38 Blogging Masters Reveal Their Number One Tip For New Bloggers!

Last week I put together a pretty darn spectacular post (if I may say so myself).

It was called ‘22 Content Marketing Experts Reveal the Secrets to Writing Killer Blog Posts‘. It had over a thousand social media shares in 4 days. And it was epic.

But being the cheeky little copywriter that I am, I didn’t want to stop at just one amazingly valuable badass blog post. Oh no no!

I decided to contact another 38 world-leading content marketers in a brazen attempt to milk them of their glorious wisdom, for your viewing pleasure. And they kindly agreed to share blogging advice.

So…What’s the Single Most Important Piece of Advice for New Bloggers?

#1. Ramsay taplin

This answer is different depending on the goals of the blogger. If you want to make a career out of it then the most important thing is to make sure you have your own domain name and host. Don’t try to make a living on a free blogging platform that you don’t own and can’t control. If you do start on a free blog I can guarantee that you’ll want to migrate it one day, and the longer you leave it the more annoying it is.

Aside from that, make sure everything you do is distinctive. It doesn’t have to be original but it does have to stand out from the rest. This should flow through the look and feel of your site, logo and how you write your articles. Make sure your entire brand is consistent and well planned.

~ Ramsay Taplin is known as The Blog Tyrant, a 20-something-year-old guy from Australia who has sold websites for huge sums of money and now shares his methods for growing your blog and dominating your niche. Follow him on Twitter, or sign up for his email updates.

#2. Guy kawasaki

The single most important piece of advice is to accept the fact that social-media is the best way to drive traffic to your blog.

~ Guy Kawasaki is the former chief evangelist of Apple and special advisor to the Motorola business unit of Google. He is the author of APE, What the Plus!, Enchantment, and nine other books. Kawasaki has a BA from Stanford University and an MBA from UCLA as well as an honorary doctorate from Babson College.

#3. Peg fitzpatrick

Social media is an important piece of blogging. Building a social media presence helps your blog. Follow people on Twitter who share your blog, say thank you and connect with people who comment on your blog. Social media isn’t just for blasting your blog posts, you need to build a well-rounded presence so people can get to know you.

~ Peg Fitzpatrick is Head of Social Strategy for Canva, an awesome online design tool. She is also the director of marketing and social media manager for Kreussler Inc. covering the online brand management as well as traditional marketing methods.

#4. Cindy ratzlaff

Write for a specific audience. Don’t write for everyone. If your true expertise and passion is helping authors create more visibility for the books, write for authors. Don’t write for small business owners AND authors. No matter what anyone has told you in the past, you are not a generalist. You have a specific sweet spot and if you speak to that audience in the language they use, you’ll have the best chance of standing out in a crowded virtual world and claiming your own spot as a thought leader.

~ Cindy Ratzlaff was named by Forbes as one of the “Top 30 Women Entrepreneurs to Follow on Twitter” for her sound advice on brand marketing. She creates award-winning marketing and publicity plans for publishers, authors, websites and individuals.

#5. Nate riggs

Just start blogging and make it a point to write on a schedule as much as possible.

Blogging is a habit and the faster you can train yourself to a blogging schedule, the more successful you will be in your ramp up period.  More practice also means better posts.

~ Nate Riggs is the Founder and President of NR Media Group, a content marketing and social media consultancy that specializes in helping multi-unit restaurant brands and technology companies reach audiences and convert them into customers. Follow him on Twitter @nateriggs.

#6. Mars dorian

Blog about your personal experience. Don’t just rehash what someone else is blogging about.

~ Mars Dorian is a great branding expert and one of the most original blogger in the world.

#7. Sean ogle

It’s going to be a lot harder than you think.

Specifically, the consistency aspect of it. It takes a long time to get a blog to the point where it’s making money and you have authority.

Don’t give up. 99% of people give up before their blog ever gets to that point, but often the ones who succeed are simply the ones who keep doing it long enough.

~ Sean Ogle helps people build businesses they can run from anywhere in the world. Oh, and while he’s traveling around doing that, he also golfs as much as humanly possible in his quest to break eighty for the first time ever.

#8. Colin wright

Figure out what you want to get from the experience before you invest too much effort in it.

Looking to build a business around your brand? Just wanting to share your passions with others? Not sure what you want, but intent on documenting an important moment in your life?

This will inform just about everything else you do, and knowing ‘why’ will keep you from wasting a lot of time and effort on things that don’t matter for you and your ambitions.

~ Colin Wright is an awesome professional author who starts and runs businesses and travels full-time. He also blogs and design things.

#9. Joel runyon

I’ve written a full guide to blogging but the most important part of writing an interesting blog is to first try to live an interesting life.

Figuring out the life thing will make the blog thing that much easier.

