One popular post can bring your more traffic and links than a month’s worth of your usual content.
In this post, I want to set you a challenge with the potential to launch your blog into the stratosphere.
Make the next post you write your most popular post ever.
The following ten tips form my key advice for tackling this task. I used all of them when hitting the Digg front page for the first time. There’s no blueprint you can follow to write an incredibly popular post, but you won’t have a chance unless you try. I’m confident these tips will give you a good shot at success.
1. Time is more important than talent.
Work on something for eight hours and you can bet it will be good. You don’t need to spend that long, however (though that’s how long it took me to craft the first post I wrote that hit the Digg front page). More time means you can refine, format and fill your post with plenty of value. Take the time to really craft your content. It will show in the finished product.
2. Use your best idea.
A post will never become wildly popular unless it fulfills a need, and does so emphatically. What’s something your niche wants but hasn’t got yet? Can you assemble a whole lot of really awesome (targeted) resources in one place? The more your posts helps people, the better it will do.
3. Use formatting to your advantage.
These days, social media is key when it comes to launching your posts into the stratosphere. Social media users are notoriously spoiled for choice, however. Use formatting to emphasize the best aspects of your post. Hone in on your funniest lines, your most profound bits of advice, your best resources. Make them stand out.
4. Brainstorm headlines.
There are probably one or two bloggers who’ve completely mastered the art of writing headlines for social media (you’ll know who they are). The rest of us haven’t been blessed with such skills. When you see a great headline, chances are it’s option #12 of a dozen choices. Few of us can think of a great headline straight away. Spend ten minutes brainstorming and you’re bound to stumble across something that works. A weak headline will cripple your post’s chances of success. It’s essential that you put a lot of work into getting it right.
5. Invest plenty of value in your post.
Ever bookmarked or voted for something without completely reading it? We’ve all done it. It’s because of the ‘Wow’ factor — the presence of enough promised value in one place gets the reader enthusiastic about the post straight away. Instead of 5 tips, why not share 50? Instead of 9 resources, why not 40 or more?
6. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
If your post looks good, it will draw readers in. Take the time to add images, thumbnails and formatting to what you create. Make your post a visual feast. With so much web content presented in a bland way, your post is guaranteed to stand out.
7. Tell them what you’re going to tell them.
Readers will skip your waffly introduction. You can say the same in less words, particularly when you’re writing for an impatient reader: someone who wants to get straight into your tips/resources/opinions. Use your introduction to highlight why the reader should stick with your post. There’s a reason my post introductions mainly consist of: “In this post, I’m going to do this, this and that.” It’s what people really want to know: what am I getting in exchange for my attention?
8. Send messages with links.
The best way to get a blogger to investigate your blog is by linking to them. We’ve got a natural desire to know what’s being said about us. If your post becomes really popular, each link inside it should send enough traffic outwards to be worth investigating. Be generous with your outbound links when writing your most popular post. It gives other bloggers an incentive to link to you, because it’s ultimately more promotion for them.
9. Utilize your network.
If you want people to Digg, Stumble or Reddit your post, there’s no reason why you need to sit back with fingers crossed and hope it happens. Ask them. Your loyal readers like you. You entertain them, or teach them, or help them. If voting is a simple matter of clicking a link they’ll be more than happy to do so. Ask for votes in your post and email readers and social media influencers. In most cases you will need to get the snowball rolling. After that, others will do most of the work for you.
Bonus tip:
10. Examine what worked before.
Study your most popular posts so far. What’s common about them? Why did they work? What needs did they address? In creating your most popular post, it’s important to learn by example and build on what has worked for your blog in the past. Another good idea is to analyze the most popular posts on other blogs in your niche. Why did they work? What’s remarkable about them? You can transfer those qualities over into what you write.
Showing posts with label Great Blogging Tips. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Great Blogging Tips. Show all posts
Monday, August 18, 2008
Monday, July 28, 2008
How to Choose a Social Media Site That Fits Your Blog
Choose a site where your target audience is hanging out.
