| Wednesday, January 9, 2008 |
| Plan ahead for successful blogging |
One of the reasons many blogs fail is because of poor planning. If you want a successful blog, you need a plan. Too many beginning bloggers see blogging as a quick way to make money online, but it's not. It takes time, creativity and lots of careful thought.
Your blog's topic
Do you already have a topic picked out? Think carefully about this. Before you decide to create one more blog about blogging, making money online, writing, working at home, or one of many other topics saturating the blogosphere, be sure you're offering something different. It's getting to the point where a lot of bloggers are just rehashing content, a sure way to keep readers away.
Research others in your niche
If you truly think you have a great idea, research your niche to see what else is out there.
Look at other popular blogs on the subject and think about how you can do it different and better. What are the other blogs missing? How can that particular community benefit from your blog?
Choose your platform
Do you know what platform to use? There are plenty of choices. Some of them are free, some of them require a subscription fee, most are good. If this is your first foray into the world of blogging, it's recommended you choose a platform that's beginner friendly. Both Blogger and Wordpress.com are great platforms for beginners.
Plan your design
Choose a design befitting your niche. There are plenty of free themes available for the different platforms or you or someone you hire can design a custom theme. Take care not to make it look too cluttered. Plan the design so the topics are easy to find and it's pleasing to the eye. If you're using advertising, leave room for them at eye level.
Research monetization methods
Are you planning to make money blogging? If so, you'll want to research the best monetization methods. Many new bloggers automatically assume Adsense is the only solution for them, and this couldn't be farther from the truth. Your blog can be a vessel to sell your own products and books, you can look into affiliate advertising or even sell your own ads. While Adsense works well for many, it's not the only game in town.
Schedule your time accordingly
How much time do you hope to put into blogging. If it's a few minutes each day, you're not cut out for it! Blogging is a big time commitment. In addition to posting one to several times daily, you're going to have to take some time each day to work on social networking and promotion.
Should you have your own domain?
Not all bloggers use their own domain, many use a subdomain belonging to their blog platform or other network. While this is fine for the beginning blogger, serious bloggers need to consider whether or not they'll want to blog on someone else's subdomain if they become popular. Not only is owning your own domain good SEO, but it'll also save you from having to move your blog later.
How will others find your blog?
Do you have a marketing or promotional strategy? Other people have to find your blog and for this you'll need a plan. Will you use social networking to bring others to your blog? Perhaps you're planning on doing some guest blogging or even want to take out a press release. If you want really decent daily traffic, the promotional efforts and pimping never stop.
These are just some of the considerations for anyone planning a blog. Taking the time to plot out your course of action can mean the difference between a very successful blog and one that doesn't even get out of the gate.Labels: Plan ahead for successful blogging |
posted by Blogger Menulis @ 3:34 PM  |
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