029: How to Be a Better Blogger with Kevin J. Duncan

Do you ever find yourself scouring the internet for tips, tricks, or hacks you can use to be a better blogger? On my blogging journey - I’ve searched high and low for insights I could use to stand out from the crowd. My guest, Kevin J. Duncan, is an expert blogger and a wonderfully creative writer - if you want to know how to be a better blogger - Kevin is your guy! 

Kevin is the Blog Editor and Social Media Manager for Smart Blogger. He’s enjoyed quite the journey to from part-time writer/blogger to today - living the dream and working from home. In our conversation, Kevin details some helpful lessons that leaders like you can use to make your content engaging and relevant to your audience. I hope you have a pen and paper ready - you’ll need it for this informative episode featuring Kevin’s story! 

In this episode, listen for

• [1:35] I introduce my guest, Kevin J. Duncan. 
• [4:00] What made Kevin realize he had a unique writing style? 
• [8:00] How to develop your unique voice. 
• [10:45] STOP listening to other voices so you can find your own! 
• [14:30] Practical ways to stand out from the crowd. 
• [22:00] Kevin talks about networking and providing value. 
• [27:15] Advice Kevin wishes he would have received early in his blogging journey. 
• [30:00] Kevin enters the Lightning Round, rapid-fire questions. 
• [39:30] Why Kevin loves working from home. 
• [42:30] Kevin’s favorite blogs to follow. 
• [46:00] Why you should simplify your life and focus on what you are good at.
• [52:00] Closing thoughts. 

Listen to this episode by clicking the Play button below:

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STOP trying to be someone else! 

If you want to write compelling content - you need to be well read, right? Wrong! Did you know that one of the worst things you can do to develop your voice as a writer is to constantly consume content from your favorite writers? Too often, men and women get so enamored with their favortie writers that they fail to develop their voice - or worse yet - they start emulating them. 

What do you have to lose? Try taking a 30-day break from reading your favorite bloggers. The worst thing that could happen is that you miss out on a really good blog that you can always go back and read at a later date. I’m confident that you’ll find this exercise helpful - it worked for Kevin! To get more helpful tips like this one to become a better blogger - make sure to listen to this episode for my full conversation with Kevin - you don’t want to miss it. 

Practical steps you can take to stand out from the crowd

Once you’ve silenced some of the noise in your world by taking a break from reading blogs and books - Kevin has some practical steps you can take to really make your message POP! 

You can stand out from the crowd of bloggers and writers by doing this one revolutionary thing - do more than the bare minimum. Sounds crazy, right? The truth is, many writers will put a piece of content out into the world and hope for the best - they don’t take steps to fan those flames.

When you share something you are passionate about - tell your audience why you are sharing it! Remember that each time you post something on your website or social media - that might be the FIRST time, someone is finding out about you. Why not make the extra effort to personalize your message and break out from all the noise they encounter? 

Another way to get your message out there and gather a following is to take the time to engage with your readers. Send personalized emails - reply to your readers in the comments section - make them feel like you care. What if you decided to try this strategy for 30-days? If it doesn’t work and you don’t get the results you want - stop the exercise - it’s that easy. 

Take the leap and make it happen 

As you build your confidence and you become more comfortable as a writer - that moment will come where you’ll need to make a decision - jump in and commit or maintain the status quo? 

I know it sounds scary - change is always disruptive - but you’ll never create the impact you want to make if you always play it safe. Looking back at his career - Kevin wishes he make the plunge into full-time writing sooner.

Kevin now knows that if you want to succeed and become a better blogger - you’ve got to have skin in the game! He discovered that he would never make bold and creative decisions while he was playing it safe. The old saying rings true - "If you want something you have never had, you must be willing to do something you have never done."

I want to hear how you plan on implementing some of Kevin’s wonderful advice - what steps are you going to take to become a better blogger?

Notes + Links from Today’s Show

• Blogging Wizard: Discover Actionable Blogging Advice You Can Use
• Enchanting Marketing | Writing Advice for Small Businesses
• Keywords Explorer by Ahrefs
• Slack
• Google Drive
• Focusmate
• Real Artists Don't Starve
• Blog Neil Patel's Digital Marketing Blog
• The Ahrefs Blog
• The Backlinko SEO Blog
• Wanted Hero™

Connect with Kevin J. Duncan

• Smart Blogger
• Be A Better Blogger 
• Kevin J. Duncan - Content Marketer. Writer. Blogger.
• Kevin J. Duncan (@kevinjduncan) | Twitter
• Kevin J. Duncan - Home | Facebook

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