Per the request of many readers, this week’s post will cover the topic of blogging and all that goes along with it. Because there are so many things to consider when creating a blog, this topic will be broken up into 3 posts. Today’s post shares some helpful tips about creating a blog.
Creating a Blog
1. HAVE A CLEAR GOAL
Make sure that you have a clear goal in mind when creating your blog, such as “I am a graphic designer and I want to showcase my client portfolio and explain the process that goes behind each design job” or “I am on the Paleo diet and sometimes it is hard to find quick and easy recipes that also taste good. I want my blog to share recipes and tips for other Paleo eaters who might encounter the same problem”.
Is your goal to have a large readership? Do you want to ultimately convert your readers into clients? How engaged do you want your readers to be? All these questions are important to consider when deciding the direction of your blog and will help shape aspects like writing style, design, function, etc.
2. STAY FOCUSED
The mistake many people make when starting a blog is having too wide of a topic. “Healthy Living” is one such example. Although within this topic there is plenty to write about, what is going to make your blog stand out from other healthy living resources? By focusing and making your topic slightly more specific: “Healthy Living For Busy Mothers”, not only will your blog have a point of differentiation, but you are more likely to establish a readership.
That being said, make sure you are not so tightly-focused that you will not have enough to write about during the next year, 2 years, or 5 years.
3. BLOG FUNCTION VERSUS FORM
Your blog should be both visually appealing and functional. Both function and form need to support the goals of your blog. If we take the graphic designer example from above, we know that we will need a blog that showcases our designs, most likely through images. Using the Healthy Living for Busy Moms example, the blog could mobile-optimized so that mothers could easily read tips on their smart phones during their precious free moments.
All blogs should have ways for their readers to access their content other than by typing in the blog’s URL, because the likelihood that this happens regularly is slim. Make sure to include RSS feeds, email subscriptions, etc. on your blog.
4. DO YOU HAVE THE TIME?
The most important important question to ask yourself before creating the blog is: “Do I have the time?” Maintaining a blog requires quite a bit of time and effort; it is essential that you regularly update your blog. Nothing looks worse that a blog that has been sitting for 6 months with no updates. Even we at Bixa Media are guilty of this sometimes because we get so wrapped up in our client work! If you are going to start a blog, do it right; make it a priority and add content regularly. Regularly can mean anything from once a day to once a month, just make sure you create a goal (I am going to post 2 times per month) and stick to it!
Sometimes, it is better to recognize that you cannot do everything and the time spent working on a blog for your business may be better spent updating your website or improving customer service. All that being said, a blog with a clear focus, great design, and original content can have enormous value for your business and ultimately convert readers into clients.
Stay tuned for the next post which will cover blog writing. Have any particular questions about blogging you want us here at Bixa Media to cover? Put them in the comments below or send them via email.