How Do I Blog For Success?

If you’re reading this blog there’s a good chance you want to know how to blog and be successful at it.

The good news is that no matter who you are, or what your background is, you CAN get good at blogging. The only thing it takes is practice. Practice makes perfect.

The first question you must be asking yourself is, ‘How can I get a blog?’ and the second question will be, ‘How do I blog?'

The answer to the first question really depends on your long-term vision.

Is your blog just a fun pastime or do you want to build a business online with it?

If your vision is the latter then you’ll need a few tools first.

 

1 )  A Domain Name

Ultimately to build a business online you know you need a presence. Nothing screams presence more than having your own domain name. So that’s your first step – get a domain name. They’re not expensive. You can go to GoDaddy.com or HostGator.com and for a minimal cost you can have your very own, personally branded domain name.

For more information on choosing a Domain Name read “How To Name A Website …”

2 )  Hosting

Then you need to find a host for your domain name.

Without a doubt the best hosting site is HostGator.com.

For absolute newbies you’ll never find better. Very simple to use and support that is second to none. Don’t even bother looking anywhere else.

The other reason you want HostGator is because it has a tool called Fantastico that allows you to install WordPress directly onto your domain.

So what’s WordPress?

 

3 )  WordPress

This is by far the easiest way to get a blog on the Internet.

It’s a FREE blogging tool and publishing platform and it’s so user friendly.

If you’re just blogging for fun, you can post your blogs right here.

If you’re doing a blog for business then you can get your WordPress blog installed directly on your domain as I mentioned before.

Another popular way for newbies to get started blogging is to join the Empower Network. For just $25 it's all set up for you. In less then 24 hours you'll be blogging on a domain that has a Page Rank of 1 and an Alexa ranking under 2,000. 

Not bad for a beginner.CLICK HERE TO JOIN.

 

4 ) Keyword Research

The main idea of a business blog is to drive long-term traffic to your site and generate leads.

So who is your target audience?

Know your audience and target them with laser-focused information.

To help you with this go to Google’s FREE Keyword Tool.

Enter keywords that are related to your subject matter. You are looking for keywords that are very popular.

You will need one MAIN keyword or phrase that is the focus of your blog, and a few related keywords or phrases that you can use throughout your blog.

The reason you do this is two-fold

1 )    You want to make sure you are providing information on a topic readers are interested in, and

2 )   You want the Search Engines to find you. 

The more relevant keywords you enter the more attention you’ll get from the Search Engines. Search engines love it when you deliver value to your readers. So keep it on point. Do your Keyword Research.

5 ) Valuable Content

You MUST understand what your readers want and give it to them.

If you don’t have something of value to offer your readers they won’t come back.

So again, do your research, find out what some hot topics are, research the heck out of them and then present your findings.

Keep your blog fresh, original & entertaining.

If you’re stuck for material, click on this link to a previous blog I wrote, “My Dog Ate My Blog – 10 Steps To Beat The Blogging Blues.” This blog will give you some guaranteed ways to find top ranking valuable content.

Final Tips on How to Blog for Success

1 )   It goes without saying – check your spelling and grammar. Google actually frowns upon poorly written content. Also, there is no excuse for spelling mistakes. Use your Spell Check!

2 )   Read your post out loud. Does it flow naturally? You want your blog to be easy to read. If it’s grueling to get through, re-write it. Don’t try and be fancy. Just get your information out there in an easy to read, entertaining fashion.

3 )   Make sure you’ve got a Killer Headline. If you want ideas on how to do this read “7 Ways to Create Killer Headlines."

4 )   Try to keep within 500-1200 words. The only time you should go over 1200 words is if you are creating “How To” Manuals.

Good luck with your blog and go get ‘em!