#moving to another location to have an important conversation just increases the chance of overthinking and chickening out once again | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

flightykickback · 5 years

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LAWD! This took forever to write!

I legit had… *counts*…three drafts that I scrapped. What’s crazy is I had so much to type even though this was one night only; All I, and my bank account, had to give. Why am I overthinking the details? LOL!

But, it’s finally here for your reading pleasure: our crash and dash to see BTS Speak Yourself Tour in Chicago!

WARNING: This post is long and hardly edited. I’m tired of looking at it.

When I say this was a crash and dash, I truly mean it. My friend and I drove early morning from Cleveland, stopped by the Hello Kitty Café Truck in Westlake, then made it to Sleep Inn near Midway Airport by 2 PM on concert day. We were on our way downtown to the BTS x Live Nation Pop-Up Shop shortly after. Before we knew it, we were on our way home the next day. Did we breathe? I don’t think so.

The weather in Chicago was *insert Alaska Thunderfuck voice* TERRIBLE! This wasn’t normal rain and cold, this was a cut through your bones kinda chill. I was woefully underprepared, no thanks to checking weather reports! Sunny, they said. ZERO chance of rain, then it rained on our way and was misty all day in Chicago. Swear, I wanted to pack light, so I didn’t bring anything other than a thin jacket and my ballet flats. Not only was I freezing, but I also kept stepping in puddles and mud at Soldier Field. By the end of the night, my hands and feet could’ve been amputated.

Regardless, I had only one chance to complete my mission:

Visit the BTS x Live Nation Pop-Up Shop

Find Disequil Merch

Buy Tour Merch

Die at the Concert

I couldn’t lose!

Originally, my friend and I were to take the transit to the Pop-Up Shop, but she was gracious enough to get us a Lyft since we were an hour away by transit. The driver was real chill and indulged my hyperactivity enough to withstand me asking if his earlobe gauges hurt (to which we learned he just increased the size today! (☉｡☉)), complaining that Blueface is throwing all rappers off-beat, and asking him to cut-off a FL plated minivan trying to jump ahead of us.

Um, excuse me, this Chicago, baby! You can’t just barge in. Fend for yourself! *Doesn’t really mean any of this since there’s hardly any traffic in Cleveland and traffic in Chicago sucks* But we had somewhere important to be! (๑•̀ㅂ•́)و

We get to the Pop-Up Shop and the line was hundreds of people deep, from the shop door and around an entire city block. The only consolation was the representation of all ages, ethnicities, sizes, and gender was admirable, and they all desired to buy these overpriced designs by Live Nation. I just wanted the free slap bracelet =P

My friend and I were getting out of the Lyft (I’m sure our driver misses us T.T) and I tell her, maybe we can ask for bracelets and get the hell outta here. She told me, she’ll watch me ask LOL!

I set off to find an employee in what was an embarrassingly long amount of circling in one spot, looking confused while mumbling to myself, “I don’t see any employees! Where’s the door?! Why are there no employees?! Will people think I’m cutting the line? How can people walk into a building with only one way in and one way out, without any employees outside?! Even a club has bouncers!” Literally, the door would swing open and a select few would walk in before the door slammed shut. Did the door even have a handle?? Meanwhile, my friend is waiting against something, looking comfortable.

Then I spot him, THE ONLY representative that appeared to be working outside, complete in a personal jacket and regular looking jeans. The walkie-talkie and him opening the exit door set my sensors off. LOL!

“Excuse me, how long is the wait?” I was on a whole. ‘Notha. Level. My introvertedness was nowhere to be seen.

“Three hours.” THREE M-FING HOURS?! Oh hell no, we ain’t got time for that!

“Oh no! My friend and I drove all the way from Cleveland to see the concert tonight. It starts at 7.” Pure defeatism in my body language and disappointment all over my face.

Aaaaaaaand LIFTOFF! My strange hyperactive charm engaged the employee in a conversation about the wait time, how most ARMY are finagling it, how he got the job (he knows people?!), and eventually I tell him, “I just want a slap bracelet.”

His movements were “say no more” quick. I barely finished my sentence before he opened the door and reemerged with ONE slap bracelet. I thanked him profusely, then asked for another one for my friend. “NOPE! Should’ve asked then. They gave me a hard time with this one!” Needless to say, I apologized profusely to my friend -_-; (Sorry!).