~ Joel Runyon is the founder of IMPOSSIBLE and where he helps people & businesses push their limits in fitness, gritness & business.

#10. Chris garrett

It’s not about what you know, and it’s not about who you know, it’s about who knows what you know.

Meaning, you have to be valuable, useful, good to know, first. Why would someone want to make the effort to listen to you and get to know you?

~ Chris Garrett is Chief Digital Officer at the legendary Copyblogger Media. He helps run Copyblogger’s educational programs like Authority, where he develops guides and tutorials to support Copyblogger customers in growing their businesses. Connect with Chris on Twitter.

#11. Ian brodie

Write frequently.

It’s the best way to develop your content, create a following, and get better at blogging. The more you blog, the better you get. Later on you might decide to do infrequent “mega posts” or whatever. but initially, write a lot.

 ~ Ian Brodie helps consultants, coaches and other professionals to attract and win more clients. He works with busy professionals who are brilliant at what they do, but need help growing their confidence and competence at marketing and sales.

#12. Peep laja

Success won’t be fast, but keep at it. The secret of success is doing something that others are not willing to do for a long, long time. You won’t stand out by doing the same stuff as everyone else. Write the best posts humanly possible. Be obviously different.

~ Peep Laja is an entrepreneur and conversion optimization expert. He’s been doing digital marketing for 10+ years in Europe, Middle East, Central America and the US. Today he runs a conversion optimization agency Markitekt.

#13. Chris savage

Focus on being yourself.

It’s really easy when you first start blogging to believe that you need to be super professional and write the most innovative ideas that have ever been written. It’s not a bad idea to have innovative ideas, but what’s most important is writing content that people can learn from an connect with. An audience wants to know your story so don’t be afraid of weaving your perspective and experience into your content.

~ Chris Savage is the CEO and co-founder of Wistia. He lives and works in-and-around Cambridge, MA.

#14. Jacob cass

Learn SEO (Search Engine Optimisation), it really is the backbone of getting traffic to your website.

~ Jacob Cass is a logo, Web and graphic designer from Sydney, Australia, who freelances under his business Just Creative Design, which doubles as a wildly popular design blog.

#15. Chris guthrie

If you aren’t going to differentiate yourself from the other millions of blogs already live today don’t even get started. “Me too” blogs fail. Do something different that matters to your target audience.

 ~ Chris Guthrie runs a blog at entrepreneurboost.com which covers all of his internet marketing super tactics, such as making money with Amazon’s affiliate program, buying and selling blogs and heaps more.

#16. Greg narayan

To grow a blog to the point where others and more importantly you yourself will be impressed by the result you absolutely have to cherish the small moments. Each like, each comment, each email from a big blogger has to be a milestone you remember and use to gain a tiny bit more momentum. That, and it takes a good 1.5 years to earn money.

~ Greg Narayan is just a 20-something-year-old guy who answers about 150 of your blog questions every morning over a coffee.

#17. Zac johnson

Everyone is creating content right now, so if you want to succeed in this same space with 100+ million other blogs, you are going to need to be awesome at whatever you do or write about. This means that you should be focusing on creating amazing content that provides real value and give it away for free. Continue to do this until you have built up a loyal following and then you can start to monetize and branch out with paid products and services through your blog.

~ Zac Johnson is a savvy online marketer with 15 years of experience and a big-time blogger at ZacJohnson.com, as well as the founder of BloggingTips.com. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook.

#18. Sunil

If you cannot sustain the same energy you have now for at least 12 straight months then you will not make it.

~ Sunil is the author of ExtraMoneyBlog.com. He maintains a portfolio of profitable online and offline businesses and blogs about how successful individuals can expedite wealth building through multiple streams of active & passive income. You can connect with him on Facebook and on.

#19. David meerman scott

Have fun with your blog. If you are passionate about the subject and you want to share your passion with the world, you’ll likely do great. If it is “just work” you’ll likely fail.

 ~ David Meerman Scott is a best-selling author and popular keynote speaker on the topics of viral and online marketing as well as the convergence of web marketing, digital media and online PR.

#20. Michael chibuzor

The single piece of advice I can give a new blogger is to “define your objective.” This is important because if a new blogger doesn’t know why he or she is starting a blog and writing blog posts every now and then, failure is already looming.

 ~ Michael Chibuzor is a creative Freelance writer and the editor of content marketing blog. If you want to grow your business, make good sales and generate buyer-leads, hire Michael to write quality and persuasive content for you.

#21. Paul biedermann

The best blog posts are written from a strong personal viewpoint and conviction. I guess you could call it passion. Finding your own voice is key, as that is what will convert ideas into a unique identity that sounds like it could only come from you.

