Episode 136: Easiest Way to Create and Monetize a Blogging or Online Business, Take the Guesswork Out of Starting with Kat McKibbin!

Kate McKibbin is the self-professed very-tall, super nerdy founder of the blog, Secret Bloggers’ Business, and creator of several successful online blog courses and workshops.

Cutting her teeth in the magazine industry in 2007 (when online shopping was just starting to take off), Kate created one of Australia’s largest independent lifestyle blogs (Drop Dead Gorgeous Daily), and grew to a team of five with more than 500,000 visitors a month and several awards to show for her efforts.

Even though her much-loved blog was doing well, Kate still felt called to do more and help more people. In 2014, she created her second business, Secret Bloggers’ Business, to share everything she’d learned about how to create, grow and run a successful blogging business. She did so well that in 2015 she was awarded the Female Entrepreneur of the Year award for her contributions to women in technology. Today, Kate has made it her mission to help bloggers and creatives around the world turn their passions into something that’s profitable, too.

So perhaps you’re looking to get into blogging, but don’t know if you have what takes. Here’s a few things to keep in mind. While a lot of work goes on behind the scenes of a blog, you’re not going to get very far if you haven’t found your passion.

Keep in mind that while blogs used to only be about the person who wrote it (what they ate, what they watched etc.), today’s bloggers must understand that it’s not about THEM! People will follow you based on your point of view, your knowledge and expertise. But don’t worry!

“You don’t have to be the biggest expert in the world. You just have to be a few steps down the track from where your audience is at and help them.”

Also, content, content, content. Are you constantly creating and sharing your findings online?

If you can find a group of people who you know you would love to help – and you have the content, experiences and skills to back it up, go for it. You can’t go wrong if you’re going into it from a place of service.

So, where do you start? Kate suggests the following steps:

  1. Find your niche. Go “free range” for a bit if you have multiple ideas and can’t decide. What are you drawn to? Put some feelers out there (social media, existing contacts that you may have). What types of things get more engagement? Start putting some of your ideas/content out there and see what draws people in and what sticks.
  2. Brainstorm content. This is a biggie. Come up with as many ideas as possible (Kate suggests 100). What themes could you use (season, different times of the year etc.)? Just because you think it’s great doesn’t mean it’s going to resonate with your audience. Let your audience tell you what direction they want you to go.

If you do start a blog, be sure to have an extreme amount of PATIENCE. Allow 6-12 months to see any type of reward. For Kate, one of her biggest benefits was to have the freedom to do work that she loved. Give it your all, but also be cautiously optimistic.

“Set yourself up so you feel safe enough to take a scary leap.”

When you’re starting out, be super responsive to your audience and be CONSISTENT in your content. This doesn’t mean you have to put out things daily. It can be once a week or month. Just figure out what’s realistic for you and do that.

Keep in mind that nothing in life, especially a blog, has guarantees. And you can be certain that others are doing something similar to you. But here’s the thing…all audiences and bloggers are different in SO many ways.

“Don’t compare yourself to others in your space. Find what works for you, but still provides great value to your audience. Focus on you and what’s right for your audience.”

There will be bumps along the road, but stick to it and don’t give up!

“If you’ve got something to say, if you’ve got something to give, and you’ve got a burning fire that says you have to do it, and you feel that pull. There’s no way you’re going to let yourself fail.”

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You can also see more at my website: LoriHarder.com