Building a Blog as a Business through Consistency

This post is written by guest blogger Ponn Sabra and is one-stop in the month-long Blogger Babes blog tour which began here with it’s opening post on Double Duty Divas’ blog. To read this post in-context, we recommend starting at the beginning–then hop along with us for the full journey.

While many bloggers start blogging as a hobby; that wasn’t the case for me. I was a freelance writer and published in academia for over a decade when I came online to simply publicize my debut book as an author. I knew my blog had to serve 3 main purposes:

1. Position me as an expert,

2. Build a following of my target market, and

3. Help publicize my services and products.

So, I came into blogging with a totally different mindset. From the get-go, I was strategic in what I chose to write, even my very first blog post over 10 years ago.

But, freelance writing, especially AP style in my role as the networking columnist of Entrepreneur magazine’s women’s site was very time consuming and hard to balance with a new family of 3 girls under 5 years old. So, I found my joy of “hobby blogging” by having my side mom blog. Those 6 tiny blogs ultimately became my “professional mom blog” for the next 6 years. Now a decade later, I’m transitioning back into a blend of both those worlds in my role as the managing partner of Blogger Babes.

My point is: no matter which route you take, the intentional (like my first blog), or the accidental (like my second) there’s something you ultimately have to decide:

Is your blog a hobby or business?

Can I use a strategy to leverage my passion of blogging and growing audience to turn a profit? Or, am I fine just blogging for the the joy and pleasure of blogging–which there’s nothing wrong with at all.

Bridgette and Cecelia found a way to leverage their experiences and relationships with blogging, and successfully launched and run the awesome blogger network Double Duty Divas. As a blog network owner myself, event planner, and brand-to-blog campaign organizer, I can attest that this may not be the “job” every blogger aspires.

But, that’s not your only option.

Building Traffic through a consistent blogging calendar

Simply blogging in one particular niche, adding affiliate links or having an ad network are three great ways to make a steady income. And, our Blogger Monthly Tutorials help you figure out if you have the time and stick-to-it-iveness to blog regularly, so you can actively have enough traffic to make a good income through your numerous affiliate relationships.

The only way to maintain traffic is by always giving fresh, unique content for your readers to come back too. And, being consistent is much more important than writing 10-days in a row, then not blogging for 10-weeks.

When I came on-board at Blogger Babes, it took me a couple months to get my blogging calendar set–and in January I have been able to maintain a steady Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday schedule. Our readers expect it and it helps me stay organized. This is one thing I felt was very important in developing steady blogging habits–that’s why our debut Monthly Trainer has a blogging calendar sample for you to duplicate.

Need Help writing consistently? Click here to sign up for the Early Bird special release of $5 per month!

Win Two-Hours of Blog Coaching with Heidi and Ponn ($298 value)

We’re crowdsourcing the name of our Monthly Training tutorials. Creating the eKits is one-thing, and publicizing it through a 25-blog blog-tour is another… and trying to tackle a creative training title is something my poor brain cannot handle alone.

So, we need your help!

Grand Prize: Two-Hours of Blog Coaching by Blogger Babes Co-Founders (Value $298)

• Two one-hour blog coaching sessions, one with Heidi and one with Ponn. Coaching will be conducted separately on the phone (domestic), Skype, or our recorded webinar room (international).

How to Enter:

1. Make one comment below for each monthly subscription title you create. Make sure you use your primary email, so it’s easy for us to reach you if you win!

Rules:

2. Any age, any country. Minors with guardian’s permission.

3. Unlimited number of entries across any/all guest blog posts from now until Monday, April 20, 2015.

4. Deadline date: Monday, April 20, 2015 11:59 pm Pacific Time. [After all, we need time to design the covers. 😉 ]

5. Winner selection: Heidi and I will select one winner and announce it Tuesday, April 21, 2015.

You can even champion your title by letting us know on Twitter @TheBloggerBabes or Facebook @TheBloggerBabes.

[Note: these actions do not serve as contest entries. Official entries must be made on this blogpost…but, we’d love to connect with you nonetheless.]

Next Steps:

• Check out our draft sales page now, take some time, and share your proposed title below in the comments area on or before April 20th 11:59 pm Pacific time. While you’re there, sign up for our Early Bird release special!

• Follow the rest of my tour to meet new bloggers, “spy” on other creative title entries, and learn along with me. Here’s our blog tour schedule.

Ponn Sabra is a best-selling author and homeschool mom of three tween and teen daughters, also bestselling authors and probloggers. The Managing Partner of Blogger Babes, Ponn has a secret passion for sewing…what’s your secret passion you’re willing to share?