Why Blogging Is Far from Dead!

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In the latest episode of The Blogger Genius Podcast, I’m joined by blogging coaches Amy Reinecke and Jennifer Draper, co-hosts of The Ultimate Blog Podcast. As we approach the end of 2024, we delve into the current state of blogging and explore the many opportunities available for both new and seasoned bloggers. And we talk about why blogging is far from dead!

Despite challenges such as Google updates and fluctuating traffic, we three believe that there are still so many ways to engage with your audience and monetize your blog effectively.

The Current State of Blogging

Opportunities Abound

Jennifer kicks off the conversation with an optimistic view of the blogging landscape. Despite some discouragement among newer bloggers due to recent Google updates and traffic challenges, she believes there has never been a better time to start a blog.

Bloggers are beginning to think outside the box, focusing on community engagement and genuinely helping their audience rather than solely optimizing for search engines.

Key Takeaways:

• Diversify Strategies: While Google remains important, it shouldn’t be the sole focus. Explore various avenues such as building community, creating products, and offering services.
• Think Outside the Box: Focus on providing genuine value to your audience rather than just optimizing for SEO.

Show Notes:

• MiloTree
• Spark Media Concepts
• The Ultimate Blog Podcast
• Personality Quiz: What Digital Product Should I Create?
• Join My Blogger Genius Email List
• Become a Blogger Genius Facebook Group

Subscribe to the Blogger Genius Podcast:

• iTunes
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The Importance of Community and Authenticity

The landscape is changing for blog monetization. Many successful bloggers have diversified their income streams by offering digital downloads, memberships, digital products, and services, rather than relying solely on ad revenue. This realization has been crucial for bloggers who faced traffic declines due to algorithm changes.

Key Takeaways:

• Build Relationships: Prioritize building relationships with your audience, understanding their needs, and providing solutions.
• Foster a Sense of Belonging: Create a community where your audience feels connected and valued.

Embracing Authenticity in Blogging

Amy and Jennifer discuss the intimidation many bloggers feel when it comes to putting themselves out there as the face of their blogs. They stress that it’s not necessary to have everything figured out to be relatable. Jennifer shares her experience blogging about slow cooker recipes, highlighting that the focus should be on providing solutions for busy families rather than presenting a perfect image.

Key Takeaways:

• Be Relatable: You don’t have to be perfect. Share both your successes and challenges to connect with your audience on a deeper level.
• Authenticity Over Perfection: Many audiences seek real-life experiences and authenticity over polished content.

The Shift from Blogging to Business

Amy emphasizes the importance of mindset, urging bloggers to view themselves as business owners rather than just content creators. This shift in perspective is crucial as the content creation industry continues to grow, offering significant financial opportunities.

Key Takeaways:

• Adopt a Business Mindset: Treat your blog as a business. This requires dedication and a willingness to learn new skills.
• Explore New Skills: Step out of your comfort zone and explore areas like email marketing, pitching to brands, or creating digital products.

The Importance of Community

Many bloggers feel isolated, especially when their friends and family may not fully understand their work. Being part of a supportive community can provide the encouragement and motivation needed to persevere through challenges.

Key Takeaways:

• Join a Community: Being part of a supportive community allows you to share ideas, provide feedback, and celebrate each other’s successes.
• Collaboration Over Competition: The blogging community is generally supportive and collaborative rather than competitive.

Monetization Strategies in the New Blogging Era

With the rise of AI-generated content, bloggers are encouraged to find their unique voice and connection with their audience. While AI can be a useful tool, it cannot replace the human element of storytelling and community engagement.

Key Takeaways:

• Leverage AI Wisely: Use AI as a tool to streamline processes and save time on repetitive tasks, but maintain authenticity and human connection.
• Diversify Income Streams: Explore various monetization avenues such as digital products, coaching services, and memberships.

Conclusion: The Future of Blogging

The three of us agree that while the landscape is changing, there are still abundant opportunities for those willing to adapt and embrace new strategies. The key takeaway is that blogging is far from dead; it is thriving in new and exciting ways.

