How to Make Your Blog a Magnet for Readers
Do you have a blog that is not performing as well as it could? Unfortunately, many people feel that way, but the good news is that there are specific, workable remedies for the problem. Creating a niche website on which you post all your own content can be either a money maker or a labor of love (and no money). The choice is yours, but there’s a caveat to choose how successful you want to be philosophy. Yes, your blog’s success is 100 percent dependent on your choices, but many of those choices entail lots of hard work and even more patience. The big reward, for those who are willing to wait, is that by plugging away for one or two years to build up a readership and find your voice you’ll eventually be able to turn a hobby into a full-time job. Many have already done it, and so can you. Here are some suggestions from moving off square one and getting into the top tier of bloggers.
Post Content Regularly
A good way to start is to plan on posting at least one item per week, but preferably even two or three. All the major search engines look for consistency and bump you up in results when you contribute worthwhile content frequently. There’s an unwritten rule that many people adhere to called EOD, which stands for every other day. In other words, if you add one article to your site three or four times per week, you have the chance to rise rapidly through the ranks.
Get the Training You Need
Whatever your blog is about, it helps to be able to market yourself as an expert on the subject. Some of the most successful online writers hold college and graduate degrees in their fields. Look, for example, at some of the authoritative names in any niche and you’ll usually see a university grad behind all the content. That’s especially true for sites that focus on healthcare, IT, education, and the sciences. How can you stay competitive? Earn a four-year or graduate diploma in your area of interest. The beauty of this approach is that blogging is the perfect way to earn some extra money while you’re in school, even if you only do it for a few hours per week.
The other component of this strategy is to take out a private student loan to cover all the major expenses of your education. Private loans for college or grad school are a good fit because they have higher borrowing limits than other types of loans, plus they come with competitive interest rates and reasonable terms. So, get the financing taken care of, and then finish your schooling. After that, your expert status will be assured.
Be Willing to Outlast Your Competition
Lots of people give up after a year or less of blogging. If you are willing to outlast them, post regular content, and stick with it, you’ll survive simply by being the last one standing. That’s why patience is probably the number one, character trait you can bring into this competition.
Make Your Email List a Priority
From day one, even before your page or site goes live, begin constructing an email list of potential subscribers. Start with friends and friends of friends who agree to receive mail from you once per week. As you join chat and discussion forums, you’ll find more subscribers. On your main page, include an opt-in form, preferably along with a free gift, to entice people to sign up. Consider making the freebie a digital product like a topical e-book you wrote, or a piece of content that contains helpful information.
Learn to Write Attention-Grabbing Headlines
There are dozens of excellent tutorials for learning how to write eye-catching headlines. This skill takes a bit of practice, but anyone can learn it with a little effort. The huge benefit is that you can snag readers with headlines and get them in the door, where they’ll see all your other postings. The average length of your pieces should be geared toward your average readers. If your topics center on the latest happenings in the world of music celebrities, it’s a good idea to keep pieces short and to the point. On the other hand, if you focus on breakthroughs in nuclear physics, expect to write longer articles. In general, it’s usually wise to use the one-four rule, which states that an average piece of writing on the internet should take a person between one and four minutes to read.
