Blogging is everywhere, and for a good reason. It’s a powerful tool for businesses of all sizes to share their story, connect with customers, and drive results.
If you’re looking to write a blog, you should know about SEO content. SEO is the practice of optimising your web content to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs).
You’ll need to use keywords throughout your blog post—in the title, body, tags and meta descriptions. You’ll also want to ensure your blog post is well-written and free of grammar and spelling errors.
The reality is that blogging requires time, effort, and dedication if you want to see results. It’s not a quick fix or a magic bullet that will immediately improve your business. But if you’re willing to put in the work, blogging can be an extremely effective way to reach your target audience.
But before you dive in, it’s important to understand the expectations vs reality of blogging—and how to set yourself up for success from the start. We’ll also share seven tips to help beginners with their blogging journey.
Expectations vs. reality
Writing a blog post may seem simple, but there’s more to it than meets the eye. Here’s a look at the expectations vs reality of blogging:
Expectation 1: You’ll have brilliant ideas for blog posts every day.
Reality: Most bloggers struggle to come up with topics regularly. Don’t worry—it’s normal! To overcome creative blocks, try brainstorming with a team member, looking through old customer notes, or using a content calendar to plan.
Expectation 2: You’ll sit down and write a post in one sitting.
Reality: Blog posts often take days (or even weeks) to write. That’s because they typically go through several rounds of editing before they’re ready to publish. To streamline the editing process, try to get feedback from a colleague or friend before you hit “publish.”
On average, bloggers may take up to 4 hours to write a single post as per Orbit Media.
Expectation 3: Your blog posts will be perfect.
Reality: No one’s blog posts are perfect—and that’s okay! Don’t strive for perfectionism, or you’ll never get anything published. Do your best, and know you can always improve with each new post.
Expectation 4: Everyone will read your blog posts.
Reality: Few people will read your blog posts, and that’s okay! The important thing is that you’re sharing valuable content with those who read it. To increase your blog’s reach, consider promoting your posts on social media or other channels.
Expectation 5: Your blog will quickly become popular.
Reality: It takes time and effort to build a following for your blog. Be patient and consistent with your content, and you’ll eventually see the fruits of your labour.
Blogging for beginners – 7 tips
If you’re just getting started with blogging, here are seven tips to help you on your journey:
1. Plan ahead
Before you write, take some time to brainstorm ideas and plan your content. This will save you a lot of time and frustration later on.
If you want to get people to read your blog posts, you must ensure they’re engaging. Here are a few tips:
- Write in a conversational tone
- Use short paragraphs and headlines
- Add images, infographics, or videos
- Use helpful formatting, like bullet points and lists
How to choose the right topic?
The right topic for your blog post depends on your audience and goals. If you’re unsure what to write about, try thinking about your target audience’s problems. You can also look through old customer notes or surveys for ideas.
You can use tools to help you develop ideas, like Google Trends and BuzzSumo. These platforms can show you what topics are being discussed online and help you find popular content to share.
Now that you have your topic, you can proceed to create your content. The use of content creation tools can come in handy at this stage. When you say content creation, there’s tools for writing, visuals, webinar, and podcasts. Some of the tools for these are:
- Grammarly – for writing
- Canva – for visuals
- Zoom – for webinars and podcasts
2. Be consistent
A blog post is not a one-off event. It is part of a series that you are building over time. The key to success is consistency. Your readers will expect new content from you regularly, so it’s important to stick to a schedule.
How often should you blog?
This depends on your goals and the time you’re willing to commit. But generally, it’s best to aim for at least 3-4 blog posts per week. If you can’t commit to that, try starting with one post per week and gradually increasing your frequency over time.
According to statistics, blog posts are more successful than other types of articles in terms of traffic. Companies that published four blog entries per week or more got 3.5 times the traffic as those that posted less frequently.
3. Write for your audience
Your audience should be at the forefront of your mind when you’re writing a blog post. Write with your readers in mind, and tailor your content to their needs and interests.
Think about what they want to read, and make sure your post delivers on that promise. If you’re unsure of who your target audience is, take some time to define it before you start writing.
How to grow your audience?
Increasing your blog’s reach can be challenging, but it’s not impossible. To help get you started, here are five steps to take to improve your blog’s reach:
1. Publish high-quality content.
2. Share your content on social media.
3. Connect with other bloggers.
4. Write guest posts for other blogs.
5. Use keyword research tools.
There are a variety of tools you can use to help you with your blogging efforts. Here are a few of our favourites:
- AHrefs: A keyword research tool that helps you find popular keywords to target in your blog posts.
- Yoast SEO: This plugin helps you optimise your blog posts for Google search results. If you want to learn how to use Yoast SEO, click here.
- WordPress: This tool is a popular content management system. By using WordPress, you can create and manage your blog with ease.
4. Engage with other bloggers
Bloggers from all around the world share one big secret: blogging can be a lonely business. But it doesn’t have to be! A whole community of bloggers is just waiting to connect with you.
Reach out to other bloggers in your niche and start building relationships. You can do so by commenting on their blog posts, sharing their content on social media, or guest posting on their blog. Not only will this help you grow your audience, but you’ll also make some great friends along the way.
One great way to connect with other bloggers is by using social media. Platforms like Twitter and LinkedIn are great places to start. You can also search for certain hashtags or keywords related to your niche.
Another great way to connect with bloggers is using tools like Google Alerts or Mention. These tools allow you to track who’s talking about a specific topic online and reach out to them directly.
5. Promote your content
Just because you’ve published a blog post doesn’t mean people will automatically see it. You must promote your content to get it in front of your target audience.
There are several ways to do this, but some of the most effective include:
- Sharing your content on social media
- Emailing your subscribers about your latest post
- Guest posting on other blogs
- Asking other bloggers to share your content
- Paying for ads on social media or Google AdWords
Promoting your blog posts can be time-consuming, but it’s worth it if you want to grow your blog’s reach.
6. Don’t compare yourself to others
You won’t get very far in your blogging journey if you constantly compare yourself to other bloggers. Not only is this unhealthy, but it’s also a huge waste of time.
It’s important to remember that everyone starts from somewhere. The most successful bloggers out there didn’t become overnight sensations. They put in the hard work and persevered through the tough times.
So, instead of worrying about what everyone else is doing, focus on your blog and make it the best it can be. When you do that, success will eventually follow.
7. Have fun!
Blogging can be a lot of work, but it should also be fun. If it’s not, then you’re doing something wrong.
Make sure to enjoy the process and have fun with it. Write about passionate topics and interact with your readers in a way that feels natural to you. When you do that, your blog will shine through, and your audience will notice.
Guest Author: Kevin is the CEO, Founder of Aemorph. A seasoned entrepreneur and digital marketing expert. Kevin started in digital marketing, specialising in Search Engine Optimisation after leaving a career in banking and finance. He now has 12+ years helping businesses in the F&B, finance, insurance, e-commerce, medical, b2b and SaaS industries.
Kevin is also a certified adult educator with the WSQ Advanced Certificate in Learning and Performance (ACLP) awarded by the Institute of Adult Learning (IAL) in Singapore, delivering high-quality, relevant and easy-to-implement training to ensure learners can get immediate results and build upon their knowledge.
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