DISSSSEEEQUILLLL MERCH! Ya’ll! I’ve been aching to add their glow-in-the-dark Speak Yourself Tour pin to my collection and it just so happened the merchant was going to be a Soldier Field. I couldn’t miss this opportunity. The anxiety set in when I learned I had to find Disequil by Twitter stalking.

I’ve wrote how my friend and I ran into Big Hit Staff before. They ab-so-lutely DO NOT want anyone except them selling any merch on tour grounds.

Ooooooo, they want their money! They were looking to bust merch and fan sites like it’s their only mission. There were also a few scares circulating online that cops were busting fan sites, giving them court orders and throwing their merch away O-O! So you can imagine Disequil wasn’t playing any games.

One moment, Disequil was on the outskirts of Soldier Field Campus, then they were someplace else. Suddenly, they were traveling to a donut shop and announced they’d only be there briefly. I legit @ them like DO NOT MOVE! I’M COMING! T_T! So, in the frigid, misty air, by bus, we finally caught up with the merchant. I not only get the SY tour pin, but also prints of their MONO series pin collection!

By now, everyone should know RM is my bias and his album, MONO, had me deep in reflection after its release. I collect so many pins to show my love of RM and his intellect that it’s ridiculous. It’s no surprise that I needed to have the MONO prints too. The details in the design and the embodiment of each song within the artwork of the pins are overwhelming. Dissu even explains each design because they’re that incredible! Not only did I buy the prints, but I also bought the pins when Dissu reopened their shop.

Last, but not least, we had to hook my friend up with tour merch!

At Love Yourself in Chicago, there was only one place to buy merch, in the desolate asphalt lot across from United Center at the giant white circus tent. This time, there were DOZENS of merch sites: outdoor trailers and kiosks and storefronts inside Soldier Field. By the time we got there around 6 pm, there were no ridiculous wait times and almost everything was in stock. The downside was not all merch spots had the same inventory. This meant, not all the same size tees were in stock at every location – which tees were exactly what my friend was on the hunt for.

We’d go to a trailer and they’d have the tee, but not in the wanted size; then, we’d go to another site and they wouldn’t have the tee. In hopes the next site would have the tee, we’d walk up to the counter and find they had a completely different set of tees or completely different inventory! Eventually, my friend had enough, got what she could with the promise to search again after the concert, and we headed to security to be seated.

Why didn’t we check the giant white circus tent you might ask? The mecca for all merch? Because they were ON THE GRASS! It was swamp muddy. Like, devour your ballet flats muddy. The worst part is the lonely UNO Experience tent was waaaaaaay across the sloppy wet field with no one paying it any attention. T_T

Security was QUICK! I was shivering with cold and excitement knowing I wouldn’t have long before I’d be seated. I double-checked my clear, stadium approved bag: no liquids ✔, ARMY bomb ✔, Umbrella ✔ – when the security personnel caught my eye, “They won’t let you bring in an umbrella.” Ya’ll, when it was our turn, they wanted me to discard a premium umbrella, gifted to me by my manager, that folds outwards to trap any wetness from the rain AND has a flashlight on the handle. The guard offers directions to the locker area. Thanks!

We trek to find the lockers that were supposed to be on a simple pathway around the corner. It was around the building and through a tunnel, on the side of a road. These were portable gym lockers for $10! After gawking at the price, I made sure to put as much as I could in there LOL!

There was a bit of a panic on my end because there were at least 20 people working the registers and locking up peoples’ things, but it appeared the line wasn’t moving quick enough to catch the show on time. Luckily, we got a locker, raced back to Soldier Field, practically flew through the security line and made it to our seats in time with 30 minutes to spare. We didn’t miss a thing!

If you’ve never been to a k-pop concert, there’s a pregame after doors open for seating. Music videos play and fans turn on their lightsticks for a sing-a-long. It’s no different at Speak Yourself. ARMY were singing to various music videos with their ARMY Bombs on. I could feel the energy in the air from everyone’s anticipation. The girl next to me was so excited about her first BTS concert that she immediately started talking to me about it.

Finally, without prompting, the first VCR came on, and then…Dionysus.

