21 Strategic Steps to Make Your Blog Successful

“I just don’t know what to blog about.” I can’t tell you how often I hear that one. While the obvious answer is, “Then don’t blog!” I suspect the problem is more fundamental. Many people who blog or think they should blog don’t know why they’re doing it…except that it seems everyone else is blogging. So before you start blogging…or give up on an apparently unsatisfactory blogging experience, consider these 21 steps. They’ll help you know how (or even if) you should go forward.

Now, as a twist today, I crafted this post in response to a challenge over at Copyblogger. Author Brian Clark suggested we all take a page from a current issue of PC World and create a post with a list headline. You can see his post by clicking here.

I’m not going to elaborate on any of these 21 items as my post would be impossibly long. But I promise to return to some of these subjects in future posts and explore them in greater depth. Also the items are in no particular order. Enjoy.

1. Determine what you want out of your blog. Prospective customers? Readers? Clients? Thoughtful people who just like to read blogs and comment? Income? Publicity?
2. Identify your audience. What are the demographics of your ideal reader?
3. Ask your audience what they want from your blog. Ask them in a post. Try a survey (surveymonkey)
4. Develop a voice. Find a way to connect with your audience. Engage. Intrigue. Inspire. Encourage. Use short, powerful sentences.
5. Above all be yourself. Build your personal brand. Then stay true.
6. Develop a vision. Are you the source for all knowledge on your subject? Are you pitching an alternative view? Are you having fun? Being outrageous?
7. Establish your expertise. Are you well read? Professionally trained? Extremely opinionated?
8. Know your competition. If you have a niche market, explore it thoroughly.
9. Set the frequency of your posts, then be consistent. Once a week is dabbling. Once a month is an experiment; 2-4 times a week is good. And only if you are totally committed should you try for 5-7 times a week.
10. Get your rhythm going. Try to post at the same time each day…or at least do your writing at the same time. The rest of the time, keep a little black book for jotting down ideas.
11. Keep a few blogs in the bank. Those days when you come up with two ideas to post and the words seem to flow, write up the second one and store it (unpublished). You’ll be glad you did when that day rolls around and you have nothing to say.
12. Subscribe to other blogs with similar interests. You may find inspiration.
13. Establish a marketing strategy. Here’s some jargon we’ll explore later: SEO, RSS, pinging, trackback, link exchange, blogcasting.
14. Invite friends to participate. Comment on one another’s blogs. Guest blog.
15. Determine what you want as your payoff. Revenue? Sell books? Get speaking opportunities? Write a book from your posts? Sell services and affiliate products?
16. Establish your metrics for success. Then measure regularly to determine that you are achieving your goals.
17. Set your policy for handling comments. Will you moderate comments or not? Will you respond and engage in discussion or not?
18. Use outbound links in your blogs. Choose links that are useful for your readers.
19. Keep posts short, casual and to the point. Remember, you’re sharing ideas and information, not writing War and Peace.
20. Keep your focus on your audience. If your posts suggest that it’s all about you and what readers can do for you…like buy your book…they’re gone.
21. Check out BloggerTalks.com to read interviews with other bloggers. Learn from their experiences.