So you have been blogging for awhile and things are going… well. Slow and steady wins the race right? Yes, that may have been true in the classic children’s tale but sooner or later you are going to have to make some major moves to get your blog where you want it to be. Where exactly do you want your blog to be?
That is something that no one can really decide for you so you should you sit down and take time to figure it out. Even if your goal isn’t to have your blog dominate the world, these tips will at least help you see a little more success rather quickly.
On Your Marks, Get Set, GO!
- Don’t expect people to magically find your blog
I’ve seen this happen so many times. Someone creates a blog, writes and then that is it. Where is the promotion and marketing? A blog without ample marketing is like just like a business that does not market. People may find it and you may even up with some die-hard fans but to really hit the mainstream you have to market yourself appropriately. This includes the usual suspects of Facebook, Twitter and the least likely candidate, LinkedIn. The very least you could do is create a Facebook Page for you blog, invite all your friends and post your posts to it. Every bit helps. - Invest in your blog
You have to invest for your success. While they are some popular blogs that have managed to garner a fair amount of success without spending a dime on hosting or premium themes, those who have done so far outweigh them. If you want set an example that it can be done then by all means, go ahead. But establishing yourself with a unique URL and look is one of the things that is going to set you apart from every other blog out there. I use InMotion Hosting as my web host and use the highly customizable Canvas from WooThemes as my theme. I have been very happy with both options.
- Network
One of the best things you can do while blogging, or anything for that matter, is network. Networking will allow you to reach new audiences and open many opportunities. This networking can come in the form on commenting on other’s blogs, participating in communities and joining groups on LinkedIn. I have found that LinkedIn groups are excellent opportunities to network not only for your personal gain but to get your blog out there. Another great way to network as a blogger is the popular Twitter chat #blogchat. This occurs every Sunday night at 9PM. Check it out to meet bloggers from all over the country.
- Learn from the best
Take a visit some of the most popular blogs in your niche and see what they are doing. Try to implement some of these things into your blogger endeavors. What you shouldn’t do is just copy everything about their blog because you still need your own individualism. But there is a reason there blog is so popular and you need to find out why. ASAP.
- Be interesting
Don’t be afraid to let the inner you out. People love to be entertained whether through TV, radio or movies. Your blog shouldn’t be any different. Even if your goal is to provide your visitors with knowledge and information, try doing so in a way that will not put your readers to sleep. Insert and little comedy here, a little wit there and you are good to go.
- Enrich your reader’s lives
Find something that you can offer your readers that many other people cannot. This could be your expert opinion on things related to your field. Give them something for free. People love free stuff. Not just anything though. Make the thing you give your readers of equal or greater value than something you would sell. You may think that sounds crazy but this will instill a lot of trust and faith in your readers and open up doors for you to possibly offer them more products in the future. If your goal isn’t to sell anything, it should just improve your reader retention. - Write quality content
It goes without saying that every single post you make on your blog should be of the highest of quality. Don’t think you need to write a post everyday especially if they end up not even being worth reading. Writing often will help with getting traffic to your site but writing quality content will keep them there. Find a way to have the best of both worlds.
Crossing The Finish Line
Does a blogger really ever cross the finish line? It seems like blogging can really be a never-ending battle. The minute you get comfortable or content it seems like you take a step back and that pesky hare runs right past you. That is why it is important to set your own personal goals and work to achieve them. Try not to compare anyone else’s success to your own because it can be discouraging. But, like we discussed, research them to improve yourself.
So, is your blog the Tortoise right now? Just chugging along? Let’s turn it up a bit shall we?
What do you think it will take for your blog to reach the next level? Maybe we can help.
About Wayne Howard
Twitter: CollegeoContent
says:
like you said, blogging takes time for things to build up on the World Wide Web, in terms of traffic, back links, and making money online.
College of Content recently posted..The Rewards of a Forensic Scientist Career
Marketing and promoting my blog remains to be my biggest challenge. I’m still learning on that aspect, which can be quite overwhelming at times.
