Benny Hsu is the founder of the Get Busy Living Blog and author of the Get a life that doesn't suck ebook. He writes a great blog on personal development and how you can achieve your life goals. We interviewed him on how you can get started in blogging and live a balanced life...
Who is Benny Hsu?
I'm 34 years old and I live in Florida. I have a regular job, but I have my passion in making iPhone apps and in blogging.
What is your blog about? How did you start it?
My blog is about helping people bring out the best in them to live a better life. I started it in the beginning of 2011, but I actually had the domain for almost three years. I just didn't know what to write about so that's why I didn't start a blog earlier. Finally I found a topic, personal development, that I really wanted to talk about and knew I would be interested in it to write for a long time.
When did you realize you made it as a blogger?
Well I don't think I've made it as a blogger yet (still shooting for the top), but I do remember my first post that went viral for me. It was a list post about 40 bloggers that were doing great things online. I got so many comments and retweets from it. Brought me a lot of recognition and new readers.
Since then I would say being asked for an interview makes me realize I've done something right with blogging.
How does your blogging career differ from your previous careers - especially in terms of life satisfaction?
It's much more satisfying. I love it. I could spend all day reading about blogging and working on my blog. It allows me to be creative which I love. I get to meet people all over the world. I get to inspire people and hear from people how much I've helped them. It's really rewarding.
What were your challenges in starting the blog and how did you overcome them?
Getting readers was a big challenge. We always want more readers. We don't just want ten visitors a day. I overcame it by constantly commenting on other blogs. I would share other great posts. I would focus on writing content worth sharing. It wasn't an overnight success. I had to do everything a little at a time.
How has your success as a blogger affected other aspects of your life?
It's given me more confidence. It's opened more opportunities that I would have never had before. I've been able to meet some amazing people.
How did you grow and market your blog?
I did it one step at a time. I did a lot of commenting on other blogs. It wasn't a quick "Great post" comment, but I took the time to really read their post and leave a good comment. I created a Facebook page and slowly got followers. Now Facebook is one of my top sources of traffic. I created a free ebook to give away and that's helped with gaining new readers. I love Twitter so I use that to share any new post.
What are the most effective revenue generators for your blog?
Right now my biggest source of revenue is affiliate marketing. I'll promote products I trust to my readers and make a commission from them.
Blogging takes a lot of work - how do you balance your life?
I try to focus on only blogging when I have time. I try to not let other distractions bother me when I'm blogging.
What would be the best advice for people new to blogging?
Just get started. Don't wait to be perfect before you start. Every A list blogger started as a beginner. Start now and focus on learning as you go. It's much better that way.
What is your vision - where do you see yourself in the future?
I see myself as having a media empire. I love being an entrepreneur. I'd love to be in video, writing, speaking, and creating products. I'd share my experience and knowledge with others to help them perform at a higher level and make more money.
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