with what to post? Grab my list of content ideas for mom bloggers!
After abandoning that blog back in 2007 (there are a bunch of private posts people can't see where I kept it up). Per the suggestions of a therapist in 2011 or 12, I launched an anonymous blog about family issues and mental health. I didn't keep up with it for very long because a lot of that writing has gone towards a memoir I've been working on and off since I've been 17.
Basically, that's my long winded way of saying, I've been writing on and off for many many years and have had the ability to look back on those pieces and learn from them.
ACTION TIP: Revisit your older content, see what's changed (how you've grown), as well as what's working and what isn't. Ask yourself, if you read this on someone else's site, would you share it? If the answer is no, why not?
In the present, we are often too connected to what we are writing about to really take a step back and determine, “is this good? would other people be interested in this too?” – which is why I like the trips down memory lane, it almost feels like I am critiquing someone else's work and I can always learn from it.
Blogging aside, I put in a lot of time on the business side of things too…
The next major part of my past that I don't talk about very often, is SISU Programs. In 2014 I started my own business, SISU Programs, SISU (pronounced see-SOO), is a Finnish word that basically means “having guts, determination, and resilience”. I had just left the counseling world where I had been working as a substance abuse and mental health counselor. During my work, I had seen a lot of my clients struggling with #adulting. It wasn't because they were in recovery, it was simply because our twenties can be crazy confusing.
Over 3 months I did a ton of research and wrote a 200+ page curriculum with worksheets and lessons plans for #adulting. The curriculum covered everything from basic financial literacy, healthy eating and grocery shopping effectively on a budget, vocational programs for getting started and advancing in one's career, relationship tips and tools, and so on. Basically the majority of the categories you see on TCM. I worked one on one with 19-30 years olds teaching them these skills. At local businesses, I ran groups/workshops for over a year. Over time, I took on consulting positions for local treatment centers looking to implement similar programs.
Why I think the wide variety of categories work on my blog:
Basically, another really long winded way of telling you guys why I think the wide variety of categories works on TCM. They had been in the works for over a year before launching (even though I had no idea I would be launching a blog). The research was done and I had already received a ton of feedback from millennials by running in person workshops.
All it took was a not so nice exchange with another coach at the time to set the lightbulb off for The Confused Millennial.
The other thing happening simultaneously to the above events, is that my husband had his own startup. Through his business, I grew accustomed to the behind the scenes of building a business. I helped with the branding, web design, UX/UI, marketing plans, networking, etc. Over the years, I've been hired to do people's websites and work as their business coach/consultant. – In other words, I didn't develop these skills overnight. I've put in my fair share of 18 hour days for the last five or six years in some way or another.
There's no easy short cut around it, you just have to put in the time and refine your skills when growing a blog or business.
[RELATED] How To Announce Your Blog To The World
Secret #3: What's the Value Add?
If forced to give a one sentence answer to what my “secret” is though, it's exactly what you said in your question: valuable content.
My clients get this drilled into them. They also probably get super frustrated with me sometimes because you can always dig deeper on this. With blogging, it can be easy to want to share about your latest trip or purchase, but ask yourself, what's the value add? How am I adding value on this topic to readers lives with this?
TCM was the logical next step to bring the SISU curriculum to life. I knew confused millennials were out there that needed it (because I had just spent a year working with them in person), and so I decided to make every post as relatable, valuable, and as actionable possible.
[RELATED] 3 Tips To Help You Create Content Your Audience Will Love
Bonus Secret:
Pinterest!! Pinterest is a blogger's gold mine. This is probably the answer you are looking for because it's the quickest most direct path to blog traffic. This is the best Pinterest course I've taken. It has generated tens of thousands of pageviews over the years, keeps me reaching over a million viewers each month, and has helped tons of other bloggers as well!Â
>>> Grab the BEST Pinterest course here!! <<<
If you're a blogger, what do you think contributes to your blogs success?
Let me know in the comments!
If you're a reader, but not a blogger, what keeps you coming back?
Originally published 03/29/2017; updated 04/13/2020
These are great tips! I’ve been meaning to go back through some of my older content and refresh it because I know for sure that it needs a little TLC. I feel more confident in my writing style and I think some of my earlier stuff was me trying too hard.
I hear that! I think that happens to a lot of us!
This is such a wonderful post. Thank you for sharing!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Love this post Rachel! Listening to my gut has made me make a lot of great decisions for myself and for my blog! Thanks for sharing!
You’re welcome!
I love your point about the amount of time you’ve poured into writing before this blog existed. I think it can be daunting for people to see that a blogger has “only” been blogging for a year and then they start comparing themselves. But once they realize how much has gone in to getting to that point it will make a world of difference!
For sure! that’s why it was so important for me to go into detail on my past experience. I think it some people were comparing themselves after my blogiversary post, but they didn’t realize i had all this other experience (plus am a business coach) so I know how to do things more than the average person starting out
Absolutely! And it is much appreciated!
