I’ll bet you know that a blog can contribute to the growth of a business, it’s now time to learn how to create a blog that spells S-U-C-C-E-S-S.
What makes a blog a runaway winner? Can your blog make people become huge believers of your business? Ultimately, how can your blog leave an unforgettable impact?
There are 7 key principles that make a blog successful. And by successful I mean a blog that is far from being just a mumbo-jumbo of scammy, internet marketing words, but something that will actually help in boosting the credibility of your business. Let’s get started!
1. Successful blogs solve a problem or address a need or desire.
Your blog must be a blog of purpose. You don’t just blog because others do it, or you simply want to add new content on your website. You blog because it serves as an opportunity for you to highlight a problem and emphasize a solution. Your written words are meant to evoke something that people want, and your blog will give them ideas in achieving those wants.
Blogs are like successful TV programs. Successful TV programs have wide viewership because people learn something from them, or they are least entertained by them. In short, these TV programs add value to people’s lives. Think about this: how can your blog make people’s lives better?
2. Successful blogs have outstanding content or better.
One way for your business to stand out is to produce outstanding content. Remember that the more compelling your blog entries are, the more people will find them share-worthy. And the more people talk about your blog and share your entries with others, the higher your chances of gaining new customers or followers. Besides, the quality of the content that you put online is somewhat a reflection of who you are as a person. To put things simply, if you produce poor quality content, then you lose people. So always give your blog your best shot because your business and audience deserve it.
3. Successful blogs are different.
Newsflash: you are not the only online business owner slash blogger out there. In fact, there are literally thousands upon thousands of you. So how will your blog stand out from the rest? The great thing about blogging is that it will give you the opportunity to share your unique voice. Nobody else can best tell your stories and ideas than you can. So strive to differentiate your blog from the rest by adding your personal voice to it. Allow your written words to showcase your distinct personality. Give your blog entries an element of surprise. Inject your personal brand of humor if you like. Do not forget that one of the ways to keep people interested in reading your blog is if they get to encounter something new, fresh, different or interesting from it.
4. Successful blogs connect with readers.
Make yourself relatable by writing blog entries that feature some of your life experiences. Strive to put out content that will make people think and say, “Hey, that also happened to me!” Take note that people in general have shorter attention spans nowadays, so if your blog entries are far from being relatable, then do not expect that people will still be interested to read the rest of what you have to say. Most importantly, relatable blogs foster a sense of community among people. As we all know now, strong communities of people are very powerful elements of successful businesses.
5. Successful blogs have killer headlines.
Don’t you know that renowned publications such as The New York Times and Wall Street Journal hire people just to fulfil a specific role, which is to write attention-grabbing headlines? Again, people nowadays have short attention spans, and the truth is, your blog will normally be skipped if you do not have headlines that will grab people’s attention immediately. To give you an idea, some of my favorite killer headlines are from the blog of best-selling author and web designer, Paul Jarvis:
“The Most Useful Advice You’ll Ever Get From Me” – it gets you curious, so you click to read it!
“Why I’m So Negative About Positivity” – a relatable headline, isn’t it?
“Sales Advice From The World’s Crappiest Sales Person, aka, ME” – funny!
6. Successful blogs are well-designed and branded.
Think about your blog as an online hub, a clean, cool, and collective virtual space where your new and regular visitors alike can comfortably hang-out to discuss ideas. No, you do not have to put a lot unnecessary graphics and flashy animation on your website. Make sure that your visitors are not distracted from focusing on your content. Thus, go for a website that has a simple yet clean-looking design.
7. Successful blogs are published consistently.
Have you ever experienced subscribing to a weekly newsletter or monthly magazine subscription that missed out on releasing even just one issue of their material? If yes, then how did you feel about it? Blogging consistently is one of the biggest challenges faced by online entrepreneurs today. Schedules can get so hectic that sometimes, a week or a month goes by without any blogging activity. As a result, some of your regular site visitors begin to wonder: “What happened to you?”
Blogging consistently is one way to stand out from the rest of the competition. This just shows that you are always brimming with ideas to share and provides you with a chance to keep the interest of your people to your business. Most importantly, consistency in publishing your blog entries shows that you are and will always be true to your word.
Now that you know these 7 principles, it’s time to put them all into action! Bloggers out there, do you have other tips to share to make blogging a hugely enjoyable and successful experience? Soon-to-be-bloggers, do you have other questions or concerns in mind? Share them all in the comments section below!