How to Start a Blog People Will Read
Starting a blog is easy. Anyone can start a blog in a few minutes on WordPress but starting a blog that people will actually read is challenging.
In 2007, when I set up my first blog I just wanted to practice my writing and overcome my fear of rejection. I published my first blog post but then didn’t do anything else. I didn’t tell people I’d started a blog, I didn’t promote the blog post and I didn’t even keep blogging.
After I wrote that first blog post my focus changed. I busied myself selling our home in New Zealand and moving to Central America then I ending up living in Costa Rica with no Internet. My first blog post would have been my last blog post if I hadn’t decided to give blogging another go a few years later when we moved to Australia.
Even then I didn’t do the right thing. I just carried on blogging with the old free blog I’d set up all those years ago. The design was amateur. I changed domain name three times and changed the blog topic as often. Which made it hard to find readers, keep them and build a dedicated following.
The best thing I did second time round was to persevere with blogging because, having learnt from my blogging false start, I set myself a goal of writing three blog posts a week for a year. I stuck to that no matter what and I’m glad I did but it wasn’t easy.
For the first six months blog growth was slow. Practically non-existent although I poured my little heart out, shared great tips for people who wanted to move overseas and started to get active on Twitter and Facebook.
Around the six month mark I still didn’t have many readers but even so I’d already fallen in love with blogging. So I invested time and money buying my own domain name (www.GetIntheHotSpot.com) and creating a professional blog design.
I wasn’t a problogger by any stretch of the imagination but my blog looked professional which boosted my confidence and made readers more confident about recommending posts to friends, leaving comments and subscribing.
Slowly but surely Get In the Hot Spot grew to over 10,000 readers a month. Then blog readers even started to hire me for web design, blog design or copywriting even though I wasn’t actively promoting those services.
I soon realised that blogging was a great business marketing tool so I set up Successful Bloogging to help other small business owners tap into the power of blogging. I created a new income stream by writing Successful Blogging in 12 Simple Steps and then
brands started to notice my blogs which allowed me to diversify my income through advertising and sponsorship.
It’s been quite a journey from timid writer top confident blogger but it’s an adventure that is open to everyone. So how do you start a blog that people want to read?
Create a profile of your ideal blog reader because only then can you design a blog and create content that will get them excited and keep them riveted.
Having a tired old blog template isn’t good enough any more, it’s just lazy and you can still create a unique design that will make your blog stand out from the crowd and appeal to your ideal readers even if you haven’t got much money to spend. If you’re working from scratch with no budget then think about swapping your services (writing, business mentoring, massage or whatever they are) for the services you need like graphic design or photography.
Create three to eight topics within your blog to help you focus on the content you want to share and make sure every post falls within those topics. You can alter and refine them slightly in time if you notice that some topics are less popular than others.
Every time you plan and write a blog post think about your ideal reader and write it specifically for them. That way you’ll be writing in a natural tone and focusing on the important issues.
You probably won’t see many results from blogging for six to twelve months but if you’re not consistent in the style of blog posts you write, the topics you cover and how often you post then it will be hard to ever build up a readership.
Being consistent shows new readers what they can expect, keeps them coming back for more and gives them a reason to subscribe by email. It’s one of the main keys to starting a blog that people will read again and again.
Now it’s time to set a Facebook page, Google+ account and Twitter account to promote your posts to a wider audience. Remember to ask readers to share your blog posts on social media and thank them when they do.
When you have a reasonable base of blog posts to show off start guest blogging because that’s still the fastest way to grow your blog. Really it is.
Finally have fun with your blog and resepct your readers. Anyone can start a blog but now you’re ready to start a blog that people actually love reading.
In 2007, when I set up my first blog I just wanted to practice my writing and overcome my fear of rejection. I published my first blog post but then didn’t do anything else. I didn’t tell people I’d started a blog, I didn’t promote the blog post and I didn’t even keep blogging.
After I wrote that first blog post my focus changed. I busied myself selling our home in New Zealand and moving to Central America then I ending up living in Costa Rica with no Internet. My first blog post would have been my last blog post if I hadn’t decided to give blogging another go a few years later when we moved to Australia.
Even then I didn’t do the right thing. I just carried on blogging with the old free blog I’d set up all those years ago. The design was amateur. I changed domain name three times and changed the blog topic as often. Which made it hard to find readers, keep them and build a dedicated following.
The best thing I did second time round was to persevere with blogging because, having learnt from my blogging false start, I set myself a goal of writing three blog posts a week for a year. I stuck to that no matter what and I’m glad I did but it wasn’t easy.
For the first six months blog growth was slow. Practically non-existent although I poured my little heart out, shared great tips for people who wanted to move overseas and started to get active on Twitter and Facebook.
