Time for a guest post today, and here is my quote for my guest…
Take a blogger who has used his knowledge about time management to grow his blog fast and furious, and you get Tor Refsland
You jump out of bed super excited…
Because you published a really good blog post yesterday.
And this time you REALLY nailed it! Your best friend even agreed.
The world will FINALLY know how awesome you write.
But when you log in to your blog, the Google Analytics plugin SLAPS you hard in the face…
…showing you only 1 new visitor.
You close your eyes for 3 seconds, and then you open them.
DARN! The screen still shows only 1 new visitor.
Well, you have to think positively; at least you got 1 new visitor…
Then you remember that it probably was your friend.
Can you relate? If so, no worries. We have all been there.
Let me show you how being crazy productive can make your blog go from meh to noticeable.
What is your main goal?
Do you want more traffic to your blog?
Do you want more people to subscribe to your email list?
Do you want more people to buy your products?
Do you want people to recognize your name and brand?
Stupid questions, I KNOW.
You want all of them, right?
You probably even have a vision to become the top blogger within your niche, publish bestselling books and become a well-know public speaker.
If so, it`s totally fine. I do too.
But when you start from scratch you can`t focus on everything at once.
It will be like having no project management skills, and then you are going to run 4 projects simultaneously in areas you don`t know anything about.
That is crazy.
You should pick ONE goal first.
Do you want to know a secret?
One of the goals above will actually make it a LOT easier to achieve the three remaining goals.
Can you guess which goal that is?
If you answered that you want people to recognize your name and brand, you are correct.
A high five to you! *SLAP*
But you might be wondering about…
How To Build Your Brand Lightning Fast
You only have 24 hours in your day, so if you want to do it fast…
you need to know EXACTLY what to spend your time on doing.
In other words, you should ONLY spend your time on your most important tasks that will bring you closer to your end goal.
In the start you probably feel totally clueless, and I did too.
So what did I do?
I learned from successful bloggers who have already achieved EXACTLY what I want to accomplish.
If you want results FAST, you should hire a coach and listen to their advice.
But most importantly, APPLY their tips.
I can give credit to my blogging coaches, Yaro Starak, Jon Morrow and Sue Anne Dunlevie.
Without them it would have taken me AGES to build my blog.
What are the key activities you need to do?
There are two main strategies in the start.
Strategy 1:
Jon Morrow says that you shouldn’t write on your own blog before you have at least 1000 subscribers on your email list.
Strategy 2:
Yaro Starak says that you should at least have a few pillar posts (big useful posts about a specific topic within your niche that will help you stand out.)
I choose strategy 2.
So I had written my first blog posts, YAY!
But I still had NO TRAFFIC…
And NO ONE knew about my blog.
When you want to hit your big end goal, I use the DUMB SMART system. It basically means that you need to find your big hairy goal, and then break it down into smaller realistic goals.
My big hairy goal was to get my blog noticed and build my brand FAST.
I use the 80/20 rule, also known as the Pareto’s Principle, to identify my most important activities. The rule says that 20% of your most important tasks will generate 80% of the production value.
*Yawn*
That sounded like some Wikipedia definition.
Well, it basically means that if you have 10 tasks on your to do list, and you only manage to complete the 2 most important activities, it will result in 80% of the total results for your blog.
Pretty cool, right?
YOU need to IDENTIFY which of the blogging activities that will give you the biggest results for your blog.
Here are my most important activities:
Activity 1: Commenting
Activity 2: Reach out to influencers
Activity 3: Guest posting
Activity 4: Build following FAST
Then you want to take your most important activities and put it into your…
Your weekly schedule
Research has shown that the majority of people are the most productive the first 2 hours after they get out of bed. Some people are the most productive in the evening, while others are night owl`s.
What is my point?
Find out WHEN you are the most productive during the day, and reserve those 2 hours for your most important tasks.
You should put your tasks into your weekly schedule.
Example:
Monday
– Activity 4: Build following FAST
– Activity 1: Commenting
Tuesday
– Activity 3: Guest posting
– Activity 2: Reach out to influencers
Wednesday
– Activity 4: Build following FAST
– Activity 1: Commenting
Thursday
– Activity 3: Guest posting
– Activity 2: Reach out to influencers
Friday
– Activity 4: Build following FAST
– Activity 1: Commenting
The example above is for beginner bloggers what have just started out. Obviously as you advance as a blogger, your most important tasks will change.
You will then need to focus on your opt-in rate, the percentage visitors that join your email list, building an email funnel, creating products that will solve your audience biggest struggle, conversion rate from subscriber to sales, etc.
That might be a story for another time.
Let us dive into the 4 most important activities for your blog.
Activity 1 – Commenting
Do you know any serious bloggers who don`t read the comments on their own blog?
I didn’t think so.
What is the best way to get noticed by other top bloggers in your niche?
To comment on their blogs.
I commented on Craig Jarrow`s blog Time Management Ninja.
And he answered.
I also commented on Jon Morrow`s blog – Boost Blog Traffic.
Jon replied:
How awesome is it to be invited to a case study from Jon Morrow?
That wouldn’t have happened, if I didn’t comment on his blog post.
Activity 2 – Reach out to influencers
The best way to network is through email.
I sent Craig Jarrow this email:
He replied.
Activity 3 – Guest Posting
After performing activity 1 and 2 above, Craig Jarrow already knew who I was.
Then I sent him a guest post and he posted it.
