Work until you will no longer have to introduce yourself!
This is arguably one of the best pieces of advice that you will ever receive while working hard to grow your business.
Next thought: could a blog simplify your efforts and support your boldest ambitions?
The success stories of today’s best-loved influencers in the content industry show that a blog is an invaluable asset that can bring you money and fame in the long run.
Let’s look at how they did just that!
15 Bloggers Who Prove That Content Success Is Just Around the Corner
Some of the most influential bloggers of the moment demonstrate that inspiring strings of words can consolidate businesses, change mindsets and turn losses into profits. Here are 15 prominent, brilliant people who master the art of business blogging.
1. Noah Kagan. Noah Kagan of okdork.com is the founder of two multi-million businesses, successful blogger and Tacodeli lover. His blog is an excellent source of inspiration for those who are looking forward to revamping their content strategy and putting their talent and excellent writing skills to good use to supplement their income.
Posts like What I’ve Learned about Email Marketing after Losing $135,000a Day are educational, information-rich and tailored to the needs of readers who wish to reduce their losses and boost their productivity in the content industry. Whether you want to learn how to grow your email list or improve your writing, Kagan’s expert advice will guide you in the right direction.
2. Darren Rowse. As a former minister with a plethora of interests, including food, reading, movies, wine and photography, Darren Rowse has what it takes to fit the profile of a successful blogger. Rowse is the founder of multiple blog networks and blogs, including ProBlogger.net and b5media.
3. Pat Flynn. Pat Flynn from www.smartpassiveincome.com can teach you everything you need to know about foolproof ways of making passive income. If you also want to hear the ka-ching sound effect while resting on your couch with your laptop on your lap, follow Flynn and find out how he managed to make 3 million dollars over the course of six years by creating websites that target different niches. An interview published by Forbes reveals some of his well-kept secrets: he surprises his audience with well-written informative materials that answer their daily questions. By providing digital books and other freebies, Flynn keeps his readers coming back for more time after time.
4. Neil Patel. Neil Patel is a Seattle-based angel investor, entrepreneur and analytics specialist. As the founder of Crazy Egg and KISSmetrics, Patel gives SEO/blogging tips meant to help small business owners succeed where others have failed. Patel takes his relationship with his readers/potential clients to a whole new level by introducing a new option: Reserve Neil Online. At a touch of a button, you can schedule a confidential discussion with Neil Patel and discover the secrets of the entrepreneur who has turned multiple blogs into a successful online business.
5. Seth Godin. Godin is an overall genius: author, entrepreneur, marketer, and public speaker.The sky is the limit when it comes to inventorying the number of things that you could learn from this extraordinary multitasker. Land on his website, check out his blog, fall in love with his newest bestseller entitled What to Do When It’s Your Turn, and don’t forget to take a glance at the section entitled “Free Stuff.” In this corner, you’ll be able to download and analyze manifestos, PDFs and ebooks for free. For instance, The Bootstrapper’s Bible is available for free for a limited period of time and teaches you for to start a business when you have no money in your pockets. Download, read and apply.
6. Matt Marshall. Matt Marshall is the Founder and CEO of VentureBeat. For almost a decade now, VentureBeat has made a name for itself as a leading source of information delivering fresh news that can help tech enthusiasts, entrepreneurs and executives make smarter decisions. Basically, this premium resource that attracts around 7.5 million unique visitors each month gives you the chance to discover and understand all the novelty factors associated with various technology trends, ranging from games and health tech to mobile and social media. Marshall signs a series of interesting must-read articles that will automatically catch your eye, especially if you’re interested in the tech innovation and entrepreneurial field.
7. Rand Fishkin. Fishkin is the Founder of Moz and Co-Founder of Inbound.org. His blog gets thousands of views and shares, besides all the traction his amazing company Moz has had. He’s also a celebrated speaker at events like PubCon, and a well-read author.
His Whiteboard Fridays are some of the best visually done weekly vlog-casts on the web.
8. Matt Cutts. Everybody knows Cutts as the voice of Google. He isn’t the most awesome blogger (sporadic posts, all over the board on topics) but he is definitely highly followed and read. Maybe because he works at Google—just a guess.
9. Gina Trapani. Gina Marie Trapani is the CEO and Founder of Lifehacker. She is also a reputable web developer, writer and tech blogger and the author of several bestselling books that deserve a spot on your nightstand, including Lifehacker: 88 Tech Tricks to Turbocharge Your Day and Upgrade Your Life. She is constantly active on social media platforms and spends most of her day podcasting and coding. Trapani is also the proud co-founder of ThinkUp, a brilliant app allowing you to picture your online self by offering you daily insights that you wouldn’t be able to find anywhere else. In case you’re interested, note that this handy tool comes with a 14-day free trial.
10. Pauline Cabrera. Pauline Cabrera is the founder of www.twelveskip.com, a popular blog on all things Internet Marketing. TwelveSkip is a top-rated resource whose purpose is to address the problems and concerns experienced by small business owners striving to boost their online visibility. Delivering a mix of quality information on content marketing, blogging, affiliate marketing and visual marketing, this blog also provides countless practical tips, educational information and step-by-step tutorials.
11. Timothy Sykes. Sykes is a wildly successful blogger who knows more than a thing or two about stock investment. He writes one of the highest earning Internet blogs in the entire world! He makes about $180,000 a month just from his blog, proving that turning a website into a profitable business is far from being a mission impossible. Born in 1981, Sykes is a highly esteemed educator, financial activist, entrepreneur and stock trader. He is currently sharing his wisdom with no less than 2,000 students from 60 countries. His blog comprises a collection of interesting posts that will help you rethink your moneymaking strategies. Most importantly, remember that you could always signup to start or improve your trading education by getting Sykes’ free 7 video lessons.
