How to Write a Successful Blog
Is there a blogger you look forward to waking up to? Perhaps it’s an entrepreneur with slick small business advice, a mom who captures disastrous parenting fails, or a comedian who has you rolling on the floor laughing?
You can write blog posts, too. Most of us have funny stories to share, a sage bit of advice, or a new take on an old debate.
Setting up and writing a blog is a snap. You don’t have to be a writer to start. Because we are experts in this crowded field, here are 15 tips to help you avoid the most common pitfalls as you dive in.
1. What’s In A Name? A lot.
Your domain name (also your web URL) is make-or-break because it’s your first impression. But how do you find a good domain and name for your website? See #3 and, if you’re still stumped, call us and we’ll brainstorm with you.
The easiest, most affordable option for registering a domain (at least for now at $2.75 per month) is Bluehost. …Believe it or not, you don’t even need to set up a WordPress platform, Bluehost does it for you.
2. Choose Your Blogging Platform.
We already mentioned WordPress. While are other blogging platforms out there like Blogger.com and Tumblr.com, nearly every serious blogger uses a self-hosted WordPress site because of its creative freedom and flexibility. Plus, who can beat FREE!
3. Find A Niche.
What do you love to debate about with your friends or spouse? Do you want to WOW consumers on the features of a product? Think of something you’re passionate about—and also something that you can find lots to write about. That’s your niche.
If you try to target everyone, you’ll risk attracting no one. At the same time, you want to make sure your blog isn’t so specific that there are only a few readers.
4. Seek Out A Creative Design.
You can make your blog sing with elements of design! Purchasing a good-looking theme is the way to go for its time-saving benefits. Some savvy choices are as simple as using certain font size, only using short paragraphs, using more BOLD words, or using Canva to create images that match your site.
5. Tell Stories.
Readers want more out of posts than a dull sales pitch. Tell them a story. What do readers and the people you met in real life ask you about? What’s your biggest pain point?
Be vulnerable, be transparent.
Keep at it, and, when you least expect it, you’ll have a raving fan base!
6. Pack A Punch With Power Words.
Keyword research can take you way up to the top of Google search results. Another powerful punch? Find power words that can instantly transform your writing from OMG (again)… to Ooo-la-la!
7. Curate An Email List.
Start collecting your reader’s emails from day one. It’s smart to shoot out an email newsletter after you publish a blog so that readers are prompted to comment and share it. Start to build an audience from day one.
8. Don’t Listen To Naysayers.
You might find that friends or coworkers laugh at your blogging goals. Take it from me, they are just jealous that you’re going for it. Have fun with your blog and you’ll succeed.
9. Fall In Love With Reading And Research.
We can’t know it all, but we sure can pretend to! Voracious reading and research are the best way to jump from one topic to the next without a Ph.D. in everything.
Read other blogs, websites, and books daily. Your natural curiosity will win the day.
10. Obsess Over Headlines!
Make your titles so intriguing that readers HAVE to click on it. Copyblogger suggests you spend half the time it takes to write a blog post on the headline because it’s that important.
11. Create a Content Schedule.
Accountability is the key to success… so stay consistent. Make a content calendar and stick to it.
12. Measure Your Performance.
I can’t stress enough how important SEO is for building an audience. Download the Yoast plugin, optimize your posts, AND use tools like Pingdom to speed up your site.
If you haven’t already done so, make sure you have a web stats tool to measure your website’s performance. The most popular one is Google Analytics.
13. Don’t Be Afraid. Take Action.
This actually applies to anything in life — take action when you are scared. Take action, fail, and repeat until you fail your way to success.
14. Write For Your Audience.
This is hard for new bloggers and one of the biggest mistakes you can make. Focus on how you can make the reader feel special, learn something, get inspired or laugh.
15. Join Other Bloggers On The Social.
Social media is king these days, but you don’t have to be everywhere. Choose just two platforms and create a presence, like Twitter and Facebook.
A few other things you can do to connect with other bloggers is to link generously to your sources, leave comments on fellow blogs (and note that you’ve linked to that post), engage with commenters, or even ask others to guest post to your blog.
To Wrap Up
Surprising as it may seem, you don’t have to be a professional writer (or tech guru) to start a blog. You don’t need much money either. Start writing today. Don’t quit because you don’t see overnight success. Stay consistent and persistent in your writing endeavor, try our 15 tips, and you’ll be on your way to blogging success.
