Getting a reader’s attention is one thing. Holding that reader’s attention long enough to get your point across is another. Both are essential for a successful blog.
A catchy title and pretty pictures will only take you so far. People want depth beyond the title and pictures. Your content is the meat and potatoes to your blog/business.
Without quality content, you got nothin’.
You need to stay on top of your game to produce content people actually want to see, watch, or read. And you can do that in 3 easy steps.
Step 1: Join the conversation
Look at bloggers in a similar niche and see what their engagement/conversations look like (check their Instagrams and blogs). You’ll come across some empty comments like “So cute babe!”, in which case you should just bypass those profiles altogether.
After real digging, you’ll come across the really active bloggers who engage their audience with real questions, real answers, and just real stuff. Those are the bloggers you want to pay attention to. They’re the ones who ask a question and get 40 comments of actual answers.
So, when you find that profile, join the conversation and start engaging - not only with the blogger but with the blogger’s community. Interacting with the community is much more effective than trying to engage with the blogger you admire. Bloggers are busy, and honestly, it’s rare you find one who authentically comments back to every single comment in a timely manner… just doesn’t happen, even I’m guilty of this!
Step 2: Add value
Once you see what people are talking about, you can create related value on your own blog. No matter what blog you run, type of business you have (or aspire to have), there is always a place to add massive value. In fact, you shouldn’t produce any content that doesn’t add some sort of value.
Whether you’re contributing on someone else’s blog, taking pictures, cooking, writing a book, the question that should be at the forefront is: what kind of value am I adding here? If you can’t think of a good answer, then you shouldn’t share it with your readers.
When people visit your blog or any of your social channels, they want to be educated, inspired, or entertained. Those are really the only ways to add value and you should always do one of those things before you hit publish.
Step 3: Log your results
Once you join the conversation and add value, you want to be sure to keep track of your results - the good and the bad. What works for one blogger may not work for you, and what works for another blogger may totally work for you too.
After you see a pattern of what sticks and what doesn’t, you have to start producing content in the exact same format as the stuff that’s got the highest views, most engagement, most shares, etc. otherwise the process is a waste.
You even want to keep track of the time you posted, promotional tactic you used, and the type of content you created if you want a recipe for success.
Every little detail matters, and if you want to truly blog about stuff people want to read, you have to be the eyes and ears of your audience. Put yourself in their shoes and see what they see and do more of what they’re gravitating towards. That’s it!
How do you write your next blog post? Is there a method to your madness? Tell us in the comments!
xx Britt
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Image Source Credits - Ikea, Seek & Style
You Should Also Read:
3 Ways to Grow Your Blog Right Now
How to Find Bloggers You Can Trust
The Best Ways to Use Video on Your Blog