Key Takeaways:

• Embrace Change: Adapt your strategies and embrace new opportunities to thrive in the ever-evolving blogging landscape.
• Focus on Authenticity and Community: These elements are crucial for creating meaningful connections with your audience.

For those interested in learning more about building a successful blog and joining a supportive community, Gillian invites them to visit the Ultimate Blog Podcast website and reach out via email for any questions.

This comprehensive breakdown encapsulates the key themes and insights from the podcast episode, highlighting the evolving nature of blogging and the importance of authenticity, community, and a business mindset in achieving success. By focusing on these elements, bloggers can navigate the changing landscape and thrive in their endeavors.

Other Related Blogger Genius Podcast episodes You’ll Enjoy:

• New Ways to Grow Your Blog Income in 2024 with Amy Reinecke and Jennifer Draper
• How to Make Money Blogging in 2024 (New Trends) with Jillian Leslie
• How Can Bloggers Prepare for a Profitable Q4 with Jillian Leslie

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I also want to introduce you to the MiloTree, a tool designed for non-techies to sell digital products easily. It comes with features like AI-generated sales pages, check-out pages, a sales dashboard, upsells, and customer support.

#351 Transcript: The Evolving Landscape of Blogging

Jillian Leslie 00:00:05 Hello and welcome back to the Blogger Genius Podcast. I’m your host, Gillian Leslie, founder of MiloTree, your one stop shop for all the tools bloggers and creators need to grow and monetize their businesses. With MiloTree, you can effortlessly sell unlimited digital products, offer unlimited freebies, and grow your social media followers while you sleep. And this is all in one place and now it’s more affordable than ever. We’ve just rolled out our new monthly subscription pricing, making it so easy to get started. If you are serious about making money online, MiloTree has you covered. Go check it out at Milotree.com. Today, I’m thrilled to welcome back Amy Reinecke and Jennifer Draper, blogging coaches and hosts of the Ultimate Blog podcast, and this is their second time on the show. Amy and Jennifer are here to share the latest trends in blogging as we wrap up 2024. And here’s the headline. They believe there has never been a better time to get into blogging. Whether you’re just starting out or a seasoned pro, this episode is packed with insights you won’t want to miss.

Jillian Leslie 00:01:28 So, without further delay, here is my interview with Amy Reinecke and Jennifer Draper. Amy and Jennifer, welcome back to the Blogger Genius podcast.

Amy Reinecke 00:01:44 Thanks for having us again.

Jillian Leslie 00:01:46 You guys okay, so you guys have your own podcast, the Ultimate Blogging podcast, and I’ve been a guest on that. And this is your second appearance on my podcast. And when you were on the first time, it’s amazing. It was one of my most popular episodes.

Amy Reinecke 00:02:06 Oh that’s awesome.

Jillian Leslie 00:02:07 So thank you for coming back. What I wanted to be back. What I want to do in this episode is take your temperature on where you think blogging is today.

Amy Reinecke 00:02:17 Yeah. So I feel like right now, it’s honestly like a great time to get into blogging. I know people are feeling a little bit discouraged, but I don’t want them to, because I think a lot of new opportunities for bloggers are on the horizon. And while many like up and coming, newer bloggers are feeling discouraged because I know there’s been a lot of Google updates and it’s harder to get traffic to your site and things like that.

Amy Reinecke 00:02:44 There are so many more opportunities because people are really looking for things that we can offer them. We, we have seen a lot of people just being able to branch out And and think outside the box in terms of what they’re blogging about and be able to offer, like more community, more interaction, more engagement, and really from coming from a place of how can I truly help this person solve their problem versus how can I write something to Google? And I think that that has been incredibly freeing for for many people who have spent the last couple of years being frustrated by not growing their traffic on Google or algorithm updates, coming out and taking some of their traffic away. And so I think people people really have this opportunity now to say, I’m going to take a step back. I’m going to talk to the people in my community, talk to the people on my email list, see what problems they’re truly having. And now I have an opportunity to come up with things that can solve those problems for them so they can Create.