Note: In the start you want to get influencers to notice you before you pitch them. When you become a better writer and have lots of awesome guest posts under your belt, you can just pitch them right away (then your writing and merits will speak for itself.)
Activity 4 – Build Your Twitter Following FAST
My big hairy goal: Get 2000 Twitter followers within my target niche (organic) within 40 days.
I used the DUMB SMART system and broke the big hairy goal down into smaller measurable goals:
Activity A: Schedule great tweets
Activity B: Follow people within my niche
Activity C: Follow back people who are within my niche who is following me
Activity D: Unfollow people who aren’t following me back within 7 days
Activity E: Interact with people and create engagement
So I entered each of the 5 activities above into my weekly schedule (at specific days and time slots)…
and THEN I FOLLOWED the schedule I had planned.
The result?
No time wasted on social media, and I gained 2000 targeted Twitter followers within my niche in 38 days.
The results
Yes, it was a lot of hard work.
Was it worth it?
Well, judge for yourself…
In less than 9 months I have managed to do the following:
– Won the “most epic blog post” award on Jon Morrow`s blog Boost Blog Traffic
– Interviewed 9 times on big blogs
– Published 18 guest posts in big websites, including Addicted 2 Success, Lifehack and Pick The Brain
– Featured as an expert on 30 big blogs, included Ahrefs, SEMRush and Post Planner.
And the best part?
Once you start getting noticed, the table turns.
Now people are inviting me to guest post, be on their podcast and try their products for free.
Note:
My results are definitely NOT the norm, but if you are willing to become crazy productive and only focus on your most important blogging activities…
…then YOU can do it too!
What to do next…
Now you have the recipe on how to get your blog go from meh to noticeable.
However, knowledge alone will get you NOWHERE.
You have to APPLY it.
Want to get people to give your blog the attention and recognition it deserves?
Get up and put in some massive action!
What is your experience with getting your blog noticeable?
What are your most important blogging activities?
Leave your comments and thoughts below…
This is a guest post by Tor Refsland. Tor decided to leave his six-figure job in order to follow his passion – to help online entrepreneurs SAVE TIME and INCREASE RESULTS. Want to become more productive? Download his free eBook and learn how to DOUBLE your productivity in 7 days.
Visit me at: TimeManagementChef.com
Thanks for the good suggestions. I think the focus on the most important activities is import. But also it is important to be working on several aspects at once (writing epic posts, commenting, guest posting, reaching out to influencers…). Your schedule is a nice way to make sure you do both (focus and do the various most important activities).
John invites you to read..Mosaic Art at Wat Xieng Thong, Luang Prabang, Laos
Hi John,
I’m glad you enjoyed the information on this post. I’m sure that Tor will get back here soon to give you his own reply.
~Sylviane
Hi John,
thanks a lot for stopping by to comment 🙂
Yes, focusing on your most important activities is important (read: the specific activities that will bring you closer to your goal).
Then you break it down into smaller manageable activities: commenting, reach out to influencers, guest posting, build following FAST on Twitter.
THOSE activities will bring you closer to your main goal. In my case it was to build my blog and brand FAST.
Have an awesome day!
Best,
Tor
Tor Refsland invites you to read..117 Tips On How To Set Goals From Successful Entrepreneurs
Hi Tor!
We meet once again!
We have to apply what we learn from our coach. I couldn’t agree with you more! I mean, what’s the point in hiring a coach if we’re not going to implement what they’re teaching, right? And another thing, they could be helping someone else who really wants to be helped. I hope that didn’t sound too mean., that’s just my point of view :).
I love this breakdown of activities you shared and if you don’t mind, I’m going to borrow some of these ideas. My weekly calendar is a little like the one you suggsted but I try to conquer all my activities in a day…I’m sure you’re askin’ how that’s workin’ for me, hehe. I’ll tell ya, I get it done but the needle doesn’t move dramatically and I don’t get to spend time for me or the fam like I’d like to. I’m always working. I’m going to try to rotate them as you show here.
What works for me is blog commenting. My goal is to do 10 blogs a day. Five in the morning and five in the afternoon. And my stats shows it works. When I do less than that, I see the difference too.
Great post and advice Tor. I will definitely apply what you shared here! Have a great day and week!
Take care,
Cori
Corina Ramos invites you to read..A Good First Impression Starts With A Firm Hand Shake and Good Oral Health Care
Hi Cori,
I’m glad you enjoyed Tor’s post here. I hope is OK, haven’t heard from him since I published his post.
I see that you are working hard, girl, and I’m sure it will pay off big time for you, and of course, you want to try your best to have some time left for you and your family.
Thanks for coming and have a wonderful day, my friend.
~Sylviane
Hi Corina,
we meet once again, indeed, and I LOVE it!
High five *SLAP*
I totally agree with you: if you don`t listen to your coach, you are wasting the time of three people (your coach, your and the person the coach could have coached).
Being respectful of your and other peoples time is important in order to build relationships.
When I coach my clients, I tell them that my job is not to sugar coat and tell them what they want to hear.
First, it`s not my STYLE…
and second, it`s not what they are paying me for.
My only goal when it comes to my clients is to bring them RESULTS FAST and to OVER-DELIVER like crazy.
If I need to give some tough love in order, then so be it 😉
It`s important that you get time to spend with your family too.
I have noticed that once you manage your time in the BEST way possible, you can actually achieve more by doing less.
