To be success in the world of online marketing and blogging, it’s best to become an authority figure within your niche.
This is exactly what Lewis Howes has done with his brand and business over the past few years.
While every knows about LinkedIn, not many people know how to use it to their advantage and this is where Lewis has built his name and success.
In addition to his success with LinkedIn, Lewis has been all over the place, which has led him to be featured in our meet the bloggers interview series.
- 1.) Please tell us about yourself and how you got into blogging?
- 2.) What is the focus of your blog and why did you choose that niche?
- 3.) How are you currently monetizing your blog traffic?
- 4.) What do you know now that you wish you knew when you first started blogging?
- 5.) What are three blogs that you visit almost daily?
- 6.) Can you give us three recommended tools/services that you use with your blogging?
- 7.) What advice would you have for someone who is just starting with their first blog?
- 8.) What’s the best advice or tip you’ve discovered about blogging since getting started?
- 9.) If you only had $100 to start a new blog, how would you use it?
- 10.) How can readers of the blog get in touch with you?
1.) Please tell us about yourself and how you got into blogging?
My name is Lewis Howes, I’m a former (Arena Football League) player who made the transition from athlete to entrepreneur after a career ending injury.
I wouldn’t consider myself a professional blogger, but blogging is something I do to keep my audience informed about what I’m up to and how they can continue to grow professionally, and personally.
2.) What is the focus of your blog and why did you choose that niche?
I have a presences in a few niches:
Sports – www.sportsnetworker.com
Personal development / Entrepreneurship: www.lewishowes.com and my podcast The School Of Greatness
LinkedIn: www.linkedinfluence.com
Webinar Marketing: Magnetic Webinars
As you can see I have a variety of books, training products and resources.
But all of them have been designed to help professionals grow their business and connect with like-minded people.
I chose these niches because I’ve personally experienced success in each of them, which qualifies me to teach others how to do the same.
Also, my sports background has given me a strong work ethic and the belief that anything is possible with courage, discipline, teamwork and the right coaches.
That’s the overall theme I try to communicate in everything I do.
3.) How are you currently monetizing your blog traffic?
I monetize with products, membership sites, speaking, sponsorships, private coaching and creating digital products which are sold on webinars and direct marketing.
4.) What do you know now that you wish you knew when you first started blogging?
I wish I knew the power of having a podcast.
My podcast, The School Of Greatness is…
- Quickly growing my brand
- Allowing me to form deeper connections with my audience
- Attracting stellar guests that have greatly enriched my life.
5.) What are three blogs that you visit almost daily?
6.) Can you give us three recommended tools/services that you use with your blogging?
Here are the tools I recommend for growing your audience and monetizing the value you’re offering.
- Gotowebinar: Webinars are a great way to connect with your audience and deliver high value content in a way that entertaining and engaging
- LinkedIn: This may not be considered a blogging tool, but LinkedIn groups are a great way to build your authority since you will be the organizer of a group. They also give you an opportunity to create an audience that will eventually find their way to your site.
- Video: If you’re not using video – you’re getting left behind.
7.) What advice would you have for someone who is just starting with their first blog?
I would suggest picking a topic they already enjoy talking about – and learning about.
Don’t just pick something because it’s popular or because you think it’ll be easy to make money from it.
First of all, there’s no such thing as “easy” money. Delivering value worth paying for takes hustle and work.
Second, in order to continue to deliver high value content you’ll need to be a student of your topic, which means you’ve got to LOVE what your teaching or it will show.
8.) What’s the best advice or tip you’ve discovered about blogging since getting started?
Having a successful blog is more than just sitting behind your computer and blogging.
It’s also about getting out there in REAL life and connecting with the people you’re writing for.
That’s how you gain a strong following and keep your hand on the pulse of your market.
It’s also a great way to meet other people you can do cross promotions with.
I can tell you from experience, my business took a huge leap forward when I started hosting live events and connecting with people.
9.) If you only had $100 to start a new blog, how would you use it?
- Select my market (FREE)
- Buy a domain that clearly states what my blog is about
- Immediately install an autoresponder with a free report offered (Even if I don’t have one yet. The idea is to motivate myself to get moving)
- Get a custom header created ($17 at www.logonerds.com)
- Buy the most popular book (kindle version) within my niche to better understand what’s getting the attention of my market (approx $15.00)
- Spend 2 hours browsing the book (FREE)
- Spend 2 hours browsing popular YouTube videos in my new niche (FREE)
- Write a 10 page Free Report on a popular topic I uncovered in my research and then install it in my auto-responder.
- Have an e-book cover created ($5 on fiverr)
- Write 2 blog posts (500 words each) and post them
Total Cost = $37.00
** You can take the remaining $63 and have someone on fiverr edit a few videos for you, which you can then post on YouTube each month.
10.) How can readers of the blog get in touch with you?
Tweet me – @LewisHowes or Facebook.com/lewishowes
Thanks again Lewis for taking the time to share your advice and story with the Blogging Tips community.
If you would like to learn about other bloggers and how they are finding success online, be sure to read through our blogger interview series.