Amy Reinecke 00:03:55 You know, they can create memberships, they can create products, they can create digital products, all of those things that can solve those problems. Having a smaller, tighter knit community that they’re able to have those conversations with.

Jillian Leslie 00:04:11 And, Amy, what are your thoughts on where you feel logging is right now?

Amy Reinecke 00:04:16 I think it’s actually I agree with Jennifer a lot.

Jennifer Draper 00:04:19 I mean, obviously we’re in business together, so we do agree most of the time. But I really think that she kind of hit the nail on the head there about there being more opportunity, because there are some times, I mean, if we think about any job, sometimes we sit down and we’re like, I really hate this one piece of my job. And to some people that might be like kind of going all in just with Google, they might not really like that. It might not make them feel like they like blogging. And so like the beautiful thing about that is, is that you can be more dynamic than that.

Jennifer Draper 00:04:51 You can be more diverse than that. Like maybe you really like the one on one connection that you can find with people in your community. Maybe you like building a community. Maybe you love writing emails. Maybe you like creating a product. Maybe you have a special service that you want to do. So I think that being able to kind of lean into some other gifts that a person has is really the beautiful place about where blogging is going. And I’m not saying that neither one of us are saying that you should completely just hijack Google and like, we’re not going to use it at all anymore. But I think that I think that for so long, bloggers have just been so narrow, narrow, focused and narrow minded. I don’t want to say narrow minded because that doesn’t sound very kind, but very laser focused on just Google. And that can be really, amazing for some people. And it can be very defeating for some people. And so we do think that that is a foundational part of the blogging process and of, of the business.

Jennifer Draper 00:05:44 But it doesn’t need to be the only part. And that’s, that’s, I think, where we’re headed, in the months to come, is that how can we be more dynamic? How can we be connecting with people in a different way who are not connecting with us on Google? And we’re not necessarily talking about like going all in with social media either, but it’s really creating a community, a tighter knit community. that starts with your email list. That starts with really engaging in those conversations with people who are already engaging with you and your content and tapping into what they need and then providing things that they need. But you got to get them talking first, and you got to know who are the people in your community, what are the solutions that they’re looking for, and how can you serve them?

Jillian Leslie 00:06:28 I feel like you guys are seeing very much what we are seeing. It used to be, again, that if you got a lot of traffic and you put up a bunch of ads, you could make good money and it was consistent and people and and it’s funny because we saw this, we saw the struggle for people, let’s say, who weren’t growing their traffic so much or who were having difficulty figuring out that piece of their business, and we said, wait a second.

Jillian Leslie 00:07:01 We never think the right answer is to put all your eggs in one basket. And we noticed, especially a lot of food bloggers who were having success over the pandemic, let’s say, seeing their their site traffic rise. We were like, oh no, at some point this is going to correct. At some point something’s going to happen. And therefore, bloggers need a variety of ways of making money. And we saw in our community that people who especially in my podcast, it was like an early realization. I don’t know if you guys have this, but you start interviewing enough guests and you start seeing patterns. And the pattern I saw very early on was the people who were making the most money actually had things like memberships, or they were selling some sort of product or service to their people that they understood why why an email list was so valuable. And then there were the rest of the people who were kind of like turning a blind eye to this, mainly because what you said is so true.

Jillian Leslie 00:08:08 If you are, you know, in their in the grind of keyword research, optimizing your post, trying to grow your traffic, you don’t have time for much else. Now with the Google updates and people site traffic getting, you know really for some people demolished, a bunch of people left like a bunch of people are like, I’m out. This is too hard. However, there have been these people who have found these opportunities that are so interesting. And this is what why we built MiloTree to help people sell things easily and test ideas easily, Including things like memberships, you know, paid ebooks, and we haven’t yet talked about I. So what is your take on how AI is changing blogging?

Amy Reinecke 00:09:05 So I think that, we, we were resistant to the idea of using AI in any way, shape or form when we first started hearing about it. And, and I think for good reason. You know, I think that the initial thought and probably the thought that a lot of people still have is you’d use AI to write your content, you’d use AI to write your blog posts, you’d use AI to do those types of things for you.

