16 Must Have Things on Your Blogs

Sep 12, 2014 Bhattarai Chiranjeevi Blogging & Social Media 0

You might spend a lot of time reading other blogs but if you want new, creative ideas then blogs written by other people are a great source. It is perfectly fine to go through their blogs and “borrow” ideas.

Bloggers often get stuck in their own niche. It is not necessary that if you write about fashion then you need to read all the blogs related to fashion only. It is a mistake that most of the bloggers commit.

Image Ref: Technomag

You can have lots of ideas for your next blog coming by taking a look at sites that you have no interest in.

Hers is a list of 15 things that might be missing from your own blog but best blogs do have them.

An Excellent Content Plan

The most basic and important step is to learn to create a content plan. Guys like Chris Ducker, who have ran a 10-part series, make plan and aim for high quality content with useful information.

TIME, the Guardian and National Geographic, they all are professionals and they are very strict about their content and where should it reach after a period of time. Random posting by bloggers is of no use.

Long Term Goals

The idea of long term goals is closely related with the first point. The goal here is not to only achieve content related things but things that you expect from your blog and how will you use your blog to achieve them.

You need to have a specific aim which will benefit you in long term and then work your blog into that plan. This does not mean you will neglect short term and medium term goals. Focus on them too. Have them sorted out.

An Attractive About Us Page

If you want your blog to be successful, it is necessary to have a killer About Us page. This page is very often visited by people. This page also has the power of converting a random visitor more interested in your content. They might also become a part of your mailing list.

It needs to have a personal tone so that people connect to you. Your About Us page should have these following items-

Your Story- sure the story you share is personal and not just any casual story about your blog. Tell your readers who you are and what things are you doing.
Photographs- People connect with your blog and take it seriously too if you post a good photograph on the page.
Testimonials- Feedbacks from people always add to the charm. Place them on your page, somewhere at the bottom and they will feel a part of the group.
Old Content- you might have written some classic posts in the past and your new readers might be unaware of these. Show them some of your pillar posts and help them in knowing your writing skills and style better.
Your Mailing List- You have to give them an option for subscription.

Put all this together. This nice little section of yours will help people to know you more.

An Orderly Mailing List

A lot of though and efforts have to be put in growing an engaging mailing list. It helps you do stuff like promoting content, affiliates, products, new websites and so much more.

You can use tools like AWeber which has grate stats and opt-in form creators. They also allow you to segment your list and that too in a very simple and orderly manner. Redirect your new subscribers to get an eBook free of cost.

Keep your emailing list orderly. Let them know in advance what they will get after they sign up.

Domain Name

On free domains like Blogger or Tumblr, it is not easy to grow a professional blog. It is better that you avoid a free domain name and choose something that will represent your brand. Something that is your own. It is useless to build your blogging assets on a name that is not yours.

Multiple Content Battlegrounds

You should know how to choose your social media platform. But that does not mean that you focus on only one and neglect others. It is essential to be everywhere. But do not neglect your blog.

If you can use Google+, Facebook etc. to promote and drive sales then it is good, but if it is only wasting your time then give it up.

You also need to keep in mind that using only texts is not sufficient. It will not protect your blog from Google’s ups and downs. Get into videos, images, podcasts, etc. to get out there.

Advertising Splash

Blogging cannot be free and it cannot grow without money. It just doesn’t work that ways. All businesses advertise. Try to do at least a little bit and get some targeted traffic.

Just keep in mind that this stuff can get really addictive and if gotten wrong can create a lot of damage. Do a lot of testing and tracking before investing money.

Professional Photos

If you want to take your brand to the next level, make sure to use some professional photos. Readers will this way connect to your personality. A cheap photo can create a lot of negative impact on your blog. People can feel uninterested if they see blogs with stock images.

Search photographers and get a photo-shoot done. They will express who you are and the work you do.

Consistent Brand and Logo

When you visit great sites you notice how consistent the branding is. Logo Is well incorporated and the colors used are same everywhere.

This helps you stand out of the crowd. Be distinctive and apply it to your voice. This will make people more interested in your content.

A Clear Voice

Read some quality content and you will see it always has a strong and clear voice. The writer knows what he wants to say and what way is he going to say. They also know who is their targeted audience and who are they talking to.

It is important to have a strong opinion and a strong voice.

Something Different and Distinctive

Find out a way that sets you different from the rest. Do it with your logo or branding or with your content. It just needs to be unique.

It is okay not to be original. You can be famous by doing same exact thing like others, you just have to do it differently.

A Good Mobile Site

Mobile is growing. We are all aware of this. A very significant portion of traffic comes from smart phones. Make your site smooth for smart phones too.

To rank your site highly, it has become necessary to have a mobile version of your site. You can go either for a responsive design or a plugin that produces a mobile version for your site. You need to showcase all your content on the mobile.

A Clean Sidebar

Having a clear side bar is important too. They should not be cluttered. It should be used to funnel people towards the results you desire for. Do not confuse people.

Understanding How SEO Works

SEO is changing almost every day. Some companies are still using the old tactics and some have become only SEO oriented.

You have to write both for the humans and for the robots. If you do not understand how Google works then you might be missing a lot of new traffic.

Keep it Trendy

You should know what is latest in your niche. It is not the language, but you should know about Infographics, SEO changes, WordPress updates and anything that is happening in your area of interest.

Here is a list of things that you can do.

Set up a Google Alert for Keywords. Keep checking them every now and then.
Hire a writer who does not affects your budget much and can brainstorm new ideas.
Find all about the top blogs in your niche. Keep an eye on blogs by BuzzFeed and Huffington Post.

Focus on Content

This strategy is evergreen and will always work. Content is always relevant if the quality is good. It appeals to beginners.

The new readers will only follow you if they like your content. Write for them.

Conclusion

There are numerous reasons that can contribute to the success of your blog. Now it is up to you which strategies you use. Remember audience like quality rich unique content. If your blog is worth sharing then your audience will keep growing.