If you want me to take a look at your schedule and give you my thoughts, shoot me an email 😉
Best,
Tor
Tor Refsland invites you to read..117 Tips On How To Set Goals From Successful Entrepreneurs
Hey Sylviane,
I see you have another amazing guest with us this week. Tor definitely has made his rounds lately so it’s great to see him over here sharing all his knowledge with your audience.
Hey Tor, another great share and I’m glad you’re specifically pointing out what you did and what it takes in order to start getting attention to you and your content. I know that you’ve learned from some of the best and you’re one of those guys who actually does the work. Those are the ones who are going to get massive results now and I applaud you.
I think my progression was a heck of a lot slower, as a matter of fact I know it was although it didn’t really take much time for me either. I guess if I were to start over today I might do things differently but then again I might now. Huh, I wonder if maybe I need to test that theory out as to what it really takes if I were to do the same things I did four years ago today. Okay, now I’m just curious. I could always go under an anonymous name ya know. LOL!!!
I’m off to share this post as well so thank you for sharing all your tips here and I hope you both have a wonderful week.
~Adrienne
Adrienne invites you to read..How to Really Succeed With Your Blog
Hi Adrienne,
I’m going to take over here for now, as I haven’t heard from Tor since I’ve published his post, and since I know that’s not him, I’m even a bit worried right now. I hope he’s OK.
I feel that in a way, it’s easier for those who started later in internet life, so to speak, because I feel that one can go faster when they start with the right information, the right training, than those of us who really had to dig ourselves out after having made some (at times many) mistakes along the way. At least I know I did.
Thank you for coming Adrienne and have a wonderful day.
~Sylviane
Hi Adrienne,
thanks a lot for stopping by to comment, my friend.
I always smile when I see your name in the comments section 🙂
Thanks for your kind words. I am deeply honoured, and thanks for sharing from your experience.
Well, I have a lot of respect for my coaches and I treat my blog as a successful business.
That means that I not only LISTEN to the tips from my coaches and other great bloggers, such as yourself, Adrienne…
I also pay them a tribute by APPLYING their tips.
Few people actually apply, once you start doing it, several things will happen:
1. You will get results
2. People will have the impression that you are EVERYWHERE
3. The coaches and other influencers will NOTICE you
Who WOULDN`T want a new star student that actually took massive action and was a living proof that your tips worked?
Yeah, you could start a blog from scratch anonymously, Adrienne. That being said, I THINK that people will discover your true identify by your awesome, warm and fuzzy comments 🙂
Because after ALL…
there can only be ONE engagement superstar, right? 😉
Have an awesome day, my friend.
Tor
Tor Refsland invites you to read..117 Tips On How To Set Goals From Successful Entrepreneurs
Thank you Sylviane for having Tor as your guest.
Tor, I’ve been seeing you around lately doing guests posts. Aha…goes to prove the point that you do what you tell us to do and that is guest posting. I do enjoy the way you write, not only giving us the best advice, but your style keeps me interested and even smiling.
Here you are spot on! I always say that commenting is the backbone of blogs. When we leave a good comment, we can get recognized by the blogger, but even better by others that read the comments.
Just like you have shown us here…it does work and it has to be done every day. Yes, it is work, but enjoyable if you really want to blog.
Doing these suggestions you have given will turn your blog from a graveyard to a party!
Great seeing you again,
-Donna
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Hi Donna,
I’m so glad that you enjoyed Tor’s post, and I hope he’s OK and will be back here soon to reply to his comments.
Tor sure has worked hard and made lots of progress fast.
Thanks for you input, Donna, and you have a great day ahead!
Hi Donna,
I`m SO happy to see you here 🙂
The world is full of talkers.
I am a firm believer that your ACTIONS speak waaaaay louder than words.
Want more success?
Insert more ACTION.
Thanks a lot for your kind words, my friend. It means a lot coming from such a respectable blogger like yourself, Donna 🙂
I love your line “Doing these suggestions you have given will turn your blog from a graveyard to a party!”
I might have to borrow that line in the future 😉 LOL
Have a super day!
Best,
Tor
Tor Refsland invites you to read..7 Reasons Why My Blogging Coach, Sue Anne Dunlevie, Is The World`s Best BOFF
Hi Tor,
This is a super post, thanks for writing it. And thanks to Sylviane for inviting you to write it.
Great job for getting such amazing results from your big round-up post a la Job Morrow’s advice. Just goes to show what real advice is and how following it can really pay off.
Most of all, you did all that hard work that created such an amazing post. That’s the key, isn’t it? Taking action and doing the work.
You’re certainly one to watch in 2016.
Can I take a guess that your success is mostly down to having a plan. And you were able to
create that plan by first knowing what you wanted to achieve. You had a clear end result in mind. Right?
I think taking time out to create clear end results for what you want to do is important. It’s what great plans are built on.
What’s your thoughts on this?
Thanks again and here’s to more success.
-Tom
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Hi Tom,
Yes, I agree, Tor is someone to watch in 2016. Wow, 2015 is coming to its end already 🙂
I hope he will get here soon and enjoyed all the great comments that he’s gotten.
Thank you for coming and have a fantastic day!
~Sylviane
Hi Tom,
thanks a lot for your kind words.
My first intention has always been to provide great value to the readers and over-deliver. When I started to achieve that, ALL the other pieces fell into their place.
You humble me with your comment “You’re certainly one to watch in 2016.”