 ~ Paul Biedermann is creative director/owner of re:DESIGN, a boutique agency specializing in strategic design, brand identity, and visual content marketing. Named one of theTop 100 Influencers in Social Media, Paul is also managing partner and editor-in-chief of 12Most.com.

#22. Thanh pham

Growing to a successful blog is all about showing up and being consistent. Are you showing up to write? Are you publishing regularly? A common pitfall is that new bloggers get really excited, write a lot for the first 1-2 months and then stop… right before they succeed. Keep going! Keep showing up and publish regularly. That’s the only way to grow a blog.

~ Thanh Pham is an obsessed productivity geek, systems thinker, blogger, avid reader and a world traveler. He specializes in time management for organizations and personal productivity for executives. Read more about him over at Asian Efficiency.

#23. Farnoosh brock

Blogging isn’t easy and if you are not serious about maintaining a blog, don’t bother starting one. You will need to work hard, to create amazing content that will be useful and worth sharing, you will need to make changes in your lifestyle to make blogging a priority and you will have many bumps along the way. Still wanna do it? Then and only then start blogging.

~ Farnoosh Brock  is an entrepreneur, published author and yoga devotee who helps people find their passion and live their dreams at ProlificLiving.com. Check out her brand new blog: http://www.fasttrackpromotion.com/blog which teaches you how to advance in your career, the fast way!

#24. David cain

If you want long-time, loyal readers, write blog posts that teach people how to do things. Give them specific, new skills they can use on a regular basis. They’ll think of you whenever they use them.

~ David Cain is the author of Raptitude, a blog for getting better at being human. You can follow him on twitter @DavidDCain.

#25. Eric t. Wagner

Relationships are EVERYTHING. Think of it this way, not only must you master the art of good content development, equally important (if not more) is your ability to meet and nurture relationships with key influencers in your field/industry. Why? Because from day one they can help share your content. A new blog is a wasteland of emptiness — unless you can work with influencers who will help drive traffic to your platform.

~ Eric T. Wagner is the Founder and CEO of Mighty Wise Academy: A Virtual Academy For Entrepreneurship. He is also a mentor and advisor for multiple startup companies.

#26. Tyler tervooren

It’s going to take longer than you think. Longer than you think to build a readership, to gain credibility, to find your voice. But if you “do the work,” stick to it, write with integrity, and always think of the reader’s needs first, you’ll create great things.

~ Tyler Tervooren is an independent entrepreneur and founder of Riskology.co. He has started 7 businesses and traveled to more than 20 different countries.

#27. Adrienne smith

Just be yourself. What that means is put you into your content.  Write like you’re talking to your good friend and explain things in simple terms if you feel they don’t understand because most people don’t.  Blogging is a people business and making those connections are crucial.  When they feel like you’re speaking just to them, that’s when they feel the most comfortable and the doors can open for building new relationships.

~ Adrienne Smith is an entrepreneur whose passion is to help others achieve success online through sharing her own experiences using her blog.  She loves building relationships with her readers and was even named the “Engagement Superstar” in 2011.

#28. Barron cuadro

Be in it for the long haul, and know the outcome you desire. You may not get the results you want for months or years. Just keep your head down and write useful, entertaining content regularly for one or two years, at least. Share each post with as many people as you can, and ask them to share it too. I’d be surprised if you’re not seeing the results you want by then.

~ Barron Cuadro designs and builds sites for bloggers, entrepreneurs, and small businesses. He is a Founding Editor of Effortless Gent, a site dedicated to men’s style, and Co-Founder of Fifth&Brannan, a menswear label based in San Francisco.

#29. Daniel sharkov

When starting a blog, there really are a lot of tasks that need to be ruled out. A little more on the practical side though, something a lot of blogs seem to be missing are social buttons.Two types of social buttons to be precise.The first one is buttons for readers to connect with the author of the blog and the second to allow the reader to easily share a piece of content on any of the popular social networks. A study I recently came across concluded that a blog without sharing buttons receives around seven times less exposure. So you could be missing on a lot of traffic, by not having done a task that takes a couple of minutes.

~ Daniel Sharkov is a student, marketer, blogger and a social media enthusiast. Make sure to check out Reviewz N Tips – the place, where he shares his awesome insights and experience!

#30. Caleb wojcik

Building an audience takes time. Embrace the small tribe you build and treat them amazingly well. Respond to all their comments, emails, and requests.

~ Caleb Wojcik is the co-founder of Fizzle.co, The Sparkline, & The Fizzle Show. He also writes and podcasts super-useful tips on video-making at CalebWojcik.com.

