Guest blog, by writer Chelsea Haden
For a while people have been asking me, how do you write a blog, and where do you start. So, I asked my friend Chelsea Haden, who's a writer, editor and frequent blogger as to whether she'd do a guest blog for me on it. Thankfully she agreed!
Understanding the basics of blogging
We’ve now entered the age of the blog and according to a survey done by HubSpot websites with blogs are more likely to get 55% more visitors than those without. For those in business, that means a lot more potential new customers and the reason why so many are doing it. There's no accurate estimation of just how many blogs are on the World Wide Web, but recently I read that there are over 450 million English language blogs out there. Now that’s a lot of information – don’t you think?!
With all this information floating around it’s becoming even more essential that your blog is the best version of itself; and for this to happen there are a few things that you need to take into consideration.
What blog platform should I use?
Choosing the right platform is essential and there are so many out there, for example BlogSpot, WordPress, Flickr, Tumblr, and Pinterest, are to name but a few. I’ve worked with all of these platforms but WordPress comes out on top – all of the time! This platform is like having your own website. You have an option to upgrade and go for a self-hosted site if you desire or use the free version which is just as good. You can use a range of themes that are majorly customizable – from colours, layouts and widgets. You’re never alone as it has a large community where you can gain technical support and introduce your blog to rest of the blogging world.
You can have as many blogs as you like and across different platforms. However, I would suggest having one blog on each topic that you write about as this gives each topic the attention it deserves, rather than duplicating content which Google now penalizes you for – by lowering your ranking.
What do I blog about?
Finding your blog purpose is probably one of the most important factors that you’ll have to think about. Are you blogging for personal reasons or for your business? If you're blogging for your business then it’s wise to use your content to let your customers know: company news and updates, any new services and products, how you feel about certain topics etc. Blogging for business is an ideal way to show your customers that there is a human in the heart of your business! Remember your posts should reflect the person that you are.
How do I get my blog ‘out there?'
The good news is, if you're using WordPress then this platform allows you to write your own ‘tags.' Tags are keywords and phrases that people are likely to search for, and when they do, your blog should come up. Essentially you're SEOing your own blog so that it can be found. There are ways to increase your likelihood of this:
- Social media – ideally you should be using platforms such as Facebook and Twitter to promote your blog.
- Directories – there are a wide range of directories to submit your blog to, for example, 24 great blog directories can be found at: http://www.searchenginejournal.com/20-essential-blog-directories-to-submit-your-blog-to/5998/
- Six degree rule – shout about your blog! Someone knows someone, who knows someone, and so forth.
- Interact with the blogging community – have a read of blogs that you think will compliment yours; read their content and get involved with the conversation: comment! Get people to guest post for you, and guest blog wherever you can as it will attract a whole new readership.
How do I make my blog stand out?
Take into consideration representational skills: people have different ways of taking in information – some through sound, others through pictures, videos, and specific language. These learning means are known as visual, audio and kinesthetic. A wise blog takes this into consideration and incorporates them all – to build rapport.
Personalise it: A great blog should have some form of branding whether it be a logo, specific colours, and/or a memorable name.
Content: This goes back to relating it to your blog's purpose. What do you want your blog to be known for: inspiration, worldly goings on, industry updates etc. I find that most of the blogs in the world are covering the same information, but it’s their take and perspective that makes them interesting and readable.
Make it easy for people to follow: Always provide an RSS subscription. Also consider offering your readers a newsletter, and make sure your subscription boxes and social media buttons are easily seen.
Remember, blogging is easy providing that you consider the above, and content is always KING. Whilst a few blog for the SEO benefits, your readers won’t stay or follow you if your content is meaningless, so instead aim for vibrant, relevant and informative!
About Chelsea
At only 21yrs, Chelsea Louise Haden, is an exceptional young entrepreneur. She works as a freelance writer and editor. In her spare time she's addicted to social media, has a passion for all things inspirational and aspires to cook every vegetarian recipe that's ever been thought of! She blogs at www.clouisehaden.wordpress.com and www.bloggerforyou.wordpress.com.
If you've enjoyed this post, in the comments below, tell me what you think about blogging. Let me know what action you'll take as a result of reading this post too. I'd love to hear.
Thank you, as always for reading and contributing here. If you found this useful, please share it with your friends!
With love and gratitude,
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Great summary, having blogged for a few years it’s good to be reminded of the importance of good content