Note: Pairing the ARMY Bomb was a bih! I must’ve paired it with the Big Hit app at least five times with horrible cell phone reception until I realized I just had to move the switch from Bluetooth to on after paring LOL!

I did not watch a single recording of Dionysus before the concert. At first, in all honesty, I was burnt out. BTS releases so much media that I just needed a break, but this was the perfect opportunity for a surprise while being engulfed in so much sensation. From that point on, I purposefully refrained from watching Dionysus so I could be murdered in the Soldier Field stands…and the impact did not disappoint!

The background lit up across huge LCD panels, giant silver tigers inflated across the stage, pillars began to appear, fire burst forth and BTS materialized from beneath the stage. It was hardcore! Each member had a look of royalty and disregard. BTS, the song itself, the stage production, the choreo and surplus of dancers…was murrrddeeer.

The rest of the experience was personal. I tried to live in the moment as much as possible; although I did get some footage, the rest of the experience turned into amazing memories. Of course, I do have other highlights I want to share!

1. THEY’S RICH! Somebody on their team said eff this budget! We straight flexin’! There were lasers, pyrotechnics, lights, beautiful LCD backgrounds, special effects for video feeds to the monitors, twice the amount of back-up dancers than at Love Yourself, inflatables and intricate light oceans (one that formed a galaxy!) throughout the concert. I’ve never seen nor heard of a concert like this.

Plus, every stage got a glow-up: a conveyor belt on Suga’s stage, Jin’s intergalactic piano, Jay’s sleeker dance platform, RM’s Disney Magic wand, JK flying around the stadium, Jimin popping the bubble he appeared in, and V’s massive, sexy bed. The medley portion was even standardized so every tour stop could see Baepsae hip thrusts.

I was blown away by how Big Hit could take the same setlist, add a few songs from Persona and still outdo themselves. And at the very end, with ARMY singing to Mikrokosmos, the BTS logo ascended towards the stars as a year’s worth of fireworks erupted behind it. It was the most picturesque ending to a concert and incredibly heartfelt.

2. The light ocean was phenomenal. We were in space y’all! Soooooooo many colors and each light ocean matched the set. I frequently took time to look around the stadium and we’d be surrounded by rhythms of pulsing, colorful lights. Sometimes, clusters of lights would form circles or gradients. We were floating in a galaxy during Epiphany. It was beautiful and really whisked me away to somewhere magical.

3. Jimin was genuinely concerned for our health. He told us to stay warm and to not catch a cold. There were plenty of ARMY that had to look cute without a thin jacket, and Jimin gestured to one fan by rubbing his arms like aren’t you cold?! If memory serves correctly, he even posted for ARMY to take a bath when they got home (or was that Day 2?).

I haven’t put as much emphasis on the horrible weather as I should have, but it was hella cold! So much so that BTS looked overwhelmed. My hands and feet were numb FOR HOURS, during and after the concert! I really couldn’t fumble anymore for my phone when RM asked us to turn on our “technology,” for the third time that night. By the time my friend and I got back to the hotel, my feet were so cold, not even laying in a warm bed, with the heat cranked up, could warm them up.

3. JK said “It’s been a while,” like he’s been living in The States for years without ARMY knowing. His English improved greatly and I was so proud.

4. V’s massive sexy bed could fit eight people, but instead, only he teased us from it. And the special effects! Singularity is about how someone could live opposite their true feelings, under an acceptable guise. The monitor would focus on V, then split his image into two colors and have one move to the left and the right. It made him look as if his person was being pulled in different directions, perhaps his true feelings and his guise, with his physical body, the one that has to live with this internal conflict at the center. It was overpowering and very slick.

5. BTS and Big Hit fully invested in ARMY. The show was tied up so nicely that it really felt like ARMY was loved and appreciated. It’s a double whammy when BTS goes live on VLive or posts to Twitter afterward. This is why post-concert depression (PCD) is real. It’s also why ARMY buy tickets for both concert dates at multiple tour stops. The interaction and affection are second to none. No other artists do it better.

6. People love to interrupt me during Tear. This isn’t a highlight, but I think I’m cursed to have someone tap me on the shoulder, or walk in front of me to get to their seats during one of my most favorite sets, during my favorite part where Jay just goes in and owns the thang like the rest of the rap line ain’t there. Will I ever see it all the way through? LOL!

