Business Information Blog

Posts Tagged ‘Blog’

As promised here is the first in a series of posts that I’ll write about the 31 “success ingredients” that I chose to set and accomplish for my blog, as I felt once I had achieved them all, I’d be exactly where I wish to be. Now that isn’t to say that I won’t add in an aspect here or there as they come along, but these 31 are the priorities when I sit down at my computer, and start working.

Now the first goal I chose (and these are in no particular order of importance) was guest posting. The reason I did is because I feel that in order to spread the word that your blog is online, and open for business you have to get in front of them. Now obviously the more people you can get in front of the more that will potentially click over and visit your website, and hopefully become loyal readers if the match between you happens to be a good one.

Guest posting not only opens you up to a new audience, but also has the nice added bonus of providing you with a couple of contextual backlinks from them to your site which as you know carries not only SEO weight, but also a few traveling web surfers from time to time. That traffic will start to add up over time, and as you start to become a regular contributor on some of the larger blogs, in fact eventually if you do it long enough, you’ll be one of those “larger” blogs!

Always remember to submit high quality pieces, and don’t be tempted to hold them back and use them on your own site. Your readers already know what a great writer you are now is your chance to expand into new territories.

Another thing I’ll point out is, make sure you check out the guest posting guidelines that the blog author has gone to the trouble of writing out, he did this so that he can help streamline the process between you and he/she and make things crystal clear on just what they expect. This also tells you in no uncertain terms that that particular blog does indeed accept guest posts, and you don’t waste time sending off your work and waiting a week or so to find out that aren’t in the market.

Guest posting not only opens you up to a new audience, but also has the nice added bonus of providing you with a couple of contextual backlinks from them to your site which as you know carries not only SEO weight, but also a few traveling web surfers from time to time. That traffic will start to add up over time, and as you start to become a regular contributor on some of the larger blogs, in fact eventually if you do it long enough, you’ll be one of those “larger” blogs!

Always remember to submit high quality pieces, and don’t be tempted to hold them back and use them on your own site. Your readers already know what a great writer you are now is your chance to expand into new territories.

Another thing I’ll point out is, make sure you check out the guest posting guidelines that the blog author has gone to the trouble of writing out, he did this so that he can help streamline the process between you and he/she and make things crystal clear on just what they expect. This also tells you in no uncertain terms that that particular blog does indeed accept guest posts, and you don’t waste time sending off your work and waiting a week or so to find out that aren’t in the market.

Guest posting seems to be the one thing you hear people (myself included) saying they wish they did more of, which tells me we all see the potential, but aren’t quite living up to our potential of fulfilling it to our maximum benefit.

I’ve chosen to list out 31 blogs in my niche that I’d love to guest post on, and I’ve left another 31 spots open for blogs that come along in my day to day travels and that fit with my topic also. As I submit and have a post accepted I make a check beside the appropriate blog. It is my contention that when I have 100+ guest posts on my chosen blogs I’ll be seeing one aspect of my blogs success fulfilled.

Many people start their blogs on hosted platforms. Hosted blogging solutions can be a good way to start, because they’re free and they’re generally trusted in the search engines. But there are perils associated with hosting a blog on someone else’s server.

For one thing, you’re at the mercy of the owner of the platform. Blogger has been known to delete blogs without warning, simply because they felt the blog was too much like spam or too commercial.

WordPress doesn’t allow affiliate links to be used on their blogs, so making money by hosting a blog on their servers is difficult. Ideally, you should start your blog on your own server, preferably in the root of the domain.

Some people have their blog in a subdirectory, such as yourdomain.com/blog. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but putting your blog on its own domain can have special benefits.

For one thing, a root domain often ranks better in the search engines than a subdirectory.

Putting your blog on the main domain (just yourdomain.com) can help it rank better, and might even give it a little more credibility in the eyes of your visitors. For another thing, people generally prefer a blog over a content site.

If you have some sort of content site on the root domain, then you have a blog in a subdirectory, people may come to your domain specifically to read your blog. If your blog isn’t easy to find, they may leave and never come back.

Most people who host a blog on their own server use WordPress. If you host the software on your own server, you’re free to have affiliate links if you wish. WordPress also has a lot of support in the form of themed templates and plugins.

Desire to Learn

When you’re a professional blogger, you’re a perpetual student. Web technologies are constantly changing, and you’re going to need to be able to keep up with these changes to ensure your blog is cutting edge, featuring the best and newest capabilities.

You’ll also need to constantly research your blog topics so you can provide your readers with the latest information and trends.

Captivating writing

Blogs require more than great technical writing skills. They also require the ability to infuse personality into your posts. There are literally thousands of blogs to choose from and readers will quickly stray if your posts aren’t written in a fashion that holds their attention.

Ability to Handle Criticism

When you blog, you’re publishing your personal opinions for all to read. It will be impossible to win every reader over, so there are very high chances that you will receive some critical responses to your posts.

If you’re serious about professional blogging, you’ll have to have a thick skin and now how to respond to criticism without offending and losing readers.

Revenue Sources

Before you quite your day job, you’re going to want to have a solid revenue plan in place. This will likely require advertising in your blog.

Or, you can also become a professional blogger by contracting your writing ability out to companies who have blogs they want maintained. If you choose this route, you’ll need to be willing to alter your tone according to their branding standards.

Marketing

So you have a fabulous topic that you’re passionate about and you’ve fine-tuned your voice. Now you have to get readers to your blog. This is where marketing knowledge and a solid strategy will come into play. Before you dive into blogging, you’ll want to do your research and learn how to attract and retain readers.

The idea of becoming a professional blogger is extremely appealing to many individuals. It means a welcomed departure from the daily grind of the “9 to 5” work world. Blogging also provides people with a creative outlet to write about the topics they’re passionate about.

But blogging is also hard work that requires specific skills before many can achieve success. Here are some important factors to take into serious consideration before you dive into the world of professional blogging.

Passion

For a successful blog, you’ll need to identify the topics you’re most passionate about and want to share through your writing. These topics must be ones that you can write about weekly, sometimes even daily. I blog about personal finance and credit cards because I’m passionate about the importance of financial literacy. If your passion starts to falter, it will come through in the quality of the posts. So be sure the topics you choose are ones that you’ll want to write about in a long-term capacity.

Time

To make sizable income, you will probably need to have several blogs that you are operating at any given time. Do you have the time in your schedule to keep three, four or even more blogs up to date?

Priorities

As the owner of your blogs, there will be days that you will work around the clock to ensure that the work is done. Think about your other current commitments, whether they’re other jobs, family, friends, hobbies or organizations in which you have membership. Are you willing to make sacrifices in these areas when necessary to ensure your blogs are up-to-date and properly marketed?