How to Transform Your Blog
I remember when I first had the urge to blog. Chances are, you have at some point too. And on the surface, starting a blog seems fairly easy. Writing a few articles a week pertaining to your career or interests shouldn’t be too difficult, right? However, there are a number of considerations that many bloggers tend to forget about. Things like the aesthetic of your blog’s layout, navigation menus, social media links, and mobile-friendliness are all aspects of a blog that can easily fall by the wayside, and are all crucial in developing a blog that people want to actually read.
Starting with the basics, stay on topic. Covering too many subjects can spread your blog a little thin, while focusing on a particularly specific subject will cater only to a very limited number of readers. For example, a blog that offers sports news, updates, and opinions has the potential to gain a large following, taking into account the popularity of sports. On the other hand, a blog that covers sports, travel news, politics, music, and cooking can get confused around what type of blog you are actually writing for. This may come off as unappealing for readers who wish to receive information regarding one specific topic.
Once you have gained a following and understand the interests of those who regularly read your blog, you can begin to write with them in mind. Readers that feel that their personal preferences matter to the writer are much more likely to engage with you, and in turn, recommend your blog to even more people. Create a section below your posts where your readers can comment their opinions and discuss with one another. Additionally, creating a contact page for readers that want to get in touch with you. A blog that allows its audience to interact with it is far more interesting than one that simply voices opinions and gives no room for feedback.
Nowadays, the usability of your blog is more important than ever. Be sure to showcase yourself and your interests in a visually appealing way, with little clutter and an easy-to-navigate design. Nothing turns readers away faster than spam or pop-up ads. A clean yet detailed blog will exude professionalism. A great resource for bloggers wondering whether or not the usability or speed of their site is adequate is a measurement for your website’s “trust factor.”
As mentioned before, integrating social media to your blog is almost a necessity in today’s digitally obsessed world. Keeping usability in mind, set up social share share buttons for readers that wish to instantly tweet your blog, share it on Facebook, or save it to their LinkedIn profiles. Similarly, incorporating your personal social media profiles gives even more ways for your audience to interact with you. While it is recommended to place these resources on your contact page, they can also work well in your “about me” section.
With that said, your autobiography should give people a thorough understanding of who you are as a person, what your interests and passions are, and display professionalism. Advertising yourself as an intelligent, trustworthy person can go much further than just gaining followers for your blog.
So, while it may seem like an overwhelming amount of work, blogging, and the process of developing your blog can be incredibly rewarding. The more effort you put into it, the easier it gets, as you’ll begin to develop a routine, adapting as you go along to best suit your interests, as well as the interests of those that read your blog.
