Today we have a very special treat…

My first guest post! 😀

We have with us today Livy Lynn, author of the Tarsurella series, which I know a lot of you have read and love. 😉 I’m super excited to have Livy here today, and keep reading to the end for an awesome announcement and giveaway! 

Now onto the post!…

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Oh, the wonderful world of blogging. It all starts with a dream: to permeate the blog-isphere with our lightening-bright ideas, to carve out a safe haven to spill our guts, rip open our journals, and create a space where words are free to tumble and fly.

 

In the beginning, inspiration is endless.We feel as though we could write for years, riding fearlessly ahead on our brave and trusty steeds, storming the castle with our typewriters and our swords!

 

Until, one day, writer’s block hits.

 

And we’re done for.

 

The dragon of uncertainty consumes us, as we have NO idea what we’re going to write about next.

 

Sound relatable? Every blogger has been there. And if you haven’t, you probably haven’t been blogging for long enough. 😉 I’ve been writing online for six years now, so you can bet I’ve had my share of blogger writer’s block.

 

Creating blog post ideas that readers will ADORE, is something every writer strives for! We want our readers to be delighted, connect with us on a person level, and keep coming back for more! We want to encourage and inspire them, cause them to laugh, and give them a virtual hug for the heart. But cranking out quality content on a steady, consistent basis, isn’t always easy. That’s why I’m here today to share a few of my tips with you, on creating content your readers will ADORE!

 

How to Brainstorm Your Next 30 Blog Post Ideas!

 

Before we begin brainstorming your next 30 Blog Post ideas (yep, you read that right! 30!) let’s talk about three different kinds of digital content. Now, there are certainly more than three types of blog posts, but I’ve found that most every post can be categorized by these three umbrella categories.

 

1.   Connection Content
2.   Viral Content
   
   3.   Monetized Content
   
   Let’s take a closer look at each of these and find out why your readers adore them!
   
   
   
   1. Connection Content
   
   Connection content is a post focused on connecting with the heart of your readers. Being yourself, opening up, sharing a struggle, or something God is teaching you through your own life: those are all Hallmarks of connection content. Your readers want to know you: the real you.
   
   Anytime you open up and be vulnerable, readers respond to that.  
   
   On the internet, oftentimes we only get to see highlight reels of all the exciting, Instagram-worthy happenings in the lives of others. It’s easy to place internet-personalities on a pedestal and forget that they struggle just as much as we do.
   
   Many bloggers who build up faithful followings over the years, do so by being REAL with their readers. An example of someone who does this beautifully, is my dear friend Isabella Morganthal. (Link: https://jesusisworthitall.weebly.com/ )She is raw and real with her readers, and they trust her because of that.

 

On the flip side, we’ve all seen online personalities take this to the extreme. We all have that one friend who never stops posting about their bad days, or the YouTuber who is endlessly venting about their woes. That is not what I’m encouraging us to do. If we’re going to be real about what we’re going through, we have to do so with an air of grace and a HUGE dose of hope at the end! Nobody wants to hear another sob story without a happy ending. Remind your readers why you’re sharing and the beauty you believe will come out of it.

 

Connection posts can be a wonderful way to connect on a heart-to-heart level with your readers! One of my favorite way to do connection posts is by sharing what God’s been teaching me in my Quiet Time and through my current season in life.

 

2. Viral Content

 

We often think of viral content as something that’s gone viral, spun out of control in popularity and practically broke the internet! And while that’s true in some cases, the reality is, most of us are not going to write posts that do that.

 

So when I refer to viral content, maybe a better phrase would be, “potential viral content”. In other words, posts that have the potential to be passed around, posted, shared, re-tweeted, etc.

 

Not everyone is going to feel the urge to share a connection post on their social media, but they might want to share a post that discusses a trending topic, is perhaps a little controversial in a unique niche, or discusses a fun concept, but with a fresh, creative twist!

 

One example of potential viral content, would be my post: If Disney Invaded Your Youth Group (Link: http://www.crownofbeautymagazine.com/IfDisneyInvadedYouthGroup.html ) because my readers go to youth group, and love Disney, they totally enjoyed this comedic take on what might happen if these two worlds unexpectedly mesh together!

 

Another example of potential viral content, is an interview with a celebrity, artist, musician, author, or someone who has a larger platform than you. If your readers love for King and Country or the Willis Clan, they’re going to be really excited about your interview, and potentially want to share it!

 

Potential viral content can also include hot news topics, popular Google searches, or keyword focused pages, but those are just a few examples.

 

Are you beginning to see how having a mix of heart-felt, connection content, along with fun, pop-culture (or book culture, whatever you’re), potentially viral content, makes a delicious mix for readers?

