Guiding Principles For Successful Blogging: Lessons Learned at BlogPaws 2013

Post by Blog Manager Robbi Hess

You started your pet blog hoping for… fame and glory? Recognition of your writing skills? To share the
love of your particular pet? To earn money? Whatever your reason, you certainly had in mind that when you started blogging that you would be successful, right? While every pet blogger measures "success" in his or her own way, there are some steps you can take to propel your blog toward the level of success you seek.

This was the lesson imparted by Susan Getgood, author of Professional Blogging for Dummies and the vice president influencer marketing at BlogHer spoke to a crowded room at BlogPaws 2013 and imparted this information: 

• Begin your blogging "career" with the end in mind; this will help you formulate your objectives, tactics and a strategy for reaching your goals. 
• Know why you blog. It's not enough to simply blog and to know how to write, you need to know your purpose and understand your audience. 
• Prepare your elevator pitch. You need to come up with a few snappy lines that help differentiate yourself from the other pet bloggers in your niche. Knowing the reason why you blog will go a long way in helping you formulate this pitch. 
• What is your value propositin to your audience? What information can you impart that others can't or don't? Who is your audience? What is your unique niche? 
• If you want to monetize your blog, she offered these ideas: offer afiiliate links, run sponsored posts, get yourself hired to be a guest blogger, place ads on your blog. 
• You need to "see and be seen." Ways to do this include the judicious use of SEO in your blog titles and blog posts as well as promoting and sharing your blog posts on your social media. You will also want to comment on others' blogs as a way to be seen. 
• What are your credentials? What sets you apart from the competition when it comes to your particular niche? 
• If you're looking to take your blog to a professional level, you need to have a media kit and a bio available on your site. 
• Track your analytics. How many unique visitors do you get a month? What posts are drawing them in? 
• Find your "tribe." Your tribe could be your raving fans — those readers that come to your site regularly, comment on it and share your information with others. 

What steps can you implement to take your pet blogging to the next level? What are you waiting for?!