First Comes Research
Mike Allton is one of the top authorities on blogging.
Known for his practical, on-point guides and articles that thoroughly explore the topics that matter most to bloggers and small business owners, he has blogged his way to a spot on the top ten blogs of Social Media World.
Mike is a Social Media Consultant in St. Louis, Missouri for The Social Media Hat where he writes about social media and content marketing. He regularly works with people and businesses who want to learn how to leverage content and social profiles to strengthen online relationships, establish their authority within their industry, and grow their business. Mike teaches a holistic approach to content marketing that combines blog content, social media, and SEO to drive traffic, generate leads, and convert those leads into sales. He is also the Chief Marketing Officer at SiteSell, where his team is devoted to helping budding solopreneurs get started.
Mike provides training and seminars to businesses in the Greater St. Louis area, as well as nationwide, on topics like “Creating a Company Culture of Content Marketing” or “Social Media Marketing for Small Businesses.” His goal is to ensure that businesses are able to leverage the power and connectivity of the Internet to promote and grow their business.
Listen in as we discuss launching a blog that is compelling, relevant, and actually read by people.
In This Episode
- How knowing your target audience’s pain points leads to great blogging material
- Why starting a successful blog means doing research long before creating a site
- How the right combination of evergreen and newsjacking content leads to more traffic and conversions
- Why being productive in social means turning off notifications
Quotes From This Episode
“You should have a blog. You should be adding to it regularly. And, more importantly, you should have a plan and an actual structure.” —@mike_allton
“It starts with doing research, surveys, keyword research, making sure that your idea for a business or topic is sound.” —@mike_allton
[Tweet “”Without structure, you’re just firing at the wall hoping that some of your shots hit.” —@mike_allton”]
“A reverse-chronological blog is a popularity contest. You’re hoping that you write something that a bunch of people share.” —@mike_allton
[Tweet “”You need to understand that your single most important resource is your own time.” —@mike_allton”]
H2H Lightning Round
What’s holding you back from even greater success? Time and, more importantly, my own long-term strategy so I can better allocate my time.
Who do you look to the most for advice? I have a small cadre of personal advisors: Peg Fitzpatrick, Rebekah Radice, and Jeff Sieh.
What’s your best personal productivity suggestion? Turn off notifications.
What business book would you recommend right now? KNOWN: The Handbook for Building and Unleashing Your Personal Brand in the Digital Age by Mark Schaffer.
What is one thing that has you excited to be working on right now? A course that I have wanted to do for a long time and I’m finally getting the knowledge to create.
