How to Grow Your Blog with the 2017 Genius Bloggers Toolkit

Congrats on purchasing The Genius Blogger’s Toolkit!

The great news is you now have EVERYTHING you need to succeed at being a blogger. The bad news is you now have a million courses and are probably overwhelmed and a bit confused with where to start. Ugh..

It felt like Christmas buying this tool kit but there are so many great resources to choose form that I found myself getting a bit overwhelmed. I spent two hours going through all of the courses and books to prioritize which ones I wanted to do now and in what order.

I can only imagine how overwhelmed I would’ve felt if I purchased this kit as a brand new blogger. 

That feeling and seeing tons of questions about The Genius Blogger’s Toolkit on a lot of blogging boards prompted me to write down a Roadmap of sorts for the newbie’s out there who took the leap and purchased this amazing collection of resources.

Keep reading for a roadmap to get you where you want to be in your blogging journey.

A Couple of Tips

Blogging is a crazy business. It can be immensely awarding but it can also be frustrating as hell. There are a lot of moving parts and it is very easy to start feeling like you’re spinning your wheels.

Knowing this, I have two tips for you that I wish someone had told me months ago…

• Find Other Bloggers
• Keep Moving Forward

Find Other Bloggers

People who do not blog will not understand your new world/obsession. I didn’t. Other bloggers are the only ones who will truly understand your struggles and your wins.

Blogging is not for the faint of heart and being in contact with other bloggers will help you find your way a lot quicker. There are plenty of great blogging groups out there including Blogger Insights, Brilliant Business Moms, and Blogger’s Supporting Each Other and (my favorite) Blog Like You Mean It.

Once you have determined your niche (what you will be blogging about) find a few people and form an accountability group.

Check in weekly, go over your goals, your next steps, and bounce ideas off each other. This step alone can speed up your journey to success immensely.

Keep Moving forward

Just having this The Genius Bloggers Toolkit puts you ahead of the game if you are new to blogging (or even if you aren’t- I know a lot of experienced bloggers who bought the bundle).

That is great, but having the tools will not lead you to success. Implementing what you learn will. If you do not implement what you learn you will not succeed!

Do not get so caught up in taking all of these amazing courses that you fail to implement! It sounds like common sense but it happens.

So, once you have enough information to fumble your way through to the next step then take the next step.

And yes, it will feel like fumbling.

This is something new so you will have to find your footing with each new step. But if you keep waiting to feel like you’ve mastered each step, you will get nowhere fast.

Blogging isn’t a race and you should not measure your journey against others. But you also don’t want to get so bogged down that you delay your own progress. So if you have completed one step then take another… then another… then another until you get there.

Now, check out the road map I put together for you. I’m sure you have seen there is a lot in the Toolkit but take your time! The information isn’t going nowhere (although some of the bonus stuff will in one month so make sure to check those out).

A Newbie’s Roadmap for Success!

*Please Note: You will have to access your Genius Blogger’s Toolkit for coupon codes to gain access to the linked courses. I did not link to courses where no coupon code is needed in order to not provide Ultimate Blogger links to people who have not purchased the Toolkit.

Plenty of bloggers will say to start off with content because it is the most important factor for having a successful blog- and it is.

But, as great as that sounds, I’m calling BS. When you are first getting started blogging you want to take action so use that momentum and take action. Do the fun stuff- pick a blog name, find a host, get set up… and then start writing!

Getting Started

Browse through the e-courses BECOME, Blog by Number, Profitable Blogging for Beginners, and Blog Start Up 101. Then choose ONE to take. There will be a little voice in your head telling you to take them all for FOMO (fear of missing out) but there is no need. Although I am sure they each offer their own view on things, you need to keep moving forward.

If you are having a problem narrowing down your niche, then take Choosing Your Perfect Niche. If you already know what you want to do- DON’T. Keep Moving Forward.  This is also a great time to use The 14-Point Blog Startup Checklist.

Other Resources

Utilize these in your down time when you work on the current course you’re taking.