I will do my absolute best in order to transform those words into a prophecy 😉
Yes, you are completely right.
It all comes down to having a plan on how to reach your goal(s).
1. Find out WHAT you want to achieve
2. Find a strong WHY (a strong reason for why you want to go through all the obstacles and challenges in order to reach your goal)
3. Find out what you need to SACRIFICE in order to achieve your goal
4. DECIDE if you are willing to make the sacrifice
If you decide to follow through, you need to turn yourself into a machine and perform the necessary tasks EVERY SINGLE TIME you have planned it, regardless whether you FEEL like it or not.
You might want to check out my article “How To Crush Your Big Hairy Audacious Goal (DUMB SMART System), to take a look at my proven formula 🙂
Have a great day, Tom!
Best,
Tor
Tor Refsland invites you to read..How To Crush Your Big Hairy Audacious Goal (DUMB SMART System)
Hey Tor,
You are all over the place!
I seen you do quite a few guest posts on different blogs lately. Good thing is that you are practicing what you preach and your guest posting is a prime example.
And you know what? I follow a similar routine. I have done 18 guest posts but I have a few under my belt. Commenting is a great way to get noticed as well as interacting with others you meet.
With this type of consistent it’s inevitable to get noticed. You reputation grows as well as attracting more opportunities to you.
Great share Tor! Have a good one!
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Hi Sherman,
thanks a lot for commenting and sharing from your experience.
Great job with your guest posting and commenting!
It really works, right? 😉
Having a clear good strategy and following through…
not for one week or one month…
but CONSISTENTLY will make you stand out.
People may ask: “for how long do I need to perform the tasks?”
The answer is not what people normally want to hear:
FOR AS LONG AS IT TAKES.
Have a super day, Sherman!
Best,
Tor
Tor Refsland invites you to read..117 Tips On How To Set Goals From Successful Entrepreneurs
Hi Sherman,
Indeed, Tor has done a fantastic job, preaching what he teaches as you said, and that’s the only way your teaching is going to have value I might add.
I feel that you are doing pretty great yourself as well. See you in a bit at your blog 🙂
~Sylviane
Ciao, Sylviane and Tor,
So excited to see you as a guest here at Sylviane’s this week, Tor – you are a machine! 🙂 You most certainly are following the plans you laid out in the article you introduced to my readers, and I see you’re also continuing with delivering massive value here. Awesome article!
You’re willing to get in the trenches and do the work, so thanks for sharing what it takes to go from so-so to noticeable! Your tips are spot on, and I know you’ve deserved the results you’re getting. Love your work ethic and mindset!
I’m a bit curious as to why you wait seven days to on follow people… I haven’t done this, actually don’t un-follow anyone who isn’t following me… and was wondering if you use a certain software to do it?
Thanks so much for sharing, and I’m very happy review. Thank you, Sylviane, for having Tor on your blog, he sure has delivered the goods. 🙂
Wishing you both a wonderfully productive week and take care of yourselves.
Talk soon,
– Carol
Carol Amato invites you to read..Want A Successful Blog? Stop Doing These 4 Stupid Activities
Hi Carol,
so great to see you here, my friend 🙂
Thanks a lot for your kind words.
Well, it`s important that I actually do WALK 😉
Making the actually walk will GIVE you results, just doing the talk will put you in the “clown” category.
Yeah, working on my most important activities definitely bring results.
Lately, my articles have been published on Jeff Bullas, your great blog, Sylviane`s great blog and on Tiny Buddha 🙂
Regarding your questions, Carol.
I unfollow people who don`t follow me back within 7 days, because I don`t want to waste my following quota on people who don`t want to to interact.
And as you know and are a living proof of, interaction is the key to building relationships and a great tribe…
because the backbone of your successful blog.
The experts who are really building a MASSIVE following, probably unfollow people who don`t follow them back in just a FEW days.
I don`t want to spend TOO much time following / unfollowing, so I kind of landed on the 7 days limit to work well.
And what`s the worst that could happen?
If the person I unfollowed, follows me back.
Guess what?
I follow that person back.
It`s hard to play tennis with someone who isn`t hitting the ball back over the net 😉
Engagement is two ways-street.
I use SocialBro to keep to follow / unfollow, as well as finding new people to follow.
I got to admit that I could have built my Twitter following a lot faster, but I focus more on creating great content and guest posting, than getting new followers on Twitter.
It`s all about WHICH activity you want to achieve the best results in.
Anyway, I guess it was a bit of a long answer.
I hope I answered your question.
Have a super day!
Best,
Tor
Tor Refsland invites you to read..80 Productivity Tips From Incredibly Busy Experts
Hi Carol,
Yes, he’s like a machine these days. Everywhere! Great job he’s doing.
The software I use for what it’s worth is whounfollowedme.com. I have used several over time, but sometimes they drop out, so I hop on the next one. There are several out there.
I’m glad you enjoyed Tor’s post and thanks for coming.
~Sylviane
Hi Tor,
Excellent. Loving each tip. You make my email pop dude; great at outreach, which I appreciate a great deal. Commenting rocks and adding email outreach is the icing on the cake. Both techniques can make you stand out big time, and have made you stand out in a major league way.
Consistency makes things happen because commenting and sending private emails regularly conditions folks to remember you.You embody all of the qualities on this list Tor. Keep up the inspired work.
Ryan
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Hi Ryan,
thanks a lot for stopping by to comment.
