How To Make Your Blog Go Viral

Blogging, Lessons on working, Stay at Home Moms

by: Kel Amstutz

Last year, I posted a blog post that went viral. (much to MY surprise!)  


Today, I still see traffic in the thousands (on a daily basis) and from that one article! 

Since then, I have had a few more blog posts that are getting shared in the thousands.  The internet is filled with different niches that cater to different interests.  In today's internet landscape, it is a MUST as a blogger, that you formulate a strategy that CAN make your posts go VIRAL. 

Why is vitality or contagious content important today?  

Social media has become a staple in the attitude of online users. What this means is that with more shares and likes, more people can get to see your blog and be exposed to your brand. 

So how do you go about doing this? 


Know your Niche if You Want to to VIRAL

One of the best ways to turn a blog post viral is to know your audience, know their interests and their likes. You may even go the extra mile and create a really curious headline or talk about hated topics to get your audience to click through, out of curiosity. 

Research Contagious & Mass Appeal Topics

What are the things that let's say, many Moms want to know or read? Do they find it difficult to balance their time with work schedules? See, there are a lot of topics that can suddenly get a readers attention and it all depends on current lifestyles and circumstances, which fall within your niche.

Be Unique With Your Presentation

Can you be satirical with some of your comments when making a point? Do you have numbers that back up claims you have made on info-graphic style pieces?  These are different approaches on how you can get the attention of your readers. 

In fact, if you are simply following a generic line of thought, it is hard to be remembered especially now, where there are like, millions of bloggers who are throwing similar content to readers alike. 

Utilize Different Internet Marketing Strategies

Are you like most people and have multiple social media accounts? 

These are some of the best ways to promote your posts to an audience. Remember to always honor the platform that you are using. The same message won't work on EVERY social media site. You need to build a solid social media marketing strategy in order to increase your traffic exponentially to your blog. 

Find Your Voice

The right voice is important for ANY TYPE OF BLOG. Without a good voice, it is possible that you are NOT going to connect with your niche the way that you desire.  Though it takes practice, it is a skill that can be readily honed. It will NOT happen overnight, but with enough writing YOU WILL GET THERE! 

Be Consistent

Last, but certainly NOT least, you need to keep the content coming. You want to make it a habit for your readers to look at your posts and GET EXCITED! 

That can not happen without your commitment and consistency. 
 

 Here is my most popular eBook! 

I strongly recommend my eBook, The Social Media Manager Kit by Kel (w/ bonus) in order to get you started. It will include templates for emailing potential clients or those you landed a completed job with, it will allow you to focus and challenge you to keep moving forward. 



This life, working at home, being financial free and with my family, is something that I used to dream about. 



Today...

• I am living it. 
• I am loving it. 
• I am making it my life! 

Need More Help?  



Check out my eBook, Make your Dream a Reality in 30 Days or Less! - a jump start guide with templates to get you ready, set and ROCKING this Social Media Manager gig! 

 

@KelleyAmstutz

/kel.amstutz

KAMSTUTZ09

3 Reasons Why You Really Need to Productize Your Knowledge

Digital Products, Packaging Information



by: Kel Amstutz





I remember when I was first starting out online.  I was reading up on the different kinds of income models out there, in terms of blogging. 


I came a crossed some experts who were out there creating products that were named after them, like Eben Pagan and others who offered a unique solution(s) that were bundled up into versions of their own expertise. 


So, I continued to watch, to study, and I began to learn exactly how to create digital products and how to bundle up my own experiences, knowledge, and expertise.  This is what I like to call productizing your knowledge. What that means, in la-mans terms, is "packaging yourself" and it is something that almost anyone can and should do!



I say that almost anyone can and should, but I also think that you have to be authentic, you have to show your value, and you really have to change someone's life or help someone who is in a certain situation. That being said, do not be vague. I think I heard it best said that being vague is the kiss of death, especially in regards to informational products!



I find that it is best to imagine yourself stranded on a deserted island alone...well, of course, we want to find someone on this lonely island who knows the land and can find food, right? 


This scenario is what you need to be shooting for when you are in the creative process for your digital products or productizing of your knowledge. You should always image
that you are taking the lead and are leading the way for the long
journey ahead, with a group of non-natives, through the rough terrain or
bumpy rocks in the roads.  The thing is, in this exact scenario, the
people your lead are not worried in the least bit because they realize that you have been here before and you know the way to navigate them all back to safety! 

 Here is my most popular eBook! 

I strongly recommend my eBook, The Social Media Manager Kit by Kel (w/ bonus) in order to get you started. It will include templates for emailing potential clients or those you landed a completed job with, it will allow you to focus and challenge you to keep moving forward. 



