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Blog Smarter

Blog less. Live more.

The online mentorship program for bloggers who want to grow their business...while still having a life.

Sure, you could blog your life away.

You could squint at your Macbook until 1:30am,
wearily hammering out that third post for the week.

You could check your Pinterest-Facebook-Twitter-Instagram analytics
like a trained rat hitting the “food” button.

You could take on sponsored posts you hate,
just to raise your average blogging income to $4 per hour,
and pray that a big blogger links to you…soon.

Or you can learn how to connect with the right audience
and uncover the one thing they really want to buy from you
…that was in front of your face the entire time.

Introducing Blog Smarter™️

The only online mentorship program for bloggers who want to quit limping along in the blogging rat race ... and break through to confidence, clarity, and—yes—cash, built atop your own solid brand.

Who It's For

The Frustrated Blogger

You’ve been doing everything they said “successful bloggers” do.
Writing three posts a week.
Optimizing images.
Leaving comments.
…but still, the followers just don’t come.

And you’re starting to wonder:

What if those big bloggers do know something
you don’t?

The fact is…
It doesn’t matter how many images you use
or how often you pin your posts on Pinterest.
It doesn’t matter how many words you write
or how many badges you add to your sidebar.

You’re shouting louder and LOUDER to get
anyone to follow your blog,
when the big secret is?

People don’t follow blogs.
They follow leaders.

(…and leadership?
That’s something you can learn.)

The Tired Blogger

All those late nights, the Twitter parties, the two-hour link share sessions—
they’re just about to do you in.
If you’d known that getting traffic would be
this hard?
You’d have quit before you started.
And it’s mind-numbingly frustrating to watch brand new bloggers cast out their lines
and reel in the “big fish”—while you’re still wading in the tide pool.

But deep down, you already know it:
The blogger who spends the most time blogging?
Dies tired.

The fact is, it doesn’t take
100K pageviews a month
to be a successful entrepreneur.

You can get away with blogging much less
if you build smart systems for your blog
that turn visitors into subscribers
and subscribers?
Into buyers.

And they’ll bend (their wallets) over backwards to thank you for it.

The Ambitious Blogger

You have goals. Dreams. Momentum.
You’ve put in the hours and
turned that blogging dream
into blogging dollars.

…but all those late nights are starting to add up.
And if your partner has to go to bed alone many more times,
he’s going to ask you to get a real job.

This isn’t a “cute hobby”—
you have to make it work.
Not just for your family,
But for yourself.

So lean in and I’ll tell you a secret:
What you need?
Isn’t more followers.

With a simple discovery process, you can unlock the authority and credibility that will start winning hearts and minds right now so they won’t just be your followers
…they’ll be rooftop-shouting superfans.

And you can let the world’s most loyal readers –
come chasing after you.

What You’ll Learn

Establish Authority: How to stick your flag in the sand to claim your corner of the Internet + intentionally establish yourself as someone your readers can trust.

  • Why mattering more to fewer people actually gives you the FOCUS your business needs...and how to find the tiny 4% that matters most of all.

  • The only way you can attract the right readers like a moth to a bonfire. (And the answer is not "finding your voice.")

  • The Zoom and Pan technique for planning your blogosphere takeover. This is how you build up your level of authority and leadership so that readers are more likely to identify you as someone worth following.

  • When you’re first getting started, you dive in and start blogging from the heart and sharing links on Facebook and Twitter. Bad news: This is the quickest way you’ll sink that new blog before it ever leaves the dock.

  • ...but build your authority like this, and you won’t have to convince people to follow you—they’ll line up.

SIM CAMPBELL

Unstoppable Rise

“You MUST go through these steps or else you’ll be dead in the water. I was pretty foolish to keep blogging without doing this. Your methods for target market research are worth the cost of admission alone. Awesome.”

Build Your Brand: How to magnetize your blog and attract 2x or 5x or 10x more readers...not counting your mom. (No offense, Mom!)

  • Stand out from every other blogger on the block—and strategically use your own experience to do it in a way that gives you authority, credibility, and mega brand power.

  • The most important, non-negotiable components of any popular blog…from a marketing standpoint. (Hint: If you simply offer "more," readers won’t care—your brand has to grab their heartstrings and make them nod their heads in agreement.)

  • After you’ve got this brand element in place, something exciting happens: People start hanging on every word you say. But none of that matters if you can’t tell them the one word they need to hear.