I really appreciate your kind words, my friend.
Well, you inspired me first with your commenting and guest posting, Ryan.
I was thinking: “wow, this Ryan guy is like EVERYWHERE with his comments and guest posts, I got to take a closer look at him and model him.”
And I did 😉
So it warms my heart that I can dish out some inspiration in return 😉
I am working hard and diligently every day, so I can provide great value, touch people`s lives and earn the respect from other people I admire (like yourself).
Have an awesome day, my friend!
Best,
Tor
Tor Refsland invites you to read..The SMART Goal Definition (And Why It Can Boost Your Success)
Hi Ryan,
Yes, Tor is doing a great job with his mailing list as well. I see that too.
Glad you enjoyed his post. Thanks for coming.
~Sylviane
Hi Sylviane and a big thanks for bringing Tor as guest author to enhance the awesomeness of your blog.
Tor what can I say about this post except terming it mind blowing and each idea in the post is mind blowing.
I am personally big fan of the rewards of the chores you mentioned in the post and here talking to you and Sylviane very frankly is just because frequent interaction with you guys on your blogs, on social media and other places of online meetings.
Without a step-by-step plan of action it is damn difficult to get noticed by others and one may blog just like managing a deserted town.
I observed nowadays people instead of talking about wooing the Google or blowing up the email list are talking about becoming noticeable by others especially by influencers and this can hardly be done without focusing both quality and quantity in manufacturing and marketing process of your blog.
Many thanks for sharing these wonderful tips
Have a great week
Mi Muba invites you to read..What to sell and what to offer free to your blog visitors?
Hi Mi,
thanks a lot for stopping by. I really appreciate your kind words and great comment.
Yes, when people start out with their blog, they are all about: “Ohhh, I need to create some awesome content on my own blog”…
and then they THINK that people will just automatically FIND THEM.
Are they in for a big REALITY PUNCH in the face?
Yeah, BIG TIME.
In the start you want to get your greatest content in front of OTHER PEOPLES` AUDIENCE.
It`s like starting a band.
You might create the world`s best song, but if you play it in the basement of your parents, NOONE will notice you.
What do you do?
Do some MASSIVE OUTREACH and connect with other bands, their managers and venues.
Why?
So you can WARM UP for a bigger band with an EXISTING AUDIENCE.
That is what guest posting is all about.
And once you get a guest posting opportunity, what do you do?
Then you have to over-deliver like your life was depending on it (your blog`s life actually might).
Have an awesome day!
Best,
Tor
Tor Refsland invites you to read..How To Attract The Right Clients By Doing Business Nude
Hi Mi,
That’s right, today what’s in is knowing how to make ourselves unique by know what we do. What business we’re in as Don Purdum always says, and delivery specific value to specific people. Indeed, being noticeable.
Tor has done a great job at knowing what he does and being noticeable indeed.
Glad you came read his post and have a great day!
~Sylviane
Hi Tor, I love your advice about making the most of your most productive time of day and the 80/20 rule (my fav!)
I’ve fallen off a bit the past year with real life issues going on but I’m starting to get back in the “swing of blogging” and boy you are right about taking the time to comment. I have to work on the guest post projects. I’m way off on that area. I’ve been seeing you here and there so I know you are doing what you preach 🙂
Thanks Sylviane for having Tor inspire and tell us how he’s doing it and what it takes to get noticed in the blogosphere! I hope you both have a great day.
Lisa Sicard invites you to read..4 Valuable Ways You Will Benefit Using Twitter Now
Hi Lisa,
thanks a lot for stopping by to comment, and for your kind words.
Sorry to hear about you falling off a bit due to real life issues. That happens to all of us.
The most important thing is that you get back on the saddle 🙂
I know you can do it!
Have an awesome day 🙂
Best,
Tor
Tor Refsland invites you to read..How I Was Almost Killed By Fake Experts, And Which 33 Experts You Should Follow
Hi Lisa,
Sorry to hear that you’ve been off blogging. I’ve been so absent from blogs lately because of my work and traveling that I didn’t know that. I’m glad you are back to blogging and I’ll do my best to visit more often again.
Glad you enjoyed Tor’s post.
Hi Sylviane,
a million thanks for inviting me to write for you great blog. I REALLY appreciate it.
Sorry for not attending to your comment section yesterday. I was driving my little family safely back home from our vacation in my hometown (visiting my family) on the west coast of Norway.
We were driving over the mountains and the trip took about 10 hours including stops to feed our baby princess Luna (4 months old).
Thanks again for letting me write for you awesome audience, Sylviane 🙂
Have a great day!
Best,
Tor
Tor Refsland invites you to read..117 Tips On How To Set Goals From Successful Entrepreneurs
You’re very welcome Tor.
Just glad you’re fine. I was a bit worried because I knew that you knew your post was up and no news made me wonder.
Thanks for your great post. People seem to really enjoy it!
~Sylviane
Hi Tor,
I started 18 months ago with my blog and in two months it was rocking and I haven’t looked back since.
I did almost everything you mentioned, except for waiting to get to 1000 subscribers.
To be honest, that one can go either way…
As you know, in my opinion it’s all about the message and attracting the right people to it.
I work with many offline businesses who want online success in their marketing. Unfortunatley for many of them they do not want to put in the work but they want the benefits.
So, I have to inspire them. I have to show them it can be done! And I do!!!