This life, working at home, being financial free and with my family, is something that I used to dream about. 



Today...

• I am living it. 
• I am loving it. 
• I am making it my life! 

Need More Help?  



Check out my eBook, Make your Dream a Reality in 30 Days or Less! - a jump start guide with templates to get you ready, set and ROCKING this Social Media Manager gig! 

 

@KelleyAmstutz

/kel.amstutz

KAMSTUTZ09

Day 4 of the VLOG Challenge

Check out todays Vlog post @ https://youtu.be/3obOvOsMtjc

#letsthrive #thrivewithme #thriveon #thrivemoms

http://kelamstutz.le-vel.com

Its a Vlog Challenge!

https://youtu.be/coaRva59wxI

5 Ways to Earn an Extra $2,000 a Month by Blogging

Making Money

5 Ways To Earn An Extra $2,000/Month By
Blogging

August 01, 2016
by: Kel Amstutz 

 

Hi ALL!

I wanted to share a post today that could get some of you, who read the blogs, are curious about the blogs, are showing interest in starting your own blog, a chance to:

 #taketheleap

Many of you know that I have kept this little blog, Life at Gray Gables, since Fall of 2013. I started it in order to relieve my writing frustrations. I had so much data going on in my brain that it was literally leaking from my fingertips and begging to be typed out and I needed an outlet to...well, let it all free! 

 It wasn't until May of 2014 that I started getting serious about my blogging and things started to happen!

Let's face it though, blogging can, will be, and frankly, IS overwhelming. 

 It took me a good five (5) months of trial and error, and ramblings to get a good thing going...and even then, I have re-created myself over...and over again!  

 

What do I mean, I am sure you are asking yourself. 

 

Well, it took me about five (5) months to really figure out: 

• my WHY 

• my HOW 

• and my PLAN

I had to fail in order to see how I wanted to go about my blog, and I also had to figure out some sort of automated routine to keep going forward. 

I had to figure out my posting schedule, the subjects that are important to me and what I needed to share with my readers, and the ways that I wanted to monetize my blog, when I finally got to that point. 

These items all turned out to become a BIG PART of my daily routine. 

 

 

When I started blogging, I really wasn't thinking about making a living blogging. I honestly didn't even know you could make a steady income from a little blog, let alone make $100,000/month blogging.


Yes, I put in the hard work, countless hours of research, and all of a sudden I found myself in a wonderful place. 

I get to write about things that I LOVE, I get to write about my life...at Gray Gables, my family, our meals and recipes, our chickens and business and any other subject that tickles my funny bones along the way. I get to work whenever I want, from wherever I am at the moment, and I get to earn money around the clock. #thankyoureaders

When I wake in the mornings and check my stats, I get to see how much money I made overnight...while I slept...and that is the beauty of blogging. 

 

It can be the ULTIMATE PASSIVE INCOME SOURCE!

But, that being said, there is a lot that comes into play to creating and maintaining a good and/or successful blog.  

Today though, we are going to touch on the:

TOP 5 WAYS to MONETIZE and EARN MONEY with YOUR BLOG!  

(& yes, I researched, I live by, and I use myself to grow my blogs!)

Grab a cup of joe and let's have a look/see:

 

If you found this post interesting, I bet you’ll love checking out my other most popular posts:

• 99 Companies Offering Part-Time Work at Home Jobs
• List of 21+ Companies That Hire Frequently For Work at Home
• Top Companies that Offer Legitimate Data Entry Jobs
• Best 10 Work at Home Jobs for Teens (18 and under)

 
 

 

 

1. Mediavine (Advertisement)

 

One of the easiest ways to monetize your blog is to Advertise. It just requires you to join a publishing company and depending on how the company works, you can earn money RIGHT AWAY. Usually these earnings will be based on the amount of page views that your blog gets per day and will process payment every month based on those stats.

 

There are so many different advertisement companies to choose from. The most known among bloggers would be Google Adsense. 

 

Let's be real for a moment, the payout for Adsense is not great, but jumping on with them for a few months helped me understand the process. A few months ago I decided to switch to MediaVine. Let me just say...hands down best decision ever and my earnings have been higher than ever also!

 

 

2. Bluehost (Affiliate Sales)

 

Another great way to earn money through your blog is through Affiliate Sales.

 

I use Bluehost's Affiliate Program and earn about $1,000 per month. 