LESLIE RUTLAND

The Seasoned Homemaker

“I love that these videos aren’t just 'cheerleading' you on to complete this task or that. They’re focused and to the point, leading you step by step through the tasks that need completing.”

Cultivate Your Brand Experience: How to stand out from the crowd of bloggers so your readers stop twirling their hair and pay attention. (Even if you don’t have thousands of dollars for a custom design.)

  • Figure out the real reason why people get to your website, and why they say "No thanks" before bouncing out.

  • How to get new readers to forget about the Pinterest rabbit hole and glue their eyeballs to your site—all with this little tweak.

  • What to do if and when you work with a blog designer—and how to make sure you’re getting a design that does the heavy lifting for you.

  • The anatomy of a powerful About page—you need it. We’ll walk you through drilling down to the most important pieces, what “trust conversion” means, and what you absolutely need to leave out of your own page.

  • How to set up a smart system for streamlining your brand images (of all things!) that’s going to make people sit up and pay attention to you, no matter where they are on the Internet.

TRINA HOLDEN

Kitchenwise

“Unbelievable. This program was like P90-X for my blog. I can’t believe that in 9 years of blogging, no one had ever told me this before!”

Convert and Conquer: Learn the art of converting one-time visitors to loyal fans by way of the #1 tool everyone says is dead...but secretly isn’t.

  • New readers will burst in and demand to join your email list—as long as you set this up correctly first.

  • Strategically plan, build, and deliver an offer in a way guaranteed to bring only the right people to your community—and compel them to drag their friends to your doorstep.

  • Get all the technical details squared away—Do you need to pay for your mailing list? What do you do about newsletters? Or a fancy email signature? (Some blogging gurus are making this harder than it should be!)

  • Learn the right way to handle unsubscribes without breaking into a cold sweat or crying yourself to sleep.

NICOLE HASCHKE

Knitting for Charity

"After applying the Blog Smarter email strategy for one month, I wanted to see the impact so I took a peek at the stats. Thanks to the Brand Ambassador Boot Camp technique I learned inside Blog Smarter, my email opens increased 13%, and clicks increased 56%. (I nearly fainted at that last number!)"

Implementation Week: Also known as Get 'er done!

  • If you're concerned you won't have time for this program, stop worrying. You can wave goodbye to busywork because every single Blog Smarter assignment is designed to grow your blog and business.

    Use the implementation weeks during the program to catch up, get help, or forge ahead with the support of your team.

Grow Viral: The art of building your community without throwing yourself at the mercy of the social media gods. (Hint: It doesn’t matter how much traffic you get—if you’re not doing this, you’re chasing your tail!)

  • The #1 thing you can and should do if you’re just getting started and have no readers and no money. (Don’t worry—this can actually help you build your empire faster if you do it right from the beginning!)

  • Ask the right questions to get the right answers—and ensure you’re investing your time writing only the posts that connect and inspire (and build your brand).

  • Where to get the very best blog post ideas—and how to structure them so they practically promote themselves.

  • Every time you publish a post, you’re training your readers to click, read, and share...or to flat-out ignore you. Already blew it? Don't sweat it—you can use this high-level marketing technique for retraining those brains and getting your readers to grow your blog for you.

  • The best content creation process is one where you invest time upfront to make sure your readers share your posts, without you having to spend all your time on social media. (This one trick will save you HOURS every week!)

  • Just because you could spend 40 hours a week blogging doesn’t mean you should: This system for organizing your blogging to-do list doesn’t only keep you sane, but it helps you dump the guilt, confusion, and stress.

Serve and Profit: How to get paid without selling your soul (but do this wrong, and you’re better off working at the neighborhood coffee shop churning lattes).

  • A process for making money from your blog without offending readers—so you can avoid one of the biggest mistakes bloggers make when they’re just getting started.

  • The secret to monetizing your past success in a way that doesn’t only make you money now, but keeps it rolling in the future.

  • Learn how to sell your time the smart way—and avoid endless email conversations from readers who want to “pick your brain.”

  • Play the percentages to walk away from every blogging session with maximum profit, without that icky feeling you’ve been used (or worse, like you're building someone else’s business instead of your own).

  • Of all the methods for making money blogging, only three get you off the back of the bus and put you squarely in the driver’s seat. This mindset shift will take you from broke blogger to Smart CEO...and from “giving yourself a job” to running a sustainable business.

