Day 1: Make Sure Blog Setup Before Launching
Launching your very first blog can have you on the edge of your seat. This is a very exciting time and it’s natural to want to jump the gun and post your content as soon as it’s ready. However, you need to ensure that you’ve included a few necessities before you officially post your website for the world to see.
Your website should include an About Us page as well as Contact Information section. You’ll also need to pay attention to the design. WordPress can help set you up with a free themed design that will assist you to add a little flair to your site. Once your site is up and running Feedburner is a fantastic tool to help you keep track of your RSS feed and Google Analytics will track the number of readers who visit your site. Take time to make the necessary preparations and your blog will be a success from the get go!
Day 2: Select Topic And Stick With It
Blogs which center on particular themes tend to do better overall. Pick a topic which is near and dear to your heart and about which you have a significant amount of passion. This will help you stay focused and engaged in the discussion.
Successful blogs such as TechCrunch, Perez Hilton and Gizmodo all focus in on one particular topic. This strategy has been phenomenally useful for these sites and it can be for you too!
Day 3: Always Stay Consistent
The frequency of your blog posts depends heavily on how much material you have to share and the time you can dedicate to writing. Daily posts require numerous topic discussions and are extremely time intensive. Your subject area must lend itself to multiple and varied headline titles. Consistency is extremely important when setting up scheduled web posts. Your readership learns to count on a specific timeframe and when you deviate too much from this formula you may find that the attention of your audience will dwindle over time. So set a schedule and stick with it!
Monthly blog posts are good places to start. You can always amplify your efforts at a later date and increase to weekly or daily blogging as the situation dictates. However, there is a danger of losing readership if you decrease your blog posts.
Day 5: Stop Recycling Content
Make your blog effective by being original and authentic. Your content says a lot about you. This being said, it’s important that you strive to stay current and provide new and exciting information within your posts. If it’s a popular discussion, seek to throw in your opinion in a unique and creative manner.
Write when you truly have something to say. Your opinion matters so make your content count and amplify the value by speaking on subjects that hold your passion.
Day 6: Don’t Be Afraid To Take Risks
One of the quickest ways to build a large following is through controversy. Attention is flaunted on posts that challenge the norm and say in print what most people think but are afraid to say. If you feel strongly on a subject than by all means write about it and don’t be scared to be blunt and honest. You always run the risk of infuriating visitors. However, this can work in your favor.
Day 7: Be Different Then Others
What you really need to do is determine your niche. Ponder carefully over creative ways to set yourself apart from the crowd. It doesn’t need to be outlandish but it must be particular to your site and uniquely yours.
For example, my site acts as a how to guide for entrepreneurs. Multiple blogs exist which discuss entrepreneurship but not many offer resources and how-to manuals that are practical and applicable. My site provides action steps and detailed strategies that are indispensable to viewers.
Find your own particular brand of special and you too will can make a lasting impression and carve a reputation for yourself in the online world.
Day 8: Leverage Social Media
There is substantial power in social media. Sites such as Twitter, and Hacker News, receive a great deal of traffic and their popularity can elicit a favorable response from viewers when your content is the subject in question. Commentators and visitors alike come to these locations seeking information and therefore it’s an ideal place to post content and increase your site awareness.
Sites that broadcast material closely related to your work are excellent avenues to begin your jaunt into the social media world. Here is a comprehensive list you might wish to peruse when deciding on just the right social media outlet for you. Facebook, StumbleUpon and Twitter are most commonly known. Of these, Twitter can be the most fruitful as posts are automatically tweeted out.
Leverage the power of social media to make your presence felt. Your content will thank you!
Day 9: Network With Others
Relationships and connections are truly what drives any business to succeed in this market. This applies to the arena of blogging as well. For bloggers to link back to you they must first feel a connection. How you build this connection is up to you but ultimately it’s always good to begin with methods that are tried and true.
Email and instant messaging are excellent starting points. Build conversations and develop a rapport with as many bloggers as possible. The likelihood that they will plug your blog is greatly increased by the connections you foster.
Day 10: Analyze And Learn From Feedburner
It’s vital you understand your readership along with their likes and dislikes. This will help you immensely when you’re determining what type of headlines you want to write under and eventually publish. Feedburner is an excellent tool that can provide an invaluable service to your business. Not only can it tell you how many RSS subscribers you have, it can also evaluate the number of times RSS subscribers clicked on different blog posts. The value of this tool lies in its ability to provide data. Putting this into action can assist your business in the evaluation of specific headlines or topics and thus propel your content right down the path of success.
Day 11: Participate In Comments
Share and share alike! This should be your motto when you’re attempting to build a following through your blog. The comments section is a perfect place to attract reviews and acquire feedback but it’s also the best way to build connections. Post comments to get comments. The old adage says give and ye shall receive. This rings true here as well. If you share thoughtful and sincere opinions throughout the comments section of your competition, you’ll be pleasantly surprised when they return the favor.
Day 11: Search Engine Optimization
Making your blog search-engine friendly does not have to be complicated. WordPress or Movable Type blogs fit perfectly with Google and other search engines. You may need to dedicate more time to your efforts if your blog is not in this format but it is definitely doable if you follow a few simple steps.
Day 12: Writing Series For Success
Any post that runs in a series will encourage return readership. Writing a three part series may be time consuming however the traffic that it generates will well make up for the energy output.
New blogs are fragile little creatures that require care and nourishment. In order to guarantee readership, you need to give visitors a reason to return. Blogs that run in a series fit this niche perfectly. As a new blogger it is to your advantage to begin in triplicate. Look to examples such as Problogger for guidance. They have managed to create a 31-day series of posts about blogging and have made this strategy enormously successful.
Day 13: Monetization
Monetization strategies work best after a blog has been up and running for over three months. Primarily you must attract readership before employing this type of approach as it can detract from the overall experience of visitors.
However, once you’re established and confident that you have acquired a solid following, there is nothing wrong with developing a plan to monetize your blog. Google AdSense is a good place to start but you must branch out from there. Put your eggs in many baskets, so to speak, and you’ll see your efforts pay off big time!
Now is the time to be creative and pretty much anything goes. You may wish to implement an integrated approach such as a subscription program. Whichever avenue you choose, make sure you test out its effectiveness over a number of months and make adjustments as necessary.
Day 14: Encourage People To Comments
Don’t forget to comment! The importance of this section to your blog can not be understated. This is a means by which you can connect with your readers. Here you can get new ideas for future blogs and appreciate areas for improvement. To truly enhance the size of your comment section, consider posing a question at the end of your article or encourage visitors to leave a comment detailing their opinion.
Day 15: Implement Solid Tweeting Schedule
Tweets from others serve to increase your credibility. You’ve written a fantastic blog and now you wish to increase readership. Social media platforms offer unique opportunities to market your content. However, you need to encourage sharing as much as possible. Here are a few ways you can leverage your Twitter account with tweets from other people;
- You might wish to send out an email encouraging friends and colleagues who are active Twitter users to tweet about your blog. We all have connections so why not use them to our advantage.
- Tweet about your blog and then ask your followers to retweet your message.
- It’s a fruitful idea to join a social media ring. This can function as a symbiotic relationship where members participate in tweeting about each other’s content.
