Successful blogging in 12 simple steps

May 24, 2022

Whether you wish to begin blogging as a hobby or are developing a blog for your business, there are multiple reasons why blogging could be beneficial for you. It is important to note, however, blogging is not quite as straight forward or simple as it seems. To help you on your blogging journey we have outlined how to achieve successful blogging in 12 simple steps…

1. Focus on your passion

When deciding on an overarching theme for your blog, it is important to select a theme you are passionate about and are truly interested in. Finding a niche topic to explore can be a great way to start your blog and as your blog grows you can focus on more general or trending topics related to your theme.

2. Select an appropriate name and domain

Many bloggers spend a lot of time thinking and trialling different blog names only to discover, when they have decided on their favourite name, that the domain is taken or unavailable. Thankfully, any online domain registration site can help you figure out which domain names are available. The name of your blog and domain do not have to match but they should be related to one another to avoid misleading or confusing your audience.

3. Create your brand

Branding now relates to so much more than a colour scheme and logo, although these are still important. Branding, when done correctly, controls how an audience perceives, interacts and emotionally connects with your blog. Carefully plan your blog branding by thinking about which target audience you are trying to connect with and how you wish your blog to be represented.

4. Find your blogging voice

Before you begin writing, it is important to have a strong idea of your blog’s voice. For example, is your blog going to contain colloquial first-person conversational posts such as lifestyle blogger Poppy Deyes? Or do you wish to appear as an impartial third-party expert like the corporate Nike blog? Establish your tone, writing style and persona before producing any content to ensure you maintain a cohesive voice throughout your blog.

5. Get writing

For many new bloggers, the hardest part of beginning a blog is writing their first post. Focus on a topic you are knowledgeable about and research similar blog posts that rank highly for your target keywords to ensure you are offering something unique and insightful to readers. Try to aim for roughly 350 words; you can expand your post lengths as you begin to feel more confident with writing. Remember to source any claims you make!

6. Keep the content coming

Once you’ve published your first post you may think it’s time to sit back and relax right? Nope! A recent study showed that blogs that post 16 or more posts a month receive 3.5 times more traffic than blogs that only post 1-4 times a month. It is therefore important to keep a steady stream of content on your blog. If daily blogging is too time-consuming for you, try aiming for 2 blog posts a week. As you begin to build an audience it is important to keep them engaged by providing them with new content.

7. Get personal

Don’t be afraid to draw on your personal experiences in your blog posts to engage readers and create a personal connection. You may think this is not possible with certain topics, such as if you run a blog promoting your software services for example, but adding personal anecdotes about your own experiences with certain products or services will help the blog read as more reliable and authentic.

8. Connect with your audience

It’s time to get social! Try to reply to every comment on your blog posts and comment on blogs that are in a similar subject area to your own. Link to your blog posts on all your social media accounts, if it is a blog for your business you should promote it on both your business and personal social media accounts to help your blog reach as wide an audience as possible. Reassess your connections on those platforms too, and see if you can connect with others who will find your content useful.

9. Connect and grow

Collaborate with other bloggers and guest post on each other’s blogs to grow your audience. If you are beginning to find consistently creating new content too time-consuming, consider hiring a professional blog writing service to maintain both the quality and quantity of your blog posts.

10. Adapt and develop

As your blog begins to grow, listen to your audience and expand your brand past your blog if this is what your audience desire. For example, the successful blog Stuff You Should Know has an accompanying podcast that expands on topics mentioned in their blog posts. Whether it’s a podcast, live streaming or merchandise, ensure your blog is always developing and meeting the desires of your audience.

11. Take a step back

It’s easy for bloggers to fall into a cycle of producing similar content and stop thinking objectively or innovatively about their blog. Every month or so, try to consider your blog from an outsider perspective and think about what direction you would like to move your blog in. For example, Lindsay at Pinch of Yum began blogging as a recreational activity but has since turned it into her full-time occupation after successfully growing and dedicating time to her blog.

12. Don’t give up

When trying to achieve successful blogging in 12 simple steps, the steps cannot all be completed overnight! Building your blog, finding your blogging voice and growing your audience will take time and dedication, so don’t despair when your blog isn’t an overnight viral hit. As the age-old saying goes, practice makes perfect, so keep your blog active even if it feels like no one is reading it.

Bonus tip: To help more people find your blog, you may wish to consider connecting with an SEO copywriting service to help your blog rise through the search engine rankings!

Hopefully, our 12 simple steps will help you on your blogging journey. If you are passionate about your subject, you stand the best chance of becoming a successful blogger with an avid readership.

Main image credit: Eric Tompkins

Internal image credits: Rémi Walle, Malvestida Magazine, Mimi Thian