Have you felt the frustration?

Logging into your WordPress dashboard and only to be let down.

Zero shares. Zero comments. Zero new subscribers.

If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. I started blogging in the middle of December 2014 and my average blog post got very little attention. Then I decided that I was freakin’ fed up by being a member of what I call The Triple Zero Club.

At that time no one knew about my blog, and they certainly didn’t know about me.

Well, that isn't completely true. My mother knew, because she was one of my first email subscribers, and she’s the best (true story).

To pull myself out of The Triple Zero Club, I looked around and I noticed that several bloggers were writing something they call “roundup posts.”

I didn't know what a roundup post was, so I Googled it. After reading countless of posts on how to write a roundup post, I decided to do to try it out…

But I wanted to do it a little differently.

I would go all-in and write an epic roundup post that would blow people away. I’d actually work my *ss off creating the roundup post, like my life was depending on it… because it actually was.

See, I had just quit a six-figure corporate job working for one of the biggest companies in Norway, and I was about to become a father.

My ability to provide for my family was depending on my blog.

And I’m so glad I published my first roundup post, even though I was scared of putting in so many hours without knowing the outcome.

Because…

Getting 20,231 Page Views In 6 Days Literally Changed My Life

It was writing that specific roundup post that made my blog take off.

Social shares, comments and subscribers are great, but the true reward of my hard work, which I can't put a price on, is the connection and relationship I was able to build with influencers.

I got invited to guest post for top blogs, got new clients and some of the big dogs have reached out to me for joint venture projects.

Networking and blogger outreach is the key to succeed online.

It helped me to…

• Get 2000 targeted Twitter followers in 38 days (free traffic) – I now have about 12,300 followers
• Get featured on 85 blogs in 12 months
• Write an article that generated 20,231 page views in six days, with over 1500 social shares and 80 comments
• Win “Most Epic Blog Post” on Jon Morrow’s blog Boost Blog Traffic
• Become a case study for Jon Morrow’s Guest Blogging course
• Be included among the top 100 personal development blogs on 99 Smart Ideas
• Get 28 guest posts published on big websites, including Pick The Brain, Addicted 2 Success, Jeff Bullas, Tiny Buddha, Lifehack, etc.
• Get featured as an expert on 44 blogs, including Ahrefs, SEM Rush, Post Planner, Monster, etc.

And maybe more interestingly, my first roundup post resulted in:

• 20,231 page views in 6 days
• 1500+ social shares
• 84 comments
• 185 new email subscribers

I was totally blown away.

Then something even cooler happened…

My blog post got ranked as #4 on Google for the keyword “productivity tip”:

And it´s ranked #6 on Google for the keyword “productivity tips”:

But that’s not even the best part.

Many of the big influencers I looked up to said that they liked the article.

Nah, that's an understatement.

The Influencers Freakin’ Loved It

John Lee Dumas from EOFire said:

Joel Brown from Addicted 2 Success said:

Scott Eddy from Mr Scott Eddy said:

Henneke Duistermaat from Enchanting Marketing said:

Craig Jarrow from Time Management Ninja said:

Ramsay Taplin from Blog Tyrant said:

Adam Connell from Blogging Wizard and Purcus said:

Andrea Beltrami from The Branded Solopreneursaid:

And that’s only a sample.

But I wasn't convinced that it really worked as a system. Maybe I got lucky. So as an experiment to see whether I could replicate the process, I did it again.

Another Monster Roundup Post Was Born

This time I was going to do it even better than last time. The next roundup post was born:

117 Tips On How To Set Goals From Successful Entrepreneurs

The influencers were impressed again, it got a ton of traffic, and there was huge engagement on social media.

Conclusion: it worked.

And since it worked for me, it will work for you, too. So now, it’s finally time to reveal…

… Drum roll

How To Create Your Awesome Roundup Post

You want to plan your roundup post to get maximum return on investment (ROI).

After all, creating an awesome post takes a lot of time, and you sure as heck want to make sure that it’s not a waste of time. So these are the steps I followed, and that you can follow too to create your own epic roundup post:

Step 1 – Plan Your Post So You Won’t Look Like A Fool

Finding the Topic

You need to pick a topic that is within your target niche. If it’s not within your target niche, it won't make any sense.

Not only will it ruin your branding and confuse your visitors, the influencers you reach out to will think that you are playing the lead role in a new season of…

LOST.

If you're blogging about how to make delicious appetizers in under 15 minutes, why would you create roundup post on how to fix your computer?

A weird example, but you get my point.

At that time I was writing about how to help online entrepreneurs to skyrocket their productivity so they can maximize their profits.

My niche was productivity, so I had to do an expert roundup that had to do with productivity as well.

Before deciding on a topic though, you want to have it optimized for SEO, right?

Duh! Of course you do.

So next is…

Planning for SEO

Go to Google Keyword Planner and search for the topic you want to cover.

Click the “Search for new keywords using a phrase, website or category”.

I filled in the words “productivity tip.”

Note: This is not a SEO guide, just showing dead simple tricks that are easy to implement. For an extensive SEO guide, check this.

Click “Get ideas”.

I clicked the “Productivity Tips” to see more details.

The exact keyword “productivity tips” has 1600 average monthly searches, so I decided to target the keyword “productivity tips”.

