Since I have a blog one of the questions I get all the time is…How do I create a successful blog?
DISCLAIMER: Let me first say that I am NOT an expert in this area. ALL I KNOW IS…I have a blog, I love sharing tips & my journey. Anything I want to know or learn about, I usually will just Google. Google is your friend.
With that being said, this can be a really fun creative outlet for you! Have fun with it and always be willing to learn and play around with your blog. I’ve change the design on mine…50,000 times.
Be yourself
Always be YOU! People are very intuitive. You want to make sure you relay your distinct voice and tone. Always add your personality to everything you do. Share with your readers (aka your new friends) your story. Be real, genuine and authentic. Tell them what you believe in. They will relate to you on a deeper level and you will attract the type of coaches and customers you work best with which will benefit your sanity and business!
Identify your Market
Who do you want to talk to or reach? Without identifying your ideal reader, your marketing will be generic and ineffective. By identifying your ideal target, you will start attracting people who relate to you & who are perfect for you. You’ll convert more and work will be FUN. You’ll find that your marketing is more effective because you have clarity about who you are talking to which means you can make a deeper connection.
Offer VALUABLE content
Offer people interesting information and good solid content they will want to read. Start with your story but you should always be learning about your audience and what they want to see and hear.
Consistency
Be reliable. Set a realistic goal for how often you are going to blog – then stick with it! Once you get followers, they will learn your blogging pattern and look forward to your posts. If you are sporadic, they will lose interest and most likely stop checking back.
If the inspiration strikes you and you have 5 blog posts ready to go, don’t post all at once. Post one then schedule the rest to post according to your normal posting schedule. Another tip is to make an editorial calendar – schedule the posts you are going to write about ahead of time.
Don’t be disheartened in the beginning, if you’re not getting very many hits. It takes a while to build a good following. This can be challenging but don’t let that be an excuse. We all started from zero at one point. Blogging is a marathon, not a sprint.
Running Idea List
Use OneDrive, Evernote, Google docs or similar to keep a list of blog post ideas. Ever run out of inspiration? Keep a list of ideas on hand so you can stay consistent with your posts. Any time a reader asks you a question, that’s a great topic to add to your list if the answer would be long enough to warrant a blog post.
My renaming media files blog post or my post on where to find food photography props were born out of reader asking me questions.
Remind readers to follow your blog
Make it EASY for people to contact and connect with you! You can add social media buttons for your Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc….Always remind them at the end of a post – if they like what they see make sure they bookmark or follow you for more.
Get the word out! Cross Promote!
How are people going to find you? Do a little research on SEO. That’s going to help your blog come up more often when people search topics that you cover. If you are posting valuable content, this shouldn’t be a problem. You always want to plug your blog into sites like StumbleUpon, Bloglovin’, etc…..and share blog links with your Facebook and Twitter fans. Add your blog link to your YouTube videos. Make posts that people WANT to read and they will share your blog!
Google is your friend
Google knows all! If you want to learn how to do something, ask Google. There are many people out there that have written a step-by-step tutorial on how to do exactly what you are searching for. Promise.
Keep it Simple
Keep your design simple and easy to navigate. Check out popular blogs for design ideas. Don’t get widget happy!
Be flexible, always be learning
I don’t think I need to tell you how fast technology changes. Always keep your eyes peeled for new training, don’t be afraid to try something new or different. Experiment and have fun with it!
Just get started! The only way to get better is to practice!
