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Blogging is one of the most diverse, flexible, and lucrative forms of content marketing. It is also used my multitudes of companies, businesses, and individuals seeking to improve their brand image or make some money on the side. Whatever your reason for doing it, blogging can be a rewarding exercise, but only if you do it right.
With the right level of discipline and planning, it is possible to develop a massive following for your blog. If you are ready to start reaping the rewards of a successful blogging project, it’s time to take a few cues from the blogs and blog writers who are already enjoying success with their craft.
What follows is a valuable blueprint for developing a successful strategy that will keep your readers coming back for more again and again. We recommend integrating all of these ideas into your blogging strategy for maximum effect. If you are already blogging and struggling to get noticed, take note of any of the things on this list you aren’t currently doing and start implementing them with your very next post.
#1 – Read Lots of Blogs in Your Niche
We’re going to assume that you have already settled on a subject area and are looking to build your audience at this point. If you are brand new to blogging, you should start by researching topics that traditionally draw large numbers of readers and select a subject about which you can feel comfortable delivering consistent quality, authoritative content. “When I decided to start writing on the topic of bankruptcy, I knew I needed to understand what blogs currently covered on bankruptcy to know whether I could add value to the reader”, stated Ben Tejes, Co-Founder and CEO of Ascend Finance.
Reading other blogs in your subject area accomplishes several things. For starters, it will improve your understanding of the subject. Even if you think you’re an expert already, another writer’s perspective will almost always broaden your knowledge of the issue and inspire new topics upon which to develop new posts.
As you read, you might discover information or opinions that differ from your own. When that happens, you have the opportunity to present your own ideas and perspectives in your blog. Do your research first. Make sure your ideas are sound and that you have facts (or at least anecdotal evidence) to support your position. Remember, you will never be seen as an authority in your niche if your information lacks credibility.
As a final note on this particular subject, don’t fall into the trap of mimicking or rewriting existing content. Read as much as you can and retain as much as you can, but don’t copy other bloggers’ ideas. Your blog has to reflect your unique voice and perspective on your topic. No one will want to engage with your content if you don’t have anything new or original to say.
#2 – Develop A Content Delivery Schedule
Another key to successful blogging is consistency. You don’t want long, random gaps between posts. The more time that passes in between posts, the less engaged your audience will be. If you haven’t started your blog yet, write at least five posts before beginning to promote. That gives you time to prepare future posts while still scheduling your uploads with regularity. Decide how often you want to post and keep to a schedule. If you find that you don’t have the time to manage your blog on your own, consider hiring a freelance copywriter through sites like Upwork or Textbroker. If your blog is more professional or academic, you might also consider reaching out to one of the Internet’s more critical academic services like Essay Pro for writing assistance.
#3 – Use Good Formatting
If you run your blog from your website (and you really should if you aren’t already), platforms like WordPress are a must. They make it easy to format your blog in a way that is comfortable for the reader from a visual standpoint and offer a variety of templates to match your style of messaging. Formatting the content itself, however, is up to you.
Successful blogs break up text into subsections or even separate pages. The latter is even more effective because it helps you to decrease your bounce rate and improve SEO. Keep paragraphs short (about three sentences per), and format images to 600×400 pixels with maximum compression.
#4 – Run the Numbers
You want to run widgets on your blog pages that gather the necessary analytics to gauge your success. Take note of the posts that get the most engagement and develop more content around those subject or style areas. Check your onsite analytics and your levels of engagement on social media.
All of your blog content should be posted on your social channels. If you aren’t doing that already, you are missing out on a massive subsection of your audience. You can further promote your content by directly asking your audience to like and share. This creates backlinks to your content and also improves SEO.
#5 – Make Necessary Changes
Just because you are writing on your favorite subject doesn’t mean that people will share your enthusiasm. If your blog is stagnating, it might be time to think about shifting focus or abandoning your topic entirely in favor of something more marketable.
There is an audience for every topic, but if you are only appealing to a specific niche, it will be difficult to sustain your blog. Remember, this isn’t about you; it’s about what the current market demands. If you are trying to build an audience, make money, or both, you have to be willing to step out of your comfort zone and give the market what it wants.
Final Takeaway
Success is never easy or straightforward. It takes significant planning, knowledge, and affirmative action to reach your goals. This is true in many areas of life, and your blog is no exception. If you are genuinely interested in being successful, the five tips above lay a solid foundation upon which to build. Pick up the advice and run with it. We think it will make a huge difference in how your blog is received.
We are influencers and brand affiliates. This post contains affiliate links, most which go to Amazon and are Geo-Affiliate links to nearest Amazon store.
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