Julianne Wish, Member Contributions
Once you have established your blog and you are meeting your initial goals, it’s time to look toward the future. How do you want to grow your blog? What are the possibilities for doing so? You can add monetization methods. You can offer more value. Of course, you can also grow your subscriber base.
Here are five tips and strategies to help you grow your blog.
- Get involved. Hopefully, in addition to posting on your own blog, you have been participating on other blogs in an effort to promote your own blog. If you haven’t, then you should definitely integrate this tactic into your blog marketing strategy. If you are already commenting on other blogs relevant to your industry then look for ways to become even more active. You can become a guest blogger. You could be adding a few more relevant comments to other blogs each day. By getting involved in your own community, you are more likely increase the traffic to your own blog.
- Offer new value. Is there a way you can add more value to your blog – over and above what you already offer? For example, you might consider offering a free report, ebook or online course. You might find a few guest bloggers to help you round out the content on your blog and help provide more information for your readers. You can also mix it up and offer different types of posts like videos, downloadable checklists and worksheets.
- Hold a contest. Contests are a great way to help drive traffic to your blog. Make sure, though, that the giveaway you offer is related to the topic of your blog. For example, if you blog about sugar gliders, give away a gift certificate to a pet supply store. When holding a contest be sure to spread the word. Tweet about it. Post it on Facebook. Ask others to help spread the word too. You might offer them extra entries for every person they refer that enters the contest. You’ll recieve more traffic because a lot of people will want to enter your contest. You’ll also gain new subscribers.
- Network. The right connections can help change the success of your blog rapidly. Can you imagine if a prominent person mentioned your blog on their blog or show? For example, imagine what would happen if you have a blog about crafting and Martha Stewart mentioned it on her show. Networking can make a huge difference for your blog so get out there and meet people. Offer value and connect.
- Add a method to monetize your blog. If you have already done so, super! What else can you do to make money on your blog? You can place a few affiliate ads in the sidebar or footer. You could join Google’s AdSense program. A little extra income can make a big difference.
There are a number of ways you can grow your blog. Before you implement any tactic, make sure you evaluate it. Make sure it supports your blog and enhances the experience for your visitors. Make sure it supports the goals and vision for your blog. Create goals for your new tactic! What do you want to accomplish?
To your success!
Julianne Alvarez-Wish is a military wife, mother, business owner, professional writer, blogger and legislative advocate. She is the Director of Communications for Our Milk Money, the Colorado State Leader for the National Association for Moms in Business and the owner of Buy By Mom and Buy By Mom Blog. She is the Colorado Springs Stay-at-Home Mom Examiner for Examiner.com. She also blogs at A Wishful Thought. Her passion, purpose and goal is to help parents work from home so they can be home with their children.
Julianne Wish, Member Contributions
The foundation of any blog is, of course, content. You can create any type of content that fits your needs and the needs of your audience. You can create video, print or audio content.
When it comes to print content there are many options including:
- how to posts
- reviews
- lists
- tips
- pros and cons
- fact pages
You can also create checklists, blueprints, worksheets and may other useful items.
Audio and Video Content
If writing doesn’t fit the purpose of your blog consider creating audio or video content. Interviews are great in both audio and video format. You can also create how to video posts. If you are comfortable in front of a camera, video is actually a great way to create quick and relevant content. Make sure you have good lighting and sound when you record your video.
How do you come up with content ideas?
Creating posts that are consistently valuable and interesting can be a challenge. In fact, many consider it to be the biggest challenge of owning a blog. Here are several creative ways to find inspiration to create content.
- Read. Read magazines, blogs and industry newsletters. Sometimes, just a headline can inspire a few ideas.
- Social networking. Participating in social networking is a great way to promote your blog. Also pay attention to what others are saying. What information are they looking for? What problems do they have that you can discuss or even solve on your blog? Great topics abound on social networking sites…all you have to do is visit them and pay attention to the conversations.
- FAQs. What questions do people commonly ask you? These can make for some great blog posts.