Amy Reinecke 00:09:30 But I think as it’s come along and it’s we’ve had an opportunity to test things out, to talk to people, see how they’re using it. I think that the biggest way that people are going to use AI with blogging is kind of as their own personal assistant, a way to save time in a lot of those things that you you mentioned, take a lot of time with blogging is like, how can we put processes in place? How can we utilize AI to help us in that way in some of our systems and processes, to do some of the background things that need to be done in our business so that we can spend our time, our human time, our thinking time, focusing on having the conversations and creating the content that’s actually going to connect with people. So I think it’s a great thing. I think it just is going to take some practice, in figuring out what tools will work for you. But there’s so many tools coming on the market constantly. just being able to test out some things and figure out how it will work, to help with some of that, some automations and some things like that to save us time.

Jillian Leslie 00:10:39 And, Amy, what’s your thought?

Jennifer Draper 00:10:41 So my biggest thought, like two years ago, about two years ago is about when it kind of came on. I feel like we had our first initial conversations about it, and we were asked about it and we were like, absolutely not. And we were at the ConvertKit conference. There was a session on AI and I was like, I’m going. And Jennifer was like, nah, I’m not going. And I went and then we connected after that session was over and I’m like, I think that you should have come with me. I kind of think that we think it’s something totally different. And so I think that that’s a powerful example in blogging, because sometimes things shift in this industry, and sometimes I think we can get very kind of like focused on like, this is how I’ve always done it. And so this is how I need to continue to do it. And so I don’t want to change. But what I find is that if you kind of stay stuck in that, then you’re not going to, then you’re not able to grow and what you need to do.

Jennifer Draper 00:11:34 And so we kind of had to take off the judgmental cap that we initially initially had on with AI and instead like learn like, how are bloggers using this? What is the right way to do it and what is the wrong way? Because there is a wrong way to use AI. you know, people are really like Google does not want websites that are AI generated. You know, neither do ad networks. If you’re on one like they’re they’re getting better systems to detect those. So if you’re solely relying on AI to build your blog, that’s something that we would advise against. But if you’re using AI to support your blog, then I think that that’s something that you can do and it can make your job quote unquote, easier and it can assist you, like Jennifer said. And so I think it’s as with anything, as with anything, I think it’s really good to use it in moderation, to use it in the aspects of your business that you might struggle a little bit more with. So, for example, like I use it a lot to write like podcast ads, I will write all the information down and like because sometimes to write ads, it can feel like, am I actually going to get these people excited about what I’m sharing about on the Ultimate Blog podcast? And so, all right, write it out.

Jennifer Draper 00:12:38 Like this is what I need an ad for. This is how I want it to sound. This is how I want it to feel. And then it kind of just gets my wheels turning like, oh, I can, I can say this or I can do this. And I really like how that that sounds. but it’s not copying it verbatim. It’s just an assistant. It’s somebody. Because many of us do not have coworkers, somebody just to kind of like some, I guess it’s not a somebody. It’s kind of a something. But, you know, just to kind of like share ideas with and then you get ideas back. It’s kind of like that, that conversation to be had, but you’re not going to copy things for verbatim. But I think it can help us, because bloggers do have so much on their plates, I think it can be a tool that can assist us in different ways, but we have to be smart about it. And like you said earlier, Jillian, you can’t just put all of your eggs in the AI basket either, because I hate to say it, it’s bound to change too.

Jennifer Draper 00:13:29 So how we’re using AI today is likely not how we’re going to use AI in five years. And so we just have to anticipate that change and recognize that at the end of the day, what people truly want when they come to our blog is authenticity. They want to see who we still are, and I don’t care what anybody says, I still think that that’s important. I think that our authenticity, our authenticity, has to continue to shine, regardless of how important I becomes, regardless of how many people come out with all these AI tools, at the end of the day, people still want community and they want to connect with people. And so we can’t lose sight of that.

