As I said once, I'm working on my first book that logically could not treat one another topic related to blogging. Brings me many times of where I look back to analyze what has been happening in the journey of this blog to date.
One of these reflections has been reviewing those factors that have been most important to make this blog has reached a point where we have finally overcome the psychological barrier of 200,000 views per month and also have achieved an excellent community actively participating in the blog with a lot of content with hundreds of comments.
So today I will tell you my personal conclusions from what were these factors to get here and at the end, in fact, turn out to be all knowledge and skills.
The interesting thing about this exercise is that, in my opinion, all these skills are 100% transferable to any other blog and all, except the first, can be purchased if you do not have beforehand.
Passion for what you do, faith, patience and perseverance
I think the first and you know you plenty. It is certainly something that almost 100% of bloggers will agree.
Create a blog are many hours of work and the situation of most bloggers is they have to get them where there are none. That's only possible with passion. Also, the reader note whether or not passion behind the blog and if you know transmit, spread and engages your reader.
Moreover, all this is worth little if love will last three days. As it is essential to have patience, faith in what you do and perseverance to go on for months or years without clear results because all the blogs go through an extended period of drought before starting to bear fruit.
Quality content
I know, this is already seen But it is obliged to mention in this list, even at the risk of repeating things already said in other posts.
The Internet suffers a great infotoxicación today, with the huge offer free quality content, plenty mediocre content. However, a second, third or fourth variant of the same theme, if made with quality, still has its place.
Do not get me wrong. All leave us bad posts from time to time; it is impossible not happen. I do not mean to publish a bright post after another, I mean not knowingly create "bulk posts" that do not provide real added value to the reader in order to save time and effort and pretend it is not.
Also, no work, no longer. Forget, every hour you spend doing something mediocre or worse, copy content from other, is a time lost.
Understanding the needs of your audience
Very often the phenomenon of people who believe that because something looks interesting, they would also have to be for others.
If you can create some quality, get yours read it is as simple as hitting the nail with the needs and tastes of your audience. The better you know empathize and identify the needs of your audience, the most successful will your content.
There are many techniques to get that hardly anyone applies and that many are very simple. For example: ask your readers and reacts to the needs posed by you. We have not yet tapped its potential. It is a safe bet, so take it. We will, do not hesitate.
Be kind to your community and create a relationship with Them
There are some bloggers have a bad habit of not caring for your community: do not respond or respond emails with a certain coarseness, never respond to comments, etc.
Someone as he'll end up seeing time as inaccessible, distant, edge or worse, like it or not, that will be part of your personal brand and your community hardly improve that way.
Moreover, it is true, that as you're winning some visibility, time-consuming interaction with people starts to improve yourself.
But it is not necessary for you to resolve you reman gues life to everyone, a simple gesture is enough, with a short phrase, but loving, saying you're sorry, but it is impossible you individual attention is sufficient. In my experience, people understand it correctly, and you do not stay as a rude. If, also, can you think of a link to a post akin to recommend, the better.
So next time you receive this typical of someone asking you with all the nose that you check your webmail (or whatever) to give an opinion, do not send directly to hell, just say politely that you can not.
On the other hand, if something differentiates blogs is the relationship that created the author and his community. You may not make the personal friend of each of your readers, but just strive to answer all or most of the comments and hold conversations with your readers and create a strong bond with your readers. And this is not just something beautiful and rewarding, but tremendously positive because loyalty greatly and generates the necessary confidence in your audience to take your blog to the next level which may consist, for example, in selling products or services.
Learn to write
It does not make any crack to write well, doing "reasonably well" is sufficient. Even small misspellings are perfectly tolerable. What matters is that your content enjoyable to read and easy to understand.
The point is that, even if you have a talent for writing, there are very simple techniques, but very effective, you will make a significant improvement.
These methods are as simple as using short, simple sentences, eliminate redundant words and expressions, keep small paragraphs, etc. There are many posts on the subject, so I'll refer to them.
And then do not forget the most important: when composing, ask each sentence if a "normal" person can understand.
