The blogosphere is huge. Shrewd customers will know that it can have all kinds of benefits to take advantage of such a huge platform. But because it’s huge, it’s also competitive. Not only with great quality blogs but with plenty of lousy ones. These lousy ones get in the way just as much by clogging up space and drawing attention from the better ones. So, how do you get more from your blog? How do you make it the buzzing hive of activity and communication that you would like it to be? How do you make it so that it doesn’t cost quite as much money and effort to get to that point as well? We’ll be looking at how to break through that fog and make a blog that stands out.
Cost
Indeed, blogs have cost. A lot more than you might immediately realise. Whether it’s for personal branding or as part of a business, blogging isn’t free. There’s hosting the site. The computing power you need to reliably post content. Perhaps even some visual design if you’re really getting serious. Sourcing great photos can be expensive, too. But getting into the right communities can be a great way of sharing these resources. Even a barebones affair can be saved on, getting a virtual private server at a reduced price. Keep an eye out for deals that offer multiple domains, as well, if you have other business sites. Or even if you just want to run more blogs.
Give your posts value
Too many people start out blogging like they’ve always had a huge audience. Only the well branded blogger that attracts attention on its own can make little inconsequential posts that have little to offer. At that, it’s still a gamble. You’re never too big to lose followers. Always make sure that your posts have something to offer. A great photograph, a tip, an update on what the blog’s doing. Before you get writing and marketing it, think about who would want to read it and why they would want to read it. Steer clear of well-trodden territory unless you specialize on delivering news or have something new to stay on the matter. Write your own stuff and, most importantly, write with passion.
Get link-building
The blogging world, as we have said, is very thickly populated. That doesn’t just add competition, however. It adds a whole lot of opportunities to build some ‘link juice’. Link juice is a measurement that helps your blog appear higher in search engines. It demands that you get links built leading back to your site. There are a lot of ways to do this. Friendly spheres of bloggers will help link each other, for example. You need to find reliable partners in this. You want the sources of links to be relevant and current. The more legitimate they are, the more highly those links will be viewed and the more link juice for you. Link-building is an important part of attracting more visitors.
Master marketing
Of course, not all marketing is about having your site creep up on lists and become more prevalent through links. Sometimes you need to just get out and shout about what you’re doing. In fact, if you want your blog to be successful, you practically need a great social media presence. As well as spreading the word on what your latest post says, it’s a great way to curate content for your followers. It also allows you to give more shorthand communication with those engaged in your materials. Just make sure you’re using the right platforms for your audience. Everyone needs Twitter. If your blog is photo heavy, however, you can use that similar nature of Instagram to build an interest.
Get involved
As we’ve already mentioned, the community that forms between a lot of bloggers gives plenty of opportunities ripe for the taking. Not just in building links for under-the-surface benefits. You can get together for some very real, very visible benefits, too. Guest posting is one of the most popular methods of doing this. Exactly as it sounds, it means making a post on their blog and them doing the same for you. Usually with a bit of hyping to help sell them. It has tremendous benefits in capitalising on the followers of someone who shares a similar interest spot to you. It also builds you a partnership. One that can involve regularly sharing material and commenting on posts.
Get engaged
It’s not just other bloggers that you want get friendly with, however. You should be giving the same, if not a lot more, attention to your readers and followers. People are a lot more likely to get engaged if they don’t think they’re speaking into a vacuum. Reply to those leaving comments. Find out who’s sharing and following your content. If they have a blog or social media of their own, get following them. Be proactive and make comments. Foster positive relationships in your own community. Not only will this get those followers engaged but it will build a great reputation for you. People follow blogs online because of the people as much as the topic. Become a person they want to follow.
Monetize it
One of the more daunting steps that bloggers can consider taking is beginning to monetise their content. It only makes sense that someone should be entitled to something that takes so much work but there have been plenty of failed attempts. The key is to plan well how you’re going to monetize your blog. Sponsorships are a great way to do it, for example. Audible is one of the businesses that has been capitalising big on the informative nature of blogs, vlogs and podcasts. Finding a sponsor who can fit your niche is a good way to monetise your blog but know that you’re at least supporting something ethical. Don’t think of advertising as the devil. Just find things that you’re happy to advertise.
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