Tips To Make Your Blog Top-Notch
Your blog’s readership base will only grow if you’re providing
quality content. Here are a few tips to make sure your content is
top-notch.
Tip #1 Make it personal. Blogs have the advantage of enabling
you to communicate with your readers on a more personal level. This
means it is perfectly acceptable to share personal stories as they
relate to your business and customers. If for example, you have a
blog as a virtual assistant, your blog’s purpose is to build your
brand. Your blog post could talk about the importance of an
organized office and you could share a story about a lesson you
learned in organization, maybe you found your daughter’s long lost
homework in your tax files or something.
If you’re blogging for affiliate income and advertising profits, you
are presumably blogging about a topic you are passionate about and
will likely have many personal experiences to share, as you promote
relevant products.
Tip #2 Make your blog easy to read by incorporating general
online content guidelines. Use headers and subheadings to break up
ideas. Keep one idea per paragraph and keep your paragraphs short.
Use conversational language and don’t forget to use lists and
bullets where appropriate. All of this makes online content easy to
read.
Tip #3 Provide value too. While you’re focusing on connecting
with your audience, it is also important to provide value. This
means your content can include tips, how to’s and even case studies.
If you’re promoting a new product, be sure to promote the benefits
of the product as they relate to your audience. They won’t care that
you really like your new product and expect that it will sell well,
they will care if you tell them that the product will help them be
more efficient, make money, save time and so on.
Tip #4 Mix it up. If you have 3 or 4 how to type posts, mix
it up with a FAQ post where you answer a question that you commonly
hear from customers or prospects. If you always use print, consider
adding an audio or video post. A YouTube or Camtasia video is fairly
simple to incorporate into your blog and they can add value and
interest.
Tip #5 Consider adding a guest or special blogger from time
to time. Sometimes a different voice can help keep things
interesting, plus it gives you a break from posting. Make sure your
guest knows how to provide the kind of content your readers are
expecting and looking for.
Tip #6 Don’t forget to use your spell-check! If your blogging
software doesn’t offer it, have another person read it over.
Spelling and grammar errors stand out like a sore thumb on a blog
post. They hurt your credibility and they can hurt your readership.
Tip #7. Practice posting for a while before you make your
blog public. Most blogs enable you to keep your blog private. This
means that no one can see it unless you want them to. This is a
great way to get a few posts under your belt before you introduce it
to the general public
Tip #8 Tell everyone about your blog. One of the keys to a
blog with a good following is to have an interactive environment
whereby people post comments about your blog posts. The only way
this can happen is if there are a lot of people reading your blog.
Kind of a catch 22, right? Tell the world about your blog once it is
up and running and encourage comments. Post your blog link on your
main website, in your signature, and even in a separate promotion.
Tip #9 Encourage participation. Active blogs are well read
blogs. To encourage participation and comments, ask questions. For
example, if your post is about organizing your home office, ask
readers to post their advice on organizing or even ask them to share
pictures of their home office for suggestions. Controversial posts
also encourage commenting, however you’ll want to tread lightly here
so you don’t offend your readers.
Tip #10 Keep the posts coming. Frequent posts are required
for a successful blog. If you do not have the time to post on a
regular basis, consider hiring a writer or adding authors to your
blog so you don’t have to do it alone.
For more information on how to create a winning blog read
http://www.internetbasedmoms.com/blogging-rss/popular-blog.html
Next, well take a look at Blogging Technology 101. What is RSS,
Pinging, Tagging and more.
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Lesson #5
Blogging Technology 101
