Successful blogging advice

Image edited by me. Original source: Link

What do we mean by "successful"? Does that mean that we have to make money of it? Do we have to have a million readers? What if we just want to write about our personal experiences and use it as a personal diary, do we want that too? What if we use it just as a way to get out of our shelves?

I think that a blog will be successful once it has built a community. Regardless of its size, the main reason to share whatever it is we have to say is exactly that: Sharing. Sharing information with someone in the world who would have the same interests, the same issues, the same experiences.

Since this will be a blog about incorporating social media into enterprises, what I want to share with you is the knowledge I will obtain from my research and further understanding on how to do it. But I also want this class and this blog to guide me through the path of writing correctly and consistently about the things I am interested to share, and build a community from that, where we can give each other feedback and constructive criticism.

So, I am new in this blogging world, but after some reading I can share with you what I think makes a blog a success.

Content and Consistency

Keep your blog content consistent in terms of posting schedule, content and tone. Be aware that consistency does not mean 'the same', try to keep content varied and interesting so the readers will come back for more.

When writing, find your niche, write about something you are passionate about and willing to share with people, be honest and be yourself, tell your story but also try to write FOR them, ask yourself if this is something they want and tailor your writing to your readers, so you keep them interested and involved in your stories.

Once you find the general topic for your blog, be original, there is going to be a lot of other blogs out there talking about the same stuff you want to share, but give it your own twist. Why would your blog be any different? Because of you! Of the way YOU are sharing content with them. 

A tip from Joshua and Ryan from The Minimalists: "when writing use we/our instead of you, think of it as we are writing peer-to-peer, we are not gods".

And don't forget to do some research, it is ok that you want to share your thoughts on things but you need to have all the knowledge needed so you can give a more focused approach.

SEO (Search Engine Optimization)

Make sure your tags and categories are relevant, ensure your post title accurately describes the content of your blog and get linked by others, to improve the way search engines find you and help your readers find the content they are interested in.

Layout and Images

Look at your blog from a reader's perspective. Is it easy to find content? Is it easy to read? Your blog should be clean and organised in a way the reader feels comfortable navigating through it. Don't forget to categorise your posts and add your contact information and a few words about yourself.

I recommend from my personal experience, using a white background. I find it more visually pleasing to the eye and easy to read text on. In the creation of a blog, less is more. Keep it simple and do not fill your page with distractions or flashy announcements.

The use of images adds interest to the blog and makes it more appealing (yes, this is not one of those). The images and photographs should be big and clear because people respond well to big images. But also, because most of our readers will check our posts from their mobile devices and images should be clear in a smaller scale. So make sure your blog is mobile friendly too.

Also consider adding a photo and description of yourself near the top of your blog. It will instantly make your blog relatable and we will be able to know a little bit about the person whose blog we are reading. 

Building a community

Finally, but the most important part, build your community by using comments, social media, e-mail and collaborations. Be active in your social media sites and share every time you publish a new post, allow comments from your readers and actually read them and answer when possible, it is a great way to cultivate a relationship with them because they will give you feedback and by doing so, you will feel the need to improve your blogging skills. 

Here, Scott Stratten shares an interesting article about The Five Words That Kill Your Blog.

Another important part of blogging is collaboration with other bloggers. Using the same strategies used on readers, build relationships your fellow bloggers to get inspiration and learn from them. Write guest posts with them and their readers will come to your blog and increase the communities already built. 

So, I know it is a little bit long but, what do you think about my first post? Do you agree?