This is going to be the first post of the #BlogBetter Series…hooray!!! I didn’t even check to see if that name was taken, anyways I do hope you find these posts resourceful. Can we start from the very beginning? What do you think about before you start a blog? For some it was just a hobby (that was it for me): for others it started with a purpose. It doesn’t really matter how you started blogging as long as you can answer the 5 W’s and H below.
W – Why do I want to Blog?
Can you answer that question? If you’re already blogging, why do you blog? It is important to know the purpose of a thing so as not to abuse it. Is blogging a social scene for you? Is it a hideout for you? Is it a form of expression for you? Why do you blog or why do you want to blog? Knowing the answer to this will determine your approach to blogging.
W – What will be my major content?
So you have a blog, what is your content? News and Events? Fashion and Lifestyle? The Word Of God? Gossip? *wink. You need to determine this to be able to streamline your content to your target audience. I have been called a blogger of all trades and that is because I have all sorts of content but I do try to streamline it so that there is unity in my overall content.
W – Who will be my target audience?
Unless you’re blogging for yourself, you should want to know who your intended target audience is, especially so that you can tailor your content to meet their needs. Blogging for parents is different from blogging about kiddies stuff. You need to determine your audience so you can use the language they will understand.
W – What platform will I use?
There are different blogging platforms you can use: there’s blogger, WordPress, Tumblr, Live Journal etc. I’ll tell you why this is important. Often bloggers try to switch between platforms but that is after years of investing in a particular platform and by then, it can be difficult to do the switch. It is therefore important that you check out the pro’s and cons of using these different platforms.
W – When will I blog?
Consistency is very important to blogging success, have you determined how often you want to update your blog? If it is a News and Events blog you need to update constantly, at least 4 times a day. Are you going to create content yourself? This takes a lot of time and effort and you need to determine the frequency of your posts. Readers like routine and better if you have one.
H – How do I get my blog noticed?
Every blogger wants to increase traffic on their blog because that’s what pays the big bucks ( if you’re blogging for money) What’s the purpose of blogging if no one gets to read or engage your blog? I believe you’re like me and would want your blog to get a lot of attention and comments: comments make me happy. Seeing increasing page views make me elated and that is the satisfaction I derive from blogging. If no one is reading, you may not be motivated to continue. So you want to plan your marketing strategy for getting your blog noticed right from the start.
Do you have any questions with regards to blogging? Leave them in the comment section and I will get to it.