 

This works by allowing me to share articles about how awesome blogging is and show that Bluehost is a great hosting company to be with (and they are!) and for each referral processes, I receive $65 from Bluehost.  What this breaks down to is that after people read my articles regarding blogging and they feel like they'd like to start their own blog, they can click on an affiliate link that will redirect them to Bluehost- where they will have to start if they want to create their own blog- and for every sign up, Bluehost gets via my blog, I get a commission! 

 

 

3. Sponsored Posts

 

While I don't do sponsored posts often, I know that they can bring in some good cash! 

 

Sometimes people and companies will reach out and present an article or idea, and sometimes I will write one for them.  The pricing is different depending on one or the other, but in general- at this point in my blogging career, I charge around $30 per sponsored post. This is due to the fact that I do not do these often. I know other bloggers charge upwards of $100 per sponsored post, so it really just depends on the situation and where you are in your blogging profession!

 

It can be easy to get a handful of sponsored posts in one month and it can also be easy to make between $1,000 and $2,000 per month just by sponsored post writings. 

 

The reasons that I do not do many sponsored posts is because I am pretty picky on content and subjects and will only write about things in which I have tried and believe in. It makes no sense to me to write a posting about a topic that I am unfamiliar with, but have done some research on. I like to keep it real and focus my creativity on a library of knowledge and resources in which I use and know. 

 

So, point in hand, it might be a great avenue for you, and while I do not dismiss writing sponsored posts, it might not always be a good fit with your blogs overall message. 

 

 

4. eBook

 

Here is an area of expertise for me. 

 

I am a writer. 

 

I love writing and have several eBook publications out there on the world wide web. 

 

Writing an eBook can be time consuming, especially when trying to deliver a quality product to your audience. I have some space out there and each one took a lot of time and editing to ensure that it was ready for my readers, with more to come. 

 

eBooks can be listed for $20 and can bring, on average, $3,000 a month just on that one book, and this is on top of other income sources.  

 

To say the possibilities are endless in the eBook realm is clearly a gross understatement.

 

 Here is my most popular eBook! 

I strongly recommend my eBook, The Social Media Manager Kit by Kel (w/ bonus) in order to get you started. It will include templates for emailing potential clients or those you landed a completed job with, it will allow you to focus and challenge you to keep moving forward. 

This life, working at home, being financial free and with my family, is something that I used to dream about. 

Today...

• I am living it. 
• I am loving it. 
• I am making it my life! 

Need More Help?  

Check out my eBook, Make your Dream a Reality in 30 Days or Less! - a jump start guide with templates to get you ready, set and ROCKING this Social Media Manager gig! 

 

 

 

5. eCourse

I will be the first to say that this one can be a bit scary, but I have heard that it is beyond rewarding!

 

I know several bloggers who have launched an eCourse and easily made $100,000 in their first month!  The opportunities are limitless when it comes to creating an eCourse, but it definitely requires WAY MORE work than just writing a sponsored post.

 

You will have to make instructional videos and work sheets. You will need to create the framework for people to follow your eCourse. 

 

Yes, a ton of work, but I can see how rewarding it would be to help someone on their journey.   I have been brainstorming on an eCourse idea, and while it is currently not high on my list, it is definitely something that I want to create and share in the near future! 

 

 

 

 

And, there you have it!  5 Ways that you can earn some SERIOUS MONEY just by blogging. Honestly, there are SO MANY OTHER WAYS, beyond these, but here are the MOST FUN and MOST REWARDING ones. Once you set these up, they literally turn into passive money making income sources that you simply have to manage from TIME to TIME. 

 

 

 

#notbad

 

#whileIsleep

 

 

  

 

 

And, understanding that your AUDIENCE makes this happen, seriously, they deserve a hand!!  

 

So a huge #thankyou to my readers for making my life possible, and here's to hoping that in the near future I can get on those eCourse ideas and help make this YOUR life too! 

 

 

@KelleyAmstutz

/kel.amstutz

KAMSTUTZ09

5 Ways to Shine at Sponsored Posts

Making Money

5 Ways to Shine at Sponsored Posts

August 01, 2016
by: Kel Amstutz

If you’re working with brands (or hoping to), at some point you’ll write a sponsored post. But how do you make a blog post about a brand not one big buzzword-filled snoozefest?

Well, keep it true to your style and voice for starters.

You’ll not only make the brand happy; your readers won’t hit the back button either.

These five tips will give you a fresh twist for your next sponsored post.

Plus, check out the examples from bloggers who know how to write for brands in a way that’s both authentic and informative.

Just Be Real… Even if that means at Your Own Expense

You don’t have to sound like you’re spouting marketing-babble when you write a sponsored post.

