Thursday, October 05, 2006

Be a Better Blogger

Creating a better blog involves a combination of engaging content, effective design, and strategic promotion. 

1: Define your Niche
The first step is to clearly define your blog's niche and target audience. 
This helps you create focused and relevant content that appeals to your readers. 
It will also help you determine the voice and writing style that's appropriate for those you're addressing.

In keeping with your blog's niche/purpose, you should have a defined theme. For example, if the purpose of your blog is to express political opinions, the theme might be to promote a low-tax, nonintrusive government.


#2: Create visual appeal.
Your blog site should also be visually appealing, use relevant images to enhance your blog posts. Consider using infographics, videos, and other multimedia elements to make your content more engaging.

You can use color and font styles to set the mood and tone--just make sure the tone. 
matches the content. Whatever your theme, it's best to avoid dark letters on a dark background, tiny or overly fancy typefaces, and other elements that make your blog hard to read.

If your blog is hosted on a public blog site, you may be limited in how much you can change the design, but there will usually be a number of preconfigured visual themes you can choose from. 

#3: Use the proper tools.
Blogging is made much easier, faster, and more convenient if you use a dedicated blogging program or the features of a blogging Web site that lets you compose posts in the Web browser or via e-mail.
Use analytics tools to track the performance of your blog. Understand which content resonates with your audience and adjust your strategy accordingly.

#4: Make it easy to navigate.
If you're designing your blog site from scratch, Create a user-friendly navigation structure. Make it easy for visitors to find the information they're looking for by organizing your content logically... For instance, if you're using comments and RSS feeds, make sure it's clear to readers how to post a comment or subscribe to the feed.

You should also make it easy for readers to find past posts. Make sure archives are organized not just in chronological order but in categories to make it easier to find particular posts.
 
Keep clutter to a minimum but be sure to include the elements that readers need.
Make your site searchable, if possible, so users can find posts using keywords. You can put a free Google search box on your site see (google.com/searchcode.html#both).


#5: Stay in one place.
Many bloggers experiment with different blog hosting sites and/or with hosting their own sites, especially early on in their blogging experience. It may take you awhile to find the best setup but try to do so as soon as possible and then stay in one place so your readers can find you. 

Moving around to different URLs too often is sure to lose you some readers.
If you have an established blog and it's necessary to move it to a different address, try to publish a last post on the old blog that points readers to the new blog and leave it up as long as possible.


#6: Engage your readers.
Perhaps the most important factor in attracting and keep readers is establishing a relationship with them. Encourage reader engagement through comments, social media, or email. 

Respond to comments promptly and foster a sense of community on your blog.
If you don't have a reason to keep your identity confidential, you may be able to benefit (attract the attention of headhunters in your field, become recognized as an expert in a particular area, etc.) by using your real name and providing contact information.

Engaging readers involves winning their trust and thinking of the reader first. If you make claims, back them up with cites and links. If possible, don't link to sites that require a subscription or free registration. 


#7: Establish a blogging schedule.
Blog readers are a fickle bunch. Once you've drawn an audience, they expect to find new content when they visit your blog. That doesn't mean you have to post every day, but you should establish a minimum blogging schedule and stick to it. Let readers know, preferably in a static text box at the top of your blog page, that you will update the blog daily, weekly, on Mondays and Fridays, 

Regular updates help build trust and keep readers coming back for more.
If you need to deviate from your schedule (for example, you're going on vacation), 
let readers know that you won't be posting at the regular time and give them an idea of when you'll be back.


#8: Keep it concise.
 In truth, most readers have short attention spans and/or crowded schedules themselves and would prefer to read a short, pithy post rather than a long, complex one.

Write in a clear and concise manner. Break up large blocks of text with subheadings, bullet points, and images to improve readability.

You'll also attract more readers with common words than with obscure ones, so unless you're writing for a particularly scholarly audience, follow the old KISS advice: Keep it simple, sweetheart.


#9: Proofread before publishing.
Even if you're an English professor, it's easy to end up with typographical errors, misspellings, and grammatical flaws in your posts if you don't proofread before you hit the Publish button. 

It's difficult to catch mistakes in your own writing, because you tend to fill in what you thought you typed, rather than see what's really there. This is particularly true immediately after writing. 

If possible, have someone else proofread your post before you publish it. Otherwise, let it "cool off" for an hour or a day so you can approach it with a more objective proofreader's eye.

And although it's best to catch mistakes before they're published, one huge advantage of Web content is that, unlike print copy, it's easy to change if you discover a problem after publication.


#10: Go syndicate yourself.
You don't have to wait for readers to come to your blog every day or every week. Instead, you can take your blog to them. Use RSS to feed your new blog posts to readers who sign up. This makes it easier for your readers, who don't have to remember to visit your blog Web site to check for new posts--and whatever makes it easier for readers is good for authors. 

You can syndicate just your post titles, short summaries, or entire posts.
Most public blog hosting sites give you the option to syndicate your blog, and it's usually as easy as clicking a button or two in the configuration interface.

Finally Develop a strong brand identity for your blog. This includes a memorable logo, consistent color schemes, and a distinctive writing style. It is also a good idea to Explore different monetization strategies, such as affiliate marketing, and sponsored posts.

I wish You Success.

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