Don’t choose a site just because other bloggers are talking about it. Digg and Twitter are popular social media sites. However, you may not want to participate on Digg if you have a wedding blog or Twitter if you have a dog blog.
How can you tell if your target audience is hanging out at a certain social media site?
1) Use the search box
2) Check popular blogs
3) Monitor front page
4) Ask bloggers
Here are some under the radar social media sites to consider.
YouTube
MySpace
Facebook
forums
niche social media sites
Try a testing and experimenting period of a week to a month.
Does the site drive traffic?
Do you like the people there?
Focus on one site at a time.
There’s a learning curve to know and understand a community.
It takes time to build a reputation.
Please leave feedback. Which social media site has worked for you? What niche are you in?
Don’t choose a site just because other bloggers are talking about it. Digg and Twitter are popular social media sites. However, you may not want to participate on Digg if you have a wedding blog or Twitter if you have a dog blog.
How can you tell if your target audience is hanging out at a certain social media site?
1) Use the search box
2) Check popular blogs
3) Monitor front page
4) Ask bloggers
Here are some under the radar social media sites to consider.
YouTube
MySpace
forums
niche social media sites
Try a testing and experimenting period of a week to a month.
Does the site drive traffic?
Do you like the people there?
Focus on one site at a time.
There’s a learning curve to know and understand a community.
It takes time to build a reputation.
Please leave feedback. Which social media site has worked for you? What niche are you in?
Proof That You Don't Have to Write on a Daily Basis to Be a Success
Think Simple Now—Tina Sue really has perfected the art of infrequent and successful blogging. Previously, she used to write around two articles per week, but now she writes around a single article per week. However, all of her content is absolutely phenomenal. It is very well written and presented. She also has a great blog design that I can see is effective at giving her traffic things to do on her site other than simply leaving after they are done reading an article. The fascinating thing is that I am interested in very little of what she writes about, but it so written beautifully that I just have to read more. If that isn't a sign of amazing writing, I don't know what is.
DoshDosh—Maki published around six blog posts per month. The DoshDosh blog features a truly unique style by associating anime characters with posts, and, ironically enough, it turns out to be a truly unique experience. As I've said before, it is up to you to find your unique style, and DoshDosh is a pure example of this. The content is also very well written. Again, I must emphasize that the posting frequency is low, but the content is great.
Self Made Chick—Christine OKelly has a wonderful assortment of in-depth blog posts about making money, working from home, and improving your life. The one thing that is consistent on her blog is the fact that all of the content is in-depth and detailed. Her posting frequency is very low for today's standard, but it also proves that you don't need to post on a daily basis to be a successful blogger. Christine also makes great use of pull-quotes, images, and lists throughout her content.
From Ordinary to Extraordinary
Ordinary people who are doing extraordinary things and experiencing success are those who take the time to create great content. There are many similarities with these blogs, but the one that stands out most is that the content is superb. This echos what I have been stating on Performancing that the quality, not quantity, has taken the leading role in promoting a blogger's success.
What I am saying is to consider forgetting about posting frequency if it is going to prevent you from creating the highest quality content you can publish. After all, New York Times best sellers take months, even years to develop into what they become; why should this be any different with individual blog content?
The previously mentioned blogs have reassured me that this is the future of success. Chances are just as high that it will work for you. If you blog on a daily basis, why not consider slowing down to every other day if you believe you could create content that is much better?
Think about it! Let me know what your feelings are on this subject in the comments below. Point out any other blogs that post relatively infrequent but create superb content. I'm interested in finding these types of authors.
DoshDosh—Maki published around six blog posts per month. The DoshDosh blog features a truly unique style by associating anime characters with posts, and, ironically enough, it turns out to be a truly unique experience. As I've said before, it is up to you to find your unique style, and DoshDosh is a pure example of this. The content is also very well written. Again, I must emphasize that the posting frequency is low, but the content is great.