I could talk about the usual things like Flying Jungkook, singing along to Epiphany, all the shenanigans during the Anpanman obstacle course, or chanting J-Hope during Just Dance, but those things have already completed the social media circuit. These highlights are my best experiences and impressions during the show. There are definitely takeaways that I learned that may be helpful in the future:

1. Don’t trust weather forecasts! They can change. Just pack in case of crummy weather, especially transitioning seasons.

2. If Big Hit keeps accommodating shorter merch lines, there may no longer be obscene waits unless ARMY wills it so.

3. So what if you don’t get floor seats? Sitting in the stands is still excellent! My friend and I were able to snag seats on the third level, center stage. It was perfect. We could see the stage and monitors head-on. Any antics from the boys were clearly visible. Most people will tell you that sitting on the floor level is overrated. You can see everything clearly from the upper levels without people hogging your view!

4. Staying close to the concert decreases commuter time when leaving the show. I didn’t mention it before, but it took us 2-3 hours to get back to the hotel because 60,000 fans were all leaving at the same time (and because of the Stadium’s poor direction of pedestrian traffic and Lyft drivers being a-holes ( ͒˃⌂˂ ͒)). On the other hand, we had a cheaper stay at a nice hotel, with a full breakfast included, by staying further from the city center.

5. Immerse yourself into the concert! You catch more visually and can feel more of the experience. Granted, you won’t have videos and pictures, but as I fumbled with my phone, I lamented not capturing a moment on time and missed out on the full sensation of being present. To up the ante, bring an ARMY Bomb since the show is an interactive experience.

6. Lastly, don’t crash and dash! Due to a tight-TIGHT schedule, my friend and I couldn’t catch up with our ARMY friends. Don’t do this! The stress was horrid. Please take your time. There’s more to see, plenty of people to connect with and lots of good food downtown. Stay a bit and relax.

All in all, Speak Yourself in Chicago was bomb, from the insane opening to the ethereal ARMY send-off at the end. This laser light space show in an ARMY Bomb galaxy was completely and utterly magical. All ARMY should have a chance to experience it and if BTS continues their reign as artists and Big Hit keeps a bottomless budget, the next tour will be the most spectacular yet!

~PHOTO AND VIDEO BOMB!~

Experience: #SpeakYourselfInChicago LAWD! This took forever to write! I legit had… *counts*…three drafts that I scrapped. What's crazy is I had so much to type even though this was one night only; All I, and my bank account, had to give.

#BTS #BTS ARMY #BTS World Tour #Chicago #Concert #Experiences #fun #KPOP #Post Concert Depression #Speak Yourself Tour #SYxChicago #Travel

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davidcdelreal · 7 years

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How to Make Your First $1,000 Blogging (22 step action plan)

Ready for a challenge? Sign up for my Make 1k Blogging email challenge. It's a free 10 email series that's main goal is to help you get your blog setup and make your first $1,000 blogging. Sign up only if you want to make some extra money. 😉

“Can you really make money blogging?”

If I received a dollar each time someone asked this simple question, I would be rich!

For some reason, people struggle to believe you can make money on the internet.

And even once you get them on board, most can barely envision you making more than $20 per month.

The funny part is, I actually did start out making around $20 per month.

While blogging is one of the most lucrative side hustles out there, it can takes months – and even years – to start earning real money.

From the day I launched this website, it took another ten months to start making at least $1,000 per month. Earning $1,000 per month was one of my earliest goals, and I was stoked when I reached that milestone!

Since those early days, my blog income has increased dramatically – first to $2,000 per month, then to $5,000 per month, and to $10,000 per month and beyond.

As of the fall of 2015, my blog had helped me earn over $1,097,575!!!

While that number might sound out of reach, it’s important to keep things in perspective. Remember, I earned almost nothing at the beginning…then graduated to earning at least $1,000 per month after nearly a year!

Out of all the challenges I’ve faced with this endeavor, I still think getting to that $1,000 per month range was the hardest.

For some reason, going from zero to $1,000 in monthly income seems like a miracle, mostly because you're starting from scratch. Growing your income to $5,000 or $10,000 per month, on the other hand, is more about scaling up.