Jillian Leslie 00:14:03 Building on what you just said. I think that I first of all, you can’t put the toothpaste back in the tube, I believe is like, think about your life before like that. There were no calculators at some point. And now of course, you do all of your math with a calculator. Therefore, what can I not provide? What it can’t provide is you, the human that you are.

Jillian Leslie 00:14:31 So as we’re talking about products, services, things that you can sell selling you and your expertise and your humanness, I think now becomes even more valuable in the podcast episodes that I’ve been recording recently, talking about things like, you know, SEO content, how to do that today. I think because there is this influx, almost like we’re drowning in content and so much of it low quality AI generated content. Not that you don’t want AI to help you. However, all you have to do now for your competitive advantage is put you in there. And that’s though where people will pay to be closer to you. Not because they care so much about you and your cats and stuff, but because you’re human and people crave humans. So for me, it’s changed my whole view of blogging, that blogging that ultimately content is going to be less and less valuable, because if I can go to ChatGPT and get a recipe, get an answer to something, I don’t necessarily need to go to a blog. But if you guys can help me in, say, my blogging growth and my blogging journey so that I don’t have to show up alone.

Jillian Leslie 00:15:58 But I know I’ve got Amy and Jennifer on my side. That’s invaluable.

Jennifer Draper 00:16:03 People don’t want to be alone, and that’s that’s the key. That’s the key word. And what you just said is, is being alone. And we can go anywhere and get recipes. We can go anywhere and grab a workout. But what they want to know is, have you been here? Have you felt this before? If you have, can you tell me that it’s going to be okay? Or can you tell me that this recipe is going to work? You know, like, yeah, I think you brought up a really great point. We can go to ChatGPT and and find just about anything these days. But can can you find somebody who’s maybe been through a similar experience that they’re sharing about, and are they going to talk about that human emotion behind it, because a lot of times that’s what we’re missing. We’re missing the connection of somebody saying, heart to heart, I’ve been here. I know what this feels like.

Jennifer Draper 00:16:46 Let me hold your hand and walk you alongside it. And I know that sounds just kind of really emotional in a little whatever right now, but like, that’s what we feel like we do. in our community with blogging, a lot of people want to start a blog, a lot of people do, and a lot of people get really hung up on the tech side of it, and they feel very frustrated. And I hate to use this word, but a lot of people feel dumb too when they come in and they’re like, I don’t know what any of these words mean. And so I just must not be smart. And so I can’t figure this out. And we are the people who get to come alongside of them and say, no, you have everything in you that it takes to do this and to start this, and you can absolutely do it. And you can ask us 15,000 questions if you want, and you can connect with people in our community who have been right where you are and that that is why this community is so important, because so many people have like this dream and desire to start a blog in the first place, but they can’t get past the technical side or they can’t get through the like.

Jennifer Draper 00:17:48 I don’t know what my niche should be, or I’m not really sure. Like I have this idea, but I don’t really know how to get it past there. And that’s why we cannot lose sight of that human connection and why it’s so important. Sure, we can use AI for a lot of a lot of things, but like you said, Gillian, it just can’t replace that human connection that I think whether you’re blogging about blogging, whether you’re doing recipes, whether you’re talking about a wellness journey you’re on, whether you’re talking about a craft journey that you’re on.

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Jillian Leslie 00:18:58 Grab it now at Milotree.com/freebieprompts. That’s milotree.com slash freebie prompts. And now back to the show. So I do think where things are shifting and you guys can tell me if you agree from I know the prescription. I know I need to do my keyword research. I know I need to put these keywords in my blog post. I know I need this many photos. I know I don’t know, I need to then share it on these social networks and many bloggers could hide behind all of this, and they had their checklist and they could do it. And my, my, what I continue to say is it’s now you. And a lot of them get uncomfortable with this. But this is where I’m saying if you can. And by the way, you are not Kim Kardashian like nobody really. This is what I, you know, nobody really cares that much about you. What they care about is how you can help me, which I think is a I remind myself of this a lot, and I think it takes a lot of pressure off me that you’re not really judging me.

