Does Blogging Still Help Your Website Attract Visitors?
Put simply, absolutely! And here’s how you can build an engaging blog to capture more website traffic….
For roughly a decade now, blogging has been one of the primary methods people have used to build an audience and craft a brand online. Blogging has gone from something people do in their free time after a day at work to a full-time job that often spawns book deals, lifestyle brands, products, and more. Because of these alluring rewards, many people have jumped on the bandwagon and, as a result, the very nature of blogging has changed.
Is blogging dead?
The tech world is filled with people predicting bubbles, and there are a lot of people who will tell you that the blogging bubble is about to burst or that blogging as a concept is dead. So how can that be? Isn’t it the conventional wisdom that creating a blog with keyword-rich content that is valuable to your demographic or users is the best way to drive traffic to your site?
With so many bloggers and people employing the same content marketing strategy, the internet has simply become saturated with blogs for visitors to keep up and for content to remain meaningful. While there are certainly a few stand-outs and early adopters who are now big-name brands, the chances of starting a new blog tomorrow and it becoming the next-big-thing are lower than they were five to seven years ago.
So what should I do?
Put simply, build a better blog!
People are still blogging. They write content that a publication is not paying them for on centralized platforms, social media networks, and web pages scattered across the web. The only difference is that they build engaging, attractive, helpful blogs that help readers. Bloggers have also diversified where they put content to encourage readers.
For example, the benefits of platforms like Medium is that there are a bunch of readers in one place, so there is more likelihood that a reader interested in your topic will stumble upon it. In addition, the resurgence of newsletter interest and email marketing help point readers in the right direction.
Build a better blog!
To be clear: the act of writing original, compelling content has not died. What is changing is the way that content is presented to a reader. Where once things were fragmented and individualized, they are increasingly becoming more centralized.
5 Questions To Ask Yourself Before Creating A New Blog
As we determined, the internet is full of blogs, and before you create one, ask yourself these questions to help both you and your readers.
Stop, collaborate and listen
There are blogs written to dissect, discuss and explain just about every topic you can think of. The beauty of the internet is that it allows the world to share information, whether it concerns pets, celebrities or even breath mints. There are millions of successful blogs on the web, but for every successful blog, there are 20 that aren’t doing so well.
Before adding yet another blog to the web, ask yourself a few questions to make sure you are heading in a direction that is good for both you and your potential future readers. By taking a moment to focus your purpose and direction, you can save yourself time and effort later on down the road.
Readers aren’t going to want to know about each of your business/personal interests. By creating a plan, schedule, and theme you can easily target your audience and increase the number of readers that return to your website after their first visit.
Take a moment to formulate answers to the following questions before you get started for best results on your new blog:
Why am I creating a blog?
If you own a business, the answer to this is easy. Every business should take advantage of the inexpensive benefits that a business blog offers: a blog provides an easy way to boost SEO and help you interact with your clients. Whether you are just looking to provide company news or provide an entertaining news source, a business blog is a great way to expand your reach and develop a brand identity.
If you are looking to create a blog for personal reasons, it’s important that you identify the purpose of your blog. Depending on what you are wishing to express, you will want to spend a few minutes thinking about what you are trying to put out into the world and the results you expect. Some blog creators are looking to make money from blog clicks, while others are simply looking to stay in touch with family and friends. By first identifying your expectations, you can begin to formulate the rest of your blog plans.
What do I want my blog to do?
Similar to the question above, defining exactly what function or role you would like your blog to take on is important as you take the next step towards getting online. The function of your blog can be as small as a private platform for your personal thoughts and as big as increasing sales for your small business.
Knowing what you want your new blog to achieve helps you decide on the tools and web hosting package you choose to use. Almost no traffic doesn’t need a lot of resources or capabilities, but a business blog needs to be prepared for fluctuating visitors throughout the day. Making these decisions early on can help you make informed decisions and save you both time and money.
Who is my audience?
Whenever publishing content live on the internet, it is important to imagine who you think will read it. You need to be sure that you are appealing directly to whoever you want to read your blog. If you are writing for yourself then your job is easy, but if you are targeting a customer base or a specific demographic, then this question might require a bit more thought.