How to Earn Your First $1,000 Blogging

If your goal is earning money on the web, blogging can help you get there. And while it might take you a while to earn a solid income, it’s important to keep your eye on the prize.

The first $1,000 is the hardest, but I’m here to show you the exact steps it took me to reach this lucrative milestone.

If you want to earn $1,000 per month on your blog, here are the 22 steps you should start taking now:

#1: Make a commitment to go all-in.

It’s easy to spend your sleepy weekend mornings dreaming of starting a blog. Unfortunately, dreaming isn’t even close to enough. No matter what side hustle you plan to launch, you must do more than dream – you have to act.

When it comes to blogging, I always suggest people commit to a full year before they even start. Keep in mind that you might earn close to zero that first year, and that your mom will probably be your biggest (and only) fan for a while.

Starting off slow is not only okay; it’s normal. No matter how anxious you are, it takes time to build a successful blog and the kind of readership you need to cash in.

When I started this website, I committed myself to the project with my whole heart. I went all in, folks. Because I felt that blogging was the future of business, I was determined to succeed.

If you want to succeed, you must commit to one year at a bare minimum. Without that kind of commitment, you’re destined to fail without really giving yourself a chance.

#2: Pick a name for your blog.

Once you’ve committed yourself to success, it’s time to move on to the next step of your journey – picking a name for your blog. I can’t remember all the different options I came up with initially, but I do know I settled on FinancialCents.com for a while. But for some reason, something didn’t feel right.

Eventually, I started adding words to come up with a name that would stand out and landed on GoodFinancialCents.com. Even though I’m not thrilled with the name of my blog, I recognize that it’s not the most important factor of my business, either.

As you search for a name for your blog, don’t get so caught up in the process that you refuse to settle.

Make sure to pick something you like, but don’t overthink it too much. Once you have a few hours set aside to come up with a name, I suggest searching for possibilities on a website like GoDaddy.com. Most of the time, you can buy a domain for less than $13 per year.

#3: Sign up for a host.

Once you buy a domain name, your next step is setting up hosting for your blog. There are tons of options out there for hosting, but Bluehost is definitely the least expensive when you’re first starting out.

I started with a company called Lunarpages, which is comparable to Bluehost but slightly more expensive. You can also consider HostGator, Siteground, and others. Regardless of the hosting company you settle on, you’ll be able to install WordPress for free and get started right away.

#4: Pick a theme for your blog.

If you want your initial blog set-up to look professional, it helps to pick a premium theme. When I started blogging, one of the most popular themes was called Thesis. While it still exists today, there are a lot more options in 2017. Genesis, for example, is a popular theme option owned by Studiopress and the one I use for all of my sites.

Before you settle on a theme, make sure to brainstorm how you want your blog to look. Chances are, you’ll find a premium theme that makes sense with your blog style and goals.

#5: Research, research, research.

Regardless of the blogging niche you choose, you’ll want to do a ton of research at first. I can’t tell you how much time I spent trying to understand the mysteries of blogging over that first year. I devoured every piece of information I found, mostly because I wanted to master the craft.

Fortunately, there are a ton of free resources for bloggers all over the web. Make sure to read everything you can about choosing an angle for your blog, building a readership, and monetizing your site. Over time, you’ll figure out how to implement everything you’ve learned.

The more research you can do early, the broader your base of knowledge to pull from will be later on.

If you want to know how to do something, Google it! While this may sound like the worst learning strategy of all time, you'll be amazed at what you find!

#6: Network with other bloggers.

Most people picture “networking” as something you do with strangers at a cocktail party. You stand in the corner, awkwardly chugging beer after beer. Eventually, you work up the courage to meet someone new!

Online networking is similar, except that you don’t have to dress up. And since it's online, you don't have to feel like a big weirdo for reaching out.

When I started blogging, I learned to participate in a popular forum where other money bloggers hung out. By connecting with other bloggers, I was able to build my network, learn some valuable lessons, and create new opportunities for success.

When you are starting out in the blogging world, networking with other bloggers is crucial.

If you’re unsure how to get started, try commenting on your favorite blogs and starting up conversations on social media. Over time, you’ll build relationships with other bloggers that can pay off down the line.

#7: Publish your first post.