Adeline recently posted..Land, Water or Air – How to Choose the Best Way to Travel
You couldn’t reach success without investing hard work. Successful people are patient and strategic. In the world of Internet, many people are using it to earn a living. Just like in blogging, you can’t earn a much money easily on it. It takes a lot of your time and effort before you achieve something worthwhile.
If you want to achieve your goal you must work for it. Don’t just wait, you must make a move. Reading your article inspired me to achieve more and to work hard for the best. I know that we can’t have all that we need in just a matter of seconds but I do believe that if we know how to wait… to be patient, it’s not impossible to attain success. Thanks for your inspiring article. God bless to you and keep on posting.
Tanya recently posted..ROR Sitemap for http-wwwcaliforniaduihelpcom-
Your are completly right! I believe in simple rule: “no pain, no gain”.
By reading this article, i think you are really a competitive person. By giving your best shot in anything that you do, everything is possible. Just strive hard and things will just fall into places. Thanks for this post.
Thank you for this wonderful article. You had pointed some ideas that inspired me more in striving to reach my goal and dreams in life. I know that there is no shortcut in life and we really need to be patient to attain success in the future. Continue posting inspiring and helpful tips.
Being patient to make yourself successful is important but taking action in order to be a success is needed to achieve that.
Another fabulous post by you Wayne,Thanks for the article. I liked reading it
Wayne i think making comments on other blogs is surely an awesome way to make a new blog launch. Thanks for the share!
No problem! Glad you enjoyed it!
Another fabulous post by you Wayne, thanks for the share!
Aww, you have me blushing. Thank you.
Twitter: danlew
says:
Very true awesome post, slow ans steady is good for those who wish to just get by.
But to really make it in life learning from the best and taking action not just having your post site there like you say.
In this day and age with all the competition you need to work hard to get ahead of others!
Dan Lew recently posted..Giving Away 10 SEO Revenge eBooks
Definitely. Hard work will surely get you places! You can never be afraid to do too much work for your success :-)
That’s what I’m trying to do on my blog and until now it has worked just great.
Alex Dumitru recently posted..Win a Free Ad On My Blog
That’s one of the things that many people don’t get – you can’t just write good content and do nothing else. You have to get out and communicate with the niche!
You pretty much summed it up. My favorite saying is “The Lone Blogger Won’t be a Blogger for long.” It’s very true.
Wayne Howard recently posted..Battle of the Sexes
Commenting on other people blogs is a great way to spread the word about a new blog launch. As you mention – it will not be magically found and unfortunately it takes a bit for SE’s to start ranking it.
Alex Sysoef recently posted..CB Cash Grenade Review Blog Launch
Exactly. But once they do take notice, it is only an upward battle from there.
I’ve definitely found this to be true. As long as you stick with it and add value, it will definitely provide a boost. Cheers.
Yeah, just focusing on writing and not promoting won’t make the cut. With some more efforts into letting people know about your blog, you can surely increase your racing speed when it comes to traffic. I have put more effort into this lately and it starts showing.
It definitely helps. If you build it, they will NOT come lol.
Hi Wayne, you’ve made some very relevant points there. I do agree with you that LinkedIn is a great place to get the word out there about your blog especially when you are in a blogging group. I haven’t had much success with Facebook to promote my blog yet but a lot of ppl seem to be doing pretty good at it.
I understand the part about networking with other bloggers but how do you turn your connection into a relationship that helps your blog in the long run?
Bryan recently posted..My Hootsuite Video Tutorial- Basic Twitter Management Guide
That’s not hard. Networking and making relationships is not hard at all. I started doing it 2 weeks ago with a lot of bloggers and I’ve actually made some new friends already :)
Alex Dumitru recently posted..Win a Free Ad On My Blog
Pretty much you just have to commit to growing a relationship with them. I’ve seen that the best way to do so is to connect with them on Twitter. That way you can interact with each other and help promote each other’s content.