Blogging Tips From Sean Rasmussen At Learn How To Blog

Today on Friday’s Featured Blogger, I am delighted to share with you an interview with Sean Rasmussen from Learn How To Blog.  I have had the privilege of knowing Sean both personally and professionally for the last couple of years, and if you want  to learn about blogging….this is the guy to learn from!

Sean has made a successful career from affiliate marketing and he is now the founder of the Learn how to blog program.  This program teaches people to do exactly what he did!  His business integrity is second to none and his down to earth teaching style is easy for everyone to follow. 

So if you are ready to learn from one of the best….then read on!

1. Tell us about yourself and your blog

I’m married and have 2 teenage sons, live on a riverside property in regional Western Australia.

My main blog for 2013 – 2014 has been Learn How To Blog.  It’s about content marketing being the online components of blogs and social media.

2. What made you get started in blogging?

I was internet marketing already, and doing OK from it. Then I discovered blogging and the benefits social media had in 2005. Being able to cut out the middle man (IT people) and be in charge of my own website was a huge time saver and relief.

3. How much time do you dedicate each day/week to your blogging? How do you keep track of what your doing?

I blog literally full time. On blog posts, I spend about 3 hours a day, 5 days a week. I spend the rest coaching people, making videos and content for my programs, and talk on that old gadget called a phone.

4. If you could have told yourself ONE thing when you started blogging, what would it be?

Don’t work weekends. I was so passionate about my craft, I worked very long hours. It makes no difference working longer hours. It’s better to be rested and fully charged for 5 days a week than power through 6 or 7 days a week.

5. Do you make money from your blog? If so, what has been your most successful way of making money?

Affiliate marketing was the biggest earner I had. I literally made millions in commissions (7.6 Million in sales) but now my main income source is from providing services to businesses, getting them traffic through content marketing. I also have a program that teaches the same for those that like to do it themselves.

6. As well as blogging, do you have another full/part time job or parenting responsibilities? How do you juggle these demands?

I’m a dad of 2 teenage boys. I get up at 4:30 three mornings a week to take them to the Aquatic Center as they swim competitively. I then pick them up at 8am and take them to School.

They are also budding musicians. Both play the grand piano at home and take lessons. They compete for 2 weeks a year at the Bunbury Eisteddfod against other young musicians.

As if the piano isn’t enough, one plays the Trombone and the other plays the Saxophone. They play in a Friday night band. Then there’s soccer on Saturdays and I generally do nothing on a Sunday if I can get away with it.

It’s not a case of juggling. It’s a privilege to be a parent and nothing to take for granted. There is not one moment I dislike it. It’s the greatest gift a man can get: children.

7. What would you say is your favourite social media platform and why?

Google+. It has a different vibe to the others. I joined Facebook in 2005 and Twitter in 2007. At the time they were nothing special; just another great tool to market with. My favourite social media site in the past was DIGG, but that went to the dogs when they decided to become ‘doo-good’ as I call it. People left in droves and I have found most of them on Google+. That’s probably why I like it so much. The old crowd from the good old days are there.

8. What has been the biggest hurdle that you have come across in your blogging career to date? How did you overcome this?

Procrastination. Dealing with procrastination when trying to help people take action. A lot of people want the results but are not prepared to ‘carry through’ to get the results. As a coach, it is frustrating to know that everyone is capable, yet only the ones that bother get the results. It is such a fine line between average and excellent. 5% extra effort gives 100% more profits.

When I see the results of the successful, it fills me with a sense of achievement. To know that you have helped someone get there is a great feeling. But, as much as I can show how it’s done, they still have to actually stay motivated to ‘keep on keeping on’. Taking 1 week off blogging will lose you 3 months of momentum (or more).

How do I overcome it? I don’t. I just get more used to it.

9. How do you drive traffic to your blog and grow your readership?

Content marketing. I provide good content, leave out marketing messages as much as possible, and grow readership through blog posts and social media.

10. What is the most important piece of advice you could give to a new blogger?

Be consistent: Don’t expect extraordinary results from ordinary actions. To be better than the rest of the field, you have to show consistency and reliability. Post consistently and often.

Provide Great Content: Provide blog posts on your topic and leave out the marketing messages from your content.

Stay on Topic: Your blog isn’t a 2 Buck Shop or an Amazon Store. Talk about your topic and don’t stay off the track.

Don’t be a Cheesy Salesman: This one speaks for itself. When people see you online, what do they see? “Me, me, me?” If so, it might look a tad cheesy.

Just about everyone online is posting their stuff, their deals and hardly any of them are making any money from it. And I wonder why! They are being no different to the average Joe Snakeoil Salesman.

Try talking about something else, like your topic, other people’s blogs and profiles. Give people the opportunity to see someone that has more than ‘a great deal for them’. Drop your stuff in there too, but not 99% of the time.

Harness Negativity as Praise: Whenever you encounter negativity, see it as praise. For every negative person out there, there are 99 people that love your stuff. Positive people stay quiet and don’t tend to pipe up in a public domain. Negative people crave attention. So, if someone emails you with a nice love letter of damnation, smile and think of the other 99 that just think you’re fantastic!

Hey, it works for me

Take pride in what you do: Whatever your topic is, you have to be proud of it. If it is a passion of yours, then you will carry through the hard times. If it is just for the money, you are likely to give up if it gets a bit hard. Whatever you do, make sure it’s something you enjoy! The money will arrive when you get good at it and others notice your passion.

Do you have any other questions you would like to ask Sean? Please share with us below.

Would you like to be considered for interview on Friday’s Featured Blogger? Please complete the form below, and provide some information about yourself and your blog.

You will be contacted once your application has been considered.