Create a Successful Blog Strategy: A Step by Step Guide

blog strategy
When it comes to creating a blog strategy you need to understand that it entails more than one area that has to be focused on if you are to be successful.

We are going to look at each area and how it needs to have a strategy for itself so that each area can then be combined into a full strategy that works well.

Following this step by step guide will help you to be more successful than others, or than you already are.

What areas will need to be strategized?

There are a couple areas that need to be strategized separately while still fitting into the goal of creating a successful blog strategy.

  1. The hosting site of the blog.
  2. The blog itself will need a strategy.
  3. The promotion of the blog.

The hosting strategy

When you decide on a host for your blog there are several things to consider.

  1. The host sites reputation – do they have frequent downtime or are they known for good quality service. What about customer service? Do they have a good reputation when it comes to service issues?
  2. Does the host site have enough speed for what you need to do? Can you run an e-commerce site? A video site? What about a combination of both?
  3. What type of upgrades do they offer?
  4. What support features do they offer? Site back up? 24/7 support?

If you would like to compare hosting sites, please read the comparison guide for 2016.

The blog strategy

Area one the blog strategy;

#1 Know your targeted audience and cater to those readers. To understand your targeted audience you should create a buyer persona. Use social media to see what your targeted audience age range (20 to 40) is sharing, who they are following, and what their comments are on the types of products or services that you will be promoting your blog. Also understand their demographics –geographic location, income level, marital status, and others. These help you to understand your targeted audience better so that you can tailor your content to those people.

Also understand their demographics –geographic location, income level, marital status, and others. These help you to understand your targeted audience better so that you can tailor your content to those people.

#2 When it comes to content you need to do the following: give the content a new twist since it extremely hard to come up with totally original content, create content that is not available elsewhere by putting your own voice, personality, facts, and trends into it. You also have to post content frequently, at least 2 to 3 times a week. You may wish to look at

You may wish to look at the list of writing services for ideas on content and writers for hire.  One more thing about the content you need a mix of short and long content. A 20% short (500 to 800 words) and 80% medium to long (1000 to 2500 words).

#3 Make your blog an interactive community by engaging your readers to reply to questions, take surveys, ask questions of you, and tell stories of how one of your products or services have made their life easier. Then be sure to reply to those comments in some way to let your readers know that you appreciate their input.

#4 Be sure to have a professional look when it comes to design and layout of your blog and the tone of your posts. That does not mean you cannot add some humor or emotion to your post as it shows your personality but remember it does need to be presented in a professional way if you want your readers to trust you and consider you an authority in your field.

#5 Use analytics to understand where your visitors are coming from, how long they are staying, what they are reading, and if they are converting to buyers as well as other things. Things you should concentrate on are new vs returning guests, time of day, demographics, and bounce rate. Traffic sources are another key analytic to pay attention to is it direct, search engine, or referral.  These analytics help you with your promotion campaigns.

Traffic sources are another key analytic to pay attention to is it direct, search engine, or referral.  These analytics help you with your promotion campaigns.

#6 Be sure that your content is SEO ready and done correctly to get you a better position on the search engine results page.

#7 Name your blog; this should be an easy to spell, easy to remember, and fit into your domain name.

If you would like to learn more strategies on blogging like a pro, you can read these points and strategies to help you be more professional and successful.

Promotion strategies

You now have your strategies for your hosting and your blog; now it is time to set up a strategy for promotion or marketing of your blog.

  1. SEO is a must; make sure your posts are SEO optimized as well as optimized for various mobile devices and screen sizes.
  2. Keyword research is a must. Including long tail keywords and phrases. These will be used in pay per click and other ad campaigns.
  3. Build a network of other bloggers, visit their sites and see what they are doing.
  4. Use social media to your advantage. Be sure to comment on your follower’s posts, comments and questions to show you appreciate them and that you do pay attention.
  5. Guest post on other blogs and put a link back to your blog or website in your profile.
  6. Do not forget to use paid advertising such as Google ads or Bing ads

Tie it all together

Now that you have made a strategy for each section, put them all together and start working on each one. The first and second stages can be worked together so that by the time you have decided what your blog name will be you can get your domain and hosting in order.

Work on your content and start you blog. While you are posting to your blog work on building your email list and getting to know the influencers in your industry. Ask to guest post on their blog.

Remember that this will not be instant, plan on a year before seeing major results,

Conclusion

By using this guide you will be ready to start your blog and market it successfully as long as you are willing to put the time in.

Elaina Meiser
 

Elaina Meiser is a graduate student and an enthusiastic blogger. She started blogging 5+ years ago as a hobby, and now she writes for online service BestEssay.Education. Elaina loves creative arts, different tips & tricks guides, and backpacking trips.