Blogging is a great way to share information, thoughts, ideas, experiences and opinions but with the millions of blogs out there it is easy to get lost in the crowd. It takes time to get people to find the blog and then to become loyal readers. Every blogger with a large amount of readers/subscribers will tell you that they started off the same way as everyone else with zero readers and built it up. Blogging no doubt is a long term commitment that cannot be a chore. There has to be passion that comes through your posts that readers can relate to. While some could argue that how can a reader feel your passion in your how to blog post, it is there because you are there each day or whichever your own posting schedule is. You are there to greet them and share what you have to say and that is where the passion starts to come through. The day you lose the passion, the day your posts start to suffer and poof the readers move on. Not even the seasoned vets will write a post ever day that ever reader holds onto their ever word and loves it. It is the reality of blogging – you just cannot please everyone every day. This is not to discourage but to encourage to keep on writing. Writing a great blog is an ongoing learning experience. Think back to your first blog and how much better the ensuing ones became just by becoming more comfortable and also getting some traffic. Want to have a better blog? Here are some things I have learned and put to the test.
9 Tips for a Better Blog
1. Identify your niche. This is the first step to having a great blog. See where you will fit in within that niche. If you are a social media marketing blog, then know all things social and see what is out there and where you can add value to readers.
2. Know your topic inside & out. With all the blogs out there you have to be able to be a face in the crowd. Knowing everything about your topic area could be the difference in setting you apart and getting read. If you are talking about a new iPhone app. you better be using it to see how you interact with it and not the other blog post you just read.
3. Read, read and read other blogs. Read as many industry blogs and you can as well as interest blogs. Do not just read the real popular ones, find ones that may not be so popular but have great stuff. So many thoughts and ideas for new articles come from reading other blogs. This helps to keep you abreast of what is going on and also helps with differentiating yourself. If you just read 5 blogs that have almost the same exact tips, find ways to change yours up.
4. Embrace comments. Good or bad embrace every blog comment you get as many times a complaint/critique is a gift. Comment back on your comments to your blog. Have a regular commenter, send them an email thanking them for their contributions.
5. Comment regularly on blogs. This used to be comment on blogs and people ran to as many blogs as possible and were a 1 or 2x commenter. Of course there are times where there is a blog or 2 that writes something of interest to you and you comment and they never write something similar again. Ok not those but the blogs that you like to read, comment regularly so people get to know you and then come and read your blog.
6. Write interesting stuff. Take a read over before you post and ask yourself will they learn anything from this? Have I given them something to walk away with?
7. Stop writing for the numbers. Yes the numbers are important but to write a post with the only goal in mind being to get 10 new subscribers is a never ending chase. Stop chasing and write to who is reading. The numbers will come with great stuff.
8. Be original. Getting thoughts and ideas from other posts and even using them as part of your post to emphasize a point is great but taking a post and claiming it your own is not only going to get you called out but turn off readers. Again, stop chasing the numbers.
9. Be proud but humble. A post that is referenced in another blog that drives traffic is so rewarding and is so inviting to tell everyone resist the urge. Do cartwheels, high fives and dance around but flaunting in a blog post is just not the place. Newsletter is probably a better place.
Blogging is something that you have to enjoy and cannot be a something you have to do to keep up the numbers. As technology changes what you are doing today to promote your blog may change but what will never change is the readers. Write great content that people walk away from being inspired, having learned, share or disagree with your opinion is what a really good blog is all about.
What makes your blog better?
photo credit: searchenginepeopleblog
