If you’re a blogger, you already know how much work it takes to keep up with and manage your own blog. But you also know some of the great advantages blogging can give you. Creating a blog allows you to develop your own personal brand, connect to other industry professionals, and be seen as an industry or topical expert. Here are five great tips to help you get started and stay on track.
Set goals
Who are you hoping will read the blog? What are you trying to get out of writing the blog? How often are you going to post? Defining your goals will help you stay focused and relevant. Without goals, each post may be going in a different direction and you won’t be able to build a base of readers who regularly read your blog. Sticking with the goals you create is just as important as setting them. Doing this will help you design, write and market your blog more successfully. Blog hosting sites like WordPress allow you to track site stats as well.
Be consistent
Your blog is like your own personal brand. When you decide what your blog is going to be about—whether it be a niche market or a general marketing blog— your content should consistently communicate your overall desired brand image. Your audience should know what type of topics to expect from you; that way, they’ll keep coming back for more if you remain relevant.
Engage
This is much easier said than done. Your posts should attempt to engage your readers. Posts should be brief (not a lengthy essay), be easy to read, include visuals and have calls to action. Ask your readers questions and create conversations with them.
Get seen
Wouldn’t it be nice if once you clicked “publish,” your blog would blow up with comments? Unfortunately, you’ll have to do some groundwork for your post to go viral. Many established bloggers turn to social media to promote their blogs. Connecting with potential readers of your blog on sites like Twitter or Google+ is a great idea. You can share your blog with specific special interest groups on LinkedIn or Facebook as well.
Don’t lose hope
Keeping up with and maintaining a blog can be a lot of work with slow results. It’s easy to feel discouraged if the first few posts or months of blogging don’t see any action—this is normal. Try to update your blog regularly so that readers stay engaged and over time, you’ll be more likely to build a steady following.
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