What you need to know...
OK, so let’s start off with the basics…
What is a blog?
Simply put, a blog is a tool that can help develop an online presence, attract leads, and engage with an audience. It’s often a series of editorial content centred around a central topic that demonstrates industry expertise — for instance, a catering company might write blog posts like “The 11 Best Appetisers to Serve to a Crowd” or “Stress-Free Dinner Parties: Recipes that are Prepared Ahead of Time”.
Most of a blog‘s traffic is driven organically — in other words, consumers will search for something on a search engine and click on your blog if it matches their intended topic. However, there are a lot of organisations competing for your audience’s attention, so it’s important to avoid common blog mistakes to stand out.
Tips & Tricks
Make sure you have time to maintain a blog. Successful blogging is due to regular and consistent posting about topics relevant to your business. Before you even think of pursuing a blog — with the intent to make money or simply as a hobby — you have to be real with yourself. Know your capabilities, as far as time and availability go.
“I think the main mistake I see in new bloggers is not being totally committed to what they’re doing,” says Jill Nystul, creator of phenom blog One Good Thing by Jillee. “You can’t do anything halfway in the blogging industry and expect to be successful.
I see a lot of people start blogs, post a few things over a couple of months, and then wonder why they’re aren’t getting any traffic. Commit to a topic and a posting schedule and show your readers that you are dedicated to providing great content consistently.”
Think Mobile
80% of internet users own a smartphone.
Chances are good that readers are accessing your blog on a mobile device, likely while they’re commuting to work, sitting in a waiting room, or logging miles on the treadmill. So along with establishing a good-looking design, you’ve also got to optimise for mobile users.
Talk About Yourself
This page is crucial for helping readers to get to know you, your purpose, and what they can expect to find on your site.
“This is one of the most highly trafficked pages on any blog, because it tells people who you are, gives your background, and explains why someone should follow you,” writes Matthew Karsten, travel blogger at The Expert Vagabond. “Keep it fun and personable. Let your readers know who you are!”
Instead of listing random facts about yourself, have a purposeful statement that answers the following questions:
- Who is your audience
- What value are you offering to readers
- What credibility does your blog have?
- Why are you passionate about what you do?
- What is your call to action?
Combat Internet Trolls
It seems like anyone who dares to send their work out into the web is, sadly, bound to face the ceaseless negativity of cyber bullies.
You don’t have to grin and bear it, though. Be intentional about combating the mean-spiritedness you might encounter (no boxing gloves required).
“For better or worse, I can be really emotionally affected by how people perceive or respond to my blog,” says Lindsay Ostrom, creator of viral food blog Pinch of Yum. “I wish I had that toughness factor, but what I have is more like Sensitivity with a capital S. So I set rules for myself when it comes to reading and processing my social media content and blog comments. Bottom line: be selective about what voices you let speak into your life.”
Don't be a copycat
Imitation may be the highest form of flattery, but in the blogosphere, it’s just plain ol’ copying. And it’s not going to do anything for your online rep — readers can see right through it. With the inundation of blogs and content creators out there, it can be H-A-R-D to produce content that’s new, fresh, and original. But for a quality blog, a loyal following, and a distinguished brand, it’s more than essential to think outside the box.
“It’s important to remember that you need to create your own original content,” the Looneys say.
“A lot of people go to the same places and pose in the exact same way as big travel bloggers. That’s not creative or original. That’s copying someone else’s work, which doesn’t tell anything about you or your story.”
Build a blog that allows people to get to know you — and what you’re passionate about, not just simply posting a CTRL + C reproduction of similar work produced in your field or industry. Be aware of the exhausted been-there-done-that content and remember: followers will reward the extra effort you take to put your own touch on what you produce.
Blogging General Structure
Attention grabbing headline.- Post metadata. Simple and understated.
- Body text should have a large, legible font with plenty of padding and breathing room.
- Each post should have at least one key image near the top of the post. Unique, non-stock images are best. More is usually better.
- Your blog should use short, tight paragraphs and a variety of sub-headings, lists and indentations. Keep reading simple and easy.
- Social Sharing and Commenting – Simple in-line call-to-actions like Click To Tweet links make for an easy sharing experience.
- End with a question or an idea that prompts the reader to comment.
- Save social sharing for the end. Focus on a few key networks.
- Right hand sidebars are more traditional, but also more familiar. In some cases you may not need a sidebar at all.
- The best call-to-action focuses on converting a visitor to a reader.
- Ads or other call-to-actions should serve the goal of making a visitor a long-time reader.
- Search is not always a ‘must have’, but is usually a ‘good to have’.
- Recent posts and categories are not as important as you think. Use them at your discretion.
- Yes, its ok to have white space in your sidebar
Bloging Do's and Don'ts
- Get right to the point and keep postings short. Remember, the attention span of your audience is very short!
- In your posts, answer questions, including who, what, where, when, why and how, related to whatever topics you’re writing about.
- Use a conversational and friendly tone, but be professional. Write like you talk.
- Proofread your work carefully before publishing it. Your posts should never contain spelling, punctuation or grammar errors.
- Use short sentences that don’t contain overly complicated words. Always keep your audience in mind, and write using language and vocabulary they’ll understand.
- Keep paragraphs to two or three sentences each, and utilise plenty of white space on the screen to avoid clutter and make the content look more presentable.
- Don’t overuse different typestyles, like bold, italic or underlined text. This can be distracting.
- Choose an easy-to-read font, and make sure the text appears large enough so it’s easy to view on any size screen. Avoid a font size that’s smaller than 10 points.
- Make sure your colour scheme is consistent with your image or brand, and that it, too, is easy on the eyes and not distracting.
- Whenever possible, use photos and graphics to reduce the amount of text in a blog entry and help tell a story or demonstrate a key point.
- Don’t ramble or include too much information within a single blog entry. If necessary, divide a topic into multiple parts.
- Put yourself in your target audience’s shoes, and make sure the blog content you’re creating is interesting, well-organised, entertaining, informative, unique and engaging.
- Maintain your branding and image. The content you publish as part of your blog should be consistent with everything else you’re doing online and in the real world.
- Use bulleted or numbered lists within your posts to quickly convey information. Posts that focus on a Top X list tend to be popular.
- When drawing from others’ ideas, cite them.
- Publish content consistently – use a calendar to track and create a schedule to manage.
- Create blog posts that serve your larger company goals.