There are some things that you need to think about whenever you start a new blog or decide to take an existing one in a new direction. In this article we'll be looking at topics such as the name of the blog, the topics that it will cover, your posting schedule and your writing style.
What Will Your Blog Be Called
Unless you have already started your blog, one of the first decisions you need to make is what you are going to call it. There are usually two broad choices to start with - whether you will brand the blog after your own name or pick something that is more related to the topic.
If you are branding yourself with the intention of marketing your personal services then naming your blog after yourself is a great move as you will always be able to use it to promote what you. This is especially useful if you're not sure what direction your blog will move in over time. But if you are building a blog around a specific topic which may not be part of you long-term then you may be better off with a niche-related name and domain.
What Topics Will You Blog About?
Some people find that their first blog starts out as a bit of a broad mish-mash of anything and everything they can think of and as such it ends up covering a large number of possibly unrelated topics. This is not really a good idea as most readers will only want to read a handful of your posts.
It is much better to spend some time outlining a small group of related topics to cover. You can then categorise your posts which makes it easier for visitors to find what they are looking for.
Setting a Schedule for Blog Posts
Many people advise you to blog every day when launching a new blog with the theory being that the more you post the more people will come to your blog. However many blog readers find that blogs that post every day or even multiple times a day are simply too much and they can't keep up with them.
In my experience, the actual posting schedule really doesn't matter all that much. Many readers will consume their blogs via RSS feeds and will read your posts at their convenience, not yours. There are many successful bloggers that only post once a week.
One trend that I see with many blogs is that the blogger starts out enthusiastically by posting every day or even many times per day but over time he either loses steam, finds it too time consuming or simply runs out of stuff to say and then the schedule starts to slip and the posts become less frequent. This is noticeable to the reader and it does not look good!
Personally, I would suggest the opposite approach - start off slowly with a nice gentle schedule that you know you can stick to. Over time if you feel you wish to do more then slowly increase it but don't do it the other way around!
Do You Have a Particular Writing Style?
I have often read advice that suggests that you should establish who your target audience is (this is good) and then alter your writing style to fit and that part is not so good. People will read your blog for its content and if you try to write in a style that is not comfortable for you it will show. Your blog is a reflection if you, your thoughts, opinions and passions and so on. Let the real you shine!
As for the style of the content itself, again this is highly personal. Each of us is different and you should write in your own style and not how you think your readers want you to write. Some people like to use humor, others prefer to stick to dry facts, some people like to rustle up some controversy and so on. Do what works for you.
Another consideration is post length. The only real factor that should have any influence would be your posting frequency. If you post multiple times a day you would expect your post length to be on average shorter than a blogger who just posts once per week. But other than that, simply post whatever feels right to you. Trying to expand on a short post or cut down on a long one can seriously stifle your creativity.
You can never please all the people all the time anyway so trying to change your posting style to suit one particular group is futile. The people who like your style will hang around and those who don't will go elsewhere. This is the simple truth and it's not something to worry about at all!
What Will Your Blog Be Called
Unless you have already started your blog, one of the first decisions you need to make is what you are going to call it. There are usually two broad choices to start with - whether you will brand the blog after your own name or pick something that is more related to the topic.
If you are branding yourself with the intention of marketing your personal services then naming your blog after yourself is a great move as you will always be able to use it to promote what you. This is especially useful if you're not sure what direction your blog will move in over time. But if you are building a blog around a specific topic which may not be part of you long-term then you may be better off with a niche-related name and domain.
What Topics Will You Blog About?
Some people find that their first blog starts out as a bit of a broad mish-mash of anything and everything they can think of and as such it ends up covering a large number of possibly unrelated topics. This is not really a good idea as most readers will only want to read a handful of your posts.
It is much better to spend some time outlining a small group of related topics to cover. You can then categorise your posts which makes it easier for visitors to find what they are looking for.
Setting a Schedule for Blog Posts
Many people advise you to blog every day when launching a new blog with the theory being that the more you post the more people will come to your blog. However many blog readers find that blogs that post every day or even multiple times a day are simply too much and they can't keep up with them.
In my experience, the actual posting schedule really doesn't matter all that much. Many readers will consume their blogs via RSS feeds and will read your posts at their convenience, not yours. There are many successful bloggers that only post once a week.
One trend that I see with many blogs is that the blogger starts out enthusiastically by posting every day or even many times per day but over time he either loses steam, finds it too time consuming or simply runs out of stuff to say and then the schedule starts to slip and the posts become less frequent. This is noticeable to the reader and it does not look good!
Personally, I would suggest the opposite approach - start off slowly with a nice gentle schedule that you know you can stick to. Over time if you feel you wish to do more then slowly increase it but don't do it the other way around!
Do You Have a Particular Writing Style?
I have often read advice that suggests that you should establish who your target audience is (this is good) and then alter your writing style to fit and that part is not so good. People will read your blog for its content and if you try to write in a style that is not comfortable for you it will show. Your blog is a reflection if you, your thoughts, opinions and passions and so on. Let the real you shine!
As for the style of the content itself, again this is highly personal. Each of us is different and you should write in your own style and not how you think your readers want you to write. Some people like to use humor, others prefer to stick to dry facts, some people like to rustle up some controversy and so on. Do what works for you.
Another consideration is post length. The only real factor that should have any influence would be your posting frequency. If you post multiple times a day you would expect your post length to be on average shorter than a blogger who just posts once per week. But other than that, simply post whatever feels right to you. Trying to expand on a short post or cut down on a long one can seriously stifle your creativity.
You can never please all the people all the time anyway so trying to change your posting style to suit one particular group is futile. The people who like your style will hang around and those who don't will go elsewhere. This is the simple truth and it's not something to worry about at all!
About the Author:
Caroline Middlebrook has been blogging in the Internet marketing niche since 2007 and her popular blog generates a 4-figure revenue-stream each month. She teaches you how blogs make money and has downloads of her free guides & courses from her website.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment