Not too long ago I did a Remarkablogger reader survey (you can still respond to it) in which I asked demographic-style questions about gender, age, etc. The information I gathered from that was very insightful. I will share results from it soon (quick hint: readership is slightly more female than male, mostly 40 or older).
You should know that there was an Evil Master Plan behind that (everything is done according to my Evil Master Plan, don’tcha know). The goal of this Evil Master Plan is to earn a living by making you into incredible bloggers (horrifying, isn’t it?).
Now it’s time for another piece of the puzzle. I’ve done lots of different things here. I’ve thrown all kinds of pasta at the wall to see if it sticks. I’ve had great reposnes to some things, but there are a lot of possibilities I haven’t even tried yet. I’m working on Gateway Blogging, but I really want to get something else off the ground that is more basic and not exclusively focused on business marketing with blogs. Something that will help as many people as possible.
This “something” is going to be my Cornerstone Product. It’s going to carry the Remarkablogger name. It should be for beginner and intermediate-level bloggers, and it should educate them and bring them up to a level that is empowering and self-reinforcing. And because blogging is really only part of the picture now, I feel that social media and SEO information should be included as well.
It should also be something that is easily affordable and delivers so much value for the money that you’d have to be out of your freakin’ mind to not go for it. 
Technically, there are a lot of ways I could do this:
- Private membership content in the form of web pages, PDFs, audio, and video
- Private consulting/support forums, where members can help each other and receive no-holds-barred help from me.
- Regularly scheduled teleseminar calls as group coaching sessions
- Blog critiques and recommendations
So here are some questions I have for you:
All of the above or some of the above?
How long do you think it should take for a total beginner to get up to speed in blogging and social media?
What do you think something like this should cost? (This should be tied to features: the more features, the greater the cost.)
What results would you expect to get from going through a program like this?
I’m very interested in hearing directly from you about this. Your input will help shape the program as it develops. Please share your thoughts and ideas in the comments below (or feel free to email me directly: michael@remarkablogger.com).
Thanks, everyone!
I think it takes around a year at least to understand each level of social media and blogging techniques.
@Vini – A year is a very long time for any kind of program! The Blawging Lawyers course is 6 months long and that’s about as long as anything like this should be. Not that people can’t stay in if they choose to. Often, valuable relationships develop in a forum inside of such a program, and people don’t want to lose access to all that help.
Michael,
I think it could be important to have a “hands on” kind of approach, using a blend of the methods you listed above. The idea of a “practice blog” or “throw away blog” that you have blogged about in the past could be a pivotal part of the system. I believe the most important thing for a new blogger is to get comfortable and find their voice without over-thinking or over-analyzing what they think they should be doing. They should just feel the blogginess.
@Jimmy – Yes, I would encourage the “just get going” approach coupled with a more thoughtful, planned blog. Thanks so much for your insights! Over-thinking can be dangerous in the beginning.
Michael,
The best approach would be to offer all of them since people are coming from different angles. For example, I am a new blogger but have built up a decent following on social media. So I would need group sessions on blogging or even one-on-one critiques of my first blogs to point me in the right direction toward improving right away.
Can’t wait to see what you come up with!
@Diane – It’s great that you have already built up a following with social media! That is exactly how I teach people to do it.
Thank you for making your preferences known about group or individual sessions and critiques. Personally, I feel that the critiques will be very valuable to members.
As an extreme beginner, I would most appreciate the critique and recommendation option.
Most people now are pretty hep (yes, hep!) when it comes to social media, blogs, et al, so it really doesn’t take too long to “get up and running” once you have your focus.
Speaking for myself, I find that I overly edit for fear of sounding stupid, offending someone, being laughed at instead of with, and worst of all, ignored.
Fear. That’s the one thing I think most new bloggers need to overcome. I think we need the courage to use the power of social media, etc. as a tool.
Once you feel comfortable, the other options would be invaluable!
@Kathy – You are totally hep!
Being in an environment where you feel comfortable and unafraid is important to learning and growth. In all my years as a computer software instructor, a big part of my job was putting people at ease and reducing anxiety about “tech stuff.” I think that has carried over here to Remarkablogger and is part of why people like to read my blog. Thanks for your comments!
How long do you think it should take for a total beginner to get up to speed in blogging and social media?
I would say a solid week or two of research and studying websites like this and tutorials on how to customize it so its not sooo stock.
What do you think something like this should cost? (This should be tied to features: the more features, the greater the cost.)
I would assume people would be willing to pay $100 for “classes” or ebooks that give step by step.
What results would you expect to get from going through a program like this?
A clean professional niche blog that generates enough potential to GROW and generate traffic.