SEO and copywriting
Here I'll just say that the belief that SEO (Search Engine Optimization) doesn't matter in a blog that begins is one of the myths of blogging. In this post you'll see why:
Moreover, the "copywriting" is a discipline that refers to how to get texts that draw attention and keep it as long as possible. Something that is particularly important in the title of a post which is where you play 80% you read or not.
A good "copy" (one of the things I would most like progress) is so powerful that you can get to make the second or third result of a Google search clicks exceeded in the first.
Know how to spread your content
When you start with your personal blog, social networks are almost the only thing you have to start gaining visits. You have no subscriptions by mail, or your RSS feed and Google will ignore you for a few months. So basically what you have left are the aggregators and social networks.
To use them effectively you have to know them well; each is different and to promote your content some things work in some but not others. And then you find little gems like the fact that, for example, groups of LinkedIn or Google+ communities are an excellent source of attracting traffic to your blog if you know to take advantage without spam.
Marketing online
Count on a portfolio of products and services or not, and unless they give you exactly like you read, somehow, in a blog are always selling. The difference is that in one case you want to generate income and the other just reads, even free content. Therefore, it is always interesting to know the principles and techniques of online marketing, because both apply the same principles.
You will learn very, very interesting lessons that will have a direct impact on how you design your blog and create your content.
In my case, some of the most valuable lessons (and we have not yet been implemented as we would like):
Design, organization, and usability
Landing on a blog is like entering someone's home, sure that if you find shorts on the couch and cockroaches in the kitchen, you will not take a good impression and have little desire to return.
In a blog is the same, make your reader feel at ease and an impression invited to run takes.
No need any "mega-design" to impress, simply a clear and straightforward organization (usable), a little cleaning and looking good. If you use WordPress, you have it relatively easy by the wide range of excellent topics for this platform.
Attract and retain readers will be largely a matter they find what they seek. If you have a clear idea of what the added value that you want to offer your reader and how to translate that into content and also can organize it in an easy way, you will have taken a significant step.
Technologies WordPress.org
To succeed with your project blog, logically, it is essential blogging platform you use. The most powerful platform by far is WordPress.org, the variant with WordPress hosting because it has thousands of templates to customize the look of your blog and has an incredible amount of plugins (+30,000 free) to add functionality correctly.
It's just another level in our plugins you can get an idea of the cool features.
Yes, it is essential that the hosting that you contract is of high quality for your blog go well. But fortunately, there are good quality postings very affordable, but also abundant market supply much trash.
Also, a WordPress installation with own hosting allows "get their hands" as you like.
Nobody will be surprised that says if you have knowledge of core technologies using a blog as HTML, CSS or PHP will have a significant advantage over other bloggers. Because it is possible to manipulate the code on WordPress.org, this will allow you implement many small (or large) details that differentiate it from others or hire these changes and customizations to a professional in places like oDesk.com, for example.
Also, you do not need to master it thoroughly, very basic knowledge, and you will be very helpful.
A simple example is, for instance, be able to create custom text for posts and pages as listed at the end of all the posts of this blog and to insert a shortcode where the hell you want without relying on your topic support something or you find a plugin to do just that.
A Carlos Bravo, for example, it has fascinated the button "follow on Twitter" I have implemented in comments to generate some extra motivation for readers to leave observations on the blog.
And if you drive a little a graphic design program can create your cover images as does Gerardo Hernandez, then you will have given him a touch of great personality to your blog.
So if you want to start your blog or have already begun but take relatively little time, let me recommend a much faster way to move forward on this, and that is our primary course blogging. WordPress we do shortly in which no only learn to handle WordPress, but also to lay the groundwork for your blog can be successful learning basic SEO techniques for Bloggers, such as writing to get you to read and how to achieve maximum exposure of your content.
And in your blog, what things have been the most essential? Or what things you think I've left in the pipeline and should have mentioned?
Read More
One of these reflections has been reviewing those factors that have been most important to make this blog has reached a point where we have finally overcome the psychological barrier of 200,000 views per month and also have achieved an excellent community actively participating in the blog with a lot of content with hundreds of comments.
So today I will tell you my personal conclusions from what were these factors to get here and at the end, in fact, turn out to be all knowledge and skills.
