Pete Cashmore started Mashable, the social media guide, in 2005 and has built it into one of the most influential blogs in the world with a 7 figure annual revenue.
Mashable gets 8 million unique visitors, 12 million page views monthly, it has 1,5+ million followers on Twitter, 300,000 RSS subscribers and its articles are always on top of Tweetmeme, Digg and social bookmarking sites.
These are the 9 reasons why Mashable is the king of social media blogs today.
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Don’t plan it, just do it
Pete Cashmore was passionate about the social media and the social networking tools. It was a personal interest that he spent a lot of time on and he just decided to go for it and start writing about it.
“I felt like social networking wasn’t being covered to the degree it could be. I didn’t necessarily know there was an audience for it. I find it best to dive right in and learn the hard way.”
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Be focused and work hard
It took more than a year before Mashable started making money but Pete Cashmore was very focused and was constantly working on the site with 20-hour work days being a norm.
“I blogged seven posts a day, and about a year in, I started getting ads on the blog. When I got a deal for $3,000 a month to put ads on the blog, it was massive for me”
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Write for the web
Mashable is great at writing simple blog posts. They make no assumptions about their readers and they explain everything, keeping the beginner in mind while writing.
“Figure out blogging, short-form writing. You have to write the story in three paragraphs. We like writers who can take complex ideas and explain them in simple terms”
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Write great headlines
Most of Mashable’s posts have very attractive, shareable and clickable blog headlines. They frequently use top list or how to type of posts. They also use many “Alerts” and “Warnings” in their blog post headlines. Some examples from the last few days:
- 3 Great Social Media Policies to Steal From
- HOW TO: Get Real-Time Traffic Reports on Your iPhone
- WARNING: New Facebook Malware Attack Is Spreading
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Appeal to mainstream
Even though Mashable is categorized as a tech blog, they have expanded their coverage to appeal to more mainstream audience. They focus on celebrities and other mainstream events / brands in their blog posts, and use their brand to attract attention to Mashable. Some examples from the last few days:
- YouTube Feud Ends: U2, Madonna and Green Day Videos Set to Return
- Dear Lily Allen: File Sharing Debate Now Has Lyrics [Video]
- Obama Assassination Poll Rocks Facebook
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Spit out content
Mashable publishes some 20+ posts every day. Majority of posts are pretty short, but there is something for everyone in there and that is also a reason for you to come back to their site several times a day. This is very important as they want to increase their page views, as their main blog monetization method is banner ads.
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Encourage sharing
If you publish valuable information that your readers enjoy, they will spread the word to their friends for you. Make it easy for them to do just that by including different “share this” buttons for Twitter, Digg, Facebook, Delicious, Stumbleupon or whatever social network your audience is part of.
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Go directly to the source
If you read some Mashable posts you will quickly see how they track down the source of information, they check out the original report, examine the original study and write a short summary of the most interesting points. This way they are a great resource of information and visitors like it and other people like to link to it, in fact they link to Mashable’s summary much more than to the original report.
“There is original reporting and there is curation, which is just as hard, saying, “This is what’s out there, this is why it is important.” Both have their places, and it’s not a case of either or.”
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Be present offline
Mashable regularly draws crowds of hundreds of fans in cities around the US. It is an income source for Mashable but it also creates fans of the brand.
“A lot of the benefits from running events has been in terms of greater visibility for Mashable as a brand. We are connecting our audience to other members of the tech community, and people are going away and talking about Mashable.”
Mashable is a great example of how anyone can start from scratch and build a blog empire with some luck and lots of hard work, consistent work, passion and knowledge.
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Marko,
You’re right bro. Thanks for the run through. I don’t read it as much but there’s plenty that comes out of their hub as you noted. Certainly, something for everyone. $3000 per month for ads, craziness! Congrats to him. Thanks again for the round up. Cheers!
-Mig
Thanks Miguel. $3000 was back then after one year, I am sure it is much more now.
Wow Marco! What a great idea! I just saw that Pete retweeted your blog! That must have send your visitor numbers through the roof! Congratulations for this great post! Of course I completely agree with you! Mashable is a great source, whether you are a Social Media Pro or a complete Newbie!
Have a great day!
Maria
Thanks Maria. Yeah it was a nice retweet to get!
Such a wonderful post – you broke it all down into possible and manageable things. We just have to do the work.
That is what it is all about!
This really is a pretty inspiring story – thanks for covering it and putting all the work into it – the quotes demonstrate the amount of your labor, and I feel inspired to go and blog!
Thanks Brandon. That’s what these posts try to, inspire other people to work on their blogs.
This is a truly inspiring story and I think highlights just the sort of price that an ambitious blogger should be willing to pay (or at least factor in) when they project big traffic numbers and six to seven figure paydays.