12. Amit Agarwal. This influent Indian blogger is the founder of Digital Inspiration. As a bold promoter of freedom of speech in his country, Amit made the first steps towards becoming the first Professional Blogger in India. Digital Inspirations, one of his most ambitious projects, is the go-to resource that users land on when they need expert advice on the efficient utilization of web-based technologies, services and tools.
13. Ileane Smith. Ileane Smith is not your average Social Media Diva. As an active blogger, YouTuber and podcaster, she provides free expert guidance allowing her followers to improve their relationships with their audiences and maximize their earnings the easy way. Her website lets you uncover the secrets of the digital media, craft better content, find your own voice and keep your audiences engaged and entertained.
14. Enstine Muki. Why do most companies blog? Because they want to sell faster and better, reach their audiences and stay one step ahead of their competitor. EnstineMuki, the founder of www.enstinemuki.com understands this basic need and shows people how to make money online the easy way. Informative posts such as How I Turned Rejection into $230+ in Affiliate Commissions do raise your curiosity as a reader and convince you to click on his links. At the end of the day, the tips and success stories that he shares with you let you solve problems that may be impacting the visibility and effectiveness of your blog/website. All in all, this resource proves once again that quality content can make you richer and wiser at the same time.
15. Jon Morrow. Morrow’s Twitter account counts 28 photos/videos, 7960 tweets and 33.4K followers. You may be wondering: what lies behind his smashing success? Morrow is the former editor of Copyblogger, one of the most reputable resources offering fresh tips on how to master SEO copywriting and explore your full potential as an online marketer.
As the CEO of Smart Blogger, Morrow signs a series of bold, attention-grabbing posts with shockingly on-point headlines, such as:
Does he have your attention now? We bet he does! However, if you need one more reason to follow his blog religiously and stalk him on Twitter, you should know that all his tips are absolutely free and help you unlock a whole world of new opportunities.
16. BONUS: Daniel Scocco. As a reputable programmer and entrepreneur born in Brazil, Scocco manages to answer different types of questions that you may also have on your mind at this point, as a newbie trying to conquer an overly competitive digital market. Posts such as Should You Really Move Your Startup to San Francisco, Why Startups Fail and There Are 3 Ways to Deal with Rejection. Only 1 Works are an invaluable source of knowledge and let you step up your game in today’s blogosphere. As the founder of Kubic Technology, a company specializing in mobile apps, and the provider of premium consulting services, Scocco is an influential blogger who can satisfy your appetite for quality information on various web content-related topics of interest.
5 Strategies to Consider When Turning a Blog into a Business
Let’s face it: it’s hard to make a name for yourself in a sea of more or less remarkable blogs, especially when you’re sailing without a compass. As a new blogger, you need more than a few standard tips to enhance your level of influence and increase your number of followers. Here are five key aspects that you should factor in to facilitate your transition from rookie to worshipped blogging superstar.
1. Team up with Fellow Bloggers
Are you intimidated by your main competitors? If your answer is affirmative, then you should know that this is the main difference between people like you and successful bloggers. Influencers know how to turn foes into friends and competitors into collaborators. Guest posting is only one relevant example backing this theory. Therefore, if you truly want to boost your popularity and target a broader audience, choose to abandon your comfort zone and establish beneficial relationships with industry experts who could become a part of your content strategy.
2. Invest in the Tools That Contribute to Your Success
In 2015, all categories of content creators get the chance to test and use a great variety of free and almost free tools available online, designed to help them stay relevant and competitive on their niche. From indispensable tools and apps such asPocket, BlogJet or ScribeFire to an awesome-looking, user-friendly blog and website, all these assets supports your growth and maximize your productivity.
3. Stay Active on Social Media Platforms
These days, influential bloggers know how to explore the tremendous power of social networking websites to their best advantage. They tweet, share stuff on Facebook and Google+,post edited pictures and original captures on Instagram and add pins on Pinterest to save the best creative ideas that could inspire their future masterpieces. Blogging is a full-time job and these people work around the clock to promote their content on social media platforms. If you want to witness similar positive results, you should start by employing the same tactics.
4. Find the Perfect Combination of Tactics, Mindset and Vision
Novices can get free blogging tips online with just a few clicks. But in order to become successful, you need more than a few patterns. According to entrepreneurs-journey.com, the ones who get excellent results in this field count on a mix of personalized strategies, a unique vision and a productive mindset.
5. Become the Best Version of Yourself to Achieve Recognition
Above anything else, stay real and use your originality as the most powerful weapon of seduction that is a part of your current arsenal. Perfect your writing style and make it recognizable. Neil Patel’s approach is completely different than the one embraced by Jon Morrow, despite the fact that they both operate in the blogging/SEO sector. Both are exceptionally gifted experts offering you a constant flow of words of wisdom that you can rely on to optimize and promote your blog in an effective manner; and still their styles are unique and easy to recognize by readers who are familiar with their work. Bottom line: raise your own voice and be yourself, simply because everybody else is already taken.
So, Why Blog?
Now let’s go back to the first question that we’ve launched: Why Blog?
As Hubspot points out, the list of benefits associated with blogging for business is virtually endless and includes a simpler method to generate traffic, a great opportunity to establish authority and the chance to witness long-term positive results, in terms of site traffic and new leads. The success stories revolving around strategies that you are now familiar with prove that you can turn a blog into a thriving business. So what now?
Create, innovate and contribute to a flawless user experience through your best content. It’s the only way!
[clickToTweet tweet=”If your ship doesn’t come in, you should swim out to meet it. – @ExpWriters on blogging” quote=”If your ship doesn’t come in, you should swim out to meet it. – @ExpWriters on blogging”]
Need great content? Request well-written, engaging blogs today through our Content Shop!