• The Beginner’s Guide to Blogging: Everything You Need to Know to Start a Profitable Blog by Sarah Brooks
• Creative Sparks for Business: 31 Business Ideas for Bloggers by Jennie Moraitis

Research and Choose a host

I hate to add another course to your list but if you have any questions on using WordPress.org or choosing a host, take Blogging on WordPress. If you are even relatively comfortable with your hosting and WordPress then keep moving forward.

I use Siteground and love them. My site has never down (knock on wood), it’s user friendly, a great price, and they have great customer service. I have heard good things about Bluehost as well but Blogging on WordPress reviews a few concerns they have with them so I went with what who they suggested and have had a great experience with them. I love their customer support chat service and use them whenever I’m working through something new.

I do not have any experience with Agathon (free month is offered in the Toolkit under Bonuses) but this is where reaching out to other bloggers can be beneficial.  Post in other groups and ask if anyone has experience with them. If nothing else, you can try them then switch your site over later.

Once you choose a theme, upload the page builder plugin Elementor. It makes posting a lot easier and you can watch a tutorial here. Fair warning, it’s long and meant for a “website”  so use the fast forward button. And there is nothing wrong with just dropping in pre-set theme in and modifying it with your text and images.

If you have questions about Elementor, contact me and I will be happy to help you out.

Avatars

An avatar is the one person you talk to when you write an article. She or he is your target audience and yes, you need one.

However, avatar exercises are can be a bit overwhelming for a brand new blogger.

I have talked to several bloggers who said they got stuck coming up with their avatar and it prevented them from moving forward at the beginning. If this is you then just write. Keep moving forward.

After your first ten articles or so come back your avatar. Who he or she is, what she does, her fears, her wants, her needs will be much easier to see once you start writing to her.

I have talked to several bloggers who said they got stuck coming up with their avatar and it prevented them from moving forward at the beginning. If this is you then just write. Keep moving forward.

After your first ten articles or so come back your avatar. Who he or she is, what she does, her fears, her wants, her needs will be much easier to see once you start writing to her.

Your Tribe

You may not have your avatar completely pinned down yet but you should have a pretty good idea of who your people are aka your tribe.

Your tribe is/are the group of people you will target and finding them will help you reach your traffic goals a lot quicker than if you just put your content out there to anyone so this is a good time to check out Find Your Tribe Online: Find Your Readers, Grow Your Blog, and Have Fun Doing It by Jen Snyder.

Branding

Branding is what will set you apart from the rest. Take the course Brand Intimate: The Essentials of Your Purposeful, Profitable Brand. There is another course offered but that is more than you need at this point and you can always go back to it. Even this class is a bit much but you do need to understand what branding is and how to project it throughout what you do so you might as well get the info you need at the beginning of your blogging journey.

Content

As kids, many of us had ideas about what we would be when we grew up and I highly doubt any of us thought “I’m going to be a blogger.”

But, a few of you may have thought “I’m going to be a writer.” And that is great because now you are one.

Don’t worry if you have a hard time seeing yourself that way. Your Toolkit comes with a course on how to be an effective writer so before you start knocking out content, take the course The Effective Writer by Jeff Goins. It will give you a great idea on how you should write to produce great articles. You can also sign up for a 3 month trial of Hope*Writers to find support and guidance from other writers.

Other Writing Resources to Check Out

• 1200 Blog Post Ideas by Rachael Wynn
• Never Run Out of Blog Subjects Again by Max Kuivenhoven.

Photography

Admittedly, this is a weak spot for me. I utilize Pixabay and Pexels for free photos and have taken a couple of little free courses for photography but that’s it. Don’t stress over this but you will need quality photos. If you are going to be taking still photos of small objects, check out Food Photography Tips & Tricks.

Getting Organized

This is also the time to get organized. Even if you are not one to live by a calendar, you need to have an editorial calendar to be successful and keep you on track. Some people schedule out a week at a time, others a month or three months at a time but have a plan.

There are tons of ways to organize your editorial calendar including WordPress plugins, online editorial calendars, and even just using a regular calendar on your phone.

