There is no magic formula for creating a successful blog, but there are some common attributes that can help a blog gain traffic and readership. Certainly there are blogs that seem to transcend these keys to success and still manage huge followings. But starting a blog from scratch, with little or no financial backing, a little experience and good rhetorical skills, it is still possible to have a successful blog.
I draw my personal experience not from blogging, though I do blog for my business, but from a commercial website I manage. The keys to blogging success are very similar to business on the web in general. Most professional search engine optimization companies would agree that “a blog is a business like any other and it should be treated as one” (freewebdesigntuscon.com). Volume and quality of traffic, therefore, are absolutely critical to success. There are several key strategies to increase traffic to your blog that nearly every "expert" on blogging agrees upon.
The following is a list of ten strategies to consider when crafting a blog:
1. Choose a topic that interests you. This will help fulfill that "personal satisfaction" that most bloggers agree leads to a successful blog. But more than that, your passion for the subject matter will show through into your content. Since sharing is a big part of blogging, enthusiasm for the subject of the blog will create interest and a genuine love for the content will only increase its authenticity.
2. Research blogs that have similar content. This will provide a background in what other bloggers are saying, how they appeal to their audience and may spark new conversations for your own content. You can also link your own content to the content of others. This opens up your readers to additional material, but it also creates a sense of greater community within your own blog. Think like your audience. What would they like to read? It probably aligns nicely with the blogs that draw you as an audience.
3. Develop content that is search engine friendly. Establish a Google Adwords account and search for terms within your area of interest. Adwords has great tools for establishing "trending" keywords. Knowing what keywords people are searching in Google may go a long way in being found among the millions of blogs that may be fighting for your audience. Don't, however, allow keywords to rule your content. Nor should you stuff your posts with keywords. Both the search engines and your audience will likely see right through this technique.
4. Develop a social media presence. This gives your readers yet another way to follow your posts and gives you another way to be seen by potential audience members. You can even advertise on Facebook, which allows bloggers to drill down and target people with specific interests. Depending on your chosen topic, these ads can be relatively inexpensive and you can control exactly how much you want to spend per day.
5. Post regularly, but at a pace that your average reader can keep up with. Remember, a given audience member is probably reading several blogs in addition to yours, so don't post so much content in a given week that your average reader will feel lost. Many experts suggest that for a blog with a narrow focus, three to four posts a week will keep your audience engaged.
The advantages of a short blog post. Video by www.5minutesformom.com
6. Find an appropriate word length. You can vary this, but a majority of your articles should be of a length that can be read over a 30 minute lunch break. According to the BBC, "Ever on the lookout for engaging content, most online viewers spend less than 60 seconds at an average site" (bbc.co.uk). But keep in mind that "generally the search engines like content at least 300 words long" (www.successfulblogging.com). If you're just starting out, it is advisable to post more often so that you can build up enough content to allow your audience to browse your blog. Archives are great not only for search engines, but also to establish credibility.
7. Acknowledge your readers' posts by replying to comments. Develop a conversation with your audience and engage them. Many bloggers become friends with their audience. This increases not only your own satisfaction, but the satisfaction of your audience, which keeps them coming back.
8. Pay attention to the numbers. Look beyond the daily page views and try to analyze your blog data. Are there particular days of the week that your readers generally visit? Are there certain subjects that draw a bigger audience? Does article length have anything to do with the amount of time users spend on your blog?
9. Vary your content. Include a mix of pictures, video and sound. These elements can help break up text and can even eliminate the need for some text, creating a more compact, but richer overall document for your readers. You may also ask other bloggers to "guest blog" for you. In return, you can write for other's blogs and gain audience members from additional exposure.
10. Decide whether you want to make money on your blog. There are a variety of ways to make money on a blog, from selling static ads to signing up for an ad service, such as AdSense. If a steady stream of revenue is how you define success, then researching all the different ways to capitalize on your blog traffic is a prudent time investment.
Not everyone is interested in making money or having millions of unique visitors on their blog. Blogging is such a new and dynamic form of rhetoric that most bloggers define success differently. Even within the above strategies there are instances in which these elements can backfire within a given audience. But the right combination of passion, dedication and content can certainly lead to success. The following is a case study of one such blog that has had a measure of success.
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