Publishing your very first blog post is a necessary, albeit scary, part of the process. Not only is it hard to start a blog out of thin air, but writing isn’t a cake walk, either. A lot of new bloggers think they’ll be able to crank out 3,000-word blog posts from day one, yet can barely squeak out a few words until they get the hang out of it!

The good news is, you don’t have to focus on perfection. Getting your first blog post published is a lot more important than making sure it’s the best post you’ve ever written.

Don’t forget that you can always go back and change things later on if you need to. Most long-term bloggers have upgraded all their content, including their very first blog posts, over time.

You might suck at first, but you'll get better with every word you write.

#8: Write guest posts for other blogs.

Guest posting is a great way to build relationships with bloggers and bring new eyeballs to your website. Not only can it help you get your name out there, but you can build valuable back-links to your website, too.

Once your blog is up and running, offering to guest post for other websites is a smart move.

If you’re unsure who to approach about guest posting, reach out to some of your favorite bloggers via email or social media and just ask. While it’s tough to put yourself out there, remember the worst they can say is “no.”

If you want to see how far I've come, check out this guest post I wrote for Smart Passive Income in 2011!

#9: Learn about keyword research.

As I started guest posting for other blogs, I began learning about keyword research. Instead of writing about random money topics, I learned I could optimize my efforts by targeting keywords with search potential.

The key here is trying to shoot for article ideas where I could rank in the search engines. You see, it’s not enough to write awesome content. If nobody reads it, what's the point? You have to make sure your articles are searchable for the long run. If not, you're just spinning your wheels.

My biggest breakthrough early on was coming up with a strategy to rank for “financial planner Illinois.” As a financial planner in Illinois, I wanted anyone who googled that term to find me.

But here’s something funny. After posting a query about how to rank for that term in a forum I belonged to, I received this message:

“Jeff, I noticed your thread in the forum and I just wanted to let you know that ranking for those terms is nearly impossible. With you being a one man shop and one website, you will never be able to compete with all the bigger investment firms located in the Chicago area. Sorry for the disappointing news.”

When you hear from naysayers like this one, don't listen. I have to say, this person was dead wrong. Because my desire to rank for this key word was so strong, I researched different strategies nonstop until I found an answer.

Eventually, my research led me to a friend who suggested I create a separate landing page for my business. For the title of the page, I chose Jeff Rose, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Illinois and added “Certified” and “IL” to help out with Google searches.

The cool thing is, it worked.

The bottom line: Learning some keyword research basics is crucial when you’re first starting out. Initially, I just used Google Keyword Planner. I would also just type phrases into Google and see what the suggested search would come up and focus on the long-tail version of the keyword.

For example, I would type in “Roth IRA” to see what else came up. As you employ this strategy, make sure to do your searches in an incognito window so your cookies don’t influence your search results!

No matter what, your #1 goal should be making sure you’re using your keyword in the URL, title, and body of each blog post. Make sure to check out this on-page SEO guide from BACKLINKO for more tips.

#10: Set up your core website pages.

Even if you just want a place to write, you need more than a “blog” page for your website to become a success. Your core pages should include not only a page for your blog, but an about page, a contact page, and a page for disclosures.

Without these pages, it’s almost impossible for anyone to find out who you are. If you want people to find your website and learn more about you, it’s crucial to populate your site with the information people want.

Here's my “about me” page if you want to take a look. If anyone is curious to learn more about me, I have the information front and center where they can find it.

Keep in mind that your “about” and “contact” pages give you the opportunity to share your side of the story. Telling people who you are in your own words can be very powerful, mostly because it helps people get to know the real you.

And, isn't that the point?

#11: Find your community.

Once you establish your blogging niche, you have to find out where your community hangs out. Is that a forum, a Facebook group, or somewhere else?

As I mentioned already, I did a lot of networking in a personal finance blog forum I found early on. This particular forum no longer exists, but I made a ton of connections there that still benefit me to this day. These days, I do a ton of networking in private Facebook groups and mastermind groups.

The bottom line is this: Look for places where bloggers in your niche hang out. Then, join those groups with a “help first” mentality. If you go in asking favors, you’ll come off as tacky and annoying. But if you join with the goal of serving others, you’ll build real relationships that last.

#12: Snoop out your competition.

The internet is so vast in its offerings that it’s nearly impossible to write a blog on a topic not covered elsewhere. In addition, every niche has a range of top blogs that bring in the most readers and the highest incomes.

