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Did you know that nearly 2 million blog posts are written daily? That is a lot of content to contend with. The purpose of starting your own blog is to make a solid income, and through attracting readers to the information you have to provide. If you want your blog to be successful and rise to the top, there are several key factors you must realize before you start.Here are 10 things to keep in mind:
1.Time Investment
If you want your blog to be successful, you have to be willing to put in the time. Research, writing and promoting are key in developing a solid blog. It will take persistence and patience to achieve a presentable website. Goals will need to be created in order for your blog not to fizzle out in the first few posts.
2.Long Term/Short Term Goals
Without a specific set of goals, purpose and standards, it will be difficult to create content that flows and generates views. Start your blog knowing the overall goal and how you are going to excite viewers to read your content. Be able to apply that long term goal into articles and posts that will be created in the short term. People are always asking questions, you need to be able to give the answers in a timely and clear way.
3.Research, Research, Research
Once you have a solid set of goals, you will need to conduct copious amounts of research. This perhaps is the most important step of blog production. Research will include the best forms of SEO, competitor blog sites, the type of content being discussed regarding your blog’s subject, as well as understanding who your audience will be. Become immersed in the world of blogging, search engines and content marketing. The more you know, the higher your blog will rank.
4.Choose a Platform
Part of your research should include which platform will be most beneficial for your needs. There are many free blog hosting sites such as Medium, Tumblr and Blogger.
However, if you wish to be more in control of your website, WordPress.org will be your best bet. It will give you more freedom to update and maintain your website. You will have to invest a little money, but in the long run, it is worth it. If you are serious about your blog, it is better to start big, rather than have to move your free domain.
5.Know Your Audience
Without an audience, you do not have a blog. Well you have a blog, but no one is reading it, so what is the point? If you are creating a blog that centers on wedding planning, research other wedding planning blogs. Discover what type of content they provide, study their comment sections to see what their readers have to say. Perform research on what your audience is looking for and create content that provides to their interests and needs.
Quick Sprout has created awonderful infographic guide to finding your audience.
6.Keep SEO in Mind
Search Engine Optimization: these three words are at the center of getting your blog noticed. Knowing what will attribute to making your blog rank higher in search engine queries will strengthen your blog and bring it to the top.
In addition to SEO, be sure to include an email list as part of your marketing procedure. SEO can only bring you so much traffic. Email lists provide a way for you to intimately reach your audience by sending traffic to them.
7.Forward Linking
Essentially, this is the blogging version of networking. By linking to other websites you can increase traffic because search engines will have more to crawl through. The higher authority websites you link to the more chance you have increasing traffic.
8.Create Fresh, Innovative Content
The internet is a quickly evolving entity, learning the ebb and flow of human tendency. As such, your material needs to remain up to date. The use of image and media are rapidly becoming main sources of gleaning information. Buzzfeed and Pinterest are prime examples of websites that lean on multimedia.
Create content that is meaningful and useful to your reader. Most importantly, do what you think is right. After you have conducted your research and have started to gain an understanding for your audience, trust your instinct. You know what is out there and you know what is needed to keep your reader interested.
9.Security
Just like with any business, you need to keep your blog secure from intrusion. Working online, you are at the mercy of hackers and viruses. One of the easiest ways to make sure your content is not destroyed or lost is by keeping backups on your computer and even on hardcopy. You will also want to invest in an online security plugin.
- Have Fun
You started this journey because you love what you get to write about on a daily basis. While research and an awareness of online marketing and communities are a must, do not forget why you started in the first place. If you become disenchanted with your blog, so will your reader. Come up with ways to maintain a joy for learning and providing for a community who loves what you have to say.
Good luck in your blogging endeavors and remember to take one step at a time.