Brands want to see you being you so keep it real, even if that means showing a less-than-perfect day or poking a little fun at yourself.

Shining Example: Anne from AnneHogan.net did a great sponsored post for Kohl’s Wink of Pink Giveaway. Is pink her favorite color? Not at all. But she took on the challenge of working in pink clothes into her wardrobe, which makes a believer out of any pink skeptic. Not only that, Anne wasn’t afraid to poke a little fun at herself.

 

Every time I see this picture, I crack up. That would TOTALLY be me.

 

It all starts with a Compelling Headline

If you want to bore someone into never clicking on your blog post, then start off with a really boring blog post title. 

Who wants to click the link that says “NEW POST: Free React Mobile App”? Zzzzzzz. 

Instead, create a snazzy headline that makes readers curious. The only caveat? You MUST follow-through with an awesome post!

Shining Example: Dani from Cloudy with a Chance of Wine does this brilliantly, both the headline and the post. Instead of calling her blog post “Free React Mobile App,” her post is titled “Why I Never Left College Parties by Myself.”

Now THAT’s a post I want to read. She doesn’t disappoint, using her college mishap to explain why this app is such a good idea.

 

Add a Dash of Video

Do you like creating videos? 

Well, no one says your sponsored post has to just be written words. Adding video to your posts helps readers really get a sense of the product being talked about (not to mention, get to “know” you a little better by seeing more than a little headshot in your sidebar.)

Shining Example: Fadra from All Thing’s Fadra is always the first person who comes to mind when I think of great sponsored posts with videos. Her post for Kia about Life in a Small Car takes a humorous look of a luxury chick trying out the Kia Forte LX. She saves some of the car’s features for the text, but in the video she shows herself using the car for a little trip to a blogger meetup. She takes the car for a spin, drops cookies, and her camera falls. While the latter two might not relate to the car, the video is memorable and fun… just what Kia wants.

Give Readers a Benefit that Clicks

A rookie marketing mistake is to only talk about a product’s features. Typically, benefits are what seals the deal in a consumer’s mind. Using __ product will make me ___. So, when writing about a brand’s product or service, consider your audience. How can that “thing” make them healthier? Improve their life? Simplify their day? Solve a problem?

Shining Example: Anna from My Life and Kids didn’t just create a green smoothie recipe to promote Silk Coconutmilk. She tapped into a feeling most parents have: feeling tired. Her solution is an energizing smoothie for tired parents all over. (Must try this!)

With three little kids, a growing business and an endless pile of laundry – I don’t have time to be tired. No – seriously. I don’t have time to spend my afternoons yawning or unfocused. I don’t have time to spend my mornings in a foggy, half-awake state while I try to get one kid on the bus, another kid dressed for preschool and keep another kid from playing in the toilet.

Be Relate-able

Brands work with bloggers because they’re “just like you and me.” A brand talking about their own product, service, or cause is one thing, but hearing it from someone we can already relate to? That’s even more convincing. When you start off a sponsored post with something everyone can relate to (like nostalgia), you get your audience nodding their head… and reading your content.

Shining Example: Roo from Neon Fresh knows how to pull readers in with a relate-able, humorous style. And her sponsored post about eBay’s Curate a Collection for a Cause is no different. She gets you all nostalgic for the 90s (even as a child of the 80s, I can still relate to playing Oregon Trail, yo), which is the perfect set up to talking about eBay, isn’t it? She makes me WANT to put together a curate a collection…maybe one in which I curate bits and pieces of the 80s (Rainbow Brite anyone?).

 

 

If you found this post interesting, I bet you’ll love checking out my other most popular posts:

• 99 Companies Offering Part-Time Work at Home Jobs
• List of 21+ Companies That Hire Frequently For Work at Home
• Top Companies that Offer Legitimate Data Entry Jobs
• Best 10 Work at Home Jobs for Teens (18 and under)
• 5 Ways to Earn an Extra $2,000 a Month by Blogging

 Here is my most popular eBook! 

I strongly recommend my eBook, The Social Media Manager Kit by Kel (w/ bonus) in order to get you started. It will include templates for emailing potential clients or those you landed a completed job with, it will allow you to focus and challenge you to keep moving forward. 

This life, working at home, being financial free and with my family, is something that I used to dream about. 

Today...

• I am living it. 
• I am loving it. 
• I am making it my life! 

Need More Help?  

Check out my eBook, Make your Dream a Reality in 30 Days or Less! - a jump start guide with templates to get you ready, set and ROCKING this Social Media Manager gig! 

 

 

 

@KelleyAmstutz

/kel.amstutz

 KAMSTUTZ09