If you want your blog to succeed, you should figure out why the top blogs consistently pull ahead in your niche. What are they doing right? What steps are they taking to build traffic that no one else is? What kinds of topics are they covering?

Look at the most popular blog posts on top sites and figure out how you could take that topic and make it your own. Keep in mind, you don’t want to copy people – you want to become better than they are.

In addition to conducting your own research, you can use tools like SEMRush to find out which keywords the top sites are angling for.

#13: Set up your social media accounts.

If you think you can succeed at blogging without worrying about social media, think again. By and large, social media is one of the best tools you can use to build your readership and bring traffic to your blog.

One of the first steps you should take as you start blogging is setting up social media accounts for your website. And remember, you don’t want to use your regular social media accounts for your site! You need to set up new accounts devoted solely to your business venture.

Once your social media accounts are up and running, you’ll want to install social media buttons on your blog. This way, readers who want to follow you on social media can do so with a simple click. Read this post for help setting up social media buttons on your sidebar or footer on WordPress.

Here's an example that shows that I mean:

#14: Write your first epic post!

While getting any type of content up on your site is a huge accomplishment at the beginning, you’ll eventually want something better. Over time, you should make it a priority to write at least one or two epic posts per month.

An epic blog post is one that’s longer and more comprehensive than almost anything else you write.

Not only are longer posts more educational for your readers, but they tend to have good SEO value, too.

My first “monster” blog post was a Roth IRA conversion guide I wrote in 2009. While this post has been updated a few times since then, the original version was more than 3,600 words long!

I wrote this post because I knew it was going to be a hot topic. You see, the IRS lifted the income restrictions on Roth IRA conversations that year, meaning anyone could do it.

If you feel like something could become a “hot topic” in the future, it’s smart to get ahead of that topic with the biggest, most comprehensive blog post you can muster. Trust me – you won’t regret it!

#15: Start gathering emails.

As a blogger, one of the most valuable resources you have is your email list. People who sign up to receive email updates about your blog are your hardcore followers, so you want to do this right.

Adding a pop-up or email capture button on your website early on is crucial. If you wait too long to start capturing emails, you’re only hurting yourself!

While you’ll initially send your email list updates about your website, you'll hopefully graduate to promoting your affiliates. You can also use your email list to build sales funnels that guide your readers toward products you believe in.

When it comes to blogging, your email list is practically money in the bank. That’s why you should start capturing emails right away.

My favorite email service provider is ConvertKit hands down.

#16: Learn about monetization.

As a blogger, I’ve made money in a million different ways. My website not only brings in ad revenue, but additional funds through sponsored content, affiliate marketing and more. While it’s hard to nail each monetization effort from the start, you’ll want to start with these bare bones strategies from the very beginning:

Ad revenue – You can earn ad revenue on your site through Google Adsense, Media.net, AdThrive, and others. This ad revenue can ebb and flow based on the amount of traffic your website brings in along with user engagement. Once your blog is up and running, you can experiment with ad agencies to find the right fit.

Sponsored posts – After your blog becomes established, you’ll start receiving inquiries about sponsored posts or direct advertising. While pay is low at first, you can eventually charge $5,000 or more per sponsored post.

Affiliate Marketing – Affiliate marketing lets you earn blog revenue by promoting products you believe in. In my epic post on The Best Places to Open a Roth IRA, for example, I get paid any time someone clicks through my page and opens a brokerage account.

While monetization is important, you shouldn’t worry too much about it during your first few months.

The most important steps to take at the beginning are getting your blog up and running, then adding content as you’re able.

Once you have at least twenty awesome blog posts on your website, you can move to the next step.

#17: Write your first money-making post.

Once you’re ready, you should come up with a strategy for your very first money-making blog post. This could be an affiliate review of a product you use and love, a personal case study comparing several products or services, or something else. As long as you’re promoting or describing a product or service you can actually sell, you have the potential to earn some cash.

Your money-making post could even be one of those monster blog posts I was talking about. One of my most popular money-making posts is called 100 Ways to Make $100 Fast. While this post started with just a few affiliates, I’ve updated it to include additional money-making opportunities over time.