Self Made Chick—Christine OKelly has a wonderful assortment of in-depth blog posts about making money, working from home, and improving your life. The one thing that is consistent on her blog is the fact that all of the content is in-depth and detailed. Her posting frequency is very low for today's standard, but it also proves that you don't need to post on a daily basis to be a successful blogger. Christine also makes great use of pull-quotes, images, and lists throughout her content.
From Ordinary to Extraordinary
Ordinary people who are doing extraordinary things and experiencing success are those who take the time to create great content. There are many similarities with these blogs, but the one that stands out most is that the content is superb. This echos what I have been stating on Performancing that the quality, not quantity, has taken the leading role in promoting a blogger's success.
What I am saying is to consider forgetting about posting frequency if it is going to prevent you from creating the highest quality content you can publish. After all, New York Times best sellers take months, even years to develop into what they become; why should this be any different with individual blog content?
The previously mentioned blogs have reassured me that this is the future of success. Chances are just as high that it will work for you. If you blog on a daily basis, why not consider slowing down to every other day if you believe you could create content that is much better?
Think about it! Let me know what your feelings are on this subject in the comments below. Point out any other blogs that post relatively infrequent but create superb content. I'm interested in finding these types of authors.
20 Myths About Blogging That Many New Bloggers Actually Believe
Many new and upcoming bloggers have false assumptions when they come into the blogging world. It gets even worse when that blogger expects to make money (or an entire living) while blogging. It requires much work, consistency, and dedication to become a real success, but it can be done. If you are a new blogger, you might want to avoid these following assumptions.
1. You Must Write on a Daily Basis to Succeed
You probably need to write on a daily basis to get anywhere blogging, right? Oh, but how wrong a person would be to assume such a thing, and yet so many people, unfortunately, do. I recently touched on this entire issue, but to sum it up, there are many successful bloggers who only write a few times per month. Personally, I’d love to see a well thought-out post any day over the alternative.
2. You Must Have Many Subscribers to Succeed
People associate a high subscriber count with success. If you were in the magazine or newspaper business, I'd agree, but this is not. As a matter of fact, many sites have hundreds of thousands of subscribers, but a nice chunk of those subscribers are never going to actively contribute or visit that site again. I think of that subscriber number as a way to market yourself. But, just like Alexa, it could be manipulated. In other words, views are more important than subscribers, but advertisers might like to know that you have a lot of subscribers.
3. You Must Use WordPress to Succeed
Many new bloggers I have talked to assume that WordPress is equivalent to instant success. While WordPress is one of the most popular content management systems, it has little to no impact on the amount of success a blogger will experience. John Gruber, author of DaringFireball.net, uses MovableType for his blog, and he is doing quite fine for himself. There are plenty of other sites utilizing other CMSs as well, but take a look for yourself.
4. You Must Use Your Own Server to Succeed
Robert Scoble made his way to fame using WordPress.com. I also know quite a few bloggers that use the Blogger and TypePad services. I’d say that a new blogger would have an easier time by using a service like WordPress.com, Blogger, or TypePad for their blog—he or she wouldn't have to worry about site administration or downtime. Also, for many of these hosted services, a domain name can point directly to that blog. You get more control if you have your own server, but it is absolutely possible to be successful without one.
5. You Must Write Linkbait to Succeed
Linkbait is an article that was created to, obviously, attract links. They are also assumed to be a hit with readers and usually do very well on social sites like Digg and Reddit. All this is true. However, people do not have to write linkbaits in order to be successful. A blogger could write quality and useful content instead, which everyone should be doing every time they post to their blog. Linkbait is great, but try to have substance as well.
6. You Must Be an Expert to Blog About A Subject
Let's clear something up right now: in my opinion, there is no such thing as an "expert." There are only people who make themselves to be as such. When it comes down to it, my opinions are just as valid as everyone else's. If someone is willing do the hard work required, he or she will likely be successful. An "expert" is nothing more than a title people give themselves to sound more authoritative—I don't buy it, and neither should anyone else.