Thanks for this great post.
Gogo The Small Business Digital Coach
P.s. I found your blog on a retweet by mashable. It would be fascinating if you did a case study on the effect of the Retweet by Mashable on your traffic.
I might be if I get enough data, I have another study on the effect of Guy Kawasaki retweet.
Excellent blog post about an excellent website. Its the only news aggregate service I follow via TweetDeck. It is truly amazing how many of their tweets I do click to get into the summarized story.
Yeah, the power of the headline!
Marko-
Great post! I’m not sure who introduced me to Mashable, but I always enjoy their latest updates on Social Media trends. They have done an excellent job at distinguishing themselves as “the” social media website.
Might have been just another of the thousands retweets they get daily…
Really liked how you broke this down here. People underestimate the amount of work that goes into building a site like Mashable from the ground up. Pete had to be very committed and as you mentioned, put a great deal of time into building it.
Yes, you have to have the right idea at the right time, but without hard work, that idea won’t go anywhere.
Thanks for the post Marko.
@DavidSpinks
Definitely, don’t think about where they are now, think about back then when Pete was working 20-hours-a-day alone posting some 10 new posts every day.
Hi Marko,
Love these tips. Could I ask where those quotes from Pete were sourced? Or did those soundbites actually comes from an interview you had with him?
I went all over the net looking for interviews / profiles on Pete and found bits and pieces here and there.
Great blogging advice. Many see blogs with massive readerships and forget what it took to get there. Common, sense, hard work, and persistence.
RB
Well, I think I have to write as hard as I can and forget to think that whether the readers will like the posts or not, I just need to write what I like and keep writing.
Way to break it down Marko!
Hi Marko,
Enjoyed your post and can’t agree with you more. Mashable is the trusted source for SM information. Your post clearly describes that you need to find the niche and stay focused on delivering good content.
These are all really good points. Mashable is a great example of how one website can satisfy and sustain a diverse readership.
Well written, Marco. The ‘reasons’ you mention are more or less the same for any blog wishing to make money. Let me mark 1, 2, 3 & 6 as the top ones to follow. Of the 4, ‘spitting’ out content is really tough. This alone draws the line between success and not-so-much success.
I agree with your evaluation of Mashable. It has always been my preferred information website of the blog milieu. Everyone ought to make use of it who enjoys the “social media” platforms Facebook, MYSpace, YouTube, Twitter, etc. that want to keep abreast of the current ideas and trends & should read this blog habitually.
u hav a twitter mail ID !!! ..twiiter employee ? – http://twitter.com/wave_
Really Impressive blog… Cheers to Pete and the whole Mashable team!!!
Calls for a party.
party on ur website’s ads right ?
Nice blog, very encouraging to any entrepreneur!
Hey, I like Mashable. It’s a very good and interesting blog on tech issues, celebrity gossips and other social media stuffs. But, sometimes I find it as pretty junk and never even bothered to click the link or retweet it.
I regularly read mashable and keep track of it. All the points you have mentioned are relevant and key to success.
Regards,
Santosh Puthran
I like the first one:” don’t plan it , just do it.”
I love Mashable. And I love How To Make My Blog! You’ve got a new subscriber, because I like your approach and perspective. Thx!
Great, thank you!
Nice rules you can apply for your blogs and get successful
I couldn’t agree more with point #6 as they spit out content like no other blog. I’m a big fan of theirs and its on my RSS reader.
Great list bro and see ya back at pb.com
Marko,
Killer post. Great subject, great info, excellent insights, clearly written, straight to the point, easy to read. Outstanding. In looking at your Retweets and Digg numbers plus the Retweet from Pete C. that was mentioned I imagine you are getting some serious traffic from this. I look forward to reading your post on the traffic surge
Great article, Marko! You did an excellent job of breaking down Mashable’s key points of success in a very succinct and easy-to-read way. And based on the Twitter and Digg numbers this article has achieved, you obviously made a very wise choice on your subject matter. I just added to them. Congrats on a job very well done!
Very Nicely taken out & crafted as Well.
Mashable do things that readers like, they mix up idea, different areas through their writeup.
Great post, and ultimately, everything comes down to #1. Jumping in and taking those baby steps will inform your plan like nothing else. And rolling up your sleeves and executing is the only way to get results.
Seems like you’re doing a good amount of that yourself, Marko. Cheers!
Following ones passion is an important element for success. I admire the character behind Mashable, he knows what he wants and is locked on his goal.
Nicely done. 20 hour work days… and I figured 12 hours was insane. Mashable does have some very easy to consume content. It’s like eating peanuts. Awesome.
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