BREA ROBINSON

Capture Your Days

"Right after implementing the Blog Smarter strategy, my page views grew by 7x! Better still, my conversion rate has gone from 2.8% to 10.8%, and this month I tripled my number of subscribers. So thankful for all I learned in Blog Smarter that's made this progress possible!"

Don’t be another good choice.
Learn how to become the only choice.

What's Included

In each of the six Blog Smarter learning modules, you get videos, downloadable tools, skill-building exercises, and the opportunity to apply the techniques immediately to your blog and business.

The next Blog Smarter Program session will begin in 2023.
(I've been told the research methods + templates alone are worth the cost of the course!)

COURSE CONTENT

Delivered via online platform and released over 12 weeks. Work on your own time, but with the structure and support to keep you moving forward as the CEO of your business.

SMART SYSTEMS + TEMPLATES

Learn the exact system that's transformed hundreds of blogs into successful six-figure and even seven-figure businesses. This program is chock-full of examples, inspiration, and copy-and-paste templates that are worth their weight in gold.

BRAND-BUILDING ASSIGNMENTS

Every Blog Smarter assignment has been intentionally designed to give you clarity, insight, and mega brand power. We’ll treat you like the CEO you are...so you can kiss busywork goodbye.

ONE-TO-ONE GRADUATE MENTORING

Individual support from Blog Smarter graduates to help you meet your goals. Your mentors will help you identify opportunities, navigate difficult decisions, and review and give feedback on your assignments. Whatever you need, they'll support you along the way.

LIVE GROUP COACHING SESSIONS

Each week, students in the Premium Mentorship program meet to ask questions, get feedback on homework, and ask for help applying smarter systems to your unique blog and business. These interactive calls are led by Kelly personally and reveal deeper insights on all aspects of your brand: the headwork, the heartwork, and your blog itself.

COMMUNITY

Get access to an experienced, honest, and supportive community of goal-driven bloggers via a private forum...not another Facebook group. This is a space where you can ask questions, get feedback, and share resources without fear of judgment. Your community is your team.

“The dream is free, but the hustle is sold separately.”

- STEPHEN C. HOGAN

About Kelly Holmes, Your Blog Smarter Leader

Kelly HolmesFor more than 15 years, I worked as a professional writer and editor at a billion-dollar company, where I became the go-to expert on the best marketing techniques for getting readers to actually read and then take action. After I left my corporate gig, I built an online business from the ground up, which now supports my family of six—while I work just 20 hours a week.

I believe in setting up smart systems upfront, so no matter how much traffic you get, your blog is always moving forward.

OUR GUARANTEE

14-Day Money Back Guarantee (No risk!)
No hoops—just send us an email

We are in the business of turning run-ragged bloggers into Smart CEOs. If you do the work and for any reason you are not thrilled with the content and the potential impact it will have on your business, we will refund your tuition within the first 14 days of your first lesson with a smile. No hoops. Just send us an email.

Here’s what Blog Smarter grads are saying...

SARAH BRAND STOCKETT

Custom Pilates and Yoga

One month after finishing the Blog Smarter program, I pulled my stats.

My users had increased 44.63% over last month, and my page views had increased 45.23%. 😲 That's insane!

Plus, that same month, I woke up one Saturday morning to discover someone bought my course! I had just finished aligning my sales page with the Blog Smarter strategy a couple days earlier, and I woke up with a surprise sale. 🎉

DANIELLE RYE

Live Well Bake Often

I was exhausted with feeling like I had to do a million different things to get "better" numbers.

I didn't want to work myself to death trying to grow my blog. I needed a better system, so I could enjoy life more...and I'm happy to say I'm doing that now! My blog has grown so much since Blog Smarter and my readers are so much more engaged. Some readers actually e-mail me on a regular basis now. This literally never happened before Blog Smarter.

My page views and email subscribers have both tripled in just a few months, and I'm finally making a full-time income, so that's a wonderful feeling!

RACHEL NORMAN

A Mother Far From Home

I was worried this would be just another "10 Tips to Get More Readers" product.

I'd done so many free (and paid) smaller courses and was worried it'd be stock standard. I was completely wrong and truly surprised at how much material was covered I'd never thought of or done before.

Since the Blog Smarter program, my monthly product income has doubled, my overall income nearly doubled, and my email list grew by 50%. Not because of "grow quickly" tips, but because I've now positioned my business to grow exponentially without having to babysit it 24 hours a day.

ABRAHAM LINCOLN SAID
“If I had a nine hours to chop down a tree, I’d spend the first six sharpening my ax.”