As you try to nail down your first money-making post, make sure to use some basic keyword research to optimize your efforts. With the right product and keyword strategy, it’s not that hard to write a blog post that can bring in $1,000 or more each month on its own!

#18: Expand your reach even further.

At this point, you should have a basic blog with at least 20-30 blog posts. You should be focusing your time on gathering emails, writing new content, and learning SEO. You should also have a growing social media presence that continues to expand every day.

From here, it’s all about scaling up. To get your name out there – and to get new readers to your blog – you want to make sure people see your name all over the place. You can accomplish this goal by:

Commenting on other popular blogs. People will see your comments and (hopefully) click on your website to learn more.

Join Facebook groups. While it might seem like other bloggers are your competition, blog friends are one of the biggest assets you can have. Make sure to cultivate relationships with other bloggers early and often.

Stay active on social media. If a reader bothers to tweet you, you should respond. Remember, your readers have the power to share your content and bring even more people to your website!

#19: Create a lead magnet.

A lead magnet is a freebie you offer readers in exchange for their email address. This was something I failed to implement early on. I waited way too long to create a lead magnet for my website, mostly because I was overthinking it and focusing too much on perfection.

But when I finally launched my 1st lead magnet The Money Dominating Toolkit, the number of emails I was gathering more than doubled overnight.

Your lead magnet doesn’t have to be fancy; it can be a one-page PDF filled with tips, a checklist that focuses on your area of expertise, a printable resource, or a simple email course.

Need more examples? Here are some lead magnets that work miracles for other money bloggers:

#20: Nurture your email sequence.

Once you start gathering tons of emails and gaining momentum on your blog, a service like ConvertKit becomes a necessity. With ConvertKit, you can segment your email list so you’re not sending the same email to each of your readers every time.

Since your website probably focuses on more than one main topic, having this option can be a game-changer!

Eventually, you’ll want to start employing sales funnels into your strategy. With a sales funnel, you’ll send certain readers a series of emails aimed at tempting them into a purchase or an affiliate sale.

While you can set up a sales funnel manually, the best way to nurture your email list is with a service like MailChimp or ConvertKit!

#21: Review your top content.

Once you have a few monster blog posts and affiliate reviews up on your site, you’ll want to keep a close eye on your progress. By reviewing and updating your best content, you can make sure it’s accurate and give it the best chance at climbing up the ranks in terms of search engine optimization.

Some of my best – and most lucrative – blog posts have been completely overhauled at least five times. To make real money blogging, you have to keep your best content fresh and accurate all the time. The best way to do this is to keep a list of your top producing posts so you can update them at least 1-2 times per year.

#22: Survey your list.

You know what's better than being awesome? Becoming better every year.

As you grow into your role as a blogger, the best way to improve yourself is to ask your readers how you're doing – and what you could be doing better.

Creating a short survey for your list of subscribers can help you receive valuable feedback you can use to improve your website and, eventually, your profits.

A tactic I borrowed from Derek Halpern of Social Triggers is asking “What's the #1 thing you're struggling with?”

Since I have a financial blog, I ask what they are struggling with financially. For our Marriage More blog, we ask what kind of issues our readers are dealing with when it comes to their marriage.

If you have a fashion blog, you could ask for your reader's biggest wardrobe frustrations. If you're into fitness, you would ask about your reader's biggest problems with diet and exercise.

If you want to get more detailed information, you could even tie those questions into a short survey you can create for free with Google Forms. It doesn't matter how you get the information, as long as you get it.

Remember, your readers are the reason you're able to make money. The best way to grow your income while helping others is to figure out their pain points and create products, resources, and content that can help.

Start Making Money Blogging Today

If you follow every step on this list and commit to blogging for a full year, you will start earning $1,000 per month or more. It may take longer than you want it to, and Lord knows it won’t be easy.

But, I believe in you. And, you know what? As long as I have been blogging, I have never seen someone pour their soul into it for a full year and fail.

If you're feeling overwhelmed and unsure how to get started, I totally get that, too. That's why I created a free email series that can show you the step-by-step process for creating a profitable blog. By signing up today, you'll receive regular emails with action items to follow.

You can earn money blogging. Heck, you can even get rich. But remember, it all starts with that very first step.

The post How to Make Your First $1,000 Blogging (22 step action plan) appeared first on Good Financial Cents.

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