Your blog is the best. Do you wonder why?
If you are reading this and you are a blogger you know it. Your blog is the best. You know so, because you are putting a lot of work in it to make it the ‘perfect blog’. You spend hours and hours working on it. And because you are a blogger you are doing everything yourself, from finding the perfect subject to blog about until that almost magical moment when you click the ‘publish’ button in your favorite blogging tool.
How does this process work?
I know we all have our quirks and ‘special ways’ to get the most out of our blogging efforts. If you are blogging for fun, or small business, this way might work for you. Or you might enlighten us with your secret tips tricks and sources.
READ Darnit!
That’s one thing you need to do. I don’t mean ‘Fifty shades
of Gray’. Or maybe yes, depending on what you are willing to share. Any reading
is good reading as long as it is inspiring to you and fits the niche you are
writing for. As always Mrs. Google (I call her Mrs. because she always has the
answers to everything…) is your best friend. Find out what’s trending on the
internet. My favorite tools to get inspiration are (in not so random order):
● Twitter – Try to check not only what’s trending World Wide, but of countries that your readers come from.
● Twitter – Try to check not only what’s trending World Wide, but of countries that your readers come from.
● Google+ - Works wonders when you have a lot of
Google Business pages in your circles. Check CNN, Local papers, not so local
papers, anything that might give of that spark of inspiration.
● StumbleUpon – Literary stumble upon inspiring
stuff, Trust me, it could be anything!
Once again, that inspiration moment could come from anywhere. Could even be this typiing error.
Write your stuff down.
Trust me. Write your ideas down on a piece of paper, a memo in your phone, a mail to yourself, anything. If you are like me you bound to forget that brilliant idea. Just do it. Alzheimer might kick in before you know it.
Now it's time to actually write your blog post. I like to work with a scheme that goes kinda like this - most of the time.
● Start with a 'compressed' version of your post, making clear in a few words what the post is about. Today's average time someone spends at a blog post if they have never been to that site is just a few seconds. Hook them, reel them in. Tell them what you have to say.
● After that, work out the content of your post.
● End your post with something 'attractive' for the reader. This could be a question about what they have just read, to get the convo going.
● Start with a 'compressed' version of your post, making clear in a few words what the post is about. Today's average time someone spends at a blog post if they have never been to that site is just a few seconds. Hook them, reel them in. Tell them what you have to say.
● After that, work out the content of your post.
● End your post with something 'attractive' for the reader. This could be a question about what they have just read, to get the convo going.
Promote your stuff!
This part is more trickier than you might expect. Just spam the whole World Wide Web with the fruits of your thoughts? I don't think so. Users of Social Networks like Twitter and Facebook (Almost forgot that one...) get a serious case of the 'IThinkIsawASpammer' fever. Over - promotion can backfire, big time.
Use it sparsely, you may have to use 'odd' hours sometimes to reach people living on the other side of the world sometimes. In that case I believe it's ok to use scheduled posts for that.
In all other cases keep it close and personal. One reason is the fact that you will be able to react faster to comments, remarks and bitching. ;)
It's important to know what you;re writing about. If you are offering help on anything and you don't know enough to follow through, or defend the views on certain subject, stay away from those subjects.
Last but not least
Quality. Did I really say that? Listen closely. I do not always post the best quality posts, but you do. But there is always room for improvement. Always. Because the success of your blog is only there, because Mrs. Google (and some 'minor' other search engines. heh) let you. Quality blog posts will get your blog better. In your readers view too. And that's important. Google is a bitch. There... I said it.
About Guest Author
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Jan Bierens from JanBierens.com is a Blogger since May 2011. Working in the ICT business since December 1997. Curious. Google and Social Media Adept. Owner, Editor, Janitor, Pizzaman and Author of The JanBierens dot Com. Doing my thing to the max in the Blogosphere, trying to entertain, question, baffle people. *This* is your daily dose of cereal with nuts! "In Heaven all interesting people are missing".
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