When I started my blog, I never got a blueprint on how to be successful at blogging. All I came across, was bloggers talking about the thousands they made blogging. It was exciting reading all of that and hoping to start making that much too. But, it wasn’t that easy. All the promising post only gave the free unhelpful tips and the helpful tips are paid for. It was really frustrating at that time.
What I will be teaching you today is an easy blueprint to owning a successful blog. This article contains a lot, most of which you will pay for. However, I am giving these tips free. Why? Because when I started I didn’t get any helpful tips for free and I want to help someone in that position today.
Today you will be learning how to make your blog successful from the day you launch it. And by successful we are talking about high traffic, engagement and monetization.
The first step to owning a successful blog is in your Content.
So your blog is set and live on the world wide web and you have designed it to your taste. The next bold step is creating something great for your audience. However, If you don’t have a blog yet here is a step by step guide on starting one.
Your content is where and how people get to know you and your work.
Therefore, create original and quality content. A matter of fact, one of the Ad-sense criteria for approval is originality and quality. What is quality content? These are contents that enlighten and solve a problem. While originality simply means you created it yourself without plagiarism.
The blueprint of a quality content
Content can mean a lot of things but in the context of blogging, I am referring to your blog post. So what makes a blog post clickable and sharable?
1. It solves a problem. No matter how big or little a problem is, as long as your post solves that problem it is quality content. For instance, this post is going to solve a problem which is to help you create a profitable successful blog.
2. Do research, make sure your post is filled with a lot of valuable info. If you are trying to show your audience how to do something, make sure your guide gives them results.
3. Have a catchy headline. Let it be simple and direct and if possible tell what value the post contains if clicked. See your headline as the summary to your 1000 words blog post. I use CoSchedule Headline Analyzer to make sure my headlines are good.
4. Use subheadings in your post because it improves its readability.
5. Create images for your content. Design them to fit the social media you plan on sharing it on. Be it Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. I use Stencil to create my images. Stencil app is very easy to use.
6. SEO your post. SEO means Search Engine Optimization. There is a plugin that makes it easy. Search for Yoast in your add new plugin area, install it and activate it. Yoast, allows you to insert a keyword into your post which could make your content appear on search engines. It also tells you what to put into your post to make good. when you see it green it means you are doing a great job.
7. Click publish or you can schedule the post for another day.
Now you have your Quality content, what next?
Promote your Content.
Organic traffic is very hard to come by and organic traffic simply means the traffic you get directly from search engines. It is not a days job to rank on Google. Hence you can’t wait for traffic to come and find you, you have to go find it. Therefore, share your post on:
a. Pinterest: Pinterest is the home of bloggers. If you don’t have an account yet open one today. Make sure it is a business account. Keep pinning until your engagement goes high.
b. Facebook: Facebook is the easiest way to get blog traffic. All you need to do is find group boards, join them and share your content. Always follow the rule in that group though.
c. Instagram: Instagram is a good place to grow an audience. People who like your work and would click to see your new content. Give it a try.
d. Twitter: If you’ve been on twitter, then you know it’s a platform you can grow your following very fast. Hence, making it possible for your content to reach many audiences. An easy way to tweet your post to twitter is by installing “better click to tweet” plugin. It makes it possible for you to create a tweet in your post. See below
Having a successful blog from day one is possible. Click To Tweete. Mix: So StumbleUpon no longer exists but there is a substitute for it. It is called Mix, you can find traffic there too. Give it a try.
Traffic might not be super great from the word go. However, you need to be consistent and deliberate in growing your traffic through social media.
Here are some places you can share your blog post aside social media.
How to Monetize your Successful Blog
To be honest with you I really don’t know where to start from because there are so many ways to make money from a blog and different methods to use.
However, I will try my best to make it easy for you to understand. A successful blog doesn’t necessarily mean you are making lots of money within a short while. However, you are taking the right steps towards achieving that.
4 ways to monetize your blog
Just to be very clear on this, there are more than four ways to make money from a blog. However, the four we are going to look into are the most common with quick results.
1. Advertising: Placing ads on a blog seems to be the most common way to make money blogging but I tell you the truth it is not my favourite. Why? Because making good money form adverts demands very high traffic.
The best Ad networks with higher PPC incentive needs you to have over 50000 page views monthly. That’s a lot, right? However, do not panic, getting tons of page views is possible. The key to that is by creating quality content and promoting them as if your life depends on it.
I have good news though, there are Ad networks which accept new bloggers. Check out AdsTarget.
2. Affiliate Marketing: Affiliate marketing is not the easiest but the best. You don’t need tons of traffic to make money with affiliate marketing. However, you need to know what your audience needs.
The best way to make affiliate marketing work for you is through email marketing. How do you do that? By growing your email list with subscribers. I am building mine as well and so far I am doing a good job. Read about it.
How Affiliate Marketing work
However, before you can sell products you have to find products and where do you find products to promote? You find products in affiliate networks or by joining affiliate programs of the products you already enjoy using.
Some affiliate networks are easy to join while some are not. If you are just starting out, one network is good enough so you understand how it works before applying to other networks. JVZOO is easy to signup and to find products, give it a try.
Please, find and promote products in your niche. Don’t be talking about travelling then be selling weight loss products. Your audience won’t buy because they are reading your content to get travel tips. What they will buy are products which your travel tip recommend could help them travel better. I hope you understand this.
3. Personal Product sales: These could be goods or services. If you are an expert in an area, then you can advertise your services on your blog. Simply create a work with me page.
Products also include ebooks, online courses, photos and even craft. I can’t really think of all the things you could sell. However, the list is unlimited.
4. Sponsored Post: This is when you get paid to publish other people or companies work on your blog. If you write quality contents and promote your blog well. Then getting a sponsored post will be easy.
Some Background Work for a Successful Blog
You should consider doing the following as soon as your blog is up and running.
i. Open a Google analytic account and register your blog there. This will only take you a few minutes. Google Analytics helps you understand your audience, their demography and which content of yours gets the most clicks.
ii. Get a Search Console account and register your blog there too. Registering your blog on search console is like listing your website on Google. Google will now know a blog like yours exist.
iii. A successful blog doesn’t happen by mistake, it takes deliberate actions. Set monthly goals, weekly goals and daily task. I have achieved all my goals for the month of March, so I’m about to set one for April.
iv. Learn and unlearn. Blogging comes with a lot of trial and error. Hence, You have to be ready to undo what you just did to get a better outcome.
v. Running a successful blog doesn’t have to cost you too much. Spend on the necessary things like hosting but the rest you can do them cheap or free. Read Cheap Ways to run a Blog.
With what you just learned, you are on your way to owning a successful blog. If you have any question or need more clarity on anything related to blog growth, do drop a comment.
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