Building Rabid Fans That Follow You Anywhere: A Travel Blogger's Guide
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The document provides steps for a travel blogger to create audio versions of their blog posts using only their smartphone. It involves opening the blog post, using the voice memo app to narrate the post, saving and uploading the audio file to Dropbox, then adding the file to the blog post and publishing it. The document also discusses importing blog posts to Medium and customizing them for additional exposure. The overall aim is to help bloggers build a rabid fan base that will follow their content across different platforms.
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Building Rabid Fans That Follow You Anywhere: A Travel Blogger's Guide
- 1. Building Rabid Fans That Follow You Anywhere Evo Terra @evoterra @opptravelers
- 14. Building Rabid Fans That Follow You Anywhere Evo Terra @evoterra @opptravelers
- 15. Building Rabid Fans That Follow You Anywhere Evo Terra @evoterra @opptravelers
- 16. You Mean Building New Fans, Right Evo? Evo Terra @evoterra @opptravelers
- 17. You Mean Exploring New Platforms Then. Evo Terra @evoterra @opptravelers
- 18. Building Rabid Fans That Follow You Anywhere Evo Terra @evoterra @opptravelers
- 19. Building Rabid Fans That Follow You Anywhere Evo Terra @evoterra @opptravelers
- 31. Do I need special equipment, Evo?
- 32. But I’ll need a special app, right?
- 33. Step 1: Open your blog post
- 34. Step 1: Open your blog post Step 2: Open voice memo app
- 35. Step 1: Open your blog post Step 2: Open voice memo app Step 3: Push the red button
- 36. Step 1: Open your blog post Step 2: Open voice memo app Step 3: Push the red button Step 4: Switch back and narrate
- 37. Step 1: Open your blog post Step 2: Open voice memo app Step 3: Push the red button Step 4: Switch back and narrate
- 38. Step 1: Open your blog post Step 2: Open voice memo app Step 3: Push the red button Step 4: Switch back and narrate
- 39. Step 1: Open your blog post Step 2: Open voice memo app Step 3: Push the red button Step 4: Switch back and narrate Step 5: Save & upload to DropBox
- 40. Step 1: Open your blog post Step 2: Open voice memo app Step 3: Push the red button Step 4: Switch back and narrate Step 5: Save & upload to DropBox Step 6: Add file to your blog post
- 41. Step 1: Open your blog post Step 2: Open voice memo app Step 3: Push the red button Step 4: Switch back and narrate Step 5: Save & upload to DropBox Step 6: Add file to your blog post Step 7: Publish
- 43. Step 1: Open your blog post Step 2: Open voice memo app Step 3: Push the red button Step 4: Switch back and narrate Step 5: Save & upload to DropBox Step 6: Add file to your blog post Step 7: Publish
- 49. travel blogger
- 53. Do I need special equipment, Evo?
- 54. Step 1: Type something interesting
- 55. Step 1: Type something interesting Step 2: Say hello & ignore
- 56. Step 1: Type something interesting Step 2: Say hello & ignore Step 3: Keep on truckin’
- 57. Step 1: Type something interesting Step 2: Say hello & ignore Step 3: Keep on truckin’ Step 4: Show your work!
- 59. Step 1: Type something interesting Step 2: Say hello & ignore Step 3: Keep on truckin’ Step 4: Show your work!
- 68. Step 1: Publish your blog post
- 69. Step 1: Publish your blog post
- 70. Step 1: Publish your blog post Step 2: Import to Medium
- 71. Step 1: Publish your blog post Step 2: Import to Medium Step 3: Edit your post on Medium
- 72. Step 1: Publish your blog post Step 2: Import to Medium Step 3: Edit your post on Medium Step 4: Customize all the things
- 73. Step 1: Publish your blog post Step 2: Import to Medium Step 3: Edit your post on Medium Step 4: Customize all the things Step 5: Tag & Publish
- 75. Step 1: Publish your blog post Step 2: Import to Medium Step 3: Edit your post on Medium Step 4: Customize all the things Step 5: Tag & Publish
- 77. This One Time Bangkok Podcast ShEvo.wtf Evo Terra @evoterra @opptravelers
Editor's Notes
- I am a failure. Ok, maybe not this bad. But still. I’m a failure. I also like animated gifs, so... Prepare yourself.
- Even though I've been blogging since the turn of the century, back when "blogging" really meant "web log", where we kept a log of the things we found on the internet. Yeah. The good old days. But I’m a failure.
- It’s not because I don’t have enough eyeballs on my blog... Which I don’t.
- Not because I’m not making enough money from my blog... Because I could always make more, right?
- But because I cannot stay focused!
