Blogging and content creation has completely changed the way individuals, entrepreneurs and company founders build a name for themselves and show off to expertise. This is especially true for anyone that already has success in writing for their own site, guest blogging on others and also securing contributor deals with the likes of Forbes, Huffington Post, and other big-name sites.
This is exactly what you are going to find in this latest installment of Meet the Bloggers with John Rampton. In previous years, John started off as a blogger and struggled with the concept of making money with his site, then he realized that he needed to focus in on a niche market and provide the most value to his audience as possible. After mastering this art, John can now be seen writing content for huge sites like Inc. Magazine, Mashable, Entrepreneur, Huffingtmuchst and many more. Be sure to read through his full story below.
1.) Please tell us about yourself and how you got into blogging?
I am an entrepreneur who started out with blogging after I had been injured in a construction accident.
I was working on a job site and had my legs crushed so it left me having to learn to walk again. With months stuck in bed and rehabilitation, I spent many hours online where I discovered blogging and Internet Marketing.
The more research I did, the more I could see the monetization opportunities that providing this type of content could achieve. I went to work learning from what others did and starting to write about topics that other entrepreneurs would be interested in around Internet Marketing. I enjoyed it, especially the opportunities it brought to then create what became a six-figure income.
2.) What is the focus of your blog and why did you choose that niche?
The main focus of my blog on John Rampton is entrepreneurship and Internet Marketing. I also write about other topics that impact a startup business, including funding, pitching, marketing, hiring, etc. Of course, in my other businesses, I also incorporate blogs. These include my Due and Flint blogs, which cover money, invoicing, and payments for small business owners as well as my Calendar.co blog, which focuses on time management, scheduling, organization, and other productivity areas for small business owners.
3.) How are you currently monetizing your blog traffic?
I am monetizing it through adsense and product strategies. The focus of these is really on providing valuable content that increases revenue for each business.
4.) What do you know now that you wish you knew when you first started blogging?
I wish I knew more about SEO, writing tricks, resources and references that make quick work of writing, and more about what audiences want to specifically read about.
5.) What are three blogs that you visit almost daily?
- 500 Startups
- Octane Blog
- Josh Steimle
6.) Can you give us three recommended tools/services that you use with your blogging?
I love Yoast SEO for WordPress blogging as well as the Social Share Bar for social sharing of posts, and Feedly for tracking other blogs and posts within my industry.
7.) What advice would you have for someone who is just starting with their first blog?
Check out what is already out there so you can do something different and unique with your blog. There are thousands of blogs out there so you need to make sure you offer something of value that is not already being done. Or, find a way to do it even better in terms of the content you deliver that others with similar blogs are just not doing. This includes creating more interactive blog posts that involve video and other formats. Use available tools to improve your writing like Grammarly. Then, find ways to work with other bloggers to build your following.
8.) What’s the best advice or tip you’ve discovered about blogging since getting started?
The best advice was to keep writing more. And, when I thought I’ve written enough, keep writing. Blogging is about high-quality content so you will need to write to get better. Blogging is also about quantity so you need to produce a lot more than I initially realized before you start seeing results.
9.) If you only had $100 to start a new blog, how would you use it?
I’d get a WordPress theme and domain. The rest of the blog is just about sweat equity.
10.) How can readers of the blog get in touch with you?
Thanks again John for taking the time to share his 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.