The world of blogging has grown by leaps and bounds since its inception. What began primarily as an online diary now stretches to the farthest corners of cyberspace. And as search engine optimization has evolved, so have the opportunities for marketing. That means blogging has become a crucial marketing strategy for businesses big and small.
New search engine updates, such as Google’s panda update, have transformed the landscape of blogging even further. With most search engines now filtering thin and spam-laden content, there is a demand now more than ever for premium blog posts. This is good news for those bloggers looking to capitalize on their talent and hard work. The question business owners need to ask themselves is how best to grow a blog into something useful that generates a lot of web traffic.
With that in mind, here are some tips anyone can use to grow his or her blog.
Decide on a Theme
A blog without focus will likely never grab the public’s imagination or contribute to any meaningful conversation. That’s why it’s crucial for bloggers to focus on a single overarching idea upon which to build their post. If the goal is to sell a book then everything about that blog should be conceived with that end goal in mind; likewise if the goal is about growing a client base, reaching a target audience or selling a product. The blogger should also evaluate their progress on a regular basis and make adjustments when necessary.
Appeal to New Readers
This is easier said than done. That fact aside, there are a number of tools at the bloggers disposal to help grow their readership. One example is a blog roll. Maintaining a comprehensive blog roll is a great way to keep track of readership as well as reaching new readers.
But the most important thing is the content. To this end, bloggers should create original, authoritative and, above all else, useful content based around their central theme. For example, those looking to market their auto detailing business may want to forgo that post on the history of the hubcap in favor of an article detailing upcoming auto trends or DIY automotive tips.
One other thing to bear in mind is that, for a blog to reach people, it must be constantly updated. Those looking to broaden their readership base mustn’t be content with a post or two a month. Those who truly want to appeal to the most people possible will update their blogs once or twice a week.
Be Visual
It’s common knowledge that blogs with a creative design full of photos and multimedia are more popular than text-only blogs. However, that doesn’t mean it’s appropriate to throw picture files up on the web haphazardly. All photos and videos should be directly related to the content on the blog. Those bloggers who spend as much time on their images as they do on their text are on the right track. And these days, optimizing blog posts for mobile devices (i.e., less text, more images) is becoming more and more effective.
These are just three things to keep in mind when considering how best to grow a blog. There are other factors, of course, such as social media and backlinking. Bloggers should always incorporate blog promotion on popular social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. And if these same bloggers can get their link on a bigger blog with more traffic, that’s even better.
Craig Mathews is the Social Media Coordinator at esmallbusinessloan.com, a company with a loan program that provides an alternative to traditional small business loans, with a fast and easy application process.