I would like to introduce you to Connie Ragen-Green, a prior speaker at the May 2022 Future of Blogging Summit. She had a bit of fun connecting the Matrix (as in the movie) to the matrix, a spreadsheet of sorts that she uses to create an authority for her blog and business. She uses her expertise as a former elementary classroom teacher and real estate appraiser to devise this matrix system.
Build Aurthority Quickly
Connie Ragen- Green, a successful online entrepreneur, believes that the key to building topic authority is to get started quickly and not worry too much about the details. In her own experience, she found that she spent too much time second-guessing herself early on and worrying about what others might think.
Instead, she recommends focusing on creating valuable content and using positive self-talk to overcome any negative thoughts or doubts. By adopting a positive mindset and taking action, anyone can build authority and establish themselves as a trusted resource in their niche.
Connie’s Background
Connie is an author of more than 20 books, publisher, international speaker, and entrepreneur who serves others on six continents by helping new authors, speakers, and entrepreneurs to build their own lucrative online businesses. She’s also active with several nonprofits, including Rotary International, The Boys and Girls Club, Zonta, and SEE International.
Connie’s journey to becoming an online entrepreneur was not without its challenges. After 20 years of teaching, she decided to leave her career behind to pursue something new. She was inspired to make a change after the Space Shuttle tragedy, which moved her deeply. However, she faced obstacles such as work injuries and being a four-time cancer survivor, which made it difficult for her to continue working in a traditional job.
In 2005, Connie decided to take a leap of faith and ask the universe for a new life. She wanted something she could do from home to earn a living and pay her financial obligations with grace and ease. After asking around, she discovered online businesses and began to investigate further.
By 2006, she made the decision to walk away from it all. She resigned from her teaching position and gave away her real estate clients to start her online journey.
Starting from scratch was not easy, and Connie admits that she didn’t know what to do next. However, she persevered and learned through trial and error. Connie’s success is a testament to the power of the matrix and the opportunities available online for those willing to take a chance and pursue their dreams.
Connie Ragen Green’s story is an inspiration to anyone considering a career change or starting their own online business. Her journey shows that with determination and hard work, anything is possible.
Connie’s Start in Blogging
When Connie Ragen Green first started blogging in 2006, she used a platform called Typepad, which was recommended to her early on. This was a paid platform because WordPress was too technical back then, and Connie didn’t have the necessary tech skills. Additionally, she was a non-writer who had dreamed of being a writer since she was in elementary school.
Despite these challenges, Connie started multiple Typepad blogs and began writing and publishing content. However, she was constantly gripped with fear, worrying about what her former colleagues, friends, and family members would think of her writing. Eventually, she realized that these fears were unfounded and that she needed to do it anyway.
At first, Connie’s blog posts felt somewhat mediocre to her, but she persisted and wrote 250-word posts every day. Over time, she saw that her writing was improving, and she was able to reframe her negative thoughts and focus on the positive feedback she received from others.
Connie’s experience is a reminder that we are often our own worst critics and that we need to push through our fears and negative thoughts to achieve our goals. By starting small and persisting, we can improve and achieve success in our endeavors.
Connie Ragen Green is the perfect person to talk about building authority because she has been blogging since 2006 and has almost 4,000 blog posts to her name. She started out on Typepad and later moved to WordPress, establishing her site as an authority in her niche.
Over the years, Connie has added two more blogs to her repertoire, and she has seen every aspect of blogging over the 16-year period. She believes that blogging can be the foundation for a business on any topic or niche, and she can show people how to establish their authority and build a successful online business.
Connie’s experience and expertise make her a valuable resource for anyone looking to build their authority and establish themselves as an expert in their field. By following her lead and persisting through the challenges of blogging, anyone can achieve success and build a lucrative online business.
What is the Authority Matrix?
The matrix in blogging refers to a grid where you choose an overall topic and then create subtopics that fall under that umbrella. For example, if your overall topic is online marketing, your subtopics might include blogging, information product creation, copywriting, and social media marketing.
The goal is to write 10 blog posts for each subtopic, which will fill in your matrix and create a solid foundation for your blog. Over time, you can continue to add to your matrix and create a wealth of content that can be repurposed and used in various ways.
To set this up, you might create a table with three columns, one column for each sub-topic area that you could write about related to your main topic. Then make a list of 10 topics you could write about related to that subtopic. Each of these 10 topics will be the topic of a blog post. This gives you 30 blog posts that you can start writing.
Writing posts in this way creates an interconnected body of knowledge that is high in authority because of all the similar and connected content. It also makes it easier for you to know what you are doing and have a clear path forward.