7. You Can Use Any Image on the Internet
There is this vast and confusing thing called copyright law, and it is important. Many photographers have been fed up with bloogers who use their photographs without permission (even worse—without credit), and everyone should put themselves in their shoes to understand why they have every right to feel that way. I am in no position to give legal advise, but I feel obligated to tell everyone that if you want to avoid being sued, ask before using something that isn't yours.
8. You Can Use an Image As Long As You Give Credit
To expand on the previously mentioned issue over copyright, just because a blogger gives credit to the photographer, it doesn't mean that any particular photo can be used. It is not fair use if a particular piece of content is used in a way to increase the production value of a post. It could, however, be considered fair use if the image itself is the topic of discussion. Someone would, therefore, be using it for review purposes. However, this is a gray area, and if a blogger upsets the wrong person, it might be bad for that person’s reputation—I've seen this happen to several other bloggers. (Hundreds, if not thousands, of photographers would love nothing more than to spread the word about how someone is illegally using one of their friend's pictures—it would be justice.)
9. I Will Probably Make Plenty of Money Blogging!
Are you kidding me?
10. You Must Use Photoshop to Succeed
Like WordPress, many people assume that Photoshop should be used to create great graphics and pictures for a blog. This is hardly true.
11. You Must Know HTML to Succeed
There are more things like ordered/unordered lists and CSS that a new blogger should consider learning, but the above list is a good starting point. Of couse, if you are seriously interested in learning HTML, you should check out a dedicated tutorial instead. Check out this site for more information.
12. You Can Say Whatever You Want
Defamation is a very bad thing. Bloggers can't say whatever they want. If someone states that company XYZ is releasing product ABC tomorrow on a blog, and that company notices that, the blogger in question might be in a bunch of legal trouble. But it can get worse: what happens if their statements make it on the front page of sites like Digg and Reddit? Everyone is going to know about this. The company might be entitled to damages due to that person's false statements (the stock market reacts to everything these days). If someone is the voice of lies, that person will likely pay the price.
13. You Must Already Be Successful to Succeed
If everyone had that attitude, there would be no successful people to speak of. Any single person who is reading this blog, right now, might be the next Robert Scoble or Michael Arrington of the blogosphere. The only problem is that many of the people reading this very article are not willing to put in the effort that such an accomplishment would require.
14. You Must Display Advertisements to Make Money
Since I just mentioned Robert Scoble, I might as well bring up the fact that Robert does not, from what I have seen, display advertisements on his blog, and he is one of the most respected people within the blogosphere. Many of us will need to use advertising, but there is the potential to be a success without it.
15. AdSense Is the Only Way to Make Money While Advertising
AdSense, for most bloggers, could be a way to make a low to decent amount of money. The effectiveness of AdSense depends on the niche, and the subject being written about. Just keep in mind that there are many other alternatives available. PerformancingAds, for example, is a way for you to set your own rates for advertising.
16. You Need a Great Domain Name to Be Successful
I have seen some of the most awkward and unbelievable domain names receive a ton of readership and success. However, I will say that it is in the blogger's best interest to pick a name that is easily memorized instead of something that is cute or creative. Although, I am shocked that http://www.iamthebestbloggerintheworld.com/ is still available for purchase. Maybe I should snatch that up?
17. You Can't Make Money Writing About _________
Anything, and I really mean anything, can be monetized. People are clever, and they will find a way. Bloggers are making money writing about technology, video games, travels, pets, celebrities, photography, and a myriad of other subjects as well. A blogger might actually benefit from picking a topic that few others are writing about. If that topic has growth potential, you could be setting yourself up for success.
18. You Must Know How to Write Well to Succeed
I only wish I could say yes to this (I think that many bloggers have horrible writing skills), but it would be far from the truth. Even bloggers who work for major publications, like Wired.com, seem to screw up the simplest rules of the English language, and, strangely enough, it feels embarrassing to me (probably more than them). I almost take it as an insult at times. I respect those who take the time to learn how to write well, and I'm not saying that a blogger needs to have pinpoint precision with regard to writing abilities, but knowing the difference between "it's" and "its" would be a great start.
