What do fishing and blogging have in common?

This guest post is by Kevin Cullis of MacStartup.com.

"If passion drives you, let reason hold the reins."-Benjamin Franklin

Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime; sell him fish supplies and a fishing guide and you have a company.

Most of us start a blog with not much thought other than just to start writing. But at some point you say: "I'm putting in all this time in my blog, how do I make money from it?"

There are two parts of each company, including blogging: there's the craft of your company (graphic art, doctor, lawyer, blogging), then there is the company of your vessel (making a profit from your craft).

Starting a blog first requires the three main questions:

Why are you writing a blog, what is your purpose for writing?How do you get it done, what specific actions you will get the desired results?What will your expected results of writing your blog?

So what blogging and fisheries have in common? Let's take a quick look at points 1 and 3, and a longer look at 2.

Question anybody if they have fished, and most people will say "Yes." However, when asked, "what are the steps to take to go fishing?" most people are stumped.

Blogging is no different. While you can start a blog and start writing posts, it is similar to casting your fishing line in the nearest Lake, pond or stream with no fishing lure, bait on the hook — or even a hook. You must have a good reason to be there.

If you are fishing for fun or the love of fishing, that's one thing: grab some gear and hang the "gone fishing" sign. If you hungry because you're fishing, this takes on a whole new perspective and you will hopefully put in some serious thought, or search for answers to get food on your kitchen table.

Results is done in two ways:

take action and learn from your mistakes and figure out what the best way to get results, orlearn of others and their errors, thus cutting down the time needed to get the results you want.

Learning means having the right answers, and implementing them in the correct order, to increase your chances of catching the fish (writing your blog). Even then, there are no guarantees. So here are the steps to a more successful blog (and catch fish):

Step 1: who is your ideal customer/blog reader? Describe who your ideal clients and, in some detail. You need to know the "fish" that you are fishing for, or that ideal fish tuna, salmon and rainbow trout. If money is no object, you can use the money to travel to Alaska salmon fishing and start paying. Most of us have not, however, that kind of budget, so we grab a fishing rod and head to the nearest fishing hole ejected to a line. Blogging is no different in that you need to know who your audience is and a small enough niche to the expert that everyone goes to.Step 2: which problem solves your solution/blog? What is your audience looking for? What is their ideal solution? In other words, what are your "fish" hungry for? What a salmon eat depends on age, gender and location, and fishing is about finding the right four or five baits or lures that work to increase your chances of catching salmon. Blogging resources providing answers your audience is looking for. You can write blogs and guest blogs all day long with no focus, but you go business-or results-hungry if you don't look at the results of your blog and make the necessary changes. Sometimes blogging, like fishing, requires trial and error to become successful. I blogged about the initial and initials in iWork pages for my book to make because I worked out the solution, and within weeks it became one of my top viewed posts. If you cast the line not never, you get a "bite". Please test and change to get results you want.Step 3: where are your customers/readers? Where they visit, hang, and connect with other readers of their tribe of offline and/or online connections? You need to know where are the ideal locations or "awesome fishing spots" for your customers/readers. Try salmon fishing in the hinterland of Kentucky and you'll be hungry. Write a guest post about Typepad for a WordPress website and you will be rejected because it does not connect with their readers. So, where are your ideal fish.Step 4: why should your customer choose your product/blog about a similar? What makes your product different, better, or make it stand out? Choose the best "bait" on your local fishing shop or what is in your box to tackle for salmon works. Your blog "ACE" has an ideal message for ideal reader's problem. What are the distinctive advantages of your blog from others? What is your hook?Step 5: how to make your customers buying decisions about your product? What makes them Tick about how they choose your product? You must have the ideal technique to lure your "fish". Plop ping just the hook in the water can not attract a fish. It takes a different technique to "hook" every kind of fish. blogging is no different in that your audience is different from those who read books or magazines. Google Analytics gives you the advantage of content change your overnight to "starve" needs of your audience.Step 6: when is the best time to promote your product to your customer? How many times have you to talk with your customers to consider them and then buy your product? You need to know the ideal time to your line to "hook" your fish "objects". Fish have specific times that they feed, which is no different to marketing during the holidays, anniversaries or special events such as weddings. In this case, as with most an audience or customer, you need to cast your line when they are ready to buy, not when you're ready to sell. The great thing about blogs is the internet guest blog "chum" you can spread over the internet "waters." Then upload a relevant post (casting your line and lure) and watch the "chum" guest post lead traffic to your blog site.

These six W — really five w and H — are the basis for creating a successful blog. While it is easy to "spray and pray" your blog the contents with the hope of its success, it is better to look at the results of your post to see where your "hunger" blog reader take you. If you have a blog comment post bite, "Hook 'em, Dano!"

Kevin Cullis is a former officer of the u.s. air force and considers himself as an entrepreneur, Mac Evangelist, Business Geek, man, published author of a book of Mac company, readaholic, analytical, balding. He is the founder of MacStartup.com.

View the original article here