Create a Product
Once you have created 10 blog posts for each subtopic in your matrix, you can create a simple product based on that content. To do this, you can use the copy-paste function to create a template for your focus guide, which can include the 10 blog posts, a page of resources, and a page about the author. Y
ou can give these focus guides away for free to your list and on social media, and include links to your products in the guide. This can be a great way to monetize your content and create a wealth of resources for your audience. Over time, you can continue to add to your matrix and create more products based on your content.
Get Organized
Using the matrix in this way can be a very organized and effective way for even new bloggers to start selling something online. It allows you to create a solid foundation of content and then turn that content into valuable resources for your audience. Additionally, using the matrix can help you identify which subtopics are a better fit for you and your business.
By paying attention to what flows easily and what doesn’t, you can adjust your matrix and create content that feels authentic and aligned with your values.
Ultimately, this process can be a great way to learn more about yourself and your entrepreneurial journey.
Become an Expert
Building authority as a blogger is important because it establishes you as an expert in your specific topic. By becoming an authority, you become someone that others turn to for information and guidance. This can be especially important for new bloggers who are just starting out and need to establish themselves in their niche.
By taking the time to immerse yourself in your topic, learn everything you can about it, and create valuable content, you can quickly become an authority in your field. This can help you build trust with your audience and establish yourself as a go-to resource in your industry. Ultimately, building authority can be a key factor in the success of your blog and your business.
New bloggers should start focusing on building authority after they have created their first 10 blog posts. This is when they should start to turn their attention to writing with authority, which means doing a bit of research and becoming an expert in their specific topic.
By doing this, they can establish themselves as a go-to resource in their industry and build trust with their audience. As they become more knowledgeable and experienced, people will start to approach them with specific questions and seek their guidance. Ultimately, building authority is a process that takes time and effort, but it can be a key factor in the success of your blog and your business.
Authority Building Tips
One hot tip for building authority is to connect with other experts and authorities in your niche or complementary topics. Commenting on their blog posts and curating their content can help you establish yourself as someone who is knowledgeable and engaged in your industry.
Additionally, monetizing your blog and having products or services for sale can be a sign that you are building authority and becoming a trusted resource for your audience. People may also start to seek you out for guidance and advice, which is another indicator that you are building authority in your field.
Ultimately, building authority takes time and effort, but by consistently creating valuable content and engaging with others in your industry, you can establish yourself as an expert and a go-to resource for your audience.
Connie used the matrix to create an authority, blog, and business, which allowed her to establish herself as an expert in her field and build a loyal audience. Using the matrix involves creating valuable content, building a strong social media presence, and establishing yourself as an authority in your niche.
By using the matrix to create an authority, blog, and business, you too can establish yourself as an expert and build a successful online career.
Grow Your Email List
Growing an email list is a critical part of having a successful online business. Connie suggests signing up for an autoresponder and offering a free giveaway to attract subscribers. This is a great suggestion that will help to harness the authority you are building. It helps bring people back to your site so they don’t just read one great post and forget to come back again.
How You Can Get Started in Blogging
For new bloggers looking to start strong, Connie Ragen Green recommends using WordPress and buying a domain name, ideally your name or a variation of it. Once you have your blog set up, start writing about what interests you and look to other blogs for inspiration.
Connie suggests when writing your 10 blog posts that you are hitting publish after each one, even if they’re not perfect. Remember that your blog is something you own and control, and you can always edit or freshen up your posts later.
Connie also reminds new bloggers that having a blog is an accomplishment in itself, and most people in your day-to-day life will be impressed and excited for you. If you feel intimidated, it’s okay to keep your blog private at first, but if your intention is to turn it into a business or help your community, make it public as soon as you can.
Sharing your blog with others and getting their feedback can be a great way to build community and know that you’re on the right track. By sharing your blog with others, you can get a sense of whether people like what you’re doing and what you can improve on.
It’s important to remember that blogging is a unique experience and takes some time to get used to, but once you get your sea legs, you’ll feel more comfortable and confident in your abilities. Additionally, feedback from others can motivate you to keep going and improve your writing.
Summary
In summary, building authority is a uniform process across different niches. The benefits of having an authority blog include moving up in search engine rankings and being able to establish yourself as a trusted resource for your audience. However, there are common mistakes that people make while building authority, such as setting too many categories and tags. To avoid these mistakes, it’s important to think of yourself as a writer and publisher and to focus on creating valuable content that resonates with your audience. Keeping the content closely related and interconnected will help you build authority more quickly and easily.
