How to Create a Successful Blog Strategy
Want to know the secret to creating a successful pet blog? Today, we’re going to share with you an overview of what you need to do.
- Set Objectives
The first thing that you need to do is set your goals.
Here are a few questions to get you started:
- What’s the purpose of my blog?
- Who are my readers?
- Is my content actionable or purely for entertainment?
- What is my blog’s focus? Would I write about the day-to-day life of my pets? Or, would I write about tips and pet product recommendations?
Your answer will determine the type of posts that you will create. It’s important for you to clearly define what you want your blog to be. This way, you can create a content strategy that targets what you want to happen.
- Brainstorm Blog Topics
Now that you understand what you want, the next step is to brainstorm blog topics.
Note that a blog post doesn’t have to be something new or extraordinary. In fact, it’s unbelievably hard to find a topic that no one has ever talked about. Instead, focus your efforts on thinking about an interesting topic in a new angle. For instance, rather than a standard review, Ammo the Dachshund wrote a product review from her pet’s POV.
Another trick you can use to brainstorm blog topics is to keep an eye on trends. You can use tools like Google Trends to get this done.
Visit Google Trends and type keywords related to your blog. For this example, I used the word “pets.”
The search results display the most popular topics related to pets. In this example, it’s “the secret life of pets” and “pets at home,” among many others.
Another way you can determine trends is to check out recent blog posts of popular blogs. If you choose to write about a similar topic, differentiate your post. You can use your personal experience to make the content original. Or, you can write about what you think or what your pets think about the topic.
- Schedule Blog Posts
How many blog posts should you publish per week?
Petco Community publishes one post per week and has 2.9 million Facebook followers. In comparison, EntirelyPets publishes 11 posts per week and has 400,000 followers.
These blogs prove that blogging isn’t a simple numbers game. Other factors such as the post topic and content quality can impact the success of your blog.
So, how should you plan and schedule your blog posts?
You can start small and publish one post per week. At the same time, you can dedicate your time and effort to promoting your content. Afterwards, look at the data.
If your blog’s analytics improve as you increase your frequency, then it might be time to publish more. If you can write only one quality post per week and steadily increase your subscribers, then it’s okay to focus on consistency.
Now, what about the time?
Check out Coschedule’s blog post that features a compilation of studies on blog post times. Once you decide, you can experiment and use data to determine what time readers visit your site.
These steps are simple, but the secret to its success is consistency. Build your blog everyday and eventually you will see results.
What are your blogging tips for success? How do you ensure consistency? Or what questions do you have on creating a successful blog strategy?
Monique Danao is a writer and content creator with an expertise in marketing and SEO. When she’s not writing, you’ll find her enjoying funky food, listening to music and marketing startups. Check out her website or follow her @monique_pd.
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