I’ve been blogging for several years and have learned a lot, thanks to my extended network and available resources online. Blogging has been many things to me, like a profit machine, networking tool, conversion hub, etc. Recently after content marketing started to build momentum, it became more like an art form because you’re using your content to promote products, etc. The funny thing is, once I introduced content marketing as a form of “ART”, many bloggers didn’t understand what I meant and I’d like to use this time to go over some of the fundamentals. I’m writing this content to start a debate and get your opinion on the topic. Let’s get started.
Research and Blueprint
The main reason I consider blogging an art form is simply because of the research involved. For example, from the second you start researching your topic, you’re essentially trying to find ways to put an idea together. In your mind, you’re going over the following:
Writing – You’re looking for creative ways to structure your content and how you’ll present it to your audience.
Images – You’re thinking about the images you’ll use to help illustrate your point and where you’ll place them. You’re also thinking about ways to improve your images to make them stand out and be more attractive.
Videos – You’re finding videos to add to your content, which, again, will help get your point across to your readers.
Everything above falls under research because nothing is written, but you’ve developed an idea and thinking about how to add it to paper.
Structure
This applies to your writing, which I personally think is an ART form, too. For example, we often hear about H1, H2, bold, and meta tags. Understanding all of these and applying them is an “ART” form as well because you have to present all of them in a way your audience will find attractive. When you have structured your content the right way, your audience will be able to comprehend it, leading to conversions going forward.
Over the years, I’ve noticed the following matters and you should think about when applying it to your content.
- Headlines
- Sub-heading
- Body
- Meta tags
- Images
- Videos
Publishing and Marketing
Publishing at the right time is very important simply because you don’t want to overwhelm your audience. Posting too early means you’ll give them way too much to read and some of them might NOT even read it, devaluing your content. You also want to make sure you post your content during times of high engagement. This means posts on the days that, when shared, it’ll create a higher than normal buzz in social media. I believe marketing, especially on social media, is a great way to quickly build momentum to your content. Social media has been proven to drive high relevant traffic to your blog quickly, which is amazing for your bottom line. However, you have to ensure you think of the following:
- The best times to post online
- When relevant people are on social media (date and time)
- The type of content people resonate with the most
- The right tools to implement like hashtagify.me. These will help you choose the right hashtags, etc.
After Publishing
I think what you do after your content is published is very important, too. For example, you’re going to have people who respond to your content and will need help. I think the way you approach getting back to your audience is a true “ART” form and here’s what I mean. Depending on the amount of questions and replies you receive, you might want to consider having alternative methods available to post updates. For example,
Maybe it makes sense to write follow-up content to answer all the questions people have. Next, it might even make sense to start a forum on your website so you can interact with your audience in real-time. In the end, the approach you choose needs to be well-thought out so you keep engagement high on your blog.
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