The Toolkit offers these resources to get you organized. Browse through them and see if any of them might be something you can work with.

• Blog Content Creator Kit by Kaitlyn Kessler
• Blogging Binder by Sarah Titus
• Free Your Mind Blog Planner: Dream Bigger, Organize Your Tasks and Achieve Your Dream Life by Mom’s Small Victories
• Printable Blog Planner by Gemma Bonham-Carter

Traffic

You have set up your blog, branded it, and filled it with content. Yay!

Before you launch your blog, you need to have a way to monitor your traffic. This is a great time to read How to Master Google Analytics from the Beginning: A Beginner’s Guide to Customizing Google Analytics for Your Blog by Dawn Aldridge. This way, you won’t miss out on the value you can gain from learning about your traffic.

You will also want to optimize. Thankfully, there is a traffic course that talks about SEO- Ready Set Blog for Traffic by Elna Cain. She gives great, easy to follow advice and will get you headed in the right direction with the understanding that, although SEO is important, it is definitely more of a long-game plan and it can take awhile.

The other courses offered are:

• Blog Traffic Bootcamp by Lena Gott
• Traffic, Subscribers, Yours by Raelyn Tan

As always, choose your poison (one course) and then keep moving forward.

Other Traffic Resources:

• Demystifying SEO: A Blogger’s Guide To Search Engine Traffic by Kim Six
• The She Approach To Boosting Your Blog Traffic by Ana Savuica

Get Feedback

Once your site is optimized, submit it to Peek User Testing for an objective review and fresh insight on any changes you could make to your site to make it even better. Maybe you could have a clearer tag line (which explains what your site is about), maybe the categories aren’t clear, or your font is hard to read. Whatever it is, they will let you know.

You can get one free Peek User Test each month. Once you are more established and have a bit of income from your blog, there is a great service where you can pay $75-300 and submit your site called Oh She Blogs. She will give an in-depth opinion on your site or even just review a single post. Either way, I have heard nothing but great things about her services.

Social Media

In today’s world, it feels like you have to be everywhere all the time to get noticed but that’s not true! Your tribe of readers will generally hang out on one or two social media platforms and your job is to figure out where they are (or maybe you already have). Once you do, focus on those platforms to grow your business.

That being said, for a lot of niches, Pinterest can be a traffic jackpot if used correctly and there are a ton of classes included in this bundle. If you take Ready, Set, Blog for Traffic then she touches on a lot of the high points.

But, if you need clarification or would like a better understanding of any aspect about gaining traffic through Pinterest, these are the classes I would take:

• Group Board Master: Unlock the Key to Massive Pinterest Growth by Caroline Vencil
• How to Master Tailwind by Kate Ahl
• Pinterest Boost: How to Optimize and Automate your Pinterest Account using BoardBooster by MaryEllen Bream

Pro tip

Claim your website or blog name on all social media platforms even if you are not currently using them. I am currently only promoting my FB group and driving traffic through Pinterest but I have claimed @DejaVuOrganics on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, etc.

Other Social Media Resources

There are tons of resources for social media but focus only on the two where your tribe is most likely to be for now and then keep moving forward.

Facebook

• 10 Super Common Facebook Strategies That Do More Harm Than Good by Brittany Ann 
• Crush It with Facebook Groups: The Ultimate Guide for Bloggers and Creative Entrepreneurs by Lindsey Aleson*

Pinterest

• Pinteresting Strategies: How I Went from 0-200K Page Views with Manual Pinning by Carly Campbell
• Pageviews from Pinterest: The 7-Step System to Skyrocket Your Blog Traffic (& Income!) in the Next 30 Days by Krista Dickson
• Pinterest Group Boards Masterlist by Jenny Blaisdell

Instagram & Youtube

• Instagram Unlocked: How to Gain Followers and Engagement that Lasts by Helene Sula
• Conquer YouTube by Kallie Branciforte

Catch All

• Own It: Amplify Your Influence & Build the Online Tribe of Your Dreams by Chakayla J. Taylor
• Social Media Strategies Course for Bloggers by Alea Milham

Twitter

• Twitter Strategy for Bloggers by Saira Perl
• Two Minutes a Day to 10K Twitter Followers by Brett Romero

*The FB course offered in your Toolkit is not about starting your own FB Group- it is about how to promote your blog using others FB Groups.