Blogs are terrific platforms for reaching people’s screens. The content is easy to share with others and offers the potential of reaching many people in a short period of time. Developing a large readership requires you to know and understand who will be reading your blog. Is your content entertaining? Does it answer the questions your audience is looking for? Making a plan or sketch of your ideal reader can help you best appeal to the internet users you are looking for.
How will readers find me?
Website traffic can be created through a variety of methods. Search engine optimization allows readers to find you through the use of a search engine. Cultivating SEO can be a tough process, but there are tools available to help make your quest a bit easier.
You can also create traffic through social media accounts. By creating accounts with Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other social media services and then linking them to your blog, you can create a pathway from news feeds to your door. However, you plan on finding readers, be sure that you have developed a plan that will work for you.
How do I choose the right domain name?
Choosing the right blog domain name isn’t a decision to be taken lightly. A blog is a very personal thing, with the potential to develop in ways that are unforeseen at the outset. From evolving subject matter to the introduction of sponsored content, it’s important not to pigeonhole future growth by picking restrictive or inappropriate blog domain names.
Most new blogs start with a small audience. Initial posts might only attract a few dozen readers, but this can increase very rapidly. An easy way to achieve this is by choosing a blog title that makes its theme or premise self-evident. Calling a mindfulness blog A Mindful Life gives people a clue about its content before they click through from a linked site or search engine result.
When selecting blog domain names, it’s useful to analyze the names given to existing platforms. Are your rivals using plays on words and puns in their titles, incorporating their own names to raise personal recognition, or presenting their entries as authoritative guides on a certain topic? It’s also vital to avoid restricting your blog’s future growth, so don’t use the word ‘impartial’ if you might consider sponsored posts or affiliate marketing.
Having chosen a suitable name, the next challenge involves securing blog domain names that are still available. Unless you’re happy for the URL to incorporate ‘wordpress’ or another proprietary name, you’ll need to register a dedicated domain.
Find the perfect domain at Midphase.com today.
4 Easy Steps For Creating An Engaging Blog
Now it’s time to look at building your new blog. Below are four simple steps to creating a blog that encourages success.
#1. Pick A Platform
First, you must get all of the boring technical tasks out of the way, but Midphase has created an easy checkout process to guide you through the steps. Visit Midphase and select a hosting plan. We recommend WordPress for those who are looking for an easy-to-use, reputable platform. Midphase offers hosting packages specifically designed for beginning bloggers to get your website up and running in no time at all.
#2. Design Your Blog
Here comes the fun part. Blogging mostly focuses on content, but this doesn’t mean that you want content only. How your website is designed will affect how many readers become regular traffic. On the internet, eyeballs are currency, and you want as many eyes as possible looking at your terrific web design. If in step one you chose WordPress hosting, you are in luck!
WordPress offers thousands of templates to choose from making designing your blog a breeze.
If you chose to build your own blog, we recommend Midphase’s Website Builder. Our drag-and-drop application can help you create a website that is both functional and attractive. It’s built-in optimization tools will also help you score points with the search engines while saving you time and money. No technical experience required!
#3. Add Content
This is the part where you can let your creativity and personality shine through. Depending on the goals you have set for your blog, you will want to write about what interests you; good writing comes from passion. Don’t be afraid to ask for help and work with others to create great content for your blog. Guest bloggers can help you draw extra traffic and increase your site’s visibility. Remember to pace yourself, after all The Huffington Post wasn’t built in a day. However, once you establish a routine, it is important to stick with it. Your readers will expect content from your brilliant mind on a regular basis. Be sure that your tone of voice and personality is consistent as well.
#4. Promote, Promote, Promote
Be sure that you are using all resources available to you including social media, SEO tips, and tricks and even video services like YouTube. Get creative with hashtags to help your content reach more viewers and use social media as a chance to interact directly with your followers. After all, readers are going to be able to give you the most information about how your content is doing. Check out your favorite blogs and pay attention to their marketing tactics. A little amount of research can go a long way on the web, all the way around the world in fact.
