“Connection is why we’re here; it is what gives purpose and meaning to our lives.”
Brené Brown
Guess what in-demand professional speakers: Bené Brown, Robert Kiyosaki, Gretchen Rubin, John Maxwell, and Seth Godin all have in common?
They all blog.
Strange, right?
I mean, after all, aren’t they all successful – too successful to bother with blogging?
There must be a good reason why busy authors and speakers are still using a blog to get their message out and attract the business growth they want.
Let’s dig a little deeper…
You connect
There is something very special about sharing your voice with readers. You connect. You can also instruct, advise, direct – even admonish, but you always connect.
It’s hard to connect in a 140 character Tweet or as people scroll past your post on Facebook or Instagram. You need time to connect.
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At BlogWorks we commonly see blog articles holding readers’ attention for 4, 6, even 13 minutes! That’s an eternity in Internet time. Imagine you had 100 people in a room taking in your advice for even 5 minutes every day, year-round.
You have time to share your position on complicated topics like marriage, financial planning or selling a home. You have time to share your style, or unique approach and build rapport. You have time to invite readers to learn more about your company, your team and your solutions.
That’s what a blog can do.
Let’s look at how some of the most sought after speakers, authors and thought leaders use their blog.
Bené Brown
Prolific, best-selling author Bené Brown has been blogging since 2007. Her posts range from 400 word thoughtful muses like this one to 2000 essays like this one.
Not every blog post has to be an essay.
Not afraid to “let it all hang out” Brown allows her readers to see all of her vulnerabilities as an addict, mother, wife and, of course, as a celebrity. Just like her books, reading a Brene Brown blog post is like listening to her speak—authentic, often raw, insightful and always positive.
If you’ve ever looked into improving your personal wealth, you’ve most likely come across serial author and celebrity finance wizard, Robert Kiyosaki. Kiyosaki’s empire includes real estate, books, games , coaching, retreats – you name it. If it has to do with making money, Kiyosaki has his hands on it.
He also has a massive following and uses his blog (written by both Robert and his wife, Kim) to nurture his list of over 1.5 millions subscribers.
At BlogWorks we are huge fans of updating and reposting old blog posts. Kiyosaki uses this strategy and goes the extra distance with not only updated content but also images.
Updating and reposting old blog posts saves time but can also result in boosted traffic.
Gretchen Rubin
One of my favourite books about mindset and living with self-awareness is Gretchen Rubin’s bestseller The Happiness Project. And I remember reading that about half-way through writing the book, Rubin decided to share her monthly experiments with happiness in a blog.
What was most remarkable about her blogging exercise was how her reader’s feedback started to inform her writing. Her blog became a kind of two-way conversation.
Your blog can become a kind of two-way communication with readers.
John Maxwell
You don’t have to always be the author of your own blog. Best-selling author, speaker and leadership expert, John Maxwell blends his own writing with posts from his CEO, Mark Cole. True to brand, all of the articles are about Maxwell and his teachings.
Regardless of your workload or age (at the time of writing, Maxwell is 73), you can invite other writers to contribute to your blog. In fact, it can be a win/win. You get an article to publish and your contributor gets exposed to your audience.
Inviting other writers to your blog can be a great win/win.
We recently published a post on the BlogWorks blog contributed by editor Barbara McNichol and by communications expert Lauren Sergy.
Seth Godin
Seth Godin is the epitome of marching to your own drummer – including how he runs his blog. Millions of daily readers return to Godin’s quirky, short (his posts rarely exceed 400 words), but consistently insightful thoughts on life, thinking, marketing, and success.
Godin’s blog and followers are a big part of his success as an author, speaker and thought leader.
Your blog can be a feeder for attracting new followers and clients
You don’t have to be famous
You don’t have to be famous to blog. Your blog is a powerful way to connect with readers and to attract more followers. All of the authors profiled in this post are successful and they still use their blog as a core part of their marketing strategy.
Sure, social media, video, podcasts are great ways to get your message out. But if you want to attract people to your message and have them convert from readers to followers and then to buyers, you won’t do it with a Facebook update or Tweet.
Want to be able to write like a pro? Download our Ultimate Writing Template.
Enjoyed this article? Here are 3 more to help you with your blogging success:
21 clever ways to attract more readers and boost blog traffic this year
How to increase your blog traffic by almost 30% in only 90 days-a case study
How to (finally) make money with your blog