How To Create Your Blogging Roadmap
written by John Chow
This post was guest blogged by Steven York of seopher.com.
Every blogger (irrespective of their popularity) needs to consider the future implications of their actions; this is true of any discipline within blogging, be it SEO, monetization or traffic. It’s a fact of life that you won’t reach your destination if you don’t know where you’re going - so why would it be any different online?
If you’re driving from A to B, unless you know where B is and how to get there you’ll never arrive; and the same logic applies online. If you’re not mindful of what the future holds then you’re driving blind. Rather than get overly cryptic let me explain how to make your blogging roadmap:
#1 - Have a business plan
You don’t need to be a business to have a business plan - it’s just a document defining your objectives and timescales. So if you want to have 1,000 RSS subscribers by January 2009 that’s your business plan (because you’ve marked your objective and timescale). Once you’ve written your business plan you know where you’re going - that’s the easy bit.
#2 - Understand where you are now
Anyone can write on a piece of paper “I want to make $100,000 next year blogging” but if you’ve only got 5 RSS readers and no income it’s unlikely to materialize. The roadmap doesn’t have to be completely realistic but it has to be rational: you can aim high provided you can explain how you might get there. Aiming wildly at the sky and hoping for stardom isn’t a good way to meet your objectives.
#3 - Plan your resources
How many of the famous bloggers got where they are without promoting themselves? How many did it without spending a penny? How many did it without dedicating any time? None of them - that’s how many. To get anywhere you need resources because getting your name out there is the hard part. Competitions with desirable prizes are a great method provided you have something to offer (not necessarily an item, maybe a service). Just look what Unique Blog Designs [http://www.uniqueblogdesigns.com/] have done by offering their services as competition prizes… Time and money are resources and you’ll have to spend at least one to meet your objectives.
#4 - Find your inspiration
It’s all well and good aiming for somewhere but why are you doing it? You need to know your inspiration otherwise you won’t make it. Blogging on a regular basis (and producing high quality content) while trying to balance a full time job, friends, family and other commitments is not something that is easy to do. Yet you don’t need to know much about it to know how important regular updates are. Blogging becomes a lifestyle and without your inspiration you won’t make it.
Blogging is a very difficult thing to do well; just look at John, Shoemoney, Problogger (and more) and you’ll see that it takes more than good content to make it in this lucrative business (there’s that word again). January is a great time to do your roadmap because you can work out where you are, where you need to be and dedicate resources towards your goals. Rich and famous bloggers are still people, hell, sometimes they write down their advice and publish it just to help you out.
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Good post !
Just going to throw this comment up here, it’s Seopher.com, I think John had a quick typo when entering the info in the “guest post”.
Unless by the time you read this he’s fixed it and I just look crazy.
Be sure to drop him an email so that you receive credit for the article, great job.
Alan Johnson
Wow! John can read my mind (or my post!). Maybe I can get partial credit for my post:
http://www.notjohnchow.com/2008/01/07/get-it-done/
Maybe great minds think alike or maybe one of us got lucky!
Nice post.
From the other posts, it looks like he may be drunk at CES, but I am sure he will get around to it.
It was alright, but we need more CES coverage ASAP!
There is some on the blog now
The “why are you doing this” is a huge question for many and most that do it only for the money will fail. It’s so important to answer that question before you get started.
Very good point, Affcon. Having a solid answer to that question will help guide your actions as well. You simply measure whether the action in question will help you achieve your mission.
“why are you doing this” is a key question, as well as “are you doing the right thing” because, let’s not forget: having goals is important, having the right ones is a must.
Alan Johnson
So true… The net ain’t the fast gun blazing profit pick-up game anymore… To make it in social media you MUST be 100% dedicated or you will 100% fail.
Finally, a useful post for bloggers
Makes sense!
A goal sheet is something I’m constantly working on in my blog. It will be posted at the end of January, so I can analyze my stats and get a good reading of what I know will be feasible. With a contest in the works in celebration of my birthday, I am hoping I can make a little money from that, too. It will be for my email subscribers, so that should boost subscribers.
