If you want to really grow as a blogger–and I’m not just talking numbers–you need to start a mastermind group. Interacting regularly with a group of people who share your passion and goals provides a level accountability and encouragement you won’t find anywhere else. Here’s how you can build your own:

7 Steps to Start a Mastermind Group

1. Meet other bloggers.

Dive in and start reading other blogs, commenting, and connecting. Look for Facebook groups in your niche, group Pinterest boards, Google+ communities, hashtags on Twitter and Instragram and start having conversations.

2. Look for those with similar goals.

Analyze the area you most need to grow as a blogger right now (Technical aspects, monetizing, branding, design?), and look for other bloggers who are asking the same questions and pursuing similar subjects.

3. Invite a handful of bloggers to intentionally grow together.

We all need community go grow, and a mastermind group is simply saying ‘yes’ to more intentionality with a specific community. It means committing to go deeper with each other so that you can effectively spur each other toward growth. It means stronger accountability and more focused encouragement.

4. Be clear on goals.

The more focus your group has, the more potential it will have to positively affect you and your blog. Be clear on what the group is for, and what topics should be discussed elsewhere.

5. Set parameters and expectations.

Decide at the beginning what a commitment to your group looks like, and what members will be expected to give and get from your group. Decide when and where you will interact, and how long the group will invest in each other before reevaluating.

6. Show up.

Invest in your group–the more you invest, the more you’ll get out of it. Share what you’re learning, what you’re struggling with, your goals, your victories, your challenges. Take the time to get to know each other so you can encourage effectively and practically.

7. Grow and celebrate together.

This group is where all things blogging are understood and you don’t have to explain this part of you. 😉 These are the people who cheer loudest when your post goes viral, or stay up late to help you edit a guest post. This is where you share your dream of an ebook, and where you’ll get the first reviews of that book when its written. It’s gonna be awesome.

8. Evaluate regularly.

Because the goal of a mastermind group is to grow, the fruit of that means you may very well grow in different directions as bloggers. A no-more-than 6 month commitment to the group and at-least-quarterly evaluations will allow you to smoothly transition into new directions or connections if necessary.

General Tips and Ideas

• Be generous with your skills and encouragement
• Grow together–you don’t have to be experts before you form a group, you’ll learn together!
• Build some structure into your group, but embrace spontaneity, too.
• Having everyone in the group take the same type of personality test and share their results can help you understand one another and thus help each other better.
• Choose monthly or weekly discussion topics.
• Share weekly prayer requests.
• Attend webinars together or listen to the same podcasts and then discuss.
• Share your notes from blogging conferences.
• Do giveaways or blog tours together.
• Meet in real life if at all possible!

Platforms and ways to connect

• Private Communities on Google+
• Private Facebook Groups
• Conference Calls–best for 4 people or less at a time
• Google Hangouts–best if everyone has really good internet!
• Group Chat in Google+

A Mastermind Group for your blog is like having a board of directors who carry pom-poms. They are always ready to cheer you on or give counsel or fresh perspective. So, find a some friends and a model that works for you, and dive in to deeper community!

(Want more help getting started? Check out these sample Mastermind Group Guidelines!)