FollowThere is a lot more to blogging that what some people may think. I mean, anyone that can write can certainly try their hand at blogging. It is becoming or being a successful blogger that takes some knowledge and perseverance.
Successful blogging certainly does not happen overnight. Some bloggers are have perfected their craft and others just need a little push or guidance in the right direction. One thing for certain, blogs are not to be viewed as regular business websites. Read these 8 ways to be a better blogger as these tips may put you a little closer to your goal.
8 Ways to Be a Better Blogger
1. Show Some Personality- Whether you are a niche blogger or an all-around blogger, the idea is to post interesting content to engage your readers. Content on blogs is quite different than what is posted on corporate websites. Therefore, do not be afraid to let your readers know a little about you. In other words, tell them some things about your everyday life.
2. Engage with Other Bloggers- One way you can become a better blogger is to engage yourself in the blogging community. Leave comments on other blogger’s posts that are of interest to you. Chances are they or another blogger will leave a comment or two on your blog, somewhere down the road.
3. Picture It- Make sure that you have pictures on each post that you publish. Although words can be powerful and content is king, visually appealing pictures will catch the eyes of the reader.
4. Guest Post- Submit a guest post on another blog. This blog post will be read by the blog’s readers. If the blog owner approves, your name and website address will be displayed either at the beginning or the end of the guest post you have written. You will also have a backlink from that blog to yours. This will help in your page rank.
5. Be Passionate- Make sure that you write about something that you love. If you choose to write about something that you do not like or have limited knowledge of, it will show in your writing. Write with conviction and be passionate about it.
6. Install Akismet- There are many plugins available for those that are on WordPress. One of the first plugins you should install is the Akismet plugin. This plugin, once activated will direct spam comments left on your blog into a folder named “Spam”. It is up to you to check this folder in your WordPress dashboard and delete the spam comments. Make sure you read the spam comments as there is a rare occasion in which blog comments that are not spam will end up in the spam folder.
7. Install Google Sitemap Generator- Google Sitemap Generator is a tool that is website owners install on their websites. You can get this tool from Google or even a third party website. This tool informs the search engines that you have website pages that they can crawl. Some of these generators will detect updates to your website (when you publish new content) and/or monitor your website traffic. This, of course, depends on where you get the Google Sitemap Generator from.
8. Monetize Your Website- Many bloggers choose to monetize their websites. There are many programs available for you to earn a residual income depending on the amount of traffic that your blog generates. Google AdSense, Amazon Affiliate Program, Share-A-Sale, and Commission Junction are just a few programs that are out there. Another way you can monetize your website is to accept sponsored posts or sell ad space to interested parties.
Becoming a better blogger does not happen overnight. It does take a lot of work and commitment to keep your traffic entertained and informed. Remember that your goal is to keep your old traffic and find new readers as well. Following the 8 ways to be a better blogger that is listed above might help you in your endeavour.
