If you are thinking of starting your blog, then you are not alone. The popularity of the blogosphere in the last ten years has risen, and the spread of the internet all over the world is encouraging more people to share their thoughts and experiences online – something that blogs can allow them to do without much restraint.
It is none thing to start a blog though – and it is another thing to grow it. if you are serious about taking your blog to new levels, avoiding the common mistakes that many beginner bloggers commit, and have some detailed strategies up your lane, then read on.
Allowing blogging platforms to host you is nice, but self-hosted blogs are cool
Don’t get us wrong – all the blogging platforms such as Blogger, WordPress and Tumblr have nice features going for them. However, they have a drawback that you may notice at first – they do not provide you with the control you desire over your content, such as when you want to do customizations and own your articles completely.
The better strategy would be to get your own blog hosting service, then install the blogging platform you use. Some of the popular ones include Bluehost, which is very popular for new bloggers, and WordPress.org (the upgraded version of Wordprss.com). The process is also short, so you can set up your blog and start writing within minutes.
Make visual content a priority, if you want to maximize your sharing rates
One thing about blogging you will not be told by many is the importance of visual content, and learning to select the best ones for your blog posts.
The truth is that visual content has grown for many years, and its growth is actually speeding up instead of slowing down. Case in point: the evolution of your phone, as smartphones are becoming bigger in their screen size. In addition, many social sites are increasingly prioritizing images and videos over text, while others are purely visual such as Pinterest and Instagram.
The use of videos is also important, as sites such as YouTube are important in search engine rankings. If you decide to supplement your written posts with video content, you might end up attracting larger audiences.
Lesson is simple – if you have never thought of working with visual content to promote your blog, the best time to start is now.
Create a mailing list and grow it
A major mistake many beginner bloggers make is failing to make an emailing list. Here is the truth of the matter – email is the dominant form of communication that many people use for their work, not social media. When a reader decides to subscribe to your blog, it is like they are giving you a direct channel to their lives, at least in the official sense.
That means that if you would like your blog to grow and survive. You must have a mailing list, and also work hard to grow your email subscribers.
This is not a complicated issue. All you need to do is create a free giveaway where someone gets a prize when they subscribe, and then add lead magnets – this will guarantee a high rate of conversions.
The advantages of emailing lists are numerous. They include the ability to add even more traffic to your blog posts, and promote products that may prove useful to your audience. However, the main advantage is that you cannot place your trust in social media sites and Google to give you traffic, because they are unreliable in their policies. Mailing lists are consistent in the long term, and always act as worthy buffers in case policies change elsewhere.
Needless to say email is the essential part of promoting your blog and reaching out to audience. If you want to know more check out guide to email marketing which will help you through the process.
Developing the ability to analyze competition
Chances are actually high that you are not the sole blog to exist in your niche, regardless of how unique it may be. Therefore, it is important to consider all the other blogs that exist in your space, so that you analyze how you will compete with them.
The good news is that there are tools out there that can help you analyze the competition, as well as your own keywords. This helps you with sufficient information to help you maximize your own posts, and gives insight on the aspects you need to improve in your writing. It can also show you what links the competitors tend to use, and whether you can come up with similar strategies.
Stick to long content
Many people have numerous questions regarding the length of posts they should aim for. However, the short answer is that long content has worked very well for many years, and does not show signs of slowing down.
Unfortunately, many blogger make the mistake of writing short pieces, which lets them down all the time. If this is what you do – like writing an article that is only 400 to 500 words long – then forget about it and start writing longer articles (aim for at least 1000 words). This way, you provide so much valuable content to your reader, they will want to share that knowledge with their friends and family.
Increase the amount you spend on advertising
Spending money on advertisements has a bad rep, as evidenced by many bloggers being hesitant on the whole thing. While it is not the most appealing thing that can happen, statistics show that Google’s latest structure leans heavily towards adverts.
If you spend money on promoting your best work, that can make a major difference – even though the money is not much. Social networks also have low costs for advertisements, and people can share the content if they wish to, once they see it.
Note that before starting to advertise, make sure you already have your target audience in mind, such as their interests, location, and the content you choose to share. This will be very helpful in helping you craft your advertising strategy in the future and tailor your content.
Final thoughts
When it comes to asking questions on how to create a blog, it is essential that you have already formed your strategy and set what you want to do. This will be useful in helping you succeed, along with the tips above.
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