Jillian Leslie 00:20:07 Well, you’re judging me on how I can help you and therefore like, because I do think of myself as a helper. And I think so many people in, in our audiences do. That’s a really good hat to be wearing. Rather then I create optimized blog posts for Google.

Amy Reinecke 00:20:23 Oh yeah, for sure. And I and I think that sometimes people that are blogging might feel a little intimidated by the idea, like you said, of like putting yourself as the face of your blog, putting yourself out there. But I think the important thing to remember is it’s not like you have to have it all together. So I blog about slow cooker recipes, and I can offer solutions to busy families and help them get dinner on the table. But it’s not so much about the recipe, it’s about the solution to their problem. Like they want somebody they can relate to. Does that mean I have to have it all completely figured out? That every one of my meal plans is seamless? That I get dinner every night in the slow cooker? Like, you don’t have to be perfect at what you’re doing.

Amy Reinecke 00:21:07 You don’t have to be the shining example. And people honestly don’t even want that. They want somebody that they can relate to. So can you just be, you know, one step ahead of them in the solution to this problem and feel confident in sharing the ups and downs of what you’re what you’re blogging about, no matter what your topic is and not feel like you have to have it all polished in perfect. And I think that that will hopefully take some of the pressure off of people as we’re coming into this era of of being a little more personalized in our blogs. We’re not having to share every detail of our lives. We’re not having to look like we have it all together. We just want to share a little bit about what we know and help somebody.

Jillian Leslie 00:21:49 And I would say the internet’s a really big place. So let’s say there are people who want to get their slow cooker recipes from somebody who’s got it all together. Guess what? There’s probably that blogger, whether she really does or doesn’t, but and she will attract that audience of like, I got this.

Jillian Leslie 00:22:06 Like, you know, nothing is like there’s never mess in my house. But for the people who go, oh my God, that is too intimidating. I need somebody more real who’s going to share, like, my stuff. You know, I’m just kind of making this up and and, like, you should see the mess in my house then those people. I’m not saying that you have a mess in your house, Jennifer, but those.

Amy Reinecke 00:22:28 People.

Jillian Leslie 00:22:28 Might be more attracted to you. Like it’s good to have a point of view.

Jennifer Draper 00:22:33 Totally agree. I think it’s great advice and it just goes back to that authenticity. Like being being real, showing yourself where you are in that journey, and knowing that you don’t have to be at the end of your journey or be an expert in your journey to start sharing about it. Whatever, whatever it is, like whatever you want to blog about. You don’t have to wait until you have it completely figured out. A lot of times people do want to come alongside like you figuring it out, and that makes them feel like, okay, like she’s figuring this out too, so I can figure this out along with her, whether that’s organizing your home or getting dinner on the table or whatever.

Jennifer Draper 00:23:08 You know, a lot of people want to see that. They want to see the process behind it. They don’t just want to see the end product.

Jillian Leslie 00:23:13 I feel like what we’re all saying is that blogging is shifting and there is no one size fits all anymore, and that we need to think about our businesses almost as if we are not. We are now entrepreneurs, not just bloggers. Therefore, we need to be coming up with new ways to monetize. And a lot of that involves selling. And so how do you guys guide your people in thinking this way?

Jennifer Draper 00:23:39 Yeah, I think that’s a really powerful shift that we’re seeing is that you are no longer just like the girl behind the computer screen kicking out content. But you are you are a content creator. And that is more than just blogging. That’s just more than social media posts. There’s a there’s a lot of things that you can do with that, but I think it has to start with the mindset first and foremost. And you have to see yourself as a business owner, like you are not just a blogger, you’re not just an influencer, you are a businesswoman.