You know having a blog for your business or brand is critical to drawing in new customers and keeping the ones you have. However, you likely have wondered what the right blog posting frequency is. Should you post once a week? Every day? Multiple times a day? What’s the ideal blog posting frequency for you?
Of course, the answer depends on your needs, goals, and the size of your business/brand.
In this guide, we will answer these questions and help you craft the ideal content calendar for your blog.
What Is the Ideal Blog Posting Frequency?
At the end of 2023, there were over 1.1 billion websites. Of those, about 18% are active, which translates to over 200 million active websites on the web. Over these billions of websites, there are about 600 million blogs on the internet with millions of new blogs posted every day.
With statistics like this, it can make you wonder how you could ever make an impact in your small corner of the internet. However, with the right marketing strategy and blog posting frequency, you are more likely to attract the attention of the customers you need.
Knowing how often you should post blogs is a question that continually puzzles digital marketers because there is no single recommendation that fits every website.
Smaller businesses may find blogging less often, like one to four times a week, works for them, while larger businesses may need to blog daily or even multiple times a day. There is also the consideration of what types of content you’re covering. If you operate in a small, niche area where information is stable and does not change frequently, you might find success with blogging less often.
Another part of the blogging frequency puzzle is what your goals are for your blog. Most brands either want to drive organic traffic or increase their brand awareness. According to HubSpot, if driving organic traffic is your goal, you should blog more frequently, while increasing brand awareness doesn’t require as much content.
8 Considerations to Determine Your Frequency of Blog Posts
While you can take a guess at the number of blog posts that works for you, you will have better success evaluating industry trends and considering your blogging goals.
1. Look at Statistics
According to Orbit Media’s 10th Edition of the Annual Blogger Survey, blog trends have changed a lot in the past decade. While successful bloggers were previously posting every day, many of them are now posting less often. However, the difference is, their blogs are longer and more detailed. While a 500-word blog posted daily worked in the past, bloggers are finding longer blogs over 1,000 words posted less frequently get better results.
The survey shows the average blog post is 77% longer in 2023 than it was in 2013. As for how frequently bloggers post, the most popular responses were weekly and several per month.
2. Monitor Your Industry
Just like any other part of your business or brand, it is a good idea to look at the competition. What are similar content creators doing on their blogs? Monitor 10-20 blogs in your niche and see how often they are updated. If you’re not posting as often, you could get left behind.
This also means you need to keep up with any industry changes. If there are frequent updates in your industry, your blog posts need to reflect that new information. You can save time keeping up with this information by updating old content.
3. Consider Your Constraints
A large multi-million-dollar company is going to have more time and resources to put into blogging than someone who is a solo content creator. If you try to keep pace with a multi-person team, you are most likely going to feel burnt out and the quality of your blogs is going to suffer.
One option to increase your blogging output without overworking yourself or your staff is by outsourcing some or all of your blogging needs. Consider finding a high-quality writing agency or writer to help you expand your content calendar and keep up with the competition.
4. Focus on Quality
Just like most things in life, it is better to deliver quality over quantity and Google backs that up. In late 2022, Google released an algorithm update that added an ‘E’ to the SEO acronym EAT. The new EEAT stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. You will get better Google results producing high-quality blogs, released less often than pumping out lower-quality blogs more often.
If you can produce and publish a high-quality blog every day, that’s awesome. If your capabilities and mental load limit your blogging frequency to once a week, then that is ok, too. Just make sure whatever you publish is the best it can be.
If you are struggling to produce high-quality content, hiring an experienced professional writer could be the best choice. Consider how much you could gain by publishing premium content on a regular basis.
5. Remember Your Goals
It is easy to simply copy whatever your competitor is doing. However, that strategy may not give you the best results. Instead, you need to remember what your goal is for blogging. Why are you doing this? Consider the following questions:
Are you prioritizing SEO?
Are you trying to improve your brand recognition?
Are you trying to get a higher position in your SERPs for specific keywords?
The answers to these questions will help you refine your blogging purpose and frequency.
6. Focus on the Needs of Your Audience
What does your typical customer/reader look for or need when visiting your blog? Are they looking for new information every day? Do they have specific questions that your blog can answer? Is there information missing from your website that would prevent them from moving through the customer journey?
One of the primary functions of a blog, especially for a business, is to offer value. Publishing a blog that doesn’t add anything new, simply for the act of posting, is not going to perform well.
Focus on your ideal buyer/reader personas and think about what they would want to read. If you’re not sure how to create a buyer persona, it could be worth it to invest in a consultation with a content professional to help you create one.
7. Look at Pre-existing Content
If you have been successfully blogging for years, you likely have a large library of content. Google pays attention to content that has been recently updated, so it is a good idea to keep your most popular content fresh. Monitor your best-performing content. If the numbers start to slip, editing that content and adding some updated information can help it regain some traction.
For example, if your goal is to post four blogs a week, three of them could be new content, while one of them could be an updated blog.
8. Consider the Age of Your Blog
If you are just starting your blogging journey, it may feel overwhelming to start with a blank slate. You see other blogs with libraries full of hundreds of pieces of content, while you have just a few. In the early stages of a new blog, it is best to post frequently. This gives Google something to look at and rank. It also increases your chances of getting other websites to link to your content.
If you need help getting your blog up and running, hiring an additional writer or two can help you build a strong foundation.
Get the Blogging Content You Need with Express Writers
If your blog is not giving you the results you need, it might be time to get some professional help. At Express Writers, we offer a variety of content options including creating a content strategy. Whether you need one basic blog or you are interested in a regular blog plan, we have expert writers ready to meet your needs.