The interesting thing about this exercise is that, in my opinion, all these skills are 100% transferable to any other blog and all, except the first, can be purchased if you do not have beforehand.
Making a successful blog
Before talking about the factors themselves that make a blog successful, we should define what exactly the "success" in a blog. From here, what then would those which are essential factors for the success of a blog and more or less in what order of importance?Passion for what you do, faith, patience and perseverance
I think the first and you know you plenty. It is certainly something that almost 100% of bloggers will agree.
Create a blog are many hours of work and the situation of most bloggers is they have to get them where there are none. That's only possible with passion. Also, the reader note whether or not passion behind the blog and if you know transmit, spread and engages your reader.
Moreover, all this is worth little if love will last three days. As it is essential to have patience, faith in what you do and perseverance to go on for months or years without clear results because all the blogs go through an extended period of drought before starting to bear fruit.
Quality content
I know, this is already seen But it is obliged to mention in this list, even at the risk of repeating things already said in other posts.
The Internet suffers a great infotoxicación today, with the huge offer free quality content, plenty mediocre content. However, a second, third or fourth variant of the same theme, if made with quality, still has its place.
Do not get me wrong. All leave us bad posts from time to time; it is impossible not happen. I do not mean to publish a bright post after another, I mean not knowingly create "bulk posts" that do not provide real added value to the reader in order to save time and effort and pretend it is not.
Also, no work, no longer. Forget, every hour you spend doing something mediocre or worse, copy content from other, is a time lost.
Understanding the needs of your audience
Very often the phenomenon of people who believe that because something looks interesting, they would also have to be for others.
If you can create some quality, get yours read it is as simple as hitting the nail with the needs and tastes of your audience. The better you know empathize and identify the needs of your audience, the most successful will your content.
There are many techniques to get that hardly anyone applies and that many are very simple. For example: ask your readers and reacts to the needs posed by you. We have not yet tapped its potential. It is a safe bet, so take it. We will, do not hesitate.
Be kind to your community and create a relationship with Them
There are some bloggers have a bad habit of not caring for your community: do not respond or respond emails with a certain coarseness, never respond to comments, etc.
Someone as he'll end up seeing time as inaccessible, distant, edge or worse, like it or not, that will be part of your personal brand and your community hardly improve that way.
Moreover, it is true, that as you're winning some visibility, time-consuming interaction with people starts to improve yourself.
But it is not necessary for you to resolve you reman gues life to everyone, a simple gesture is enough, with a short phrase, but loving, saying you're sorry, but it is impossible you individual attention is sufficient. In my experience, people understand it correctly, and you do not stay as a rude. If, also, can you think of a link to a post akin to recommend, the better.
So next time you receive this typical of someone asking you with all the nose that you check your webmail (or whatever) to give an opinion, do not send directly to hell, just say politely that you can not.
On the other hand, if something differentiates blogs is the relationship that created the author and his community. You may not make the personal friend of each of your readers, but just strive to answer all or most of the comments and hold conversations with your readers and create a strong bond with your readers. And this is not just something beautiful and rewarding, but tremendously positive because loyalty greatly and generates the necessary confidence in your audience to take your blog to the next level which may consist, for example, in selling products or services.
Learn to write
It does not make any crack to write well, doing "reasonably well" is sufficient. Even small misspellings are perfectly tolerable. What matters is that your content enjoyable to read and easy to understand.
The point is that, even if you have a talent for writing, there are very simple techniques, but very effective, you will make a significant improvement.
These methods are as simple as using short, simple sentences, eliminate redundant words and expressions, keep small paragraphs, etc. There are many posts on the subject, so I'll refer to them.
And then do not forget the most important: when composing, ask each sentence if a "normal" person can understand.
SEO and copywriting
Here I'll just say that the belief that SEO (Search Engine Optimization) doesn't matter in a blog that begins is one of the myths of blogging. In this post you'll see why:
"5 myths about success in a blog."
If I could turn back the point when I started blogging, it would, along with copywriting, of the first things that I would form because even with SEO work very simple, no color in visits that you receive from search engines . Especially if you take it seriously and work with professional tools like SEMRush.Moreover, the "copywriting" is a discipline that refers to how to get texts that draw attention and keep it as long as possible. Something that is particularly important in the title of a post which is where you play 80% you read or not.
