Are you thinking about becoming a blogger? Or, do you already manage a blog but find it difficult to achieve a healthy work-life balance?
If so, read on. This article will help you efficiently and effectively achieve blogging success.
1. Create a three-year plan
Don’t start a blog thinking you’re going to have a million page views and subscribers right away. Not only is that overnight success unlikely to happen, but those unrealistic expectations can lead to disappointment and demotivation.
Instead, draft a plan with short- and long-term goals, including what you plan to achieve by the end of your third year of hard work. Use the other tips from this article, and make your plan S.M.A.R.T. (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound).
2. Look the part
Like it or not, people will judge your blog on its design aesthetics.
Not a design whiz? Build your blog on an attractive pre-designed template instead of trying to create something from scratch. With WordPress.com, you can start an attractive blog for free.
3. Become an SEO expert
The people behind top-ranking blogs understand search engine optimization (SEO).
There’s a lot involved — keywords, metadata, backlinks evergreen content, etc. — but if you want your blog to rank high in search results, you need to learn SEO basics now, not later.
4. Pay yourself
When becoming a blogger, it’s a good idea to plan to pay yourself. Doing something you love for free is fun for a bit, but getting paid to do something you love will help sustain your passion over the long haul.
If you’re on WordPress.com, here’s how to monetize your blog.
5. Expect expenses
Think of your blogging expenses as investments that should generate a return on investment (ROI).
For instance, to jump-start your blog and gain a following, you might benefit from investing in online advertising to quickly reach your target audience. Always keep ROI in mind when considering expenses and investments.
6. Find heroes and copy them
Find a few bloggers in your sector whom you admire. Follow them, interact with them, and borrow the strategies and tools that make them successful while still being uniquely you.
7. Know more
The more you know about the sector you blog in, the better. Knowledge, expertise, and experience will give you unique insights into your sector, which can be used to create unique and insightful content that people will care about.
8. Go beyond words
Great copy on your blog articles is an essential first step to becoming a successful blogger. But to take your blog to the next level, you’ll want articles that contain quality photos, videos, and infographics that further entertain, engage, and inform your visitors.
9. Be social
Social media is a great tool you can use for free (or via paid ads) to promote your message and connect with new fans. Don’t be afraid to use it.
Be social with your email marketing efforts as well, distributing your latest blog content or special insider promotions to your subscribers.
Note: “Be social” does not mean spamming.
10. Balance quality and frequency
You should always produce high-quality content. Period. If that means you produce less content, so be it. Having one quality SEO-optimized blog article is better than having 10 junk articles.
That being said, if you can produce a high volume of high-quality content without burning out, there are many benefits of doing so (as Neil Patel points out).
11. Measure and improve your performance
You can’t improve something you’re not measuring. Identify and measure your blog’s key performance indicators, such as daily visitors, social shares, etc., and know which articles performed best and worst.
You can track this information through your WordPress.com analytics dashboard or upgrade to a plugin-enabled plan to get Google Analytics. Then, use this data to improve.
Now, go forth and blog.
Get advice from WordPress blogging experts
WordPress.com is hosting free weekly webinars on website building, blogging, and eCommerce.
That includes our Quick Start Blogging webinar, which provides tips for starting your own blog and making your voice heard online. View our upcoming webinar schedule and register for the next live event.
View a past presentation of the Quick Start Blogging webinar
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