We work with a wide range of clients ranging from individual entrepreneurs to large-scale agencies. No content request is too big or too small.
Ready to get started? Explore our Content Shop today.
A craveable, delicious, delightful blog post isn’t much different from a pastry.
As long as you follow the recipe, steps included, you will create a post your readers are hungry to devour – and might even return for more.
The good news is you won’t make a special trip to the grocery store to get started on the perfect blog post. Everything you need is in your virtual pantry – you just didn’t realize it.
Writing a blog post, especially in today’s competitive market, is intimidating. Once you break it down and understand the ingredients, however, you can whip up these readable bits on the fly and stay up with the trends for the future of blogging in 2023.
So, What Do You Need to Craft the Perfect Blog Post in 2023?
The future of blogging has certainly changed. What worked last year doesn’t necessarily apply today. Therefore, staying up on the latest blogging and SEO trends is essential so that you know what Google expects – and, more importantly, what today’s reader wants.
The Perfect Blog Recipe
Before you start to type, you want to make sure you have the following essentials ready to add to the mixing bowl:
1 click-worthy title
1 attention-keeping introduction
A pinch of creativity
A few cups of informative, scannable subheaders
A splash of succinct body copy
A handful of authoritative research and your expertise
1 part formatting
1 delectable conclusion
A dusting of enthusiasm for the topic
A garnish of passion for your niche
Putting it Altogether – How the Future of Blogging will Change How You Use These Ingredients
As you can see, the ingredients haven’t changed, but how and when you use them has.
We will break down each portion of this recipe so that you know how to mix it all in and get your readers to come back for more.
Creating Your Title
By far one of the most essential ingredients!
Your title sets the stage for what the reader can expect, even determining if they ever get past the SERPs to read your blog.
Spend time on this stage of your recipe. In fact, whatever you title it as your “working” title, be prepared to come back and rework it until it is just right later.
Don’t hastily toss forth the first title you have in mind. Instead, let it sit and rest, and the flavors meld together. Think of title creation as a slow, steady simmer rather than a rapid boil.
A good title mixes intrigue and information and is not too long.
Yes, Google says there is no limit, and the length of your title will not influence your search engine results. Instead, it affects whether or not someone will click on it. The first 60 characters matter the most – so make those count even if you have a 100-character title.
Whatever you do, don’t over-sprinkle in the keywords for your title – not only will it kill your readability factor and turn off any enthusiastic taster, but it will turn away Google too.
Roll Out Your Introduction
Your introduction supports your title. So perhaps you may not create it until you have solidified your intro – and that’s okay.
An introduction requires time and patience. While you will mix up something short, sweet, and enticing, you will also want it to rest a few hours before you revisit and rework it again. While adding a keyword to the introduction is essential, ensure it is not the highlighting flavor.
An introduction gives readers just a taste of what else is to come, but the full flavor doesn’t explode until the end. Of course, if your introduction isn’t tasty enough to keep reading, the end doesn’t matter much.
So, take your time, rework it after the entire blog is done, and ask yourself, would I eat this up?
Never Forget the Power of Creativity
Too many recipes lack creativity.
Think of those five-star restaurants – are they working with “vanilla” recipes used over and over again?
Of course not.
They are hashing out something unique that stays with their branding but still tantalizes the tastebuds.
Never leave out a pinch of creativity in your content – all of your content. Creativity should be tossed in from the start; if you can’t taste it, add more.
Start Rolling Out Subheaders
Subheaders help your reader scan and understand what they are about to digest. They should go in an even flow, make sense, and inform.
Ideally, subheaders are introduced every 300-500 words max (there’s nothing wrong with adding them in fewer words as long as the words in between pack a powerful punch). Subheaders are a great place for optimizing with secondary keywords but don’t overdo it.
Time to Mix in Your Body’s Copy
You have a working title, and you’ve rolled out the subheaders. Now comes the time to mix together your blog’s body.
But before you add anything, do your research. You may be an expert in your niche, but that doesn’t mean you won’t need resources to back up what you say. Today, using authoritative, high-quality links is still a must-have for any recipe. Search Engine Journal states that every site needs credible, authoritative, and trustworthy content – and a reader can’t take you at your word without some citations.
As you mix up that copy, make sure to spice it up enthusiastically. Nothing turns a reader away more than negativity. So, likewise, be as passionate about your niche as you want your reader to be as you create your blog – if you are not excited about it, why should they be?
A few other things to keep in mind while you mix up your body’s copy:
Optimize Gently. Optimizing your content is like working gluten. Too much, and it’s gotten too chewy, stiff, and undesirable. Yes, keywords matter in 2023, but how and where you use them has changed.
Focus on Your Brand’s Authority. What Google praises more than keywords are brand authority and trustworthiness. Ever heard of E-E-A-T? Nowhere in that acronym is keywords. What is, however, is expertise, experience, authority, and trustworthiness.
Be Unique. Today, readers are overwhelmed with choices. You won’t stand out in the crowd if you are the garden variety. Personalization is important.
Focus on the Reader and Not on Google. Yes, Google matters, but the person you are talking to in your blog post is not a search engine but a reader. Center your content’s quality, information, and focus around the reader; you’ll win them every time. Focus on keywords and search engines, and your recipe falls flat each time.
Arrange Your Formatting
No matter where the future of blogging goes, one thing is sure: the wall of text is never coming back.
Today’s reader doesn’t have the patience. Today’s reader prefers the amuse-bouche rather than traditional hors d’oeuvres. They want all of the flavors in a quick little nibble rather than having to enjoy it in a few more bites.
UX planet estimates that readers only take in about 20-28% of the body.
