“There are a million blogs out there already that talk about what I talk about… why would anyone listen to me?”.

“No matter how hard I try, I just can’t seem to get enough traffic to my blog.”

“Everyone’s talking about growing your email list, but where and how do I even start?”

Have any of these questions ever crossed your mind? When you’re starting a new blog, getting readers and subscribers can feel like an uphill battle. And becoming a blogger that your readers trust and turn to as the “go to” source on your topic? That can feel nearly impossible.

But is doesn’t have to be.

There’s no magic pill for blog popularity

I’ll be the first to tell you that there’s no easy street to growing your blog, but there certainly are smart strategies and shortcuts you can take along the way that can help you get there faster.

If you hang out in any blogging forums or Facebook groups, you may have heard a disappointed blogger or two saying that “guest posting doesn’t work” for getting traffic and growing your blog.

But if that’s really true, then no one told Meera about it. She’s been able to establish authority in her niche and grow her blog in a big way in just 4 months… by guest blogging.

Ever feel like a small fish in a big blogging pond?

Watch this 10-minute webinar to learn Meera’s strategy and criteria for using guest blogging to grow your own blog!

Webinar outline:

Don’t waste time guest posting for sites and getting nothing in return for your blog! Here’s Meera’s magic criteria for choosing guest posting opportunities that will actually work for growing your own blog. Be sure to also download her email pitch template to make pitching those guest posts a breeze!

Print this!

Criteria #1: Choose blogs where your target audience is hanging out

Use Alexa.com to view demographic information for that blog’s visitors to see if it’s a match for what you want. Also make sure the blog gets a decent amount of engagement (comments) and social shares.

Criteria #2: Choose blogs that will build your overall credibility

Getting traffic and subscribers is great, but another goal of guest posting is to establish your own credibility. Pitch blogs that your readers will recognize in order to build trust.

Criteria #3: Choose blogs that will give you an “in” with larger blogs

When starting out, you may not be able to land a hugely popular blog. Start with “micro influencers” and work your way up, name dropping these along the way.

As we’ve learned, not all guest posting opportunities are created equal, and you need to be picky about where you spend your time writing if you want it to have a real impact on the growth of your blog.

But once you land that golden guest posting op, how do you make the most of it? Here are Meera’s tips:

1. Author bio: Use 1-2 links max (even if they let you have more). Giving too many links will overwhelm your readers.

2. Linking strategy: Instead of linking to your blog home page or social media, link straight to an opt-in page with a free content upgrade relevant to the your post. This will ensure that casual readers become subscribers!

3. Welcome email: Don’t leave your new subscribers hanging! Be sure to follow up with an effective welcome email series that will help build that relationship right from the start (be sure to see Meera’s bio below for help with this).

Have you tried Guest blogging yet? What were your results?

After hearing about Meera’s success, do you think guest posting is a strategy you’d like to try for growing your blog? Have any questions? Let’s chat below 🙂

Bloggers gonna blog, and apparently mom bloggers gonna blog even when their kids decide to have a scratching fight in the other room.

That opening will make more sense once you watch this week’s 10-minute webinar below 😉

Know what else will make more sense once you watch the webinar?

How to get a ton of blog email subscribers.

That’s because mom blogger Suzi Whitford shares her secret sauce for how she got thousands of email subscribers from just one blog post.

She used a super clever opt-in bribe (aka. “freebie”, aka. “lead magnet”, aka. “email opt-in offer”) that attracted subscribers to her blog like bees to honey.

Sound too good to be true? I might think so too… if I didn’t see it happen in real time. I remember when Suzi first released this freebie out into the blogging wild, and what a buzz it caused!

But how did she do it? What made her freebie offer so successful?

She shares her 6-point freebie formula with us in this week’s webinar – enjoy!

(For your convenience, my kids graciously provide a short break for you at the 5 minute mark, then again at about 7:55. I think they startled Suzi a bit, but she carries us through like a pro 🙂 ).

Webinar outline:

Here’s a handy printable of Suzi’s 6-point checklist for creating a perfect freebie. Ask yourself these questions to audit your current offering or when you create a new one!

Print this!

#1: Is it useful? Make sure your audience will actually be able to use it and get value from it.

#2: Is it unique? There is so much “same-ness” online that people can easily find for free from a simple Google search. Make sure your freebie is unique.

#3: Will it deliver quick results? We’re busy! And overwhelmed with to-dos! Make sure your freebie will get your reader to a desired result quickly without much work.

#4: Is it all focused on your user? First and foremost, know your reader. Then create a freebie just for them… something that speaks to exactly what they’re struggling with.

#5: Do you wish you thought of it sooner? If your freebie passes this little test, then you can be pretty sure you’ve got a winner.

#6: Is it something so good that people will be willing to pay for it? This little gem of advice from Sue at SuccessfulBlogging.com will seal the deal and help you create an offer that your readers can’t refuse!

Does your freebie opt-in offer pass the test?

Did you catch the extra tip at about 9:15 where Suzi chats about how she actually started collecting email subscribers? It’s a great lesson in “done is better than perfect”!

(Plus, if you want to copy her blog vision board in the background, check out this post).

Do you know any other mom bloggers this quick webinar could help? Please share with them! Then, let’s chat below about freebie offers and blog email subscribers 🙂