- If you don’t know, then ask. Ask your readers what they want you to write about.
Organizing your content.
There are many approaches to organizing the content on your blog. You can wing it if you want to. You could plan ahead. Planning ahead can save you a lot of headaches. Consider sitting down monthly and planning out the content for the next month. Think of it as a brainstorming session. A good idea is to always carry a notebook with you. Ideas can come to you at any time and you need a place to write them down so you don’t forget them. If you can capture ideas as they come to you, it will save you time and energy later.
Content is the most important part of your blog. You should spend some time deciding what kind of content you want to create. Develop a system that works for you to plan your content in advance. This will make it easier for you to sit down and write several blog posts at one time. You can schedule them to post and then spend your time on other tasks.
Julianne Alvarez-Wish is a military wife, mother, business owner, professional writer, blogger and legislative advocate. She is the Director of Communications for Our Milk Money, the Colorado State Leader for the National Association for Moms in Business and the owner of Buy By Mom and Buy By Mom Blog. She is the Colorado Springs Stay-at-Home Mom Examiner for Examiner.com. She also blogs at A Wishful Thought. Her passion, purpose and goal is to help parents work from home so they can be home with their children.
Julianne Wish, Member Contributions
You can, of course, blog about anything. However, when you choose a niche, your chances of becoming successful – and reaching your blogging goals – increase. Choosing a niche topic helps you find a loyal audience. It also helps you compete against other comparable blogs and profit. Here are some tips to help you choose your niche.
#1 What do you enjoy?
A blog is a long term investment of your time, money and energy. Therefore, you will want to choose a topic you very much enjoy. Make a list of the topics you enjoy discussing. Rank them in order of your most to least favorite. You might have a few items on your list or a great many. You can start with generalities like exotic pets, gardening, baking, etc.
The next and very important step is to narrow down your topic. For example, sugar gliders instead of exotic pets, organic gardening instead of gardening and gluten free baking instead of baking.
#2 What are you interested in?
Add to your list a list of topics you are interested in. For example, maybe you’d like to learn more about politics or investing. Wonderful! Again, list general ideas then narrow them down into specific ones. For example, a guide for beginners on how to invest in precious metals or the stock market.
#3 Explore trends.
Trends are a good way to tap into a growing market. When you are analyzing trends, make sure you capture something that is on the upswing, not on a downswing. You want the topic of your blog to have longevity.
Use social networking sites, media, and on trend websites to get started. You may also research industries you are interested in and look for their trends. For example, if you are interested in gardening, an up and coming trend is hydroponic gardening. You can even further narrow this topic down to indoor systems for small spaces.
#4 Keyword tools.
Use keyword research tools like Google Adwords External tool to help you expand on your growing list of niche ideas. The keyword tool can help you brainstorm ideas. They can also help you take a broad topic and narrow it down into niche ideas. Look for keywords and keyword phrases that have high demand numbers and low competition numbers.
#5 Research the competition.
Again, using the keywords tools or simply by searching online, you can find blogs that are currently covering the topics you are interested in. You might use these blogs to generate niche ideas for your own blog. Other blogs can be a great source of inspiration.
Once you have a healthy list of ideas, start narrowing them down. Consider who your audience will be for that topic. Research demand. Brainstorm ways you might differentiate your blog from others. Finally, consider the type of content you will offer. As you mull over these ideas, a few will stand out. That is when the serious research or soul searching can begin. Finding a niche is the best way to blogging success.
Julianne Alvarez-Wish is a military wife, mother, business owner, professional writer, blogger and legislative advocate. She is the Director of Communications for Our Milk Money, the Colorado State Leader for the National Association for Moms in Business and the owner of Buy By Mom and Buy By Mom Blog. She is the Colorado Springs Stay-at-Home Mom Examiner for Examiner.com. She also blogs at A Wishful Thought. Her passion, purpose and goal is to help parents work from home so they can be home with their children.