To increase the amount read, make it pretty – after all, we all eat with our eyes and not our stomachs.
Ensure you have an excellent mixture of:
H1, H2s, and H3s to break up the chunks of the body
Sprinkle in bulleted or numbered lists to get to the point
Add images to keep the reader’s attention on the page
Top it Off with a Conclusion
Your conclusion is where you drive action. The reader has stuck with you until the end, so this is an essential piece of content to deliver. Just as with your introduction, keep the conclusion short and sweet. Nothing over-the-top, nothing out of character. Just end the blog on a tasty note with a solid CTA that tells your reader where to go for their next meal.
Let it Rest before You Do the Rest
If you are self-editing your blog posts, you’ve mixed, mashed, sprinkled and dashed, but now it is time to let it rest. A good four to six hours is all your blog post needs before it is picked up again.
Come back refreshed and ready to cut out the fluff, trim the fat, remove unnecessary ingredients in your copy, and add a few more splashes of your brand’s unique voice where it seems suitable.
You’ve Followed the Recipe – Now What?
You’ve followed the recipe, but it is not quite time to plate it.
Before you plate your dish and send it out, you want to make sure you have social media posts and your email newsletter ready to fire off the second your blog goes public. Share across your favorite social media platforms with the same enthusiasm as you did in your piece!
Crafting great content is a lot like creating a great recipe. Not all of us are natural-born chefs, but we don’t have to be. While the future of blogging continually changes, one thing that will never change is the power of hiring talented people to craft your delicious content.
However, quality is more important than quantity. How many of those blogs do you think are good blogs, ones that people enjoy reading?
Now that you mention it, how do you define a “good” blog? 🧐
Most people can generally agree that a good blog is one that provides regular, relevant content. It can be informative, newsworthy, and/or entertaining, as long as it somehow enriches readers’ lives. Facts are cited and linked back to credible sources, content is unique, and the writer’s perspective is knowledgeable and authoritative.
Great blogs inspire conversations. People love sharing content, and when they read a blog that really connects with them, they’re happy to tell their friends and share the content on social media.
Good blogs don’t go unnoticed. In fact, they’re often shared among other bloggers in the form of citations and backlinks.
But, behind every good blog is an equally good — or great — blogger.
Need some help with your blog? Our specialty content service partners you with an expert writer to create in-depth authority content, starting at $140/500w.
Understanding Bloggers: The Real, Regular People Behind the Blogs
Who is responsible for creating these posts on the worldwide web?
Believe it or not, bloggers are regular people, just like you and me.
Sure, some of them may be successful CEOs and serial entrepreneurs, but there are equally skilled bloggers who are stay-at-home dads, mommy bloggers, taxi drivers, late-night bartenders, etc.
You don’t have to be rich and famous to be a great blogger.
What you do need, though, is a particular skill set, work ethic, and unique insights into a topic or industry.
The best bloggers have a talent for turning the mundane into the extraordinary through the magic of words. But blogging has evolved into something much more complex than the online diary entries you used to see in the early days.
Business blogging has proven to be a lucrative form of content marketing that earns high engagement and conversions while costing 62% less than traditional forms of marketing and generating 3x as many leads.
However, the same best practices and rules apply. Being a business owner doesn’t automatically guarantee you can produce good content or mean your blog is any better than the hobbyist posting in his or her spare time.
If you want to have a good blog, you need to be engaging your readers in the right way.
If you’re struggling with your content strategy, we can help!
[bctt tweet=”You don’t have to be rich and famous to be a great blogger. 🤩 What you do need, though, is a particular skill set, work ethic, and unique insights into a topic or industry. Learn the 10 top strengths every blogger needs:” username=”ExpWriters”]
What’s a Good Blog? The 10 Most Important Strengths of the Best Bloggers
No matter who you are, no matter what you blog about, you should strive for these 10 fundamental strengths that the best bloggers share.
1. Consistency
The most popular blogs on the internet maintain their position by posting regularly.
What does this mean in terms of a personality trait for the blogger?
Although you might assume that a blogger doesn’t have to worry about deadlines, the fact of the matter is every single day is a blogger’s deadline.
Bloggers need to be self-motivated to get things done. A consistent blogger is one that draws the admiration of his or her followers. An inconsistent blogger frustrates readers, and failing to update content often is an invitation for your audience to leave.
2. Uniqueness
Serial entrepreneur, web designer, and podcast co-host Matt Wolfe said, “There’s a lot of information out there for free, so you’ve got to figure out what makes your information different.”
True uniqueness isn’t something you can simulate or copy. It’s something that resides in all of us and just needs the right opportunity to come out.
Ask yourself, “Why should people read my blog? What can I offer my readers that my competitors can’t?”
This is known as your content differentiation factor (CDF). The best bloggers are those who tap into their innate uniqueness and carry it over to their blog. People love a spectacle, and if you provide one to them, they’re happy to keep coming back for more.
3. Eloquence
Sadly, the art of eloquence seems to be lost on many modern bloggers.
The successful ones are the light that shines out of the fog. They illuminate how important it is to present your ideas clearly.
As writers, our very art – the thing we live for – boils down to how well we represent ideas through our medium of words, how well we connect with strangers, and how we share our insights and imaginations.
As a blogger, this is a rare and important trait to have. Those who communicate well reap the spoils.
4. Niche-Based Mindset
Niche bloggers develop content within a community that’s based around common interests.
Bloggers who tackle the pertinent issues and topics within their niche are usually respected by their peers for what they do.
Finding a niche gives you fuel to drive your blog because, in any niche, there are hundreds of thousands of possible topics. The great bloggers know how to use this to their advantage.
