If you just search for blogging tips, you will be hooked with a ton of tips. Tips that has been saturated and repeated to death.
Trust me I have been there just like you.
I have spent countless hours looking for some magic formula that would make my blog rise like Michael Jordon’s slam dunk.
Unfortunately, that day never came. It took me few failures to understand the exact process behind a successful blog.
Today I’m going to detail down 10 blogging tips that I have learned over the years.
Start building email list before shooting the gun
Image Source: http://valikrudd.com/how-to-start-building-an-email-list-from-scratch-and-why-you-need-to/
If there is one thing that I feel I should have known during my starting journey is the importance of building a list.
Let me guess if this is the route you take – Write, publish, and repeat.
This is where you have messed up. Writing alone doesn’t bring you value. It’s the readers that make the difference. So start building an email list from the start.
They are your loyal fans to whom you can sell anything. If not you can always promote your new content like what Neil Patel does when he publishes a new post.
There are tons of ways you can increase your email list so we won’t discuss it in this post. However, there are few quickies that actually work:
- Offer them something for free.
- Work with different CTA buttons with persuasive taglines.
- Never stop testing with pop ups, content upgrades, and other forms of list building.
Stop thinking yourself as a writer
Image Source: https://www.maximizer.com/blog/to-succeed-in-sales-you-need-to-think-like-a-marketer/
I might have scared you with the headline. So let me pull the strings.
Here is the deal: You aren’t just a writer, you are a marketer. You should know how to sell your content to your target audience. Wear a marketing cap and start thinking like your audience. Create a buyer’s persona and track down the buyer’s journey to help you sell the right content.
It doesn’t matter how skilled you are as a writer if you don’t know how to market your product. Stop living in the thoughts that you are just a writer. This is a competitive world filled with sharks. If you don’t know how to adapt quickly, you are bound to fail.
Define and update your monetization methodology
Image Source: http://www.tech-coffee.net/software-update-sccm-part-3-automatic-deployment-rules/
If you fall in the 3% range of bloggers who blog for fun, you can skip this part. But I’m pretty sure you are those bloggers who are chasing down passive income from their blogs.
Don’t fall into the trap of the first builds traffic, then start monetizing. This simply doesn’t work.
Always set your channel of monetization. Whether you are targeting CPA marketing or affiliate marketing, know the platform for revenue generation. After the traffic growth, you can look for revenue alternatives. Never depend on simply one form of revenue generation. Keep exploring and updating your sources.
Add more flavors to your content
Are you an ice cream lover? So what if there was just one flavor? Would you still stand by your statement?
No. We love ice creams because it has a lot of offerings to its flavor.
So why should the content have only one flavor?
If you want your blog to grow, you need to put more than just a written post.
Try including a video post or a slideshow at the end of every post. It not only adds an interesting value to the post but also connects with the audience that is more into rapid information.
You can also start a podcast to tap into a community of larger audience. You can get an exposure up to 2000% by simply using this strategy. Yes, it still works in 2017.
Invest in the design of your blog
Image Source: https://due.com/blog/time-invest-website-design/
One of the common mistakes that I see new bloggers making consistently is the lack of interest in design.
Here is the thing: If you want to call yourself a professional blogger, you need to invest time and efforts on making your blog absolute sensation in terms of design. Even if it’s not the best design out there, make sure that it’s not horrible.
From understanding colour psychology to using right typography, they all contribute to create a highly converting blog. By simply designing the checkout form, Tycoon U was able to increase the conversion by 130%. Also, your content should have rich multimedia to hook the readers. Articles with images attract 94% more views than articles without them.
So if you feel your blog isn’t converting the way you thought it would, it’s time to rethink the design strategies.
Write content that your audience wants not what you want
Image Source: https://www.searchenginejournal.com/7-ways-to-find-what-your-target-audience-wants-and-create-epic-content/63798/
Yes, I get it. It’s your blog. And you have full rights to do whatever you want to do. However, have you ever thought what your audience wants?
Let’s be realistic. Who cares the brilliance of your content if your audience doesn’t love it?
It’s all about them. To understand them you need to be under their shoes. Create a basic buyer’s persona to have a clear picture about your audience. Try to communicate with your readers through comments and social media. Learn about their interest. Ask them what topic they want you to cover next. This is how you actually connect with your audience.
Spend time crafting headlines
Image Source: https://www.digitalhill.com/blog/what-makes-for-good-headlines-infographic/
Have you ever wondered why your post isn’t creating a sensation, although it has all the ingredients? It may be due to various factors. But one that stands out is the inability to craft a great headline. You may be missing about 500% traffic just by missing out on writing a catchy headline. It’s not just the post where you need to craft brilliant headlines. The expansion of social media has forced content marketers to take a different approach toward headlines.
Now there isn’t a bullet proof formula to create a perfect headline. So you need to write down all the possible drafts and test it to death. But if you are just starting out here is the tip of the iceberg: How to’s, list and demanding delete posts performs better than any other headlines.
One thing to note is that you should never write a headline that’s misleading. I see this has been the trend in social media throwing the click baits. Don’t run for quick wins, you will lose the trust of your customers with this strategy.
Be an original. There is a ton of copycats looming around the web. You don’t need to join them. Developing your own voice takes time and hard work. Your voice should be unique in a sense that it resonates with your audience. It shouldn’t be like that can be found in every Tom, Dick, and Harry.
Your voice should be authentic and speaks for your brand. The best way to find your voice is to write with freedom. Listen to, your instinct, talk to your readers, and work on it. Finding a voice is just a beginning. You should have the discipline to nourish it continuously.
Connect with influencers to maximize your reach
Image Source: https://blog.kissmetrics.com/influencer-outreach-in-content-marketing/
Is your blog struggling to reach the pinnacle point that you expected when you were starting out?
Don’t worry. You aren’t alone.
So why does it happen? There are different issues that may be hindering your blog. Now, we aren’t going to pin point every nitty gritty details as every blog responds differently.
But here is the thing: There is one strategy that guarantees an increment of your blog reach.
It’s simply called influence connection. There are different ways you can connect with the influencers, but the best among them is through guest post.
However, you can’t just push any random template and expect the influencer to reply you back. They are influencing for a reason. Here is a great post that tells you how exactly you should reach out to the influencers so they can’t refuse your proposal.
If you are just starting out and trying to build a name for yourself, try the route of guest posts. Trust me, it really works.
Here are few notable things you can do before reaching out:
- Research in and out of the influencer before pulling the trigger. Check where they hang out most and learn about their content pattern.
- Share their stuff and show some positive comments. Don’t shy away from posting a controversial comment as well.
- Mention them in your posts letting them know the quality they bring to the table.
Blogging isn’t for you if you are lazy
Yes, you heard it right. If you are too lazy to start writing even in your boring days, then probably blogging isn’t right choice for you. As a blogger, you should always be on your toes. Researching should be your major weapon. And crafting content consistently should be the battle you need to win.
Occasionally you will hit the writer’s block. You will not create a great post every time you shoot the publish button. But it’s okay. Everyone goes through it. However, being lazy shouldn’t be the excuse.
Build a habit of writing every few times a week.
Will you struggle? Of course. But don’t let it pull you down.
Create a robust content plan. Prepare a content calendar to help you through topic ideas. Always write down outlines to help you understand what you want to achieve from the post.
Developing a blog post has consistently been a tough ask. But with proper planning and tools, you can meet this goal.
Wrapping Up
I’m sure there are a lot of tips that you have seen. But these are the ones that I have learned through my personal experience in the blogging field.
Which of the tip did you find useful?