A blog is super powerful – it’s like a business card, seminar, and resume in one. People get everything they need to know about you from a handful of posts and then ask you to keep sending them information. I love my blog and it has been one of the most amazing tools in my instant messaging toolbox. Here are 10 tips to help you master your own blog faster and more efficiently.
1. Link to other sites – Start using links within your posts to add value. The more you link to other highly rated related sites, the higher the chances that you will get pingbacks or links from those sites.
2. Focus on your blog – If you have several small projects that are detracting from your blog and not generating profit, put them on hold and focus on what will work.
3. Be interactive – Start using more interactive tools like videos, podcasts, and images in every post. The more you can share about yourself with your readers, the more attached they will become.
4. Interview People – Find high-end people in your niche with a lot to offer and interview them. You can do it in text form or as a video or podcast. You can also ask them to guest post to increase your readership.
5. Respond to comments on posts – If you get a lot of comments on your blog posts, respond as quickly as possible. You don’t have to reply to every comment, but at least one or two a day will show readers that you’re there, checking out what they have to say.
6. Customize the Look – Pay a designer to produce a custom graphic for your header. You can even have a custom theme created for your blog to help it stand out.
7. Spice up the content: Get more creative with your content. If your readers are turning away from how-to posts, consider including some content with polls, videos, or lots of links to keep them engaged.
8. Use series and memes: A series of posts on a certain topic can not only help keep readers going, but also get you more links from outside sources. Find topics in your niche that you can write about extensively.
9. Guest Posting – I have mentioned guest posting several times before. It’s a powerful way to generate readership from other sites and helps with your Page Rank. However, you need to build relationships with those other blog owners first.
10. Link to and from other bloggers – Have a full blogroll and take advantage of it. Contact people for more details on how to get on their blog list as well.
Hopefully this gives you a head start on your blog makeover. There are dozens of other tips that can help instantly improve the quality of your blog. However, the same idea is maintained in all of them: content is number one. Never sacrifice that truth for efficiency or quantity.