Ever felt like this?
Lately you have been reading a gazillion of blog posts on how to build a successful blog…
…but your blog hasn`t improved much.
Nah, who are we kidding?
Your blog hasn`t improved at all.
Then you realize that what you have been really doing is…
wasting a lot of time…
making yourself even more frustrated…
and becoming paralyzed by over-analysis.
Does this sound familiar?
If so, no worries. We have all been there.
Relax and breathe. I got your back.
Let me introduce you to the one skill that can take your blog from barely surviving to aweeesome.
How To Stand Out In An Overcrowded Blogosphere
In the beginning when you were planning your blog you were thinking that you had to pick a large niche market.
Because you really don`t want to lose any sales by not targeting everyone, right?
*BEEEEEEEP* (Disturbing alerting sound)
Wrong.
If you try to target everyone, you are actually targeting no one.
Imagine this: your goal is to participate in a marathon and you decided to hire a coach to help you.
You had three alternatives:
A) Hire a general workout coach
B) Hire a running coach
C) Hire a marathon coach
Who would you pick?
The marathon coach, right?
This also applies to your blog and your business.
Who are you really targeting?
You should narrow your niche. Then a little bit more. And then some more.
Let me use myself as an example:
When I started blogging I wanted to write about personal development (way too broad).
Then I narrowed it down to productivity (still too broad).
Because who was I actually targeting?
Every breathing individual who was walking this planet on two legs and wanted to become more productive.
After beating my head against the wall a few times, I realized that I needed to narrow down my niche even more.
So I decided to target bloggers and online entrepreneurs.
Since I`m a blogger and online entrepreneur myself, I also know which challenges they are facing.
My point is…
if you want to stand out from the rest, you need to narrow down your niche.
You might be thinking: “Okay, Tor. I got it. Narrowing down my niche. But what about the number one skill that would take my blog from barely surviving to aweeesome?”
Great question, indeed.
The narrowing down your niche part is an important prerequisite for the number one skill to work.
Without further ado…
The Number One Skill That Can Take Your Blog From Barely Surviving To Aweeesome
When you run a blog, what business are you really in? (It`s not a trick question.)
You are in the content marketing business.
This means that you need to give a lot of useful and great content that solves a specific problem for free.
That is the only way to stand out in the marketplace and build your brand fast.
In other words, you need to know:
– Who your target audience is
– What their biggest struggles are
– How to create great free content that will help them solve a specific problem
And how can you do that?
One word: copywriting.
This will help you to put your message in the correct way in front of the correct group of people.
Let me use the headline of this blog post as an example.
Example of bad copywriting headline:
– How To Use Copywriting To Improve Your Life (Too generic)
– How To Use Copywriting To Grow Your Business (Better, but not specific enough)
– How To Use Copywriting To Grow Your Blog (Even better, but not snappy enough)
Example of good copywriting headline:
The Number One Skill That Can Take Your Blog From Barely Surviving To Aweeesome
Let`s break it down.
I chose “the number one skill” without mentioning that it was copywriting, because I wanted to leave an information gap, which subconsciously wants the reader to know what it is.
Then I chose the word “blog” because I wanted to target bloggers. I could have chosen the word “business” instead of “blog”, but that would not appeal directly to bloggers, and it might have attracted people who are running a brick and mortar business, which is not my target audience.
So be specific.
Then I mentioned “From Barely Surviving To Aweeesome”.
I was mentioning a big problem that many bloggers have. A problem that is so big that they are laying in their bed at night unable to sleep.
They are thinking: “How am I going to earn more money with my blog, so I can earn a full-time income for my family? I want to finally show all the people who are laughing behind my back that I can live of blogging.”
Why did I write “aweeesome” instead of “awesome”?
Well, let`s admit that if something is aweeesome it`s way better than awesome, right?
In addition, it makes my headline stand out even more.
You may be thinking: “But Tor, you are talking about copywriting, and you just mentioned your headline as an example”.
Touchè. Nothing gets past you.
You are applying your copywriting skills to your headline as well as the body of your blog post, the call to the action at the end, in your emails and obviously on your sales pages / landing pages.
So your online business is depending on your copywriting skill.
Any good copywriter needs to master writing good headlines.
Why?
Because if you can`t write a great headline, people won`t click the link to your article.
You get the point.
Okay, I am going to do something really cool for you.
Are you ready?
Great!
Ramit Sethi is holding The Call To Action Copywriting Bootcamp where he will teach you how to double your business in 18 months – even if you are not a writer.
How cool is that?
Want to know that is even cooler?
It`s free.
If you want to build a successful blog fast…
you need to learn copywriting…
and you need to be there.