Just like you over a short time from January – March of this year it seemed I was doing a guest post every week. It was overwhelming at the time; but it was so worth it!
Now, I don’t do as much but I do get invited to do a lot of things with fabulous audiences who want to buy me.
For example; SEMrush. I’ve done 2 blog articles, their very first podcast and two webinars. In a few weeks I will be in studio with them in Philadelphia doing a live webinar.
Every time I do something like that it’s instant opportunities for business with my target audience.
I’m also doing a number of posts these days with organisations that ask me to contribute to articles instead of just writing an article. If it’s the right audience and the post isn’t overwhelmed with other contributors it’s a blast to participate and it’s easy to do.
Great post as always Tor!
Keep up the great work.
~ Don Purdum
Don Purdum invites you to read..Is it Time to Re-Think Your Search Strategies?
Hi Don,
thanks a lot for stopping by to comment and for your kind words.
As you, I also followed strategy 2: writing a few pillar posts (big useful posts about a specific topic within your niche that will help you stand out.)
Waiting to write your first post when you reach 1000 subscribers, can be a LONG time to wait. In addition, it`s all about building your brand.
I don`t really care about whether the blogs I`m reading have 1, 1000 or 10 000 email subscribers…
as long as they can dish out GREAT CONTENT.
Yes, it`s typical that most people want he WANT the reward / benefit, but few are willing to put in the hard work.
The only way we can inspire others is by leading the way and showing them that it`s possible, Don.
I love that you are doing it too, my friend.
The really awesome sauce, is as you mention, that once you start to PUT yourself out there, the table turns…
and people, great bloggers and companies start to reach out to YOU.
That is a clear validation of your proof of concept (read: your blog is working).
Now, several bloggers contact me in the same way that I contacted influencers in the start.
Nothing of that would have been possible, if it wasn`t for me being clear about what business I am really in and my message.
I am very grateful for our Skype talk, Don, where you were talking about me having to be clear on what business I was really in and my message.
So thank you! 😉
You also inspired me to write my article “How To Attrach The Right Clients By Doing Business Nude”, which is all about knowing yourself, your message and your audience.
Let`s continue to put in the hard work, so we can show people that it`s possible to build a successful blog!
High five *SLAP*
Have an awesome day.
Best,
Tor
Tor invites you to read..How To Attract The Right Clients By Doing Business Nude
Hi Tor,
Welcome to Sylviane’s blog.
The art of being productive with a blog is what most bloggers desire…however, it eludes many because they always miss the mark by doing time consuming things that are not really important.
The tips you’ve shared here are awesome – having used a ton of them myself. However, I must disagree with unfollowing persons who don’t follow back…the essence of following someone is to benefit from the wisdom he/she shares – not for them to follow back. While social media (particularly Twitter) hasn’t been too great for me, I’ve noticed that I get more followers when I am most active. You can take a clue from this.
As for doing what influencers advise, I believe I have a suggestion that may serve better: do all you can or wish and then measure the results in relation to the metrics you are concerned in improving.
This is because, the reality of the influencers, their audiences etc is quite different from yours. Following their advice hook line and sinker will definitely amount to doing the things that worked for them and not necessarily things that will work for you. This is why testing and subsequent improvement from your tests is key.
…I have grown my own blog this way and I can tell you that it works – big time.
Do make the day great, you and Sylviane.
Always,
Akaahan Terungwa
Akaahan Terungwa invites you to read..August/September NTP Blog Hop: Taking Time Off And A Million Other Awesome Entries
Hi Akaahan,
thanks a lot for your long comment and you sharing from your own experience.
I really appreciate this.
Regarding your comment: “However, I must disagree with unfollowing persons who don’t follow back…the essence of following someone is to benefit from the wisdom he/she shares – not for them to follow back. While social media (particularly Twitter) hasn’t been too great for me, I’ve noticed that I get more followers when I am most active. You can take a clue from this.”
You will ALWAYS get more followers by being active and engaging with your audience. This is applying to any platform (blog, Twitter, FB, email list, Google+ etc.)
Let me note that the unfollowing tactic is used for Twitter.
Twitter is a different beast than the other social media networks. If you want to build your Twitter following FAST, you need to unfollow people who are not following you back within 7 days, so they won`t use up your following quota.
Influencers you want to follow and build a relationship are excluded by this tactic.
I managed to get 2000 Twitter followers in my target niche within 38 days organically (free).
Analyzing, testing and measuring your results is essential when learning any new skill.
I do understand what you are saying regarding the influencers. That being said, in my example in the blog post regarding buying products from the top dogs, it doesn`t matter what audience they have.
How can I say that?
Because I see it as a prerequisite that YOU know the EXACT skill you want to improve – example “Double your opt-ins to your email list”.
Getting more email subscribers is the skill you want and the big dog`s is saying he/she can solve that for you.
The big dog`s audience is: people who want to get more email subscribers.
That doesn`t mean that it need to apply to your audience.
Why?
Because you may be serving accounting tips to the readers on your blog.
So there doesn`t necessarily need to be a equality between the influencers audience and your own audience.
That being said, you do of course need to ADAPT the recipe and tips you implement to your audience.
Because at the end of the day…
your blog is not really about you.
It`s all about THEM.
I hope that makes sense.
Thanks again for a long comment.
Have a super day!
Best,
Tor
Tor Refsland invites you to read..117 Tips On How To Set Goals From Successful Entrepreneurs
Hi,
This is very nice and informative article thank you for sharing such a informative article i really enjoyed while reading it it was very useful keep it up
Thanks for your kind words, Bukge.