Jennifer Draper 00:24:11 You are a businessman that is creating content. I mean, this is now an industry like the content creation industry is an industry where people are making a lot of money like that. That is there for the taking, but it’s what you have to do is take yourself seriously first and you have to. You have to, you know, back your work. You have to make sure you have office hours. You have to make sure you’re taking yourself seriously. You have to make sure that you’re treating it like a business, you know? And that’s with your time. That’s with your schedule. That’s with a lot of different things that you’re doing in your business. And so that’s really what we try to to coach, especially new bloggers coming in. Is, is your mindset in the right spot? Like, are you taking yourself seriously or is this just kind of an afterthought that it’s more like a hobby because it’s important to differentiate the two, especially in the beginning? Like, do you want to build a business? Okay, that takes work, that takes some some blood and guts to get going.

Jennifer Draper 00:25:06 That takes some some drive, some initiative that takes some, you know, going back to the drawing board when something isn’t working, getting out of your comfort zone, when you think that something was going to work and it didn’t look that way, how can you shift it? And it also, I think, is stepping out of your comfort zone in a way that maybe you thought that blogging was just about creating content on your blog and writing blog posts, but now you’re like, oh, okay, so now I need to do like email marketing. Now I might need to pitch to some brands. Now I might need to create a service or a product, and you might not have ever seen yourself in that light before. But I promise you, listen to our podcast. Listen to Jillian’s podcast. You will learn how to do those things. So just because you don’t know how to do them today, or maybe when you started your blog, or maybe you’ve been blogging for ten years and all you’ve ever done at this point is just create content.

Jennifer Draper 00:26:03 I promise you that you can learn like we are never too old to go back and like, learn something new. And there are so many resources out there that you can really learn from people who are willing to teach you the steps to learn how to create an e-book and learn how to host a webinar and then go into coaching or whatever. Like there’s so many resources out there, that you can really tap into that. You don’t have to have it all figured out. So don’t if you’re at the starting point. What I would say is, don’t feel like you have to have all that figured out. You don’t have to have like your massive business plan figured out from day one. I do think it’s important to have a business plan, but I don’t think it’s like, well, I have to know every offer I’m ever going to have and everything I’m ever going to do, you know? But but have an idea. First and foremost are are you going to treat this like a business or are you not? And then if you commit to treating it like a business, take yourself seriously.

Jillian Leslie 00:26:58 Absolutely. And change. I mean, it’s interesting because when before we I pressed record and we were talking and you guys are building a membership, and what’s interesting is me sitting where I am watching the kinds of products and services people are building, where is the most money in the membership, weirdly, and in coaching and in where again, you can show up and be human. So that when you said this, I was like, you guys are in the right direction, because this way you can provide the most help to people in the most intimate way and make recurring revenue. So it’s like, now, is this the right model for every blogger? Absolutely not. But it is about where thinking in terms of your own business, in your own niche. Again, as AI content becomes so much more popular, more almost again drowning in it, where is that special sauce? Where is that way that you can touch people which I content can’t do? So would you guys share about your membership? Who it’s for, what people, what they will get in there besides just, you know, here’s how to do this.

Jillian Leslie 00:28:16 But like we’re here walking alongside you.

Amy Reinecke 00:28:20 Yeah. So the biggest shift that we’ve seen is that, you know, like you said, there’s not a one size fits all. So while we used to have specific programs for people, depending on where they were at in their blogging journey, that’s just not what it looks like anymore. So with our membership, what our what we’re hoping to do is bring people in and right away teach them how making making money is okay with a business like and teach them that they are a business. Like what Amy said. Like that’s one of their biggest struggles right off the bat when they think, oh, I want to be a blogger, they don’t feel like they have the right to treat this like a business. So our, our main goal is to to start thinking about that from day one. And what we can do is we can provide them like this step by step on like the technical pieces. Here’s how you set up your blog. Here’s the right plugins.

Amy Reinecke 00:29:11 and we even have as much as like we’ve brought in people to teach them how to make money in different ways, you know, whether it’s digital products or, you know, whatever they might want to sell. Like, we can provide all that information, but what the community is, is doing is it’s giving people an opportunity to connect in other ways as well. So, you know, there isn’t a formula for how one particular person is going to make money. So how can they collaborate and work together? And this is just a side note. The blogging community is amazing because it doesn’t feel super competitive in so many ways. Like people feel like they want to work together and support each other. And we found that a lot in our community. So people can come into the community and, and they can share a little bit about what they’re doing, and other people are giving them feedback and ideas and encouragements. And so we’ve had people come up with ideas that, you know, we’ve never heard of.