Julianne Wish, Member Contributions
As has been mentioned before on this blog, it’s important that you choose a niche for your blog. What is a niche? It’s a specialized or highly focused topic. The example from a previous blog post had to do with exotic pets…instead of a blog on exotic pets, one could have a blog on sugar gliders…that is a niche blog. There are several reasons why niche blogs are successful.
#1 Loyal Readers
If you choose a niche it will be easier for you to find loyal readers. When people do an online search, they are often searching for very specific information. If you provide that specific information you could be on the top of their list. It is highly likely that they will subscribe to your blog which gives you regular access into their homes and lives. This loyalty provides you with an abundance of opportunity to profit.
#2 More Profits
Niches are more profitable. As a blogger, it is easier in a niche for you to establish some of the key triggers that get people to buy. The most notable triggers are credibility and authority. When you blog about a specific niche, you are establishing yourself as a subject matter expert. You will earn the trust of your readers which means they will be more likely to buy from you or trust your recommendations. This results in profits.
With a niche blog, you will be able to draw very focused traffic. This means you will have a special appeal for targeted advertisers. Back to the sugar glider example…sugar glider advertisers will know that your audience is their target audience and they will pay you so they can advertise on your blog.
#3 More Traffic
It is much easier to compete in the search engines when you have a niche topic. For example entering exotic pets in Bing yields 24,400,000 results! Entering sugar glider yields one tenth of that number…a much smaller field of results! If there is a big demand for your niche topic, you will have much fewer competitors. This means that whenver someone searches for your niche topic, they are more likely to find you easier. The result is more traffic!
Choosing a niche topic also makes it much easier for you to provide value to your readers. More value means more repeat visitors. It also means more inbound links as people will want to share your blog and the information it offers with others. This in turn helps to increase traffic to your blog and raise awareness about your blog. In short, a niche blog makes it easier to market and grow your blog.
Choosing a niche topic means you’ll be able to reach your audience faster. You’ll be able to keep them coming back to your blog and will grow your subscribers more quickly. Ultimately this can lead to more profits from your blog.
Before you choose a niche, be sure there are good numbers behind it…this means be sure there is a good demand and low supply for your niche topic.
When the numbers support it, niche blogs prosper. Choose your niche today and start profiting from your blog!
Julianne Alvarez-Wish is a military wife, mother, business owner, professional writer, blogger and legislative advocate. She is the Director of Communications for Our Milk Money, the Colorado State Leader for the National Association for Moms in Business and the owner of Buy By Mom and Buy By Mom Blog. She is the Colorado Springs Stay-at-Home Mom Examiner for Examiner.com. She also blogs at A Wishful Thought. Her passion, purpose and goal is to help parents work from home so they can be home with their children.
Julianne Wish, Member Contributions
Blogging is fun and also pretty easy. It can be equally easy to make mistakes. No worries, though. Here is a list of common blogging mistakes so you can easily avoid them.
- Not being original. Many bloggers are hesitant to be themselves online. However, your personality is what will attract readers and attention. Don’t hesitate to be yourself…whether it’s funky, serious, controversial, etc.
- Not giving credit where credit is due. If you borrow ideas from another blogger, writer or anyone else, make sure you give them the credit. It will not weaken your own credibility. On the contrary…your credibility will be enhanced. If you do not give the proper credit, you can also get in trouble legally.
- Not responding to comments. If you set up your blog so your readers can leave comments, you should be social and respond to them. It helps to create a sense of community on your blog and your readers get to interact with you. Not only is it the right and friendly thing to do, it motivates more comments.
- Giving up too early. Blogs do not achieve success overnight. By blogging about a subject you are passionate about, you will stay motivated to write and post and stick with it. Blogs require a commitment if they are to be successful. With consistent care and attention to your blog, your readers will grow.
- Not posting enough. Many bloggers think you have to post daily. In the very early stages of building your blog this is a good idea. Once you have established a consistent readership, you can post less often. At least weekly, or two to three times per week, is a good idea. If you do not post for a week or two, you are very likely to lose readers.