 

3. Monetized Content

 

Finally, we have monetized content. This is a post style many beginner bloggers avoid, or simply don’t think about. Blogging usually starts as hobby and the idea of earning income from our blogs either isn’t important to us, or it seems impossible. Or maybe you’ve seen longtime bloggers suddenly switch gears and try to turn their blog into a business, and they’ve done it totally ungracefully, and it’s left a really sour, comertalized taste in your mouth.

One of the reasons that happens, is because hobby-bloggers aren’t creating monetized content, then when they suddenly whip out links to their new affiliate program, everyone is totally blindsided by the shift and sometimes even offended.

 

If the idea of earning income off your blog makes you uneasy, because you don’t want to sell out or lose the trust of your readers: that’s a good thing! That means you actually CARE about your readers. And the simple fact that you have the heart to always place your readers first, tells me you can earn income from your blog, in a really beautiful, natural, organic way.

So how can you do that?

I would encourage you to consider adding a new style of posts to your line up: monetized content. Monetized content is simply a post which gives you the potential to earn income from it, through affiliate links, sponsored posts, or brand partnerships.

 

But here’s the really cool part: you can start doing this before you ever sign up for an affiliate program or begin exploring how to earn income from your blog. By sharing your honest opinions on products, books, music, movies, restaurants, etc. (whatever your unique niche is!) your readers will get used to seeing these kinds of posts. In fact, if you add review posts to your blog on a regular basis, your readers won’t just be used to seeing them: they’ll love seeing them! They’ll know you’re the place to come when they want opinions on a book, hair product, etc.

 

If you do this before you start partnering with brands and affiliate programs, your readers won’t be surprised when they learn you’re earning income from these posts. It will also give brands a “portfolio” to speak, of how you do reviews, what your style is, and what they can expect when they work with you.

 

If the idea of monetizing your website excites you, I would encourage you to start adding reviews to your line-up!

 

Once you’ve got a fun, colorful, tasty mixture of connection content (your readers trust you!), viral content (new readers are finding you!), and monetized content (they value your opinion on products, brands, and services), then you’re ready to slowly begin earning income from all your hard work! How cool is that?

 

Brainstorm Your Next 30 Posts: And Get to Work!

 

Are you ready to start brainstorming your next 30 posts? It’s not nearly as daunting as you may think! Simply grab a notebook and a pen, and divide your paper into three columns, one for each category, Connection, Viral, and Monetized. OR, take the easy route and use this free printable (link: https://www.livylynnblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Maroon-KWL-Chart-Worksheet.pdf ) that I made just for you guys! 🙂

Write down ten ideas for each category. Just ten! Here are a few ideas to get you started…

 

~What I Learned in my Quiet Time
~What I’m Learning at Bible Study
~My Last Journal Entry
~5 Things I’m Praying For
~Questions for God

Ready to rock and roll? Woo hoo! You’re well on your way to creating 30 new blog posts your readers are going to ADORE!

 

Bonus: Giveaway for Bloggers!

 

Are you a new or aspiring blogger? Or maybe you’ve been blogging for years and the idea of learning how to earn income on your website sounds really appealing. But where do you even begin? I’m SO excited to share my 20 Day video series for bloggers! It’s called Fire Starter: Launching a Blog that Blazes! This interactive course teaches bloggers (both old and new) how to create their dream blog or website, monetize their site, AND give them all the tools, encouragement, and support needed to be truly successful on their journey! The Fire Starter course is listed at $150.00 but I would love to share my special code with you to get $100 off! You can check that out here: (Link: https://www.livylynnblog.com/2018/08/21/fire-starter-launching-a-blog-that-blazes/ )

 

 

 

To celebrate the release of Fire Starter, I’m giving away a free Skype Session to talk about blogging goals, writing advice, and how to take your blog to the next level! (Or, if you’re too shy to video chat, we can totally do it over email.) My sweet friend Bella and I love coaching bloggers and authors through our Cheerleader Sessions! (Link: https://www.livylynnblog.com/2018/01/15/cheerleader-sessions/ ). This is our first time giving away a free session and we’re SO excited!

 

Entering for a chance to win is super simple! Just hop on over to my blog and sign up for my free email updates (and I’ll throw in a free e-book, just to say thanks!) and you’re all set! Link: https://livylynnblog.us14.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=52a89184eecb2e965d9ddfa27&id=4e615b60ba

 

Jenna, thank you SO much for having me on your blog today, it’s been such a blast! <3

 

Keep writing, friends!

 

Lots of love,

 

~Livy Lynn

 

About the Author:

Livy Lynn is a twenty-something author, singer, and songwriter. She enjoys crafting YA fiction that is pure, lovely, inspirational, and of course, entertaining! When she’s not writing, you can usually find her playing guitar, blogging, drinking peppermint tea, connecting with new friends, planning her next trip to Disney, or pinning images of Europe and Golden Retriever Puppies!

 

Come get connected at www.livylynnblog.com

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Wasn’t that an awesome post?! What was your favorite part? What thing might you change to improve your blog post content? Be sure to check out Livy’s site!

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