Justin Dupre
http://www.blogosis.com
Inspiration is the first and most important steps in the road map to any successful business. So I would rearrange these steps as
1. Find inspiration
2. Assess your resources
3. Have a business plan which will also give you idea where you stand now
4. Execute the business plan
Well if you started blogging about something I guess inspiration is there. But after 1k or so of posts and various topics discussed you would need to work to replenish that inspiration. Number1 should be in any project having a business plan.
Become an expert at something you like. Because no one wants to take tips from someone who knows nothing about that subject.
Exactly, being passionate about something is one thing, but being knowledgeable as well is the name of the game since you have to provide value to your visitors if you want to stand a chance at succeeding.
Alan Johnson
Yeah, you’re definitely going to need new sources of inspiration as you go along. Early in the process the idea is your inspiration, it’s when you hit that wall that becomes the tough part.
Yes, I also think first inspiration , to know what to write about.
#4 Should be a religion!
I already set all of them. My aims are not lofty but rather realistic. It takes more than luck for a stardom.
Your tips are so clean and sharp.
Can it be another business something like your articles translated into Korean in my web site?
Thanks a lot.
Very wisely said. I should get my pen and paper out to plan for the year ahead….
A common trait among successful people is that they always have goals set. If you want something bad enough, you need to set goals to reach it.
Another even more important trait is the fact that they show determinaiton and pateince when it comes to working towards achieving their goals, the fact that they learn from mistakes rather than simply give up.
Alan Johnson
Well yeah, having goals is one thing, reaching them is another …
This is very useful advice for anyone starting out in any business - not just blogging. The inspiration part is extremely important.
Starting a blog on any old topic just because you think you’ll make money is not wise and you’d just wind up running out of steam.
Exactly, if you’re only in it for the money, you might achieve short-term success but if you are not passionate about what you are doing, it will eventually become a chore and it’s only downhill from there.
Alan Johnson
Good post John! I shall use this roadmap for my blog at http://www.go2wellington.com
This is a guest post written by Steven York, it’s not John’s.
Alan Johnson
Having a plan is actual quite crucial, as I am discovering
John,
I think this is a great post. I also think it is helpful for people to break out pen and paper to make their road map! For some reason it makes it more tangible for me to write it down then to type it up.
~Debby
Having a roadmap doesn’t apply to blogging alone, I believe it applies to every phase of ones life. Every good house is built by wise planning. The starting point is always to have a clear understanding of where you are going and then to chart the path that will take you there. Also, you need to consider all the price you have to pay and be committed to it. It is after this that you can be sure of success.
What a surreal experience, visiting this site to check for more CES stuff and my post has been published
Ironically enough getting at least one piece of content published on JohnChow.com was on my roadmap!
Congrats on that, though he got your site wrong
It’s “seopher.com” too John!
Hopefully he’ll get that fixed.
Thanks for posting it.
How many bloggers out there have been able to successfully monetize a site without spending money on advertising? I’m looking for some general sense of whether or not it’s possible to “organically” grow a blog into a money-making enterprise.
This post itself is rather informational and inspirational. Nice job.
Very helpful ideas…thanks!
http://www.wannasmile.com
Great post!!
These are really good basic explaination every blogger should be aware!
Excellent post, these are ideas I will be definitely be using
I’ve just started my first blog so I can use all the help I can get. I found this article very sincere and informative and I plan to use some of the ideas here in my blogging experience.
Its kind of helful to me. Even not only in blogging, but anything in this world. THe question is how many dudes will do the same.
Like this post. Roadmapping makes sense. Thanks!
[...] Written by John Chow [...]
Some good tips there, nice guest post.
Defining your targets and setting a timelimit or a deadline, is very important to achive your goals.
To find inspiration, I use mindmapping. I start thinking about a topic, visualise ideas, and make a drawning of them on a paper. Inspiration guaranteed. Nice post.
Without a specific road map / process map / blueprint, you will get smacked in the face many times. It is much easier working a map than “wracking your brain” … plus you’ll feel better about what you’re doing because it has direction and purpose.
No sleepless nights wondering WHAT to do… Just execute the plan, day-by-day, non-stop, relentlessly and you’ll be happy. When you’re happy money flows without effort.
When you’re desperate and not happy you will fail.
This is a plain and simple law of attraction
You are absolutely right and btw. really great post.
Very good post, is a Herbalife and mmn good schooll!