Around the six month mark I still didn’t have many readers but even so I’d already fallen in love with blogging. So I invested time and money buying my own domain name (www.GetIntheHotSpot.com) and creating a professional blog design.
I wasn’t a problogger by any stretch of the imagination but my blog looked professional which boosted my confidence and made readers more confident about recommending posts to friends, leaving comments and subscribing.
Slowly but surely Get In the Hot Spot grew to over 10,000 readers a month. Then blog readers even started to hire me for web design, blog design or copywriting even though I wasn’t actively promoting those services.
I soon realised that blogging was a great business marketing tool so I set up Successful Bloogging to help other small business owners tap into the power of blogging. I created a new income stream by writing Successful Blogging in 12 Simple Steps and then
brands started to notice my blogs which allowed me to diversify my income through advertising and sponsorship.It’s been quite a journey from timid writer top confident blogger but it’s an adventure that is open to everyone. So how do you start a blog that people want to read?
1. Know Who Your Blog Readers Are
You can’t really know your blog readers when you first start blogging because you don’t have any yet so you’ll have to use your imagination to begin with.Create a profile of your ideal blog reader because only then can you design a blog and create content that will get them excited and keep them riveted.
2. Put the Design Back into Blog Design
WordPress templates are great. You can create a blog in minutes and if you choose a decent template it might even look good. The problem is that it will look like a template and it will look much like thousands of other blogs. Hiring a blog designer might help but you’ll need to give them something to work with like a unique logo or a fabulous professional photo.Having a tired old blog template isn’t good enough any more, it’s just lazy and you can still create a unique design that will make your blog stand out from the crowd and appeal to your ideal readers even if you haven’t got much money to spend. If you’re working from scratch with no budget then think about swapping your services (writing, business mentoring, massage or whatever they are) for the services you need like graphic design or photography.
3. Write Mindfully
Start your blog with the most important post. That’s the content that is most important to your readers, not to you. They might be that less interested in knowing why you started your blog and more interested in jumping straight into the useful or entertaining content they’re looking for.Create three to eight topics within your blog to help you focus on the content you want to share and make sure every post falls within those topics. You can alter and refine them slightly in time if you notice that some topics are less popular than others.
Every time you plan and write a blog post think about your ideal reader and write it specifically for them. That way you’ll be writing in a natural tone and focusing on the important issues.
4. Be Consistent
Nikki Parkinson’s Successful Blogging Story rammed this point home. Consistency, or lack of it, was a stumbling point for me when I started blogging because I didn’t have clear blogging goals. Hopefully you do, so keep your goals and your blog readers goals in mind and stick to them.You probably won’t see many results from blogging for six to twelve months but if you’re not consistent in the style of blog posts you write, the topics you cover and how often you post then it will be hard to ever build up a readership.
Being consistent shows new readers what they can expect, keeps them coming back for more and gives them a reason to subscribe by email. It’s one of the main keys to starting a blog that people will read again and again.
5. Promote Your Blog
When you start blogging people won’t visit your blog unless you tell them about it. I started promoting my blog to friends and family on a small email list and recommend you do the same. Don’t spam your loved ones just let them know you’ve started a blog, that you won’t carry on telling them about it if they’re not interested but if they are you’d love them to subscribe by email.Now it’s time to set a Facebook page, Google+ account and Twitter account to promote your posts to a wider audience. Remember to ask readers to share your blog posts on social media and thank them when they do.
When you have a reasonable base of blog posts to show off start guest blogging because that’s still the fastest way to grow your blog. Really it is.
Finally have fun with your blog and resepct your readers. Anyone can start a blog but now you’re ready to start a blog that people actually love reading.
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Author: Annabel Candy
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Excellent news. Keep blogging
Great tip, it’s about consistency of content as well as publishing schedule and you’re a great example for both of those
I’ve just re-committed to blogging again after letting my blog languish for the last 6+ months. I changed alot about my blog and finally got clear on who I serve and what I have to offer (which goes hand-in-hand with your excellent tip to “know who your blog readers are”), and that reignited my passion for blogging consistently. Though I will say some days it’s not so easy. I do tons of writing for clients throughout the week, so I often feel like I’ve spent my creative capital by the time I sit down to update my blog and write for me.
Love your tips here, and they come just as I am getting back into the blogging saddle again, so, perfect timing! : )
Very interesting write and thanks for sharing. Personally, the first and foremost is always the title. Create a catchy title and you will attract clicks.
Then, you need to further nail it by providing great write ups. Focus on the topic and share information (and not just normal information). Share something best with on experience etc.
And yes, stats and images. We all love case studies and providing a few could easily skyrocket your traffic.
Just my 2 cents and keep it up!
Reginald