Amy Reinecke 00:30:04 We never thought of that they can serve their communities as well. So it’s it’s taking and teaching the technical pieces, but it’s it’s also bringing in that community piece where people can work and collaborate together to grow their businesses in this, in this kind of new blogging era.

Jillian Leslie 00:30:21 I love that especially because there is no one road map anymore. Not that there was a I mean there just were these channels and you kind of fit into one of these channels. And if you were, say, a food blogger, you knew exactly kind of what to do. And I feel a little bit like now it’s a little more the Wild West. And I like what you’re saying, which is, oh, I’ve got an interesting idea and hey, it’s working. And maybe then I can collaborate with some other people. And remember, people join your membership for the quote unquote content, and they stay in your membership because of the community. And back to what you said, Amy, I do think especially bloggers like we’re Lonely because the other mother, you know, in the playgroup doesn’t really understand what you’re doing.

Jillian Leslie 00:31:06 So to be with people who are also managing childcare and homework and whatever and blogging, there is something really, warm and and it keeps you in the game. And I feel like that is, you know, being involved in these kinds of communities can really make or break your journey. So I think what you guys are doing is so powerful.

Jennifer Draper 00:31:35 Yeah. Thank you. I think when people like we’ve talked about, when they feel less alone, when they feel supported, when they honestly, quite honestly just need a pep talk, they need somebody just to step in and help them step back away from the ledge of like giving up and remind them of their why. Remind them why they got started. And that’s our hope that with the ultimate blog roadmap that we can really provide that.

Jillian Leslie 00:31:57 So if people are interested in learning more, where should they go?

Jennifer Draper 00:32:02 They can go to the ultimate blog podcast.com/blogger genius to learn more about that. And and we’re always open like you can always email us to at Spark Media Concepts.

Jennifer Draper 00:32:15 Casey at gmail.com and ask us any questions.

Jillian Leslie 00:32:19 Well, I’m so glad that you guys came back on the show, especially as we’re heading into the end of 2020 for the beginning of 2025. And I do feel like things are changing and will continue to change. And so it’s really fun to just checking in with you, taking your temperature on where you think the blogging world is and going. So I just want to say to both of you, thank you so much for coming back on my show.

Jennifer Draper 00:32:50 Yes. Thank you Jillian. We had fun.

Amy Reinecke 00:32:53 Yeah, thanks for having us.

Jillian Leslie 00:32:54 I hope you guys like this episode. My biggest takeaway from Amy and Jennifer is that blogging is far from dead. In fact, it’s thriving now. In order to have success, you need to treat this like a real job, not a hobby. But it’s no longer about following a one size fits all model. Instead, it’s about putting yourself and your solutions out there and seeing where you can find real connection with your audience.

Jillian Leslie 00:33:24 Yes, it can take some trial and error, but that’s what makes it so freeing. You get to experiment, adjust, and really tailor your business to your strengths and your audience’s needs. And remember, MiloTree is here to help you do just that. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to scale, MiloTree makes it easy to monetize your audience by selling digital products. I want to share a quick testimonial from one of our users, Jessica, a food blogger who started by selling a simple e-book. After seeing how easy it was to use MiloTree to sell digital products, she expanded to a bundle of recipes, guides, meal plans, and printables in just a few months. She’s made over $10,000. She told me I’ve officially caught the digital product bug, and I love how simple military has made this whole process for me. Well, thank you Jessica. So if you’re ready to grow and monetize your blog, try Milo Tree today. There is still time to make 2024 your best year yet. If you’ve enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and share the episode with a friend.

Jillian Leslie 00:34:43 If you have any feedback for me on guests you’d like me to have or topics you would like me to cover, please email me at Jillian@milotree.com or DM me on Instagram at MiloTree and I will see you here again next week.