Asking the One Question

In order to get as many influencers as possible to participate in your roundup post, ask them one question. No need to start playing Letterman here.

My question was:

What is your best productivity tip that you use in your business?

This combines two things:

Thing 1: The niche (productivity).

Thing 2: The target audience (it’s relevant for business owners, which also makes it relevant for online entrepreneurs – my target audience).

Picking the Perfect Headline

Since my goal was to rank on the first page of Google for the keyword productivity tips, I needed to check out my competition:

Note that these are huge authority websites, and I wanted to beat them, so I looked at the amount of tips.

They had 12, 11, 21, 4, 10 tips and the last one had 1 tip.

Then I thought, I don't want to just create another roundup post.

I need to make it epic.

I finally landed on the headline “X Productivity Tips From Incredibly Busy Experts”.

Note: I filled in X with the exact number when I published the post.

But what is the point in getting ranked high on Google receiving a lot of traffic if you don't convert visitors to subscribers?

That is why it's important to focus on the next point.

Optimizing Your Conversion

What’s the point in getting traffic to your website, if you don’t convert them to email subscribers?

Before you launch, make sure you have a “featured opt-in box.” It uses your most valuable spot on your website to get people to opt-in to your email list.

Derek Halpern uses one on his website Social Triggers:

Jon Morrow from Boost Blog Traffic uses it:

Lewis Howes uses it:

Chalene Johnson uses it:

Bryan Harris from Video Fruit uses it:

Brian Dean from Backlinko uses it:

But there’s no need to reinvent the wheel by hiring a developer and designer to put a complicated one together for you.

Instead, use the Welcome Mat from Sumo and get one set up in a few seconds.

Setting Up for Social Sharing

What’s the point in creating an epic roundup post if you don´t make it easy for people to share it?

The quick way to take care of that is to add share buttons like the floating sharebar from Sumo.

For keeping with design standards, place it on the left side of your page.

And if you want to give them an extra opportunity to share, go ahead and include it below your content as well.

Step 2 – Reach Out To The Influencers Without Looking Like A Stalker

Note: I will share with you the exact template I use. However, don’t use the same template. Stealing ain’t cool. And I have already reached out to a gazillion of influencers, so they are familiar with my template.

Rewrite the template so it sounds like you.

Fair enough?

Cool.

Subject : Quick question

Hi [First Name],

Got a few minutes to give me a quote for an upcoming roundup post I’m publishing on [Link to your website]?

I only need a paragraph or two, and deadline is [Deadline date], so there´s plenty of time. Here’s the question:

[Question]?

Again, no need to answer right this moment, if you don't have the time. Just checking if you might want to contribute.

I'd love to have you!

Talk soon,

[Your First Name]

Step 3 – Put Together That Bad Boy

Treat your roundup post like a normal blog post: write something truly awesome.

If you just copy and paste the replies from the influencers, your roundup post will just be like the gazillion of other roundup posts out there.

And you don't want that. Here are the elements of a strong roundup post: strong, compelling introduction that stands out and brings the reader down the page.

• The body of the roundup post, with the answers to the questions you asked the influencers.
• A motivational conclusion with a clear call to action.

If you have many people in your post, include internal links using, making it easier for the readers to navigate.

When you click on one of the names, you are taken to their contribution.

When you’re organizing the post, insert a horizontal line beneath every contribution in your WordPress dashboard.

This makes the post easier to read, and it will display the contributions in an organized way.

Now that you’ve compiled the answers to your questions and written a badass roundup post, you can move onto the next step:

Step 4 – Promote Like Your Life is Depending On It

Promote the post on all your social media channels.

Send an email to all the influencers who contributed to the post, thanking them and asking them to share the post.

Note: I will be sharing my template. As mentioned before, rewrite the template so it fits your own style and personality.

I don’t send a separate email asking them to share. I just reply to the email I got from them with the contribution.

Why?

Because since they have already sent me an email before, they are more likely to open the email.

“Hi [First Name],

the roundup post is live.

Check it out:

[Title]

[link to roundup post]

I would really appreciate if you could share the post on your social media channels ☺

Thanks for your awesome contribution!

You rock ☺

Have a superb day!

Best,

[Your First Name]”

Step 5 – Thank People

When somebody gives you a gift, what do you do?

You freakin’ thank them!

Same with the contributors to your roundup post. Be polite and show appreciation.

Thank people who say they have shared (social media and email), espond to every single comment on your roundup post, and reply to your social shares.

Why?

Because you are standing out by showing appreciation and thanking every single one. Sadly, not many people do that.

It’s also important to connect with people (including the influencers).

Your success online relies on your ability to blogger outreach and connect with the influencers.

My roundup post would not have been so successful if I hadn’t reached out to the influencers in advance.

Blogger outreach is jet fuel and an epic roundup post is a huge bonfire.

If you combine them, it goes…

kaboom!

What To Do Next…

Now you have the recipe on how to skyrocket your blog by writing an epic roundup post.

However, the recipe is totally useless, if you don’t apply it.

Want to stand out in the overcrowded blogosphere?

Take massive action NOW.

You can do it!

Or if you’ve done them before, then what is your experience with writing roundup posts?

How did it help you to get noticed?