Anyone can create a blog – that’s the beauty of the Web. The real difference is whether you’re doing what it takes to make it successful.
Here’s the thing…
The success depends on your goals (money, recognition, etc.). Yes, it would be great to receive millions of visitors a day and earn a lot of money but even a dozen visitors can be a monumental accomplishment. You can be successful with just a few conversions depending on your goals.
Small and large blogs repeat the same routine and strategies. The main difference is A) the amount of content, B) popularity, C) traffic, and D) conversions. This is all possible no matter the size.
Let me tell you how to close the gap – what you can do to make your blog success even when the industry and market seem dominated by the “big boys”.
Element #1: Socializing & Networking
The blog goes nowhere if you’re not making friends, business connections, and building a community.
Why?
There are billions of pages of content on the Web. People stick to the first page of results and even then, they rarely scroll past the fold. A social mention or recommendation by a key player in the industry not only helps build your credibility but also introduces you to their community. It allows you to leverage their popularity (and social buzz).
There are a few ways to tap into this:
- Work with a marketing agency, Social Vantage, to roll-out social media campaigns to reach your audience and build a community
- Offer help to the big players in the industry or guest post on their site
- Ask for it – tell people to share the content and leave reviews
Come up together with other bloggers in your niche that started around the same time. You’ll form a group that helps promote each other’s’ work.
Element #2: Great Content
Great content is the cornerstone of it all.
Content should be:
- Entertaining
- Educational
- Controversial
There are plenty of formats to use. Online video is particularly powerful (since it’s also available on YouTube and other streaming channels). Long-form content becomes evergreen and will often be the main generators of traffic. News and short pieces keep the site updated and fresh (Google loves this).
The early content will be rough around the edges but eventually, you’ll hit your stride. Just listen to the community, write what they want to hear, but keep your voice and edge. Over time you’ll amass a following that will share everything you publish which bumps the traffic and gives way to convert visitors into buyers or community members.
Element #3: SEO
What more can be said about SEO that hasn’t been covered?
Take a week to devour SEO blog posts, follow through an SEO video course, and practice it on small, experimental sites. Then roll out the strategies that work to your blog. It’s an on-going, learning experience but the fundamentals stay the same – SEO + Content + Branding = Success.
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Other factors to consider including security, speed, and maintenance will play a key part. Yet, if you were to dedicate your day to just a handful of activities I would recommend the following:
- Comment, email, or participate in a discussion with at least on admired player in the niche
- Produce one fresh piece of content for the site (or exclusive pieces for social)
- Tweak the site (for SEO and performance) and gain a backlink from a reputable source
Rinse and repeat. You’ll soon reach the traffic numbers you need to actualize your goals.