I wrote 117 blog posts, but I have no readers. Now what?

Blogging can be more than an expensive hobby.

“I have solid content. Where do I find readers?”

When clients ask me this question, here’s what I say: There are 7 things you need to do.

1. Create a clear Goal.

It could be “Earn my first $300 from blog-related income by 30 days from now.”

Also, you need to attach it to a “Big Why.”

For instance: “So I can afford to invest in growing my blog.”

But that’s just a start. Why that goal?

Dig deeper. Why specifically do you want to make money through this?

So you can get more _______.

What is it for you?

So you can impact your group of people for the better? So you can make a lasting change? So you can solve X problem for people?

What is it that you care about so much? What is it that your blog will help you achieve?

Fill in the blank: _____________

Now you have your Goal and your “Big Why.”

2. Collect email addresses.

If you haven’t already done so, invite everyone you know to join your newsletter.

Ask them by phone, text, email, or other ways. Say, “Hey I’m doing a newsletter on X. I think you’d like it. Want me to send it to you?” Then say, “What email address should I send it to?”

Write down the email addresses on a piece of paper if you need to. Then set up email capture at your blog with a free MailChimp account.

Once you have set up email capture, make sure it’s highly visible. You should have a button to subscribe at the top of your website. You should also have an email capture form inside each blog post.

3. Set up a welcome series for new subscribers.

Write four emails to welcome each new subscriber as they come in. These emails will help your reader get to know your project and know what to expect.

It’s a two-way street. You should use the onboarding emails to ask your readers a question or two. Get a conversation started.

In at least one of your welcome emails, mention that you sell a service.

(More on that below.)

4. Choose a service you could sell.

You want to grow your audience, right?

That takes money. Find a way to the money now. Money is not going to come until you start making it come. Money comes before growth.

You’re going to need to set things up so that growth in your audience always means a growth in your income. That’s what makes growth sustainable.

Here’s the easiest, most important, first way to start doing this: Offer a service and mention that service in your blog posts. That way all your content promotes your service. (Then use the income to do things that grow your audience.)

The idea is to have a loop: Set it up so a bigger audience leads to more income, and more income leads to a still bigger audience.

It starts with offering a service.

Think of something you could do (preferably something related to the topics you want to write about). Add a call-to-action inside all your blog posts:

“Are you looking for help with X? Email me here to find out how I can help with that.”

5. Talk to potential clients to hone your offer.

Call, text, or email people who could be a fit. Also talk to people who might refer you to someone else.

Tell them you’re starting a new project to make some income offering X service. Ask if they or anyone they know would be interested.

Talk to interested people and find out what they need before offering anything.

After you hear what people need, create an offer that makes sense for you and the client.

6. Focus your time on income-generating activities.

If you’re serious about growing your blog, first things come first: Focus most on growing your blog-related income.

Log the time you spend talking to prospective clients and on doing work for money.

The key to growth is consistent time on income-generating activities.

7. Grow your audience long term.

For several important reasons, this step comes here. Gaining income has to be the foundation before you start working on growing your audience.

Once you have an income system in place, you will have more clarity about growth options, including knowing who your ideal clients are and how to attract them.

Then comes the best part: putting in place a long-term growth strategy.