A good "copy" (one of the things I would most like progress) is so powerful that you can get to make the second or third result of a Google search clicks exceeded in the first.
Know how to spread your content
When you start with your personal blog, social networks are almost the only thing you have to start gaining visits. You have no subscriptions by mail, or your RSS feed and Google will ignore you for a few months. So basically what you have left are the aggregators and social networks.
To use them effectively you have to know them well; each is different and to promote your content some things work in some but not others. And then you find little gems like the fact that, for example, groups of LinkedIn or Google+ communities are an excellent source of attracting traffic to your blog if you know to take advantage without spam.
Marketing online
Count on a portfolio of products and services or not, and unless they give you exactly like you read, somehow, in a blog are always selling. The difference is that in one case you want to generate income and the other just reads, even free content. Therefore, it is always interesting to know the principles and techniques of online marketing, because both apply the same principles.
You will learn very, very interesting lessons that will have a direct impact on how you design your blog and create your content.
In my case, some of the most valuable lessons (and we have not yet been implemented as we would like):
- Why a good mailing list is the greatest asset of a blog
- The important and challenging it is to build trust and how easy it is to lose
- How difficult it is to achieve actions of a reader, even as simple as a click
- The impact of copywriting for visitors and readers
- The important thing is to learn how to perform conversions
- Etc., etc., etc.
Design, organization, and usability
Landing on a blog is like entering someone's home, sure that if you find shorts on the couch and cockroaches in the kitchen, you will not take a good impression and have little desire to return.
In a blog is the same, make your reader feel at ease and an impression invited to run takes.
No need any "mega-design" to impress, simply a clear and straightforward organization (usable), a little cleaning and looking good. If you use WordPress, you have it relatively easy by the wide range of excellent topics for this platform.
Attract and retain readers will be largely a matter they find what they seek. If you have a clear idea of what the added value that you want to offer your reader and how to translate that into content and also can organize it in an easy way, you will have taken a significant step.
Technologies WordPress.org
To succeed with your project blog, logically, it is essential blogging platform you use. The most powerful platform by far is WordPress.org, the variant with WordPress hosting because it has thousands of templates to customize the look of your blog and has an incredible amount of plugins (+30,000 free) to add functionality correctly.
It's just another level in our plugins you can get an idea of the cool features.
Yes, it is essential that the hosting that you contract is of high quality for your blog go well. But fortunately, there are good quality postings very affordable, but also abundant market supply much trash.
Also, a WordPress installation with own hosting allows "get their hands" as you like.
Nobody will be surprised that says if you have knowledge of core technologies using a blog as HTML, CSS or PHP will have a significant advantage over other bloggers. Because it is possible to manipulate the code on WordPress.org, this will allow you implement many small (or large) details that differentiate it from others or hire these changes and customizations to a professional in places like oDesk.com, for example.
Also, you do not need to master it thoroughly, very basic knowledge, and you will be very helpful.
A simple example is, for instance, be able to create custom text for posts and pages as listed at the end of all the posts of this blog and to insert a shortcode where the hell you want without relying on your topic support something or you find a plugin to do just that.
A Carlos Bravo, for example, it has fascinated the button "follow on Twitter" I have implemented in comments to generate some extra motivation for readers to leave observations on the blog.
And if you drive a little a graphic design program can create your cover images as does Gerardo Hernandez, then you will have given him a touch of great personality to your blog.
Conclusion
Getting a successful blog requires much more than just good content, you need to acquire a range of skills to get those contents also disseminated and read.So if you want to start your blog or have already begun but take relatively little time, let me recommend a much faster way to move forward on this, and that is our primary course blogging. WordPress we do shortly in which no only learn to handle WordPress, but also to lay the groundwork for your blog can be successful learning basic SEO techniques for Bloggers, such as writing to get you to read and how to achieve maximum exposure of your content.
And in your blog, what things have been the most essential? Or what things you think I've left in the pipeline and should have mentioned?