#31. Celestine chua

Find your voice. Don’t emulate others but simply BE yourself. If you have a snarky personality, then be that; if you are kind and amiable, then exude that with your writing. I’ve seen bloggers of all personalities thrive (from sarcastic and witty to sweet and amiable) and the reason why they thrive is because they embrace their true selves — after which people who resonate to them flock to them.

~ Celestine Chua is a life coach and founder of Personal Excellence, #1 site for people passionate about achieving excellence in life. Celes grew her blog from 0 visitors to over a million pageviews a month in less than three years; she has since created Blogging Success Program to teach bloggers how to get their first million pageviews online.

#32. David risley

Hard to boil it down to one, but if I had to pick one…. build a list. The email list isn’t just a sales thing at all. It is a point of leverage. Without one, it is much harder to build your readership.

~ David Risley is a professional blogger, entrepreneur, and online marketer. Having generated over $1.3 million online as a blogger, today he teaches bloggers how to turn their passions into a solid, profitable business through a combination of blogging and internet marketing. He is the the founder of the Blog Marketing Academy.

#33. Yaro starak

The only way to find out the absolute true answer to the question of “will it work” is to test with real customers. No amount of study or asking for advice or even building a list or getting traffic can tell you whether you will make money. Make an offer and see if people purchase, that’s where the true learning happens.

~ Yaro Starak is the author of the Blog Profits Blueprint, a report you can download instantly to learn how to make $10,000 a month, from only blogging 2 hours per day. You can find Yaro on Facebook, Twitter and Google+.

#34. Jenny blake

Be yourself. Strive to write the posts that scare you most.

~ Jenny Blake is a bestselling author, career and business strategist and international speaker who helps smart people organize their brain, move beyond burnout, and build sustainable, dynamic careers they love. You can find her at JennyBlake.me where she explores systems at the intersection of mind, body and business. Follow her on Twitter @jenny_blake.

#35. Heather lloyd-martin

Plan your blog content at least a couple weeks in advance.When you first start blogging, it’s usually easy to think of topic ideas and keep on track. But then, life gets in the way. Things get busy – and the blog gets put on the back burner. Or, you want to blog, but you have no idea what to write about. As a result, you stop blogging. Or you do blog, but only here and there.Mapping out your editorial calendar ahead of time will save you lots of stress. You’ll always know what you’re going to write about and when the post will publish. Sure, you may change your mind and decide to write something else. That’s OK. It’s always better to have options than face a blank screen staring at you.

~ Heather Lloyd-Martin is CEO of the SEO copywriting agency SuccessWorks. A first-generation search marketer, she is considered the pioneer of SEO copywriting and speaks frequently at worldwide events. You can follow her on Twitter at @heatherlloyd.

#36. Steve scott

Build an email list.

It’s not hard to generate traffic to your site.  The trick is to engage new readers and get them coming back for more.  By focusing on list building, you’ll take that first step to building a long-term relationship with people who check out your site for the first time. My recommended technique for building a list is to offer a free piece of content in exchange for a person’s email address.  From there, you should create a few autoresponder emails that offer valuable content. These messages should encourage subscribers to check out helpful articles and interact with you through social media. Create an extensive sequence like this and you’ll have an automated system for introducing people to your personal brand.

~ Steve Scott is a world traveler and has been a successful affiliate marketer since 2006. He regularly blogs on Steve Scott Site where he reveals every secret he has learned to become a successful authority affiliate marketer.

#37. James chartrand

It should be obvious, but I see so many people thinking that their blog is going to take off very quickly, and they’ll become rich or famous in no time flat. It’s not their fault – so many ‘experts’ make it seem easy and achievable.

It’s not. A blog takes time, effort and contentious, effective strategy management to succeed. There’s a lot more to it than just writing some nice posts and putting them up for all to see. So that’s my advice: be ready for the long haul, and be prepared for your blog to take some time and hard work before it begins to take off. Stick with it, think smart and plan out your success strategies carefully. It’s key to achieving your goals – and they won’t happen overnight!

~ James Chartrand is the founder and owner of Men with Pens and Damn Fine Words. She manages the entire team with quick wit and a level head, personally overseeing every single client project for high-quality results.

#38. Pamela wilson

You’ll have the most success attracting an audience if you start off knowing very specifically who you want to reach.

That said, there’s a good chance the audience you actually attract will be different than the one you originally set out to attract.

So the most important piece of advice I have is to write your way to your true audience. Commit to posting regularly — at least a couple of times a month — and interact with your readers every chance you get. When you do this, your writing will become more relevant to your readers, and you’ll find it easier to draw the right visitors to your blog.

~ Pamela Wilson believes your business may be small, but your brand can be BIG. Get her free Marketing Toolkit here.

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And don’t forget to check out last week’s super post, 22 Content-Marketing Experts Reveal the Secrets to Writing Killer Blog Posts.

Love you!

Konrad x