- There's a cool new service or app launching every single day.
- There's a cool new platform where EVERYONE WHO IS ANYONE is now a part of.
- There's a wave starting to build somewhere and I HAVE TO BE IN FRONT OF IT OR I WILL DIE.
- Wait. Just one more. I promise.
- Ok, that’s it. Good dog! Where was I? Oh yeah... Focus!
- At least that's how my mind works. How many of you are like me?
- I'm on this side of the lifecycle. Some of you are here Or here. Which probably makes this worse, as you’re playing catchup. And that sucks. Let's do something about it.
- Hi. I'm Evo. Can I take a minute to make sure you're in the right room? Because this talk isn't for everyone
- This is about making YOUR FANS happy. Rabid, if you will.
- This is NOT about getting NEW fans Though of of course that will happen
- And this isn't about exploring new platforms and mediums Though it is about leveraging new platforms and mediums to give your audience more of you.
- Instead, I'm going to talk about three ways -- and only three ways -- you can extend and enhance your existing (or yet to be written) blog content to give your core audience what they desperately want -- more of YOU.
- If that's not what you signed up for, now's the time to check out the other sessions. I promise I will not be offended if you walk out. For those that choose to stay -- thank you. I'm going to show you how to use:
- Audio Video ... and content syndication to make your audience love you even more. Because when an audience loves you... they'll follow you anywhere. And trust me, I've taken my audience to some very strange places over the years. Shall we begin?
- I'm starting with audio because it's the most complicated. It's also the technique I identify with them strongest. And it's a topic that's often mis-sold to travel bloggers.
- Because when I talk about extending your content with audio, I do not mean podcasting. At least not in the way that it's often billed.
- I’m a podcaster. I run a comedy travel show with my wife I even documented my decision to become a travel podcaster And then I got travel bloggers to tell funny stories on my podcast Today I’m the co-host of the #1 local podcast in Thailand I produce a travel cocktail show And a more traditional travel podcast where Ric interviews people who have the stated goal of traveling to every country in the world. I’m the author of podcasting for Dummies and yeah... I; do this.
- But... Not to put too fine a point on it, but... I do not think you should start a new podcast. (Unless you want to. But you don’t have to. As it’s probably not what you should do.)
- Instead, I want you to narrate your blog posts. Yes, narrate -- as in read aloud -- your blog posts.
- Does that terrify you? It shouldn't
- No one expect you to be a professional narrator. You didn't get mad when your Mom, grandmother, or some other caregiver flubbed a line of your favorite Dr. Seuss book, did you? Of course not. And your audience will forgive you, too.
- But here's why this works: People -- your fans -- identify with your voice. For many of them, they form deeper connections when they hear the author's voice reading the author's words. It's why book authors do readings. Trust me when I tell you that there's something in the brain that turns people on to you. For many, it makes you more real.
- Here's why it's important: Uh... mobile phones, anyone? Sometimes its easier to listen than to read. Driving, housework... we listen to amazing amount of content. People are trained to listen. So why not do it?
- This is how you do it. In seven easy steps
- You do NOT need fancy equipment. You only need the thing that all of you carry around with you everywhere you go: your smart phone.
- You do NOT need fancy apps. Your phone is equipped with voice memo recorder. That will work just fine for this process.
- Step 1 - On your phone, open up your most recently published blog post. Bonus points if you do this in draft mode before you publish, but you don't have to.
- Step 2 - On your phone, open up your voice memo App.
- Step 3 - Push the red button
- Step 4: Switch back to the browser with the blog post -- notice the audio keeps recording -- and narrate your blog post.
- Yes, literally narrate it. I suggest reading the title aloud and the publication date. And maybe a little something about you. But they want the meat. So give it to them.
- What happens if I screw up? Yeah, that happens. Just keep going. Or back up. Doesn't matter. What would you do if you were reading it aloud? Same thing. Don't sweat it. Though bonus points if you do feel like editing the file. And you know how to edit. but if you don't -- don't worry. Again, this is you reading what you wrote. Not a professional narration of your work.
- Step 5. Save it and upload it to DropBox. Because how the hell are you a blogger if you don't use Drobpox? Right? Bonus points if you want to use Soundcloud or some other source. But you don't have to.
- Step 6: Share the link to your audio recording at the top of your blog post This assumes you know how to get your public share link on drop box. And this assumes you can make two tiny edits of that link to make it playable. If you can't use Soundcloud or something else. It'll make it easker
- Step 7. Publish. The end. The whole thing takes less than 10 minutes. I'm not kidding.
- So... Questions?
- Qs?
