The 12 Most Effective Ways To Develop a Solid Blog

The 12 Most Effective Ways To Develop a Solid Blog
Posted by Troy Claus on Jun 21, 2011 in Blog, Blogging, Social Media | 55 comments

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If you’re going to write a blog you have to make sure you’re doing it because you want to, and love to. “You” is the key word here. Don’t be afraid to be yourself – if you conform to the rest, you will (usually) fall behind.



2. Compare yourself to no-one
The problem with comparing yourself to others is you create self-doubt. Everyone has his or her own writing style – you should learn to love yours and, if/when you do, it will come through in your writing. Learn from others, admire others and respect others, but don’t compare yourself to others.



3. Bend the rules
There are too many people who follow the “rules” when blogging. Is my post too short? Is my post too long? As long as your content is compelling, people will generally read it. If it seems too long, break it up with some headers and/or pictures, it makes the flow of the post a lot better for reading.



4. Do it
The best way to improve your blog is to do it more. Like anything, the more you do it, the better you will get at it. Even if you don’t hit the Publish button on every post, write every day – it will help you define your style and narrative voice.



5. Avoid the numbers game
Too many people get caught up in the numbers game. Try not to pay attention to who subscribes and who doesn’t. If you start to worry about that it can throw your writing style off, as you try and write solely for numbers, which usually means lesser quality posts.



6. Make it relevant to your audience
You need to take the time to recognize who your audience is. Once you know that, then you can create fun offers exclusive to your readers. It could be a guide filled with tips, a free chapter from your ebook…etc. But whatever the offer, it needs to be relevant.



7. Link it up
When writing a post, if there is topic/point that you’re touching on but you know of another blogger who wrote an entire post on it, link to them. Not only are trackbacks a great way to increase traffic, but it helps build a relationship with that blogger that could be expanded upon further down the line.



8. Visit and comment
Try to get out of your house (blog) and visit other ones. Start off by leaving one comment a day for each day of the week. This gives you the opportunity to meet new people, offer up your opinion and potentially have them come visit your blog.



9. Pick the right picture
A picture can speak 1,000 words (and it generates 50% more interest). This is a great way to connect with readers – it allows for that emotional connection. Whether it be funny, sad or angry, it helps set the tone for the reader.



10. Facebook linking
Write a fun or intriguing question on your Facebook page and then link it back to your blog for the answer. This is something fun for your friends/fans and a great way to drive traffic to your blog.



11. Have a strong headline
Your headline can be the reason your blog is rocking, or a tumbleweed. Find ways to spark the interest of the reader. You could position it like you’re solving a problem, telling a secret, giving away valuable information, or just keeping it fun.



12. Tweet your post
If you’re on Twitter, you may be wondering what the appropriate number of personal retweets are. I would suggest 2/day for 2 days. Remember, when we are up and working, the other side of the world is sleeping. So once every 12 hours is good. If you are a Tweet-a-holic, then once every 8 hours for 2 days is good too.