For example, our blog (the one you’re reading right now), is clear about its specific niche. We are your authority source for practical content marketing advice, and we’re not shy about stating that:
(See? It’s right there under the page title.)
We know who our readers are. We know what we do best. And we know what kind of niche our expertise thrives in. You should, too.
5. Passion
“You should do what you love for a living.”
This advice is the truest piece of wisdom any kid can get in their formative years when they’re deciding on a future career.
Bloggers are usually the people who make a job out of something they feel strongly about. People who are passionate about a topic tend to be the ones most capable of presenting it in the best light. They’re knowledgeable and in-the-know, which puts them in a uniquely qualified position.
[bctt tweet=”Consistency. Eloquence. 💬 Passion. Uniqueness. 🦄 These are just some of the strengths every good blogger should have. Get the full list @ExpWriters ✅” username=””]
6. Thought-Provoking Ideas
If someone finishes reading a blog post, sits still for a minute, and thinks long and hard about what they just read, that is what sets a good blogger apart from a run-of-the-mill one.
The upside is people who identify with a particular post are more likely to share it, so that usually equates to a wider reach for the blog as a whole.
Writers like Seth Godin are good at explaining ideas through illustration, and this technique helps to put ideas into perspective.
That’s how you stimulate people to think – you give them something they can relate to. It’s an art the best bloggers have mastered.
7. Detail-Oriented Content
While a lot of blogs out there tend to give you the same reports of news slightly changed from one post to another, the odd one out gives you the report and then adds unique commentary.
This is what we would consider good content because it provides new insights to the reader.
The devil may be in the details, but in the end, so is salvation. Getting detail-oriented blogging right can be painstaking, but in the end, the kind of attention you draw is more than worth the effort you put into it.
Detailed analysis requires an informed opinion. Bloggers that go this route usually research both sides of the story before forming an opinion of their own and then discussing their insights. It sets them apart from bloggers who are simply glorified muckrakers.
8. Thick Skin for Criticism
If you’ve ever found yourself article-hopping through Huffington Post or any other online publishing medium, you will no doubt find yourself reading the comments. Some of those comments can be quite vitriolic.
Internet anonymity makes it easy for hateful individuals to hide behind the thin veneer of a hastily made-up screen name and be outright nasty without having to face consequences. It’s one of the downsides of our online society.
The most successful bloggers are able to spot trolls early on and head them off at the pass. They’re able to take criticism well, even if that criticism is simply an outpouring of hate.
Although some bloggers use their loyal followers to combat trolls, that can be as effective as throwing gasoline on an open fire. Quite often, the best way to deal with these kinds of individuals is to simply ignore them.
Don’t feed the trolls – they thrive on knowing that they successfully nettled their way under your skin. What they have to say is usually irrelevant to the discussion anyway.
[bctt tweet=”The most successful bloggers are able to spot trolls early on and head them off at the pass. 👹 They’re able to take criticism well, even if that criticism is simply an outpouring of hate.” username=”ExpWriters”]
9. Networking Skills
In the earlier, more innocent days of the internet, there used to be a thing called a blogring. If you’re unfamiliar with the term, it’s where blogs of a particular type would come together to share links, resources, and sometimes an audience within the group.
Although communities like these no longer exist in the same fashion (thanks to the revamping of the code under Google’s hood) you’ll still find a lot of blogs mutually sharing links to each other within a niche.
Good bloggers use networking as a way to spread their presence and build their own personal brand. This is why we love bringing our audience and industry experts into our blogging sphere on a frequent basis. You never know who is going to spark an engaging discussion with valuable insights!
Remember – you get what you give, so be generous.
One of the most successful content marketing techniques that exists today is guest blogging. By using your professional network to leverage likes, shares, and new visitors, you boost both the popularity of your blog and the attentive traffic that goes with it.
10. Helpfulness
The most important strength of a great blogger is their ability to be helpful.
At its most basic core, good content is all about helping your readers.
Bloggers, especially those in the field of self-improvement, are usually the kinds of people who spend their time helping others simply because it’s the right thing to do. Since niches are usually close knit, you tend to find users within a particular niche who are happy to assist in any way.
Blogging formed around the idea of community, and this idea still exists to this day.
Great Blogging Starts with the Basics and Your Attitude
With more than 2 million blog posts published every single day, there’s a lot of competition.
The most important part of blogging is to consider what your audience wants to read. You can be detail-oriented, passionate, and any number of the traits on this list, but if you aren’t writing with your readers in mind, you won’t go far.
The simple truth is, writers can’t be successful without readers.
Remember that networking goes both ways, so don’t forget to give back to the online community. If you want to be a good blogger, your primary goal should be to help and/or entertain people, not to get rich quick or trick your readers into opening clickbait.
Be genuine, and your readers will appreciate what you have to say.
It was exciting for two reasons: for one, it was at The Capital Factory, a dream speaking venue in downtown Austin. For another, I had a fantastic host: Jessica is the founder of Marketing for Greatness and a well-known local marketer here in Austin, Texas. She worked hard at putting together a memorable event, and invited me to come and speak personally. Jessica hosts many networking events locally, and is a great person in real life just as much as she is in marketing. I love being around her.
I said yes to Jessica’s invitation, and the rest is history! This amazing lady worked her network marketing magic and sold out the room – we had 50 seats, and more than 50 in attendance! It was my largest live audience yet.
We had a packed room for #socialmediabootcamp!
I’ve had the idea for a session on how to build authority online using the five foundational types of content for a while, and I decided to explore that for Jessica’s bootcamp. It was the perfect complement session to her opening talk on holistic social media marketing practices.
This talk was born: Building Authority Online & Where it Begins: 5 Types of Content You Should Be Publishing to Grow Your Brand.