Here is the link again: Yes, I`m in!
Note: This is not an affiliate link. I`m just helping my friend Ramit out, and I love to share awesome content.
Obviously I am attending and you should too.
Why I am attending
My copywriting skills used to suck big time (true story).
I was subscribing to a gazillion newsletters from the big dogs (bloggers, marketers, social media experts).
But there was something special about Ramit`s newsletters.
Regardless of all the emails I got, I always opened his.
Why?
Because he is a great copywriter and I have learned a lot by reading his emails and following his blog IwillTeachYouHowToBeRich.com
In addition to being a very successful online entrepreneur, he really knows how to make me:
– Click on his email (because of the topic)
– Read the entire email (because of the way he writes)
– Click on the link inside the email (because of good call to action)
– Attend to his Bootcamp (because of good writing and call to action)
Yeah, it all boils down to his copywriting skill.
So I was thinking, if this guy can make me do all the actions above, even though I have don`t really have time to read newsletters…
he clearly masters the art of awesome copywriting.
What do I need to improve to build my business?
Copywriting.
And since I want to learn from the best, who should I pick?
Duh! The guy who just made me click the email, read the entire email, click on the link inside the email and register for his free webinar.
What to do next…
If you want to improve your blogging game, join me and attend Ramit`s The Call To Action Copywriting Bootcamp
Note: As mentioned before, it`s not an affiliate link. Just doing it to provide some massive value.
By the way, I want to do something extra for you.
And this is craaazy.
Are you ready?
I will give away 5 free 30 minutes coaching consultations where I will teach you how you easily can build your blog FAST by skyrocketing your productivity.
I normally charge $100 for 30 minutes.
There are a few prerequisites, though:
1.You need to register for Ramit`s The Call To Action Copywriting Bootcamp (It`s free)
2. You need to have a blog
3. You need to be an action taker and having a strong desire to make your blog successful
If you meet the requirements above, send me an email tor at timemanagementchef.com with a snapshot that you have registered for the Call To Action Copywriting Bootcamp.
Only 5 spots. First come,first served.
What is your experience with improving your copywriting skills?
How did that help you grow your blog?
I help online entrepreneurs NETWORK with influencers and position their BRAND so they can attract the right CLIENTS fast. Award-winning blogger.
Hi Tor,
It really good to see you using your Post as an example. I have been reading quite some of your post and all I can say is that they really are impressive.
Also I’m a big fan of Ramit and a subscriber to his newsletter and all you’ve said about him in your post is nothing else but truth… I always found it compelling to open his emails and read until the very last word. Ramit is truly a successful entrepreneur that teaches what he did.
Since I am the worst living being on the planet (on writing copywriting), I will simply have to go for the copywriting bootcamp and maybe get your 5 free minute call.
Thanks for this post, It truly worth sharing.
Take Care,
Aderemi Dare
Hey Aderemi,
thanks a lot for your kind words. It means a lot.
The free coaching call was for 30 minutes, not 5 😉 That being said,the registration for the bootcamp is closed, and my free coaching offer is no longer valid.
However, I might offer similar opportunities in the future 🙂
Have a great day.
Best,
Tor
Great post, Tor!
And you are right – copywriting is a significant issue.
Honing our copywriting skills should be an ongoing process.
I call it salesmanship in print, and when people get good at it, they can indeed use the power of words to educate AND persuade.
Love your headline.
Some of the headline techniques I’ve used have been provocation, mystery, and humor.
Thanks again Tor!
Kim
Hey Kim,
thanks for commenting and for your kind words.
I really appreciate it.
Using headlines that sticks out and grabs attention works like a charm 😉
Stay awesome.
Tor
haha Tor you sly Tor!
You definitely know the skill, I mean, when I was reading I was like what Tor is upto and it was so obvious from the beginning … hope you catch on quickly ;p
Copywriting, to be honest, to get good at it, you need to work on it constantly and plus you need good amount of time, couple of years … couple of years can really make you an expert imo!
Again, what you think ? how much time & practice ?
Thanks for stopping by to comment, Arshad.
Yes, copywriting is like a muscle, if you want to become very good, you should train it often.
Remember, that there i s no need to become the worlds best copywriter…
but to become good enough.
Good enough so you can…
put your message in the best way possible in front of the right people.
Because we genuinely want to help other people, right?
In order for us to do that, we need to be skilled to craft a message that is CLEAR.
It worthless to have a great cure for an illness, if no one knows you have it.
Have a great day!
Tor
Thank you for the post, Tor.
