It’s not just about the skills it takes to be a great blogger, but about realizing that blogging is not an exact science. If you want to learn how to be a great blogger here are a few things that you need to bear in mind.
Use SEO (but Don’t Lean on It)
It’s important to understand the ins and outs of the Google SEO algorithm, but the reality is that if you want to write an effective blog, you should not be constantly looking for the right keywords to put into your content. The Google algorithm boils down to creating useful content first and foremost. As long as you are focused on creating content that serves its audience effectively, you are not going far wrong. There are things that you can do to boost your rankings, such as link building, however, these are all secondary to creating great content. When it comes to creating a fantastic blog, you need to gather information from your audience. Asking for feedback from your readers can give you greater insight into the things that can craft that perfect blog.
Building Your Email List
Creating a great blog is one thing, but getting people to read it is what drives traffic. You need to recognize that an email list is the best way to have people engage with your content. Even if you don’t sell anything, an email list means you can promote your content to the audience without being concerned about rankings in your search engine or if enough people are reading it. Email marketing is still an important component that makes a big difference in how you promote yourself and you should not underestimate it.
Use Social Media Correctly
Social media can drive a lot of traffic to your website. Rather than using social media as a publishing platform, you need to use social media as a networking tool. When you start to realize that social media is not the end goal, but the implement that will drive more engagement, you can start to use it more effectively, perhaps creating different types of content that suit the audience on Facebook or Twitter.
The Right Formatting
People seldom read blogs word-for-word anymore. We skim, and therefore, we need to format our posts in the right ways. For example, using great images is the best way to stimulate initial attention, but after that, you need to use subheaders, bulleted lists, italicize key points, and use short paragraphs. Formats are fundamental.
Understanding Who You’re Writing For
It sounds incredibly simple, but if you don’t understand the people you are writing for, you’re not going to get high levels of engagement. You may be writing posts about improving your productivity or working better, but if you are not testing your blogs with the right segment of your audience, it’s not going to resonate.
Delivering great blogs is a fine art. So if you want to be a great blogger, you’ve got to make sure that, while content is king, the other subtle levels should be catered for as well.