- Not having a well defined topic. Make sure your topic is obvious. The more specific your niche, the easier it will be to attract a following. For example, instead of blogging about exotic pets, narrow it to blogging about sugar gliders.
- Not choosing a topic you can sustain. By choosing a topic you are passionate about, you can write consistently and maintain your motivation. If you choose a topic that you are not very interested in, you will be fortunate if you can come up with a post per month.
- Having too many ads. Make sure your blog is content heavy. If your blog is more focused on ads than content, you will not be able to attract a loyal following.
- Forgetting value. Make sure your posts offer something of value to your readers. Readers are looking to be entertained, gain information or be educated. Your posts should accomplish that. If they do, you will attract readers.
- Not promoting your blog. You must promote your blog! How else are readers going to find you? Comment on other blogs and leave the url to your blog when you do. Participate in social networking. Become a guest blogger. When you write as a guest blogger, be sure to include your bio along with links to your blog, facebook page and twitter.
Blogging is fun, a great way to connect with people online, a great way to grow a business and even a way to earn money. Avoid these ten common blogging mistakes and you can achieve blogging success quicker and easier!
To your success!
Julianne Alvarez-Wish is a military wife, mother, business owner, professional writer, blogger and legislative advocate. She is the Director of Communications for Our Milk Money, the Colorado State Leader for the National Association for Moms in Business and the owner of Buy By Mom and Buy By Mom Blog. She is the Colorado Springs Stay-at-Home Mom Examiner for Examiner.com. She also blogs at A Wishful Thought. Her passion, purpose and goal is to help parents work from home so they can be home with their children.
Julianne Wish, Member Contributions
Have you ever wondered WHY so many people blog? It seems like there is a blog per person! What’s the big deal? Here are six benefits of blogging:
- Blogging is easy. One of the reasons so many people blog is because it’s really easy to get online. With all of the tools available, you can have a really professional looking blog in just a few hours. There are thousands of blog templates that are well designed and many can be modified with just a few clicks. You can also add plug-ins to help create a blog that will do just about anything you’d like it to.
- Blogging is inexpensive. You can easily spend several hundred dollars on a website that is very basic. A really professional looking blog can cost you less than twenty-five dollars and that includes the domain name and the hosting.
- Blogging is profitalbe. You can make good money with a blog. Many people who began blogging about their passions for personal reasons soon found themselves in the limelight. They also found themselves making some good money from their blogs. For example, the movie Julie & Julia was about a real blogger who cooked her way through Julia Child’s cookbook. The blog ‘*&^@ my Dad Says turned into a television program starring William Shatner. Your blog may not get you in a movie, but you can still make good money from it. You can promote products you love and earn affiliate income…you can promote your own products or services…you can earn money from advertising revenue. Blogs with a lot of subscribers can demand high rates for ad space.
- Blogging connects. Blogging is a way to connect to other like minded people. You can get online and share your passions and by doing so attract and connect with people who are interested in the same topic. Blogging is a great way to ‘meet’ people all over the world. You can share, learn and grow.
- Blogging can build your career. You can use your blog to promote yourself. For example, if you are a sales person you might create a blog about sales strategies. You can then use your blog to establish yourself as a subject matter expert. It can help you move up in the company, land your dream job or gain further exposure for your own business.
- Blogging builds business. Many businesses use blogging as a means to market, grow and profit. If y
- ou have thought about starting a business online, you could launch it with a blog.
Blogging is popular for many reasons. It’s easy. It’s inexpensive. It can be profitable and it’s quite fun! Start your own blog today!
Julianne Alvarez-Wish is a military wife, mother, business owner, professional writer, blogger and legislative advocate. She is the Director of Communications for Our Milk Money, the Colorado State Leader for the National Association for Moms in Business and the owner of Buy By Mom and Buy By Mom Blog. She is the Colorado Springs Stay-at-Home Mom Examiner for Examiner.com. She also blogs at A Wishful Thought. Her passion, purpose and goal is to help parents work from home so they can be home with their children.
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