- I'll do video next because, like audio, I think a lot of travel bloggers have a misconception about using video
- You do not, for example, need to launch and maintain a YouTube Channel featuring your face,. You do not, for another example, need to actively maintain an Instagram Stories account, a Snapchat account, a new show on Facebook Live or whatever the next cool video thing happens to be. Though you can and should do all of those things if you want to.
- Instead, I want you to expose your research. And I want you to do it on Facebook Live, for all the world to see..
- And I want you to do it on Facebok Live, for all the world to see.
- Research? What research? I'm a blogger, not a researcher!
- You actually are a researcher. With few exceptions, every blog post you've written, from a top 10 places to eat post or a review of a hotel was researched. And that's what I want you to put on Facebook Live
- This works because FB Live is more than a "live report" or a poor approximation of a television talk show. Facebook Live is weird and nebulous, and has more applications than you can think of. Even better, done the way I'm going to suggest, it doesn't take any planning, and it doesn't take you out of your comfort zone.
- Why it's important because Facebook is important. And Facebook loves native video. And Facebook like is terribly easy!
- Here's how to do it, in 4 easy steps. This one is going to be a bit of a rollercoaster, so bear with me
- Don't worry about buying fancy gimbals. Don't worry about lighting. And if you put your phone in a LifeProof case or something that offers serious protection (which you probably should do because you TRAVEL, right) you don't even have to worry about sound/wind noise.
- Step 1: Go LIVE with an interesting description When people scan through their FB feed, it's the moving video that captures their attention. With the sound off. Their eyes then flick up to the description, and that's what you need to focus on. Tell them what they are about to see. This isn’t a headline. It’s a FB post. Post something!
- Step 2: Briefly say hello and tell them what you are showing them. Then ignore Facebook Live. Not kidding. Ignore it. You aren't there to entertain them. You're conducing research, and you're letting your FANS see the process.
- Step 3: Keep going until you are done or you run out of battery or data. Longer videos on FB Live do surprisingly well. But here's the secret: YOU DON'T CARE HOW "WELL" THE VIDEO DOES! You don't care if people come in in the middle, stay for 5 minutes, or for the entire time. It. Doesn't. Matter. You aren't on FB to audition for the Travel Channel. It's OK to suck. You're giving your fans a taste of your life as a travel blogger. Of course, that's no excuse to be lazy. But it permission to think about FB differently.
- Step 4: Show your work... on your blog post. Yes, you stillneed to write the blog post. When that's done, consider adding a new section at the bottom where you embed the FB live video... or videos. This is a little used feature that can set your blog apart. Watch your video and click the ellipses. See that embed code? Yeah... embed it.
- That’s it. Questions? I still have syndication coming. But might as well tackle some now if you're off.
- Here’s the list
- We'll wrap with syndication of your written content. Though not as sexy as audio or video, it too is filled with misconceptions. Well, one major one I can think of.
- DUPLICATE CONTENT! Are you worried about this? Or have you heard of this problem?
- Let me just check my calendar...
- Yeah... this is 2017. What you think you know about SEO is probably very, very outdated. Things like duplicate content. It doesn't mean what you think it means. I'm not going deep into SEO. Instead I'm going to show you a technique that puts your content in front of your fans in place they want to read.
- Wait... why not my site? Because consumptions habit are changing. Specifically, services like Medium are providing a better and seamless experience. Your readers are reading things over there. Don't force them to come back to your site. Yes, I know some of you want to sell ads. Don't force them.
- Instead, I want you to embrace medium
- Why it works - There's actually an SEO benefit (using canonical linking), but it works because reader habits are changing. I know it sounds intutive -- why would you want people NOT to consume the content on your site? And that's not what you want. Don't drive anyone to Medium. But for those fans you may have lost touch with... they'll appreciate being able to read you there.
- This is how you do it the right way, without the SEO penalty. And just five steps.
- Step 1: Publish on your blog first.
- Although, you can’t really do this easily on Mobile, so I’m going to switch to the desktop version.
- Step 2: Import your story on Medium "Import" is important. That puts the canonical linking in place
- Step 3: Edit your post, with images the way medium wants them.
- Step 4: Tweak the title, URL
- Step 5: Tag it, check your options at the bottom, and publish. That's it. Once it's out there, your work is done. Again, don't expect huge results. Tracking metrics is rather silly at this stage, as the goal is to reconnect and make sure your audience reads you wherever you are. If you want, you can make mention that you're now publishing on Medium in your newsletter or on a different post, just linking to your profile. Because you may have people who would love to get it there, and are just waiting for you to say so.
- That’s it for syndication. List is next
- The List
- So that’s it. Simple was you can use your existing content to build rabid fans that follow you anywhere. It happens.
- Thanks! Buy me a beer.