Copywriting is something which bloggers need to master and it comes from the regular practice. When you start to write, you may sit with a blank computer screen for a half of the day. The more you write, the more writing “templates” in your mind which you easily put in your next posts or emails.
Seth Godin said well about it: “Do it every day. Every single day. Not a diary, not fiction, but analysis. Clear, crisp, honest writing about what you see in the world. Or want to see. Or teach (in writing). Tell us how to do something.
If you know you have to write something every single day, even a paragraph, you will improve your writing. ”
I use copywriting skills everywhere. Sometimes I catch myself that I have my favourite phrases or sentences which I use a lot. Then I take a challenge to write differently – that’s an interesting experiment. It helps to find the new ways of writing.
Thanks for your insightful comment, Marina.
It means a lot. I really liked what you are saying: “Sometimes I catch myself that I have my favourite phrases or sentences which I use a lot. Then I take a challenge to write differently – that’s an interesting experiment. It helps to find the new ways of writing.”
Analyzing your own work is very important in order to develop and grow 🙂
If writing is your work, treat is as such. You have to write every single day, whether you feel like it or not.
Hard strategic work pays off 😉
Tor
Hi Tor,
Nice post.
One of the first skills you learn in sales management is that when you recognize everyone, you recognize no one.
Behavior that gets recognized and rewarded gets repeated, sure… but your whole sales team can’t be rep of the week. That’s why it’s so important to focus on your top 20 percent — your key performers.
And by recognizing your top performers, everyone else works to achieve a new standard.
It’s a similar principle when it comes to blogging, isn’t it?
If we try to address the problems of every reader, we really don’t benefit anyone. We need to identify who our best prospects are and write specifically for them.
That’s something I realized over my past “wasted” year of blogging. My blog attempted to serve everyone, which really meant it served no one.
I’m excited for some of the changes I’ll be making. Thanks for the tips!
Brent
Thanks for stopping by to comment, Brent.
I really appreciate you sharing your experience.
Yes, it`s always hard to narrow down your niche in the start, because you don`t want to lose out on potential customers. However, as you point out, when you target everyone, you are really targeting no one. That lesson is usually learned the hard way.
Your blogging year is not wasted. I know that you learned a ton of things.
Look at it like this: if you achieve success easily, you learn nothing. And you are not in a position to teach others (who struggle) how to do it, since you didn`t struggle.
Who do you want to learn from?
Someone who just happened to create a successful blog in 1996…
or someone who entered the overcrowded blogosphere recently; crawling on glass shards uphill, doing every possible mistake AND then building a successful blog?
Tor
Hi Tor,
Goodness! You hit the nail on the head.
I still have so much work to do in regards to my copywriting skills.
Well practice makes perfect.
You got me thinking when you mention ‘narrow down your niche’.
I find this really hard and a constant struggle to narrow down my niche.
I used to write about anything and everything. I wasn’t going anywhere.
I can relate to ‘barely surviving’.
The situation changed when I revamped my blog and narrowed it down to what I am passionate about I am receiving a decent amount of traffic but in my heart of hearts I want to make it more specific.
I will mull over this idea until I find my target audience.
Thank you for this post.
Absolutely sharing it as I know many would benefit from this.
Hema
Thanks a lot for your kind words, Hema.
I am glad that you found my post useful 🙂
Yes, niching down and picking the right audience can be the make or break it factor for your blog.
Tor
What a awesome post Tor!
Although this is officially my very first visit, it definitely
will not be my last!LOL!
I absolutely love your extremely helpful content and your
“down to earth” style of presenting it.
And I’ve seen and read your excellent content on several of the major
influential bloggers, blogs.
Finally I decided to stop by and I’m so glad I did!
Thanks for sharing several excellent points!I’ll definitely be sharing this one!LOL!
Your kind words warm my heart, Mark.
Such comments make all the hard work and effort totally worth it 🙂
Stay awesome!
Tor
So very well said Tor!
And for sure, persuasive copy writing is definitely much
needed skill.
Whether we use to write catchy headlines and or
catchy email subject lines etc.
And it definitely takes time and some continuous effort
to acquire the skill.
Thanks for giving us a glimpse into what it actually takes!
Thanks for your great comment, Mark.
It means a lot 🙂
Have a Merry Christmas!
Hello Tor,
INCREDIBLY explained. Copywriting, yeah it does have a huge impact, to be true I was going through pages on your blog and the headline of this post attracted my attention and why it did is what you have already mentioned in the article.
Although that “Call to action” has closed now as I am too late here but no problems I have got the knowledge from this post.
Thank You,
Karan
Thanks a lot for your kind words, Karan.
Glad that you found the post helpful 🙂
Have a super day!
Tor