I really appreciate it.
Have a great day!
Best,
Tor
Tor Refsland invites you to read..How To Crush Your Big Hairy Audacious Goal (DUMB SMART System)
Hi, Tor (and Sylviane).
“Crazy productive” is exactly what you are. Well done on achieving so much, so quickly.
I need to get back into doing some of the things you mentioned, such as commenting. I’ve not done as much as I used to. It’s partly because I put so much effort into making other people more productive. But I do need to work a lot more on myself these days, working on my goals as much as I work on others.
Thanks for your great tips and reminders. Tweeting soon.
Nathan.
Thanks for commenting, Nathan.
Often when your progress is not as fast as it used to be, you should get back to basics.
Think about what you USED to do that actually DID WORK.
Start focusing on those activities, and it will bring you back into the game 🙂
Have a great day!
Best,
Tor
Tor Refsland invites you to read..80 Productivity Tips From Incredibly Busy Experts
Hi Sylviane
Thanks for much for introducing Tor to us.
What a great post and what great results he’s been getting (in such a short time too!)
Tor, your 4 step formula is so simple. As you say it’s not easy, but it sure is simple.
I like what you say about not pitching for guest posts too soon. We need to build a relationship first before we should do that.
To be clear your fast results came from a committed focus on core activities.
I always love reading success stories from people who actually do what they say they do. Power to you Tor!
Very impressive
Kim
Kim Willis invites you to read..How To Influence and Persuade With Powerful Story Telling
Thanks for your kind words, Kim.
It means a lot.
Yeah, success is often simple, but not easy.
They say that in order to achieve success, you must do what other people are unable or unwilling to do.
In most cases, it`s about doing activities that most people are unwilling to do.
Have a great day!
Best,
Tor
Tor Refsland invites you to read..How To Attract The Right Clients By Doing Business Nude
Hi Tor,
I am a big fan of you. I have read your book last month which was about time management. It was really awesome. You really showed the real ways of time management. How do you write such awesome articles? I am really astonished. I think I won’t be able to write such kind of epic posts.
I am going to follow the weekly schedule you have suggested for the newbie bloggers. I am confident about it. It will really get me positive results.
I would request you to share here all the guest posts that you have written on the other blogs. I would love to read all the articles.
Thanks
-Nikhil
Nikhil invites you to read..How to Schedule Tweets with Images
Hi Nikhil,
thanks a lot for your kind words.
It truly means a lot.
The reason why I decided to leave my six-figure job was to follow my passion – to help online entrepreneurs SAVE TIME and ACHIEVE GOALS.
In my experience, it`s all about not being afraid to let your personality shine through in your blog posts and to read and study blog posts from people you think write great blog posts.
It`s a process that takes time, but as long as you stay true to your own voice and practice your craft (writing), you will get there 🙂
The list of my guest posts are too long to mention here.
You can visit this link to see all the guest posts I`ve written: http://www.timemanagementchef.com/seen/
Have a great day!
Best,
Tor
Tor Refsland invites you to read..How I Was Almost Killed By Fake Experts, And Which 33 Experts You Should Follow
Hi sylviane,
I really have got some taste in Tor’s content on carol’s blog and I got to say the value in his post is inevitable.
Tor you did a great job and thumb up. Your point are great and I will be willing to learn more from you.
In fact your guest post on carol’s blog enters my monthly pick and I would love to here from you soon.
I would also go for having a coach. Darn it saves a lot of time and help skyrocket as early has possible.
Sylviane actually did a great job here and credit to you both but I will like it to be lady first. Lol.
Thanks,
Aderemi.
Aderemi Dare invites you to read..How to Choose the Perfect WordPress Theme for Your Blog
Hi Aderemi,
I’m glad that you are familiar with what Tor is sharing, and that you came here on my blog to read about those useful tips.
Have a great day ahead!
Thanks for your kind words, Aderemi.
I really appreciate it 🙂
Thanks for including me in your monthly pick. I will head over to your site and take a look.
Yeah, if you want progress FAST, you need to hire a coach and APPLY his/her tips.
I have had several coaches and they have all brought me to where I am today.
I spent the first 9 months on cracking the code to get traffic, social shares, engagement, comments and email subscribers.
Now I will be focusing on conversion and selling coaching services.
So what did I do now?
I have gotten a few new coaches to help me out with that.
Successful people are not afraid to invest in their own skills and business.
Have a great day!
Best,
Tor
Tor Refsland invites you to read..How To Attract The Right Clients By Doing Business Nude
Hey Sylviane — nice to see my friend Tor on your blog!
Tor…
What’s going on my friend?
Great post, as always.
One small bone to pick though…
This step right here … “Unfollow people who aren’t following me back within 7 days”
I will never understand this concept.
If you want to follow Mr. X, follow him. If you don’t, don’t. But don’t unfollow him because he didn’t follow you back. That might seem like a good strategy to keep your followers number higher than your following, but all it’s really saying is,
“I only followed you because I was hoping for a follow back.”
And that really doesn’t make for very sincere relationship building, now does it? That basically boils down people to being as valuable as a number.
But hey — that’s just my two cents. 🙂
I have always — and still very much do — respect how you break seemingly complex tasks into smaller, more manageable bits.