I’ve recently been trying to go back and revisit/revise my old posts. We all have to start somewhere and while I’m not going to totally adjust the content I still make little tweaks.
That’s good! I do that too!
Love these tips! And I totally understand all these tips, especially about trusting your gut 🙂 my #1 tip! But I also think enjoying the content you are putting out is super important as well 🙂
http://thesofieyahdiaries.com/lifestyle/making-the-most-of-college
Definitely agree! I think they go hand in hand!
Are you Finnish?!?! I knew Sisu the second I read it! My mom is 100% Finnish and spoke it with my grandma and aunts/uncles. I have a mug that has suomalainen sisu on it (Finnish guts). Loved this post in its entirety, but I’m totally taken with your Finnish reference because I’m super proud of being a Finn haha (here’s an Insta of that mug: https://www.instagram.com/p/y4hUhAm1tV/?taken-by=joylynnlifestyle)
OMG NO WAY!! HAHA that’s awesome! I am not! People always think I am because of the name. My husband had a client who always signed off with it and he loved it. He knew he wanted to name a company it someday and it really fit for what I was doing at the time!
These are great tips! I like the one about visiting old content + seeing how you have evolved. Thanks for sharing!
http://thebbar.org/
You’re welcome!
Visiting old content is great! I’ve just started revising some of my old posts – the content is there but my photos have gotten so much better!
Oh gosh! I can only imagine! My photos used to be terrible
Thank you for sharing these tips! I think revisiting old content can be a great way to put in to perspective where you started and where you are now!
Totally!
I love these tips! I totally agree with the part about networking – I am super shy as well, so it can be tough! But so important!
You are so not shy haha I neverrrr woudve guessed haha
ON POINT with every single tip here. Especially with #1 – you can (and should) go your own way.
You really have to! Otherwise I think you hit a wall or don’t come off as passionate or authentic. It just doesn’t connect as well!
Yes! Great points. I think consistency is another big one. Whether you post once a week or 5 times a week or once every other week, consistency is important.
Yes! Great points. I think consistency is another big one. Whether you post once a week or 5 times a week or once every other week, consistency is important.
Yeah, i agree for sure. I think that one is pretty commonly talked about though which is why I left it off. Every post about blog growth talks about consistency! haha
Thanks for sharing your tips. I need to do more of visiting my old content. I’m sure that helps put things in perspective. I appreciate your transparency.
You’re welcome! Happy it was helpful!
I love this! And especially #1. While I might be new, I’ve come across and read so many amazing blogs and it can be tough to not compare yourself to them. And a while some advice is pretty helpful, other stuff not so much. And a lot of it is geared for long-time bloggers, so it can be discouraging as a newbie. But I try not to let that impact how I’m doing stuff. In fact, I’m still super proud and happy with my progress!
It’s funny, because i talk to a lot of “long time bloggers” and many feel like the blog advice out there is for newbs! haha I think honestly the biggest thing is focusing on your own stuff and not all the noise out there! There is always a new milestone to celebrate in blogging and it can be easy to forget that!
Love the secrets you shared here! The point you made about asking yourself “what’s the value add?” is definitely something I try to always think about when creating content for my blog. I think if you can create content that even you would find share worthy or helpful, then that’s a big, big plus.
It definitely shows in your content!
Thank you for sharing these tips! Being a newer blogger myself, I found these tips to be very helpful – especially your first point about listening to your gut. As business and blog owners, it’s so important for us to stick to our brand and what WE want to say to the world.
Thanks again for these tips! Your blog is AMAZING 🙂
– Kristen
http://www.sophisticatedgal.com
Awe thank you!!
I started a blog when I was 15… 2009 I think! And it was a mess hahahaha. But yeah I always wanted to started blogging again and I finally decided to do it. So many new things to learn!
https://elephantontheroad.com
lol what a mess is right! haha so many new things to tackle today! it all changes so fast!
Great post! This is all so insightful! When you had your blogiversary, I couldn’t believe it had only been one year for you! I couldn’t comprehend how you were able to crank out so much valuable content so quickly. Seriously, I love your stuff and am always over here checking you out – so I’m very inspired by your life/business story. 😛
My biggest “secret” is trusting in my abilities. It’s way too easy to compare your success to others but if you look out for the tiny moments when your hard-work is validated, it helps you stay motivated in your pursuits. For example: I had NO IDEA what I was doing when I started Glitter & Grandeur – I launched it in a week on a whim – but I now (one year later) have a job as a professional homes blogger (I also have never owned a house). Sometimes you just have to put yourself out there and trust that although you feel like you are stabbing in the dark – that you actually know what you are doing. 🙂
Anyway, that is my long-winded way of saying you are awesome and I admire you. <3
xoxo Lauren | Glitter & Grandeur
Haha awe thank you! That’s why it was really important for me to go into so much detail on my background in this post! I think a lot of people were wondering that lol – Couldn’t agree more with trusting yourself! Honestly that faith and hardwork opens so many doors!