How to Grow Your Blog Offline

How to Grow Your Blog Offline

This blog post has been a long time coming. I’ve been blogging for 5 years. I’ve done all the research on how to grow your blog – there are endless resources for “How to triple your traffic in 1 month” (something I’ve actually done), “How to increase your page views with Pinterest” (also something I’ve done), or “How to grow your Instagram following” (also a thing I’ve done). Everyone wants to grow and everyone wants to do it quickly. But growth is something that happens over time.

There is no royal road to anything, one thing at a time, all things in succession. That which grows fast, withers as rapidly. That which grows slowly, endures. — Josiah Gilbert Holland

 

I used to have this quote on a sticky note on my desk at my nine-to-five as a reminder that it’s okay to be in the process. I would look at it when I felt overwhelmed that I was working 80 hours a week for, let’s be honest, nowhere near enough money to justify that, and not “living my dream” yet. Now, I can say I’m living my dreams (and still chasing them, too). But it did not happen quickly at all. I worked on Mae Amor as a side hustle for a long time before it became profitable. And I really didn’t have time for a side hustle.

These days, people ask me for help starting their blogs all the time. Like, really truly all the time. Very few ever actually start.

Because while blogging is amazing, it can also be terrifying and overwhelming.

When I started, there were few resources for how to start and grow a blog. People didn’t even think it was a real thing. I had no one in my corner — except for Nick and a few bloggers in my area who were already building their side hustles. Jessica from My Style Vita was the person in my corner. I don’t even think she knows how much she helped me. She met with me for lunch when I was a very new blogger and told me it looked like I had been blogging for a long time. That was pretty much the only encouragement I had at the time and it is what sustained me (besides intrinsic motivation and a whole lot of hustle). She was friendly and kind and shut down that “you’re not welcome here” myth I was tempted to believe.

Nowadays, there are endless resources…but a new set of challenges, too. It feels hard to break into the field. How do you set yourself apart in a sea of people who are doing exactly what you want to do? There are so many resources, how do you know which ones are legit? (hint: anything that promises fast results without hard work or investment is a lie). Why is everyone around me growing so fast and I can’t get anyone to look at my stuff?

All of these are very real and difficult challenges. So how do you deal? I believe and I think I always will believe that a major secret to growing your blog begins offline. Yes, you can grow a profitable and successful business online without ever leaving your house — people do it — but I think businesses and blogs with longevity need to have ties to the physical world. SEO, consistency, nicheing down, and writing amazing content are all important. But blogging can be a lonely gig. Sitting in your home office (or *ahem* on your couch or bed) with no personal connection can make you feel very isolated. I worked remotely alone for 4 years before Nick came on board and gosh it could be hard. So taking your blog to the real world has so many benefits – starting with helping cure the work-from-home blues. And even if you’re building your side hustle or haven’t started yet and you work in an office or whatever — your friends probably don’t get your passion. There are tons of blogs out there, but you probably don’t personally know that many people who do it successfully so the people in your life might not understand the successes and pitfalls you are experiencing.

So if you’re looking to get a little more out of your blog and do a little more for your business, follow these tips for growing your blog offline.

1. Connect with Other Bloggers

You might have guessed this post was heading here. My very number one tip for growing your blog offline is to connect with other bloggers. Reach out to bloggers who are doing what you want to do who live in your area. You might think they’ll never message you back or that they are “too big” to care. But they just might accept! And you just might make a lifelong friend who will have your back in this biz.

You can find other bloggers by searching Instagram hashtags or geolocations or by joining an influencer collective (like Jessica and Cathy’s The Blog Societies — I’m partial to this society and these ladies but it’s only because they are the best). Worst case scenario, nothing changes. Best case scenario, you make blogging besties! Have you followed the love story of me and Lauren and Sabrina? I first met Sabrina at a brand-sponsored blogger dinner (I think) several years ago and I met Lauren at W Thinks Pink years ago, too! We really fell in love with each other when we roomed together at TBS Con (that’s me, Sabrina, Lauren, and Jessica front row) a few years ago, though, and we’ve just been obsessed with each other since. We’ve collaborated with major brands and hotels and spoken on panels as a trio and have learned SO much from one another.

Other bloggers are your very best resource. They know about the best apps, tips and tricks for growing your blog, which brands partner with influencers, who does the best blog design, and they can become your business partners (like Lauren and Megan‘s blog consulting group Adorn Media Group). If you are staying isolated and not connecting with other bloggers, your’e missing out! I’m sure there are a few bad eggs, but most of the time bloggers are sweet and welcoming. Don’t assume you can’t sit with us. There’s room for you at the table…sometimes you just have to let people know you want to sit with them! Got it?

I could write an entire post on this (I already have almost), but let me end it here. Your connections with other bloggers are essential to longevity in this business. Bloggers become your co-workers and can keep you accountable and encouraged. Do not try to do this thing alone. I repeat DO NOT try to do it alone.

2. Go to Conferences

Speaking of connecting with bloggers….you should definitely be going to conferences. My favorite is TBS Con (duh — link above). You’ll get to hear from amazing speakers in the industry, connect with incredible brands (hello, future partners), and maybe leave with a few new friends and loyal followers, too! I could write an entire post on how to get the most out of your conference experience as well. But just know that you should be going. It seems like a small thing but they have literally changed my life and my business.

3. Carry Business Cards

If you’re going to conferences like you should be, you’ve probably got a stack of business cards lying around. If you don’t, go to Moo.com and make some!

More than likely, you started your blog or want to start a blog because you think you have something to share with the world. People always ask you about your cute clothes or how you travel so much or how you have such bomb eyebrows. And more than likely people in your every day life ask you about these things all the time. So…always, always carry business cards. And use them. When you run into someone at Nordstrom and they HAVE to know where you got your earrings, you can say “oh my gosh! thanks! They’re from Baublebar. I wear them all the time on my Instagram. You can see other ways to style them there. Here’s my card!” Or something like that.

I HATE self promotion and I’m admittedly terrible at it. But there are times when it makes sense. If you meet me in real life, you might never know that I’m a full-time blogger (or a blogger at all) unless 1) you ask me what I do for a living or 2) one of my friends tells you. But there are times when it really makes sense to promote yourself.

• When people are asking for information about something you write about.
• When people see you taking photos on the street and inquire.
• When you meet another blogger.
• When you meet someone who works for a brand you love.
• When someone asks what you do for a living.

Sidenote: if no one in your life is asking you for help, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t start a blog. But dig down deep and think about what you really have to bring to the table and write about that. But also do what you want to do and don’t let anyone (including me) define your success.

Handing your business card out to strangers might seem bold and daunting, but if you can find a way to make a personal connection with someone who is looking for what you provide, you can make a lifelong follower. I have done this in the past at the seemingly most random times and made connections with people who have now been following for years and are genuinely invested in my life and business.

There are other things you can do offline to promote your blog. Most important of all is just living the life you want to share. People can see through fabricated stories. Be yourself and write about that. Then use these tips to grow your blog offline because personal connections in the real world can help drive your success.

Happy blogging!

xo,

Mae

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