Well, my friend, here’s your ax.
Let’s get to work.

Some A’s to your Q’s...

Is Blog Smarter right for me?

This program gives you the secret sauce for going from blah-blah-blogger to Smart CEO. But a few types of bloggers won't be a good fit for this program: Don't join if you’re a news, political, or entertainment blogger…or if your blog is mostly just photos of your kids so you have something to show grandma. Unfortunately, there’s no straightforward business model for growing and profiting from those types of blogs (for various reasons), and I want you in this program only if I can help get you results.

We've worked with fashion bloggers. Food bloggers. Travel/business/mom/everything-you-can-imagine bloggers. But regardless of what you write about, the students who get the best results are hardworking bloggers ready to ditch the rat race and step up to being an entrepreneur. And I'll light your path every step of the way.

I’m starting a new blog. Is Blog Smarter for me?

Not yet. Don't join if you’re a brand spankin’ new blogger. Or if you don’t even have a blog yet. This is graduate-level marketing strategy, and research is part of it…which means you need something to research. Get at least three months under your belt, then get back to me. It’ll be worth the wait.

I already have a successful business, and I already sell my own product(s). How will Blog Smarter help me?

Ever wish someone would just tell you what to do so you wouldn't be pulled in so many directions? Or are you ready to take your business to the next level, but you're not sure exactly which steps will get you there?

It turns out, Blog Smarter grads who already had their own products have had some of the biggest "aha" moments and the fuel to quickly multiply their existing income. (See Rachel N's + Leslie R's words on this page.) That's because the best business is done by strong brands. And by the end of this program, you'll have clarity, focus, and a rock-solid brand.

How much time is required?

This is like going back to grad school—it's professional content, delivered at a professional level. On average, students spend 4-10 hours per week during instruction weeks on research, planning, and executing the business-building strategy in the program. Videos are in bite-sized chunks (most are under 20 minutes), and there's absolutely no busywork—so even if you spend more time, you know it's time well spent on growing your business. Many students stop writing blog posts altogether during the program in order to focus on getting maximum results for their business. That frees up plenty of time to devote to working through the Blog Smarter system.

I need a payment plan. Help a blogger out?

You got it. We offer a payment plan (just select that option above), or you can make one payment in full. We don't want this program to put a financial strain on families, so if you have to sell your soul to your mother-in-law to borrow the money from her, now isn't your time. This program opens only once a year, so many students will save up for it throughout the year.

I'm worried I won't have time. Should I still join?

Nope! Just like you wouldn't sign up for a college course thinking, I wonder if I'll have time to do this?—you shouldn't join this intensive business program unless you're ready to commit. This program is for dedicated, hardworking bloggers ready to do what it takes over 12 weeks to systematically build your brand + business.

I'm taking a vacation during the program. Will I be able to catch up?

I've got your back. Baked into the program are two "implementation weeks" (read: no new lessons/assignments). You'll have those weeks to breathe, catch up if you need to, and put one foot in front of the other without worrying about falling behind. However, we advise taking as little time away from new lessons during instructional weeks as possible, so you can stay on track. Of course, lifetime access to the training materials means those are yours forever. So you can revisit the content of the program whenever you like.

I'm a podcaster/vlogger. Will this help me?

This program is designed for anyone who wants to stand out as an authority, regardless of whether your platform is audio, video, or written. We have a strong emphasis on nurturing your email subscribers and converting them to die-hard fans. So whether you're moving them from a podcast to your email list or simply from your website, we've got you covered.

How is Blog Smarter different from Sticky Blogging?

Sticky Blogging is a completely separate course that I teach about how to blog in a way that gets people to read and then take action. The focus of that course is on powerful, science-backed writing strategies. But if your goal is to make the shift from blogger to business owner, that goes beyond writing strategies.

Your writing is important to your business, but even the best writer in the world would need a business strategy in order to step up as CEO for a strong, sustainable brand. And that's where Blog Smarter picks up, to help you develop a rock-solid business strategy.

How does the money-back guarantee work?

If you aren't satisfied within the first 14 days after receiving your first lesson, contact us, and we'll refund your tuition. Please note that payment processors like PayPal and Stripe have a non-refundable processing fee for each transaction, and those fees cannot be refunded.

Other questions?

Email kelly@bizmavens.com with questions. We'll get back to you as soon as possible!

Successful bloggers aren’t born
They’re made.