After my talk, it was exciting to hear terrific real-time feedback from attendees.
Two senior-level marketing executives that worked in Austin came and found me to tell me how much my talk resonated with them.
“Everything you were saying about content made SO MUCH SENSE! Our ads aren’t working, nothing has been working, and we know we’ve needed a new channel for a while.”
It was clear they were excited to find a way out from old practices that weren’t working. That was a thrill to me to hear! I loved knowing I’d been able to make a difference for someone.
In today’s blog, I’m recapping the talk I gave, including the most important takeaways and lessons. Buckle in!
[bctt tweet=”Check out @JuliaEMcCoy’s recap of her talk on building #authority online through #content, live at @capitalfactory in #ATX for @jessicamcampos’ #socialmediabootcamp ” username=”ExpWriters”]
Social Media Bootcamp LIVE in Austin, Texas (Hosted by Jessica Campos)
Here’s a look at our fun day in Austin at Jessica’s bootcamp, put together by my designer in a collage. Keep scrolling for top takeaways, a recap of Jessica’s and my session, and some special shoutouts!
Jessica Campos: Social Media Practices That Bring Real Results in Your Business
Jessica Campos started off Friday’s Social Media Bootcamp with a fantastic, action-packed session.
She talked about the reality of “marketing” on social media, and how it’s not okay to just “turn to the person next to you, and ask, Would you like to lose ten pounds?” — and she had the whole room nodding and laughing. If it’s not okay to do in a waiting room, why do it on social media? She shared with us the typical journey of one of her warm leads: the person left her website open in their tab for days, closed it, came back through a Facebook ad and then clicked over to the blog, left the site again and came back to the contact page in another few days. And repeat.
I relate! We cannot predict our buyer’s journey. Jessica shared how the marketing funnel is dead, and what’s replaced it: the loyalty loop. (As most of you already know by now, I completely agree that the funnel is dead. I’ve written about that here.)
Jessica also shared how to discover your audience using tools like Facebook Insights and Google Analytics’ user behavior, two great tools for finding out real information about your audience.
Using the whiteboard to write out the frameworks she shared, Jessica covered several areas that made up a “sandwich,” or “burger” to help us remember how to build a solid social media marketing strategy:
The importance of data and knowing what your leads and ideal audience is actually doing and thinking of
Building avatars to represent and get to know your ideal audience
Creating a culture to attract your tribe and people
Writing a manifesto to represent who you are with a brand voice to differentiate yourself from the masses
Focusing on growing your influence online to attract people to you and your brand
Jessica also did a real-life marketing analysis with one of the attendees, Lori Stinson, an agent and owner for logistics and supply chain company DSV. It was awesome!
With Lori next to her, Jessica built avatars to represent Lori’s ideal audience, an experienced, established company out in California. One method I loved was when Jessica told Lori that LinkedIn was going to be her best bet to earn social media leads from. Several members of the audience also shared terrific ways Lori could create fun marketing campaigns to pull in the eyes and ears of her ideal people.
Around noon, Jessica wrapped up her session, and we all had a lunch break. Then, it was time for my session.
Special Shoutout to Jeff at Chubby Diaries & @YoungMommy (Christine Young) on Twitter
I want to take a quick moment to give some well-deserved shoutouts.
Jessica asked Jeffrey Jenkins, a local entrepreneur, travel influencer, speaker, and the founder of ChubbyDiaries.com, to attend and record media for us (as content creators, Jessica and I are all about maximizing our event presence). He took our photos and the raw video (coming soon to my YouTube channel!). Special shoutout to Jeff, who was a fantastic help!
Another shoutout to Christine Young, supermom to 7 and blogger at FromDatestoDiapers.com, for live-tweeting during our event! She captured some fantastic takeaways live during our bootcamp.
Great ideas = great content. Take time to brainstorm ideas, research topics, gather data, and formulate topics for posts. #socialmediabootcamp
Building Authority Online & Where it Begins: 5 Types of Content to Grow Your Brand (Recap of My Live Talk)
I started my session with these important facts about today’s buyer:
81% of U.S. consumers trust information and advice from blogs. (BlogHer)
Email remains an incredibly effective channel at driving purchases. In 2018, 17.75% of clicked-through emails resulted in a purchase. This stat has been increasing every year. (Barilliance.com study)
47% of buyers viewed 3-5 pieces of content before engaging with a sales rep. (DemandGen)
Good content is becoming the foundation of good marketing.
Bond studied the results from over $10,000,000+ in Facebook ad spend across seven and eight-figure brands for months, and discovered that from 2016 to late 2018, the ROA (return on advertising) for a traditional ad funnel plummeted from 11.8x all the way to .6x. On average, marketers are now losing money on ads. Crazy!
Then, I went into the five types of content to build to see real results online, starting with the important foundational overview:
Build consistent content on your website (your online house), AND: start list-building, getting visible on social media, and be intimately familiar with the what and how of creating content that works.
5 Types of Content to Build
The five types of content I recommended to attendees for a strong online presence are these:
Blogs
Site Content (Web Pages)
Email
Social Media
List-Builders (Downloadables: Lead Magnets, Free Ebooks)
Goal of SEO rankings in Google, inbound traffic, and list-building: Create long-form (1000w-3000w) blogs
Goal of brand awareness, event sharing, news/launch: Short-form (500-800w) blogs
I also shared the importance of scannable content over readable content. Scannable content goes a step further. It’s when you focus on crafting content that contains zero fluff. When you format properly, with H2s, H3s, and strong sectioned-out content. I shared the structure of a good blog, taking inspiration from one of the world’s best bloggers: Jon Morrow of Smart Blogger.
