Don’t try to monetize your blog at the expense of everything else. While it is certainly quite possible to make a living by blogging, creating a content that focuses completely on your pocketbook will almost certainly lead to disaster. Building a following takes time; if your blog’s subject doesn’t really interest you, your readers will quickly sense the disconnect. The blog needs to be on a subject that you are interested in, and have an enjoyment of, if you wish for your enthusiasm to be embraced by your readers.
Strengthen your blog and build your audience by using social networking sites. Don’t let your lack of knowledge about social media intimidate you. Social media may be new technology, but it is popular technology, and if you ignore it you will miss giant opportunities to attract readers to your blog. Sharing samples of your blog’s content on sites such as Twitter and Facebook is a great way to expand your audience and your impact.
Use plenty of links in your posts. In addition to linking to more items you’ve written, link to blogs written by others that you found relevant and interesting. Additionally, you can provide links to major news or university research websites in order to provide proof for some of the statements made in your blog entry. This will offer your content much more credibility than your statements alone will.
Catch viewers’ attention quickly with your blog articles or they may not bother to read them. Titles which titillate will bring in readers from search engines, social media and other blogs which link to you. Bullet points are also great for snagging readers’ attention.
Be real. Don’t appear like something who thinks they know everything. Act open, honest, and transparent. Do this always. A blog can be a singular expression of a person’s individuality. Reaching for perfection is great, but don’t dwell on it. If you are incorrect, then accept that everyone makes mistakes. The best characteristic you provide to your blog is your unique point of view, so flaunt it!
Encourage readers to comment on your blog. This will make your readers feel that they are a part of a community, and that they play an important role in the running of your blog. Always make an attempt to reply to their comments, too. This will make your readers regularly return to your blog to read new comments and become producers of information, rather than just passive consumers.
Place important information such as links or announcements “above the fold.” This term, left over from newspaper days, refers to the part of your site readers see without scrolling down when they access your site. Your viewers will find your site more easy to navigate and find content.
Think carefully about using advertisements when you blog. They are often used by blogs to generate money. Advertisements can distract readers and hinder your message. Your readers may be turned off if they see too many ads on your site.
Advertising freebies that you give away can generate a lot of traffic to your blog. You don’t have choose a big-ticket prize to attract new readers; most people love getting free stuff. Give away as many freebies as possible, and you will find the pay off for you will be big. If readers think you might be having a give-away, they will come back to check your blog.
Never underestimate the importance of content and promotion. These aspects are key in determining which blogs fail, and which succeed. If you don’t produce good content, your readers will find it elsewhere. Even if you have good content, that will not mean anything until you start marketing your site the right way. If you combine these two aspects, your blog will reap the benefits.
Create a schedule for posting on your blog and stick to it. When you target certain days for posting, you will seem more reliable. Readers always like seeing fresh new content, and will appreciate the consistency your blog offers. Write about a variety of topics to keep your blog fresh and new, and try not to be repetitive.
Don’t use short forms and “text talk” when writing your blog posts. Write out numbers which are between zero and ten, don’t use “LOL” or “ROFL”, and avoid using smiley faces like :).
Vary your approach when blogging. Approach your blog as a business and always aim to improve it. Learn from other seasoned bloggers, and incorporate different strategies and techniques that you pick up along the way. Continuously improving and learning new blogging methods will help you keep moving forward.
Advertisements are a big part of blogging. But, placing a large number of ads on your site may drive readers away. If all people see are ads when they visit your blog, they will look elsewhere for the information they seek.
Work on gathering many back links to your blog to increase your readership. When search engines see lots of sites linking to you, they’ll perceive your blog as being authoritative, and will rank you higher. Linking other quality blogs and sites to you will make you appear more authoritative. This is known as back linking. Seek out a variety sites which would benefit you with a back link instead of having multiple links on a single site.
Plan your blog before you start. If you were opening a brick and mortar business, you would no doubt have a comprehensive business plan. Consider your blog your business and then treat it as such. Doing this will keep you motivated and help you meet all your personal goals.
You should know have an idea of what blogging is all about. Keep these tips in mind in order to create a successful blog.