Successful Blogging In Just 7 Simple Steps

You’ve decided to blog. Wonderful!

After a few posts, sit back, and ask yourself these questions:

1.) Why am I blogging? To create an author platform.

2.) What am I hoping to gain from blogging? Followers (potential buyers) that will revisit my site.

3.) Who am I targeting for a viewing audience? People who are interested in my genre.

To *Conquer All Obstacles* let’s assume blogging is a learned skill. Here are 7 Steps to help perfect your blogging skill:

#1 – How’s that title working for you? A headline has less than a second of a site visitor’s attention so it better be compelling. The title must catch the viewer’s attention and draw them into the rest of your post. Is your title short, worded to benefit the reader?

#2 – Include a picture. Images will hold the viewer a tad longer than a page filled with straight information.

#3 – Break up the information. Include subtitles or highlighted bold key words so the viewer just needs to scan and has the option to stop and absorb. Again, KISS – Simple is better.

#4 – Let your voice ring true. Show yourself—that you’re human. Conversational or informal language is more receptive and will hook your audience. Share experiences, interesting information to show credible authority; but also, include the odd error or mistake you’ve made in the past. Can you open yourself to show vulnerability? Transparency works wonders—draws attention, gains trustworthiness, and gathers true friends. Don’t forget to display a photo of yourself. Our brains are wired to create relationships with faces.

#5 – Chosen topic. To decide on the area or content for your article…research through past stats to check where your audience lingers the most, what topics have the greatest hits, and which posts gathered the highest number of comments. But don’t let that stop you from taking a chance. Slip in just one post and waiver from the usual and see what happens. Adding flavor doesn’t hurt. And you never know, another door may open.

#6 – Put your best stuff up top. Did you know the top of the page get about 17 times more exposure than the areas near the bottom of the page? If 40%-50% of the viewers leave your blog after the first page, take your best first step forward. Don’t leave the best for last. Think of this as a sprint instead of a long distance race. Present the best information first and in a tight manner.

#7- Presentation is everything. My husband hates when I say this, but it’s true. First impressions are longing impressions. A site that is simple to navigate and read will attract viewers. I’ve discovered reading through several subjective comments from site reviewers that most readers do not like music, flashy pictures, and wallpapered backgrounds. Again, KISS is the key ingredient to an attractive site.

Again, ask yourself…what is the purpose of your blog? If you’ve designed your blog to build an audience, you must serve the viewers. Now the blogging isn’t about you, it’s about them. It’s time to post your next posts and read your content through their eyes.

Reference – #6 Step facts collected.>Absolute Scrolling Report done by Clicktale Researchers. http://blog.clicktale.com/2007/12/04/clicktale-scrolling-research-report-v20-part-2-visitor-attention-and-web-page-exposure//i>

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