19. You Must Be Controversial to Succeed
Controversy, as I discussed before, can be a great way to bring a lot of traffic to a blog, but it does have its disadvantages. The blogger's reputation will be on the line, and that blogger could easily upset their current readers with mindless drama. I will admit that it is important to make an impact when a new blogger begins blogging, and he or she should try to constantly maintain that; however, instead of focusing on creating or discussing controversy, that person could opt to create mind-blowing content.
20. Blogging Is Easy!
Blogging can be very easy. When you think about it, the cost to start a blog could considered free. All you have to do is find an internet connection, create a free blog, and write to your heart's content. It is definitely easy. However, if we are talking about making a decent amount of cash while blogging, well, that is a different article all in itself.
1. You Must Write on a Daily Basis to Succeed
You probably need to write on a daily basis to get anywhere blogging, right? Oh, but how wrong a person would be to assume such a thing, and yet so many people, unfortunately, do. I recently touched on this entire issue, but to sum it up, there are many successful bloggers who only write a few times per month. Personally, I’d love to see a well thought-out post any day over the alternative.
2. You Must Have Many Subscribers to Succeed
People associate a high subscriber count with success. If you were in the magazine or newspaper business, I'd agree, but this is not. As a matter of fact, many sites have hundreds of thousands of subscribers, but a nice chunk of those subscribers are never going to actively contribute or visit that site again. I think of that subscriber number as a way to market yourself. But, just like Alexa, it could be manipulated. In other words, views are more important than subscribers, but advertisers might like to know that you have a lot of subscribers.
3. You Must Use WordPress to Succeed
Many new bloggers I have talked to assume that WordPress is equivalent to instant success. While WordPress is one of the most popular content management systems, it has little to no impact on the amount of success a blogger will experience. John Gruber, author of DaringFireball.net, uses MovableType for his blog, and he is doing quite fine for himself. There are plenty of other sites utilizing other CMSs as well, but take a look for yourself.
4. You Must Use Your Own Server to Succeed
Robert Scoble made his way to fame using WordPress.com. I also know quite a few bloggers that use the Blogger and TypePad services. I’d say that a new blogger would have an easier time by using a service like WordPress.com, Blogger, or TypePad for their blog—he or she wouldn't have to worry about site administration or downtime. Also, for many of these hosted services, a domain name can point directly to that blog. You get more control if you have your own server, but it is absolutely possible to be successful without one.
5. You Must Write Linkbait to Succeed
Linkbait is an article that was created to, obviously, attract links. They are also assumed to be a hit with readers and usually do very well on social sites like Digg and Reddit. All this is true. However, people do not have to write linkbaits in order to be successful. A blogger could write quality and useful content instead, which everyone should be doing every time they post to their blog. Linkbait is great, but try to have substance as well.
6. You Must Be an Expert to Blog About A Subject
Let's clear something up right now: in my opinion, there is no such thing as an "expert." There are only people who make themselves to be as such. When it comes down to it, my opinions are just as valid as everyone else's. If someone is willing do the hard work required, he or she will likely be successful. An "expert" is nothing more than a title people give themselves to sound more authoritative—I don't buy it, and neither should anyone else.
7. You Can Use Any Image on the Internet
There is this vast and confusing thing called copyright law, and it is important. Many photographers have been fed up with bloogers who use their photographs without permission (even worse—without credit), and everyone should put themselves in their shoes to understand why they have every right to feel that way. I am in no position to give legal advise, but I feel obligated to tell everyone that if you want to avoid being sued, ask before using something that isn't yours.
8. You Can Use an Image As Long As You Give Credit
To expand on the previously mentioned issue over copyright, just because a blogger gives credit to the photographer, it doesn't mean that any particular photo can be used. It is not fair use if a particular piece of content is used in a way to increase the production value of a post. It could, however, be considered fair use if the image itself is the topic of discussion. Someone would, therefore, be using it for review purposes. However, this is a gray area, and if a blogger upsets the wrong person, it might be bad for that person’s reputation—I've seen this happen to several other bloggers. (Hundreds, if not thousands, of photographers would love nothing more than to spread the word about how someone is illegally using one of their friend's pictures—it would be justice.)