Keep up the great work, Tor! 🙂
Oh, and a note for both of you…
I’ll be on the road until the second week of November — wanted to let you know, so if you don’t see me poking around your blogs as often as usual, you’ll know why. Thanks a ton!
Brent
Brent Jones invites you to read..Publish Your Writing with Don Easton
Hi Brent,
So glad you mentioned that, because I kind of agree with you, and I’ve always thought that it was because I didn’t know any better since I’m not a geek when it comes to social media. But, yes, yes, yes, what you’re saying is totally right, if I unfollow every single person that doesn’t follow me back it really shows that I am following them ONLY because they are following me.
This said, it’s bit of the same story with blog commenting. Most people will only comment on your blog if you comment on theirs, something that I try very hard not to do.
Thanks for you excellent feedback and hope to see Tor’s reply to that.
Have a great day!
~Sylviane
Good morning Sylviane,
Blog commenting is a tough one…
I comment on 50-75 blogs most weeks (sometimes every other week)… and sure, it’s largely because I want to make connections with other people, although I don’t expect them to come by my blog if they don’t want to. Heck, I haven’t published a new post over there in almost a month.
At the same time, I don’t comment on a blog that I don’t like just to get attention. And I’m sure you’re the same way.
There just isn’t enough time in a day for that sorta thing. 😉
Likewise, when people follow me on Twitter, I look at their bio and timeline. If it seems like their content would be interesting or relevant to me, I follow back; otherwise, I don’t.
Besides, when I see accounts that follow 50,000+ other users… how can you possibly interact or engage with 50,000 people? You can’t… that user is really just following others to get people following back, which seems altogether pointless to me.
I’d much rather have people follow me because they actually care about what I tweet about.
Thanks for the reply, Sylviane!
Brent
Hi Brent,
thanks for commenting.
I really appreciate you sharing your thoughts.
Just to clarify.
As I mentioned in my reply to Akaahan, Twitter is a special kind of beast.
First of all, the unfollowing tactic is only used on Twitter.
Yes, it is a tactic to grow your follow fast.
In addition, influencers and people you want to build a relationship with are excluded to the unfollowing tactic.
We need to make a clear distinction: regarding Twitter – following or not following in my perspective has nothing to do with engagement or what you think about that person.
What do I mean by that?
I do engage with a lot of people on Twitter account, regardless of they follow me back or not.
I merely see it as following someone on Twitter is like saying hi to someone you want to engage with.
It`s a first step of engagement.
If they say or not back, they can still talk to me, right?
If they talk to me, I will still engage with them regardless of they said hi in the start.
Some of my good friends online are not following me on Twitter.
Do I take it personally? Nope.
Do I still engage with them? Yes.
Do I help them out if they need some help? Yes.
Does then not following me on Twitter affect our relationship? Nope.
I could have written a long post about this topic, but it will have to be for another day.
As long as people know that I am willing to engage and help them regardless of who is following who on Twitter, I think we have been able to maintain the balance of the world 😉
Have a great day!
Best,
Tor
Tor Refsland invites you to read..117 Tips On How To Set Goals From Successful Entrepreneurs
Hi Tor Refsland.,
Well, Being Crazily Productive is a very good thing, because Audience needs refreshed content, which we can only provide, if we go crazy.
Although it i snot an easy task, but with hard work and dedication it can be done.
~Atinder
Atinder invites you to read..I was raped 43,200 times
Tor, I know I’m almost two months late to this party, but I wanted to tell you that I think it’s great that you have achieved measurable success regarding your goals in such a short time!
I have been semi-away from blogging and freelancing for about six months. I’ve continued to post regularly (every two weeks instead of weekly) on my business site, Wording Well, largely thanks to guest post-ers!
I’m only now getting back into the “scene” online. I’ve had to deal with major health issues in my family (my 69-year-old mom had surgery, and my 3-year-old niece spent almost two months in Toronto, Canada, at SickKids Hospital and I went there to help my sister out for two weeks). All of this has taken quite a toll on me and my online activities!
Now that I’m back doing my regular stuff, I know I want to make improvements to how I conduct myself online. I want to use my time more efficiently, and yet still make sure I do all that I need to do continue growing… both as a person, AND as a business!
Any advice? I welcome it.
Lorraine Reguly invites you to read..Why I Freakin’ Love RMH (A True Story about my life and my Toronto Trip)
Now this is some totally awesome advice Tor!
And I just wanna know when does (either) your paid
course or paid coaching program come out?LOL!
Because what you’ve shared here, is definitely a proven road map to
blogging success!
And I’ve definitely paid for similar advice, in some of the ebooks and or courses
I’ve purchased!
Mighty good stuff!Thanks for sharing and I’m on my way over to your
blog now!LOL!
Mark invites you to read..Seven Really Good Reasons You Might Seriously Consider Starting A Newsletter!
This is just great. I could say so much but now I have a task list and need to get to work.
Ok well maybe, I will say this. The one thing that freaks me out the most is guest posting. I am not a strong writer, so I worry about this. Any tips?
Renee Groskreutz invites you to read..How To Do A Quick And Easy Blog Check Up
Hi Renee,
I’m glad you asked.
So, apparently you feel that you’re not a strong writer, but again, what do you call a strong writer?
Writing online requires more conversational style and explaining things in such a way that anyone could understand, than it requires to write like Marcel Proust.
Now, if English is not your first language, you can learn it to perfection. I know it’s possible because I did.
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask.
~Sylviane