Usually at beginning of the year, everyone is making plans for the coming months and they are full of good intentions, which are then more or less respected.
As a blogger, you should start to plan about what you will change in 2013, looking at what the past year has left you as experience.
You should think about how to learn from the choices made in past, for your best interpretation of future large and small projects.
So, below I have summarized six keywords, that you should consider when planning a strategy for your blog and for your online presence during this new year.
1. Constancy
Does it really make sense to try to catch up a post a day, a week, a month?
Well, not as much as one might think – and anyway it’s up to you to decide-.
In few words, with the huge amount of methods that I have to stay in touch with you, what I really care about is that you show me to be here today, tomorrow and in the weeks-months to come.
So that you have the opportunity to begin to trust me and to be confident in what I propose or I write about.
At the end, no matter if the balance is one post a day or barely two a month.
2. Variety
There are many types of content that a blog can show to readers. It can be the common post lists, or interviews, reviews, guides and so on.
If you really want to invest your time in your blog during this 2013, you should begin to wonder how to offer more varied topic and content to your readers.
Anyone can pull off the keyboard a few paragraphs just to fill the void, but just few are able to build really good content.
3. Usability
With all the articles about SEO and Content Marketing, sometimes you may forget that this is always to propose a useful service to your readers.
Usability is a word that is neglected, especially in the beginning if your blog, when you are trying to compete with the volume of fire of large websites and you are looking to get some readers from search engines.
But if you really want to build an online business that (completely or not) relies on your blog, you should begin to think on how to give your readers the best experience while visiting your blog.
Are you doing this?
4. Multimedia
YouTube, Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook. And there are a lot more. Use social media! These networks are there for you.
There is no room for “I do not fully understand how to use it”.
Try to use your strength to deliver your content in many ways as possible, but pay attention to not overload your audience with too much information – ergo, SPAM -.
See this :
10 Free Tools to Monitor Your Social Media Influence
5. Statistics
You should always check your blog statistics.
Only through a right understanding of your target audience, you may hope to better engage with them and so effectively grow your business.
Of course there is not only Google Analytics. There are many more useful tools.
Understanding how people interact on your content – beyond checking just the pageviews – is a necessity that will become increasingly urgent in 2013.
6. You
At the end of the day, what matters is you.
You are important.
Your blog is just a tool to convey your voice. Your style. Your personal way of seeing things.
I do not want to read a blog. I want to read your blog.
What is your word?
Where are you going to focus your efforts on?
Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
About Erik Emanuelli
I think choose 3 or 4 main topics and publish posts with these topics is alternately is a good strategy to maintain variety and interest of different groups of readers in the blog. Variety is important to prevent people become tired of the same thing.
GoodTrader recently posted..Believe In Yourself!
It is also truth that you may want to stick to your choosen niche, then changing topics is a good idea.
I am trying to do only one subject. Since i started consistently posting, the number of followers are increased.
Try to stick with that constancy and you will gain even more followers!
Excellent post, Erik.
I totally agree that consistency is of utmost importance. I found my pace with one blog per week in French, one per week in English. That works.
Another good advice is having parameters in place. While seeking variety is absolutely great, I think it’s equally important to have some consistency on the content level as well, as much as possible. It’s weird when you read a 150 words post one week, then a river-long post of 2,000 words the following week. Unless that’s what the blog readers appreciate, that is…
All the best for 2013, and good luck sticking with these 6 keywords!
Frederic Gonzalo recently posted..Social Media Jedis, Ninjas And Gurus: What’s The Fuss?
Thanks for your feedback, Frederic.
Valuable, as usual!
I do agree with you on the length of the articles, I think 700-800 words is a good number to go with.
I have seen few bloggers writing longer posts, even +2000…See Glen of Viperchill, but as you said, you must then stick with the same length on all the blog posts.
All the best to you for a great 2013, Frederic!
Erik, I agree with you on all of these 6 – I think that consistency is something that can be difficult for most people especially for those with family related considerations – the important thing is to prioritize and cut out what you can do without and focus on the essentials when you’re pressed for time.
Great post, thanks Erik.
Adam Connell recently posted..24 Easy Ways to Build a Targeted Twitter Following
Hi Adam,
thanks for stopping by!
I always schedule my blog posts for the next 2-3 weeks, so I can focus on other things.
Of course, if you do not have much time to dedicate, you need to concentrate yourself on what is most important for you.
Thanks for the visit, Adam, it’s really appreciated!
will you please mention some tips on hoe to increase variety as well usability of our blog…
Hi Rahul,
see, some different types of article you can write on your blog :
1. Original Post
2. Reviews
3. Tutorial
4 . Meme
5 . Lists
6 . Interviews
7 . Selection of Resources
8 . Pre-post
9 . Case Study
10 . Guest Post
11 . Personal Stories
For usability I mean an excellent experience for every visit of your users.
So high quality content, an easy menu to let your readers navigate in your blog, an internal search engine, a correct on-page SEO.
What do you think?
Excellent post. One thing that really assures success in blogging (as you pointed out) is relationship building. Beside providing the kind of content that readers need, this year is a year of hooking up and establishing quality relations with even more bloggers. Reading through what these bloggers said, in a summary, it’s about healthy relationships.
Suraj recently posted..Basic Tips for Your Cairns Fishing Trip
Hi Suraj,
I am glad you share my point of view on building relationships, it’s really important!
“You are important.”
I totally agree with this point because everything that your blog becomes derives from you. Are your posts getting as much promotion as they deserve? It’s all up to you. Are your posts as good as they should be? It’s all up to you.
Chimezirim Odimba recently posted..How To Make $10k Every 90 Days — Smart Hard Work Required
That’s right,Chimezirim.
Your destiny is just up to you!
I should say ” this is an excellent post “. I agree with your points but believe in your last point that ” you are important “. If post is well and uniquely written by you for the readers need, then you can thrive in driving visitors without much efforts. Constancy and variety is also important and have to be maintained and included respectively for blog strategy. Thanks for sharing the nice post Erik sir!
Nirmala recently posted..Earn money online free through real ways
Thanks for the kind words, Nirmala.
I really appreciate your feedback!
Of all the points, i really appreciate constancy. You really needs to give people reason to come back to be in your blog today tomorrow and anytime.If readers hang around your blog for a week with put a new post, they will be force to turn to somewhere they can get contents.
Iteire Apollos recently posted..Guest Blogging Made Easy
I also think constancy is one of the more important factors in blogging success, Iteire.
If you keep up the hard work over time, sooner or later, you will reach your goals!
Thanks for the encouragement. I have resolve to make a post every working day on my blog. Just the first week and i’m getting result. So i don’t feel like giving up because i want to continues getting results.
Iteire Apollos recently posted..7 Reasons Why You Should Start Guest Blogging Now
Well, it’s hard to post daily, if you are not blogging full time.
But if you have passion, you will be constant.
My best wishes to keep up the great work, Iteire!
Thanks again Erik. I have a plan the will help me to post daily. The plan aims at a particular topic for the week. Like this week was focused on guest blogging. I pen down the topic the first day of the week. Most of the topics are questions. So I take it that I am answering a question. It makes writing fun.
Iteire Apollos recently posted..How To Make Bloggers To Accept Your Guest Post
Consistency in the post frequency and looking to the long tail for topic ideas – essential.
Well said, Michael.
Nice Post erik and yes i like most the consistency and if you follow consistency than i don’t think the blog will fall.
Ravi budhwar recently posted..Top 5 Ways To Study
Glad you liked it, Ravi.
Thanks for the comment.
Hi,
I think that consistency is something that can be difficult for most people especially for those with family related considerations – the important thing is to prioritize and cut out what you can do without and focus on the essentials when you’re pressed for time.
Thank you
Kent Morris recently posted..Legal Buds Efficiently Combat Fatigue
You can also schedule, when you do not have time.
If your time is limited, then you should reconsider your post frequency.
Thanks for the feedback, Kent.