9. I Will Probably Make Plenty of Money Blogging!
Are you kidding me?
10. You Must Use Photoshop to Succeed
Like WordPress, many people assume that Photoshop should be used to create great graphics and pictures for a blog. This is hardly true.
11. You Must Know HTML to Succeed
There are more things like ordered/unordered lists and CSS that a new blogger should consider learning, but the above list is a good starting point. Of couse, if you are seriously interested in learning HTML, you should check out a dedicated tutorial instead. Check out this site for more information.
12. You Can Say Whatever You Want
Defamation is a very bad thing. Bloggers can't say whatever they want. If someone states that company XYZ is releasing product ABC tomorrow on a blog, and that company notices that, the blogger in question might be in a bunch of legal trouble. But it can get worse: what happens if their statements make it on the front page of sites like Digg and Reddit? Everyone is going to know about this. The company might be entitled to damages due to that person's false statements (the stock market reacts to everything these days). If someone is the voice of lies, that person will likely pay the price.
13. You Must Already Be Successful to Succeed
If everyone had that attitude, there would be no successful people to speak of. Any single person who is reading this blog, right now, might be the next Robert Scoble or Michael Arrington of the blogosphere. The only problem is that many of the people reading this very article are not willing to put in the effort that such an accomplishment would require.
14. You Must Display Advertisements to Make Money
Since I just mentioned Robert Scoble, I might as well bring up the fact that Robert does not, from what I have seen, display advertisements on his blog, and he is one of the most respected people within the blogosphere. Many of us will need to use advertising, but there is the potential to be a success without it.
15. AdSense Is the Only Way to Make Money While Advertising
AdSense, for most bloggers, could be a way to make a low to decent amount of money. The effectiveness of AdSense depends on the niche, and the subject being written about. Just keep in mind that there are many other alternatives available. PerformancingAds, for example, is a way for you to set your own rates for advertising.
16. You Need a Great Domain Name to Be Successful
I have seen some of the most awkward and unbelievable domain names receive a ton of readership and success. However, I will say that it is in the blogger's best interest to pick a name that is easily memorized instead of something that is cute or creative. Although, I am shocked that http://www.iamthebestbloggerintheworld.com/ is still available for purchase. Maybe I should snatch that up?
17. You Can't Make Money Writing About _________
Anything, and I really mean anything, can be monetized. People are clever, and they will find a way. Bloggers are making money writing about technology, video games, travels, pets, celebrities, photography, and a myriad of other subjects as well. A blogger might actually benefit from picking a topic that few others are writing about. If that topic has growth potential, you could be setting yourself up for success.
18. You Must Know How to Write Well to Succeed
I only wish I could say yes to this (I think that many bloggers have horrible writing skills), but it would be far from the truth. Even bloggers who work for major publications, like Wired.com, seem to screw up the simplest rules of the English language, and, strangely enough, it feels embarrassing to me (probably more than them). I almost take it as an insult at times. I respect those who take the time to learn how to write well, and I'm not saying that a blogger needs to have pinpoint precision with regard to writing abilities, but knowing the difference between "it's" and "its" would be a great start.
19. You Must Be Controversial to Succeed
Controversy, as I discussed before, can be a great way to bring a lot of traffic to a blog, but it does have its disadvantages. The blogger's reputation will be on the line, and that blogger could easily upset their current readers with mindless drama. I will admit that it is important to make an impact when a new blogger begins blogging, and he or she should try to constantly maintain that; however, instead of focusing on creating or discussing controversy, that person could opt to create mind-blowing content.
20. Blogging Is Easy!
Blogging can be very easy. When you think about it, the cost to start a blog could considered free. All you have to do is find an internet connection, create a free blog, and write to your heart's content. It is definitely easy. However, if we are talking about making a decent amount of cash while blogging, well, that is a different article all in itself.
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