{"id":118885,"date":"2018-10-04T22:30:00","date_gmt":"2018-10-04T12:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/problogger.com\/?p=118885"},"modified":"2018-10-04T19:56:33","modified_gmt":"2018-10-04T09:56:33","slug":"blogging-lessons-country-town","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/problogger.com\/blogging-lessons-country-town\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Blogging Lessons You Can Learn from a Small Country Town"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"BloggingLooking for the fast lane to blogging success? Want to join the upper echelons of blogging stardom at the top end of town, and be dazzled by the bright lights of the big city?<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re exhausted from chasing all the shiny things and trying to keep up with the Kardashians, I\u2019d like you to consider getting out of the blogging rat race for a while. Take a break from trying \u00a0to network with all the flashy influencers in your niche, and check out your small town country cousin bloggers instead. You\u2019ll be surprised at the benefits.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t believe me? Here are five blogging lessons you can learn from a small country town.<\/p>\n

Everyone says hello to you in the street<\/h3>\n

It can take a long time to run errands in a small town because you\u2019re constantly bumping into people you know. Whether it\u2019s a short conversation, a hello, the tip of the hat or a raise of the eyebrows (it\u2019s a Kiwi thing), people acknowledge each other in small towns.<\/p>\n

So next time you \u2018bump\u2019 into another blogger commenting on someone\u2019s blog or social media post, say hello. Don\u2019t just comment back to the host. Start a conversation with the other people at the party<\/a>. It builds a wonderful feeling of community. And people love being acknowledged.<\/p>\n

Everyone knows everyone else\u2019s business<\/h3>\n

Not only does everyone know everyone else in a small town, they usually know their business too. Now I\u2019m not suggesting you become the town gossip. Instead, think about a local business owner and how important it is for them to know their customers. During the off-season, when there\u2019s a \u00a0limited amount of foot traffic, they survive or die by local customer loyalty. So they get to know you and anticipate your needs.<\/p>\n

As a blogger, make an effort to get to know your readers<\/a>. Survey them. Have conversations with them in the comments. If they\u2019re also a blogger, go and see what\u2019s going on in their patch of town. The better you know your audience, the more you can engage them and build a feeling of community.<\/p>\n

Support other businesses<\/h3>\n

Similarly, small-town businesses need local support. And so the businesses all support each other. Some of the strongest business associations and Chambers of Commerce are in small towns. They collaborate to create opportunities and events for their town. In fact, one of my first jobs was to create and manage a festival for my small home town to encourage more visitors in the shoulder season.<\/p>\n

What does this look like for you as a blogger? Support other bloggers. Visit their blogs. Read and comment on their posts. Share opportunities with them. And invite them to events or recommend them to brands you know would suit them.<\/p>\n

As the saying goes, a rising tide lifts all boats. So find a group of like-minded bloggers and grow together.<\/a> Whether it\u2019s in a mastermind, a Facebook group or a regular meet up, help each other survive and thrive.<\/p>\n

Serve only what the town needs<\/h3>\n

A small population is a tough crowd for a small business. You have to be careful about what you offer, or your business will end up one of those boarded-over shopfronts at the daggy end of town. In the past few days I\u2019ve driven through countless small towns in the rural back blocks of three Australian states. It\u2019s not BMW or Tesla Dealerships taking up real estate. It\u2019s tractors (for the farmers) and motorhomes (for the retired farmers).<\/p>\n

Find your niche and serve it well<\/a> \u2013 especially if your niche is a demographic rather than a topic. It\u2019s a balancing act between being a population of one (you as your ideal audience) and trying to please everyone.<\/p>\n

A sense of town pride and identity<\/h3>\n

Australia seems to be obsessed with attaching town identity to ‘Big’ things \u2013 The Big Banana, The Big Pineapple, The Big (and quite frankly, scary) Koala. I even drove through a small town that prided itself on being the home of The Dish, a big radio telescope.<\/p>\n

My point is that small towns take pride in themselves and establish their identity. And you can do the same with your blog.\u00a0It may still be one small blog in a sea of other small blogs. But you can take pride in how your blog looks, and use your branding to make it stand out<\/a>.<\/p>\n

My first blog was a black and yellow beacon in a flood of pretty pastel sites. Sure, I would have liked a pretty blog too. But my blog was about being a \u2018crash test mummy\u2019, and so black and yellow it was. And did people remember my blog? Yes, they did.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s just five blogging lessons you can learn from small country towns. And there are bound to be plenty more. For example, what\u2019s the blogging equivalent of knocking on the new neighbour\u2019s door with a welcome basket?<\/p>\n

Image credit: Jinen Shah<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Looking for the fast lane to blogging success? Want to join the upper echelons of blogging stardom at the top end of town, and be dazzled by the bright lights of the big city? If you\u2019re exhausted from chasing all the shiny things and trying to keep up with the …more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":165,"featured_media":118890,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[769],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n5 Blogging Lessons You Can Learn from a Small Country Town<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Small towns have a wonderful sense of community, which is just what your blog needs. 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