Email List & Freebies

One thing you may have already heard (and will hear often)  is that money is in your email list.

As a matter of fact, Rosemarie of The Busy Budgeter has said that once you build your blog, you should focus more on your newsletter and emails than you do on new content. Your email list is where you will see your biggest return on investment so your best use of time will be nurturing your list.

The best way to build your email list? Freebies!  People love free stuff!

There are two resources in your Toolkit for how to put together a good freebie.

• How to Create Your First Opt-in Freebie by Angie Nelson
• Problem to Promotion: A Training on Creating the Perfect Opt-in by Kristie McCollum.

Growing Your Email List

Once you have your freebie, you can grow your email list. There are two courses and this is one time I will say you should probably take both.

List Building Mania: Build Your List, Save Time and Grow Your Business in 7 Days by Lindsay Maloney focuses on brainstorming ideas on how to grow your email list.

The ConvertKit Masterclass: The Exact Formula I Used to Grow My Email List to Over 14K in Under a Year by Monica Froese shows you how to actually set everything up.

I am sure there is overlap between the two but they seem to be pretty complimentary of each other.

Email Campaign Providers

I personally use Drip and like it. It’s easy to use and free for the first 100 email subscribers. I also know plenty of bloggers who are very happy with ConvertKit and it’s offered in your Toolkit with 2 months free under bonuses.

A lot of new bloggers will start out with Mailchimp because they are free. and then upgrade once their business grows. I started with Drip mostly because I don’t like learning platforms so I didn’t want to start with Mailchimp and then have to learn a completely new system. If you’re having a hard time deciding, talk to other bloggers and see what they think.

Once you have your email list growing and emails written, you will need ideas for more content. Email Lists Made Easy for Writers and Bloggers by Kirsten Oliphant should cover you there.

Time to Monetize

There are four main ways to monetize a blog:

• Affiliate programs (selling others products and getting a commission)
• Sponsored posts (being paid to write about a product)
• Selling products (physical or e-products)
• Creating a course

The easiest way to start monetizing your blog is as an affiliate so start off with one of those courses. Choose from:

• Affiliate Acceleration: Impactful Strategies To Increase Your Passive Income by Kayla Aimee
• Become an Affiliate Blogger: Preparing You to Create a Full Time Income So You Can Work From Home by Tia Mac.

Other Affiliate Resources

• How to Make Money from Blogging: The Ultimate Guide to Earning a Five Figure Income From Your Blog by Sharon Gourlary
• Make Money Blogging at ANY Level by Victoria Pruett
• Passive Income Planner: Stop Trading Time for Money by Chantel Arnett
• Small Blog, Big Income: Advanced Ninja Tricks for Profitable Blogging by Carol Tice

As you can see, making money is big business so you have a lot of options but just choose a couple. And trust me, after awhile it’s a lot of the same information.

That’s All Folks

If you are a newbie blogger (and if you’re reading this then you probably are) then this should have given you a pretty good road map for how to get where you want to be with your Toolkit.

There are A LOT of other courses but, if you can focus on the above game plan, you will have a much clearer idea of where to go once you have reached the point of needing the other courses.

Keep in mind, this is just a road map. If you need to detour a bit into a course on productivity or blog-life balance then by all means, do so. This is your journey and the important thing is to Keep Moving Forward!

P.S. If you can ever lack motivation, listen to ACTIVATE: EBA Live Conference Video Package by Ruth Soukup, Founder of Elite Blog Academy. It will re-energize you and keep you moving in the right direction!

I hope you find this helpful and if you do, feel free to leave me a comment and share! Also, feel free to reach out if you have any questions or need clarification on anything.

Good luck and have fun, fellow bloggers!