Specifically, I shared one of his top-shared blogs, which is also top #10 in Google for ‘how to become a freelance writer.’ This is an example of a terrific blog for these reasons:
It starts with a story that ‘hooks’ the ideal reader into a situation they dream of or wish to be in one day.
Then, Jon tells them the story can come true with statistical proof as to how big the industry is, and how much freelance writers are needed.
Then, he adds tons and tons of value to the reader’s life, in a 3,000-word monster blog.
Next, I covered the three stages of how to craft great blog content.
Blogging is best done in stages:
Ideation
Creation
Publishing
Great ideas are the key to great blogs, and that’s why leaving time and space just for ideas and research. I spend a day JUST for ideation, called Brainstorming Day, and validate each idea by researching with the right tools (BuzzSumo, KWFinder, SEMrush are some go-tos). I teach the how of content ideation in my Content Strategy & Marketing Course.
[bctt tweet=”‘I spend a day just for content ideation, and I call it Brainstorming Day.’ More on #contentcreation methods that build your #authority online from @JuliaEMcCoy’s live talk in #ATX” username=”ExpWriters”]
Next, I covered web pages, email content, and list-builders. (Blogs are very often the meat of your consistent online presence, so I spent the most time there.)
Good web pages are:
Focused: Created around one clear keyword or page topic to focus around (one topic per page).
Word Count: The majority of clear, well-crafted web pages are 400-1200w, depending on topic & product features.
Clear Formatting: Well-formatted with clear headline, body introduction, H2s, H3s.
I shared a few critical “must-dos” for web page copy:
Clarity over cleverness in the copy. Be CLEAR on what the page is about.
YOU/YOUR vs. WE/OUR: Less “our”, more “you!” Be customer-focused.
Next, for email content, I talked about sending consistent campaigns. Marketers, send emails for almost every new thing you do or publish on your site. Here are a few reasons to send an email to your list:
New content (blogs) that you post on your site
Events (online or in-person) you’re hosting or guesting at
Product/service launches or updates
Less often: sales emails (courses, services)
The rule of thumb to not tick anyone off accidentally in your free vs. pitch-focused content is this:
For every pitch, send a minimum of three value-focused emails.
[bctt tweet=”3:1 — For every one pitch, send a minimum of three value-focused emails. More on #contentcreation methods via @JuliaEMcCoy’s recap of her live talk in #ATX” username=”ExpWriters”]
I also talked about email headlines and how important it is to optimize them without click-baiting. Clarity and specific statements work best in email headlines.
Then, I merged into social media, and kept my tips focused to copywriting, with a few other relatable key takeaways.
A few important reminders I shared when writing social media copy:
Brevity in copy
Be visual-heavy, copy-light
Use emojis in your copy
Use hashtags (don’t overload – less can be more esp. on Twitter/LinkedIn)
Go live or upload short videos on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn
I also shared that authenticity matters in social media. Your audience WANTS you to speak what you think on social media, and share the REAL YOU. It’s true — we have examples from leading marketers of patterns of virility from posting real, original thoughts that focus on an audience pain point that everyone in that audience can relate to. For example, this tweet from Chris Kubby that turned into another viral Instagram post:
Marketers don’t ruin everything.
Bad, no-talent, un-creative marketers trying to sell things too quickly to the wrong audience ruin everything.
I talked about the importance of giving yourself time, space, and knowledge (getting to know your real audience) to have these original, genuine thoughts. Without time and space, you aren’t giving your mind permission to come up with these thoughts; and without knowledge, you won’t know what kind of pain points your audience actually has that you need to speak and relate to.
Finally, I wrapped up with a segment on list-building, and covered how to write and put together these three types of list-builders:
Case Studies/Whitepapers
Lead Magnets & Ebooks
Cheat Sheets (Content Upgrades, Templates)
One of our most popular case studies is this one, where we partnered with our client at Nfusion Solutions to uncover SEO keywords and craft SEO content that built their presence online. They were a fantastic client to work with, and we were able to build a great case study based on their story and what we were able to do together.
I also shared another authority-building “secret:” content upgrades, a term first coined by Brian Dean of Backlinko back in 2016.
A content upgrade is when you create a blog and a PDF summary or cheat-sheet, and combine the two. The PDF you’re giving away inside your blog offers that extra tidbit of value for your list, and they’re already going to be interested in downloading it because it’s 100% relevant to the blog they’re reading. HUGE opportunity for list building!
For the past few years, we’ve been growing by 9-12 subscribers on average daily, autopilot, just through all the content upgrades I’ve built over the years. It is a ton of work to set up, but completely worth it!
Special Announcement! Content Hacker Coming Soon
Towards the end of the bootcamp, I shared a fun announcement. (This will be new for many of you Write Blog readers, too, unless you frequent Twitter or Facebook – the cat is out of the bag on most of my social media platforms!)
Everyone attending and watching my presentation had been getting a sneak peek of the new branding for my all-new brand launching in June, Content Hacker.The colors, style, everything was a sneak peek into the branding that will be a part of my new site and brand when it launches. I think I had the biggest smile on my face when I was talking about this. I’m so excited to reveal Content Hacker! Content Hacker will be a #1 resource for every growth-focused content marketer on the planet: a tribe, a community, a resource hub, a place where I interview Content Hackers making a difference, a blog for productivity and life improvements alongside best content practices, bespoke content marketing consulting, and more.
Join me when we launch – sign up to the launch list to get notified (and when you sign up, you’ll get a special letter from me explaining part of the mission behind the launch!). Click below to go to Content Hacker and sign up to learn about my new brand launching in June.
Wrapping Up #SocialMediaBootcamp With a Panel
To wrap up our bootcamp at The Capital Factory, Jessica had a great idