Blogging is a tricky business. With so many blogging entrepreneurs flooding the interwebs, it can be very difficult to really prosper as a blogger. Numerous articles are available online describing how you can become an instant success in the blogosphere with a hot niche, fancy web design, endless attention to SEO, and much more. While all of these tips are no doubt useful and even potentially groundbreaking, there are many other basic strategies for successful blogging that go sadly overlooked.
Pay Attention to Your Environment
Blogging experts endlessly comment on the importance of strong web design and readability for your readers. While this is absolutely one of the most essential aspects of a blog, so much focus is put on the readers’ environment, often overlooking the writer’s environment. Creating a work environment for yourself that condones focused thought and careful evaluation of your piece is essential. Find a blogging space that works best for your own personal needs.
Set up an area that encourages inspiration, focus, creativity, and precision. The aesthetics of the environment that you are writing in is just as important as the aesthetics of your website. You should create a space that promotes your best thinking and encourages steady work. Design a space that you can enter and feel motivated to write and work in.
Develop a Consistent Schedule
Following a strict blogging schedule is something that will benefit both you and your readers. By posting things on a consistent schedule, your readers will be more likely to consistently visit your site. Let your readers know that you will be publishing a new post every Tuesday (or whatever day you choose), so that they can know when to come back to your site for new material.
Furthermore, by committing to a publishing schedule, you will be more inclined to stay on top of your work. Because blogging is completely self-monitored, it can be easy to fall behind or take unnecessary breaks. Create a schedule for your writing that you feel you can manage and follow it strictly. You will be a more successful writer and your web traffic will be more consistent as well.
Build a Community
One of the most rewarding aspects of blogging is being able to enter a community of individuals who are interested and passionate about the things that you are also interested and passionate about. Developing a relationship with this community is essential to successful blogging. By becoming an entity within your niche blogging community you can gain special expertise from your fellow bloggers and gain a more credible reputation in your blogging specialty.
Interact with your fellow bloggers and contribute to conversations on their blogs. By generating discussion among bloggers in your niche area, you can gain readers from their blogs to your own. Utilize all of the resources you have available to you. Your blogging community can help you profit with your own blog and can help you manage your blog with more ease.
Keeping up with Comments
While this point definitely goes hand-in-hand with creating a community around your blog, many bloggers fail to realize the utter importance of responding to comments on your posts. The commenting section of your blog is area where you create the most lasting impression on your regular audience. It is essential that you respond to your readers comments, thank them for reading your post, contribute to the conversation on your blog, and encourage further discussion.
The concept behind blog commenting is very basic: the more you talk with your readers, the longer those readers are on your site, the more profit you will gain from your blog. Furthermore, by contributing to the conversation that is taking place on your blog your readers can get to know you at a more personal and human level. Build your reputation among your regular readers as knowledgeable and approachable within the comment section of your posts. With honest discussion and thanks, your readers will develop a stronger bond and loyalty to you and your blog.
Variety
As the saying goes, variety is the spice of life. While this cliché is horribly overused and extremely cheesy, it is nonetheless true. All too often bloggers get stuck in the rut of writing the same style of article over and over again. Many bloggers enter the blogosphere because they are strong writers who feel they have something they can contribute to the world. However, these people often only publish blog posts that text. This can get dull for both you and your readers.
Create posts that are variety in type: do a podcast, create a video , and design an infographic. By publishing articles and material that are varied, you can stay inspired by your blog and your readers can remain interested. Text posts are great, but they are not the be-all-end-all of blogging. Change things up to keep things interesting.
Take Time to Find Inspiration
One of the most basic aspects of blogging is finding new inspiration and motivation for your posts. Beginner and veteran bloggers alike tend to overwork themselves and then eventually burn out at times. Remember to take breaks. Blogging as a career or for recreation requires a break every now and then. Don’t over extend yourself.
Take some time away from your blog, so that you can restore your interest in it and find more inspiration in your surroundings. Vacations are essential to quality writing. Your audience will know when you are not excited about your work and if you are not excited, they won’t be either.
This is a guest post by Susan, if you want to guest post check the guidelines
Image Credits: Geo Maal 2008.
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