Ask YML: How To Create A Craveworthy Blog

I’ve been blogging in many different forms, on many different sites, since 2004. For me, that seems like forever.

Now blogging is just something I do, just like I cook dinner every night. While I don’t consider myself to be the World’s Greatest Blogger ™, I do realize I’ve learned a thing or two about what makes a blog successful. So many of my readers have written to me for advice on starting their blogs. They have something to say and they want to get it out to the world. As with everything I do, you know I’m here for you. Read on for my tips for creating a blog that’s downright addictive:  

1.  First, blog for a month. Or two. Don’t tell anyone. This seems counterintuitive to the reason why most bloggers start writing. They want to share their viewpoints with the world and give people someone to relate to. But what happens when you start blogging for other people, for your readers, before you’ve gotten a chance to see what regular blogging feels like? You can get overwhelmed with the prospect of coming up with content day after day, week after week. And truthfully, that aspect is overwhelming, but you’ve got to hit that point before you build up a following. Find that passion for your topic, whether it’s being a young mom (yay!), or being a student or just about keeping your cool in a house full of kids. Sometimes you have to blog like no one’s reading, because no one IS reading. A great blogger is one who can keep going through the ebbs and flows.

2. Define your blog in one sentence. This definition helps you find your angle, of what you’ll be writing about day after day. You say you want to talk about your life?  Great, because you know that subject better than anyone, but that’s pretty vague. There are millions of people blogging about their lives – what makes you different? Why should someone read one of your blog posts and then come back the next day for more? Are you looking to reach like-minded people? Or looking for a place to vent about daily frustrations? Whatever it is, define your blog for yourself and then start writing.

3. Be realistic. This one hurts to write, but it’s something I had to come to terms with personally. I bet if you polled five random bloggers, they’d all like to have one of the most widely read blogs on the web. Everyone likes to think that their view, their opinions, their commentary is, for lack of a better word, worthy. Worthy to read, to comment upon, to share and to dissect. And let’s not forget, worthy to be paid to write! But becoming a top blogger is less about talent and more about seizing an opportunity. Like other gigs in life, it’s about being in the right “place” with the right topic at the right time. And that’s the sad/happy truth. Everyone’s not going to be a six-figure blogger. Many will be able to pay a bill or two with their blogging income if they’re serious about it.

4. Read other blogs and friend other bloggers. Can you think of one blog you’re absolutely addicted to? Treat it like a textbook. Why do you love it? Is it the writer’s style? The layout? The consistency? If you visit this blog everyday (or close to it), when do you normally read it? During your lunch break when you need a quick pick-me-up? When you’re heading to bed and want a small chuckle before you go to sleep? Identify what makes other blogs work, and incorporate what you want your readers to feel into your writing.

5. Get consistent or don’t bother. It takes a lot of work to crank out posts every day. For a while I was writing seven posts a week and I was burnt out. It simply wasn’t possible for me to have fresh content every day and have any type of downtime. So I scaled back. Now I have an average of 3-4 posts a week and it works for me. It’s a combination of quality posts and consistency that helps you build a following. People know what to expect and when to expect it. Disappoint them too many times and they won’t be back.

6. Proofread. Will you go back in my archives and find mistakes? Yup. But for the most part, I try to proofread everything I write, before I hit Publish, and once more after it goes live. (Something about that Publish button makes mistakes more apparent!) A stream-of-consciousness style (aka a rambling, here-and-there-and-everywhere style) can work for some bloggers, but most need to use more structure. Experiment a bit (see #1) to see what works for you to make sure the posts you’re publishing are clear to most people.

7. Promote the hell out of it. You can’t just write a blog and wait for people to discover you. Oh, you’ll get a few people through Google searches, but nowhere near the readership you’ll get if you actively promote yourself. How do you do that? Stay tuned for part two where I show how to get noticed!

Veteran bloggers, what other advice would you give? Newbies, what do you have questions on that I didn’t cover?