I trust teachers.
Point blank.
Teachers learn how to teach from other teachers, since we all need to start somewhere.
The best bloggers I know built their credibility over years by doing 2 things:
1 – This crowd learned how to blog from heart-centered, generous bloggers.
2 – This crowd generously taught other bloggers for free for many years to establish their own credibility.
Anybody can make up income claims. Anyone can doctor images or change documents to appear as if they make a certain amount of money. This is why making income claims does not prove you are credible and trustworthy.
Being a generous, patient, skilled teacher does prove that you know your stuff. Trusted teachers may not be rolling in dough now because lags exist between when you learn blogging, when you teach blogging and when you earn a full time income through blogging. I have yet to meet the blogger who learned, taught and earned a full time income, all simultaneously, in a short time frame.
But I have met bloggers who learned how to blog from top pros, who patiently practiced their blogging skills and who persistently helped folks by generously teaching their readers how to succeed in their niche of choice.
Learn from heart-centered pros.
Teach generously.
This is how you establish your blogging credibility.
Watch this video I just filmed in Opotiki, New Zealand. I tie it all together to help you build credibility.
How did I learn of the concepts I shared in the video? I followed the advice of pros. I bought eBooks from pros. I followed insights, knowledge and experiences from top bloggers in the blogging tips niche. This was my first step in building credibility. I had to let go bad advice – and I received plenty – to focus on following good advice.
Simple, right?
Yes….but highly uncomfortable at times.
Most bloggers begin this journey from an energy of fear. They just want to make money. They have no interest in learning a skill. They have no interest in generously helping people for days, weeks, months or years.
Naturally, these fear-driven bloggers either strike out on their own, gaining no credibility, or they follow advice from desperate, non-credible, failing or struggling bloggers, leading to the same failing end. Or perhaps these bloggers come across manipulative but not trustworthy bloggers who make loads of money through fear-based, value-less, low quality tactics, and of course you cannot gain credibility from a shifty, dishonest, desperate person.
Kick fear out of your mind. Follow a few heart-centered, generous mentors, skilled in their niche and generous in their approach. These folks teach credible, trustworthy, genuine strategies for patiently building your blogging community.
Then teach folks in your niche through a wide range of channels like:
- posting to your blog
- guest posting
- answering questions on Quora
- answering questions on the Warrior Forum
- helping people through YouTube
- recording and publishing podcasts
Help people generously. Worry not of squeezing traffic or sales through folks. Be generous. Be genuine. Have fun inspiring people.
In time, you will become an influential blogger, even if you have not earned much money at all through your blog. After becoming influential, success will flow your way. Slowly at first, steadily over time, and exponentially over the long haul.
All because you learned from credible folks and taught folks freely and generously to earn your blogging credibility.
Are you following these steps to boost your credibility as a blogger?
Do you believe in sharing income claims to boost your credibility?
Why are you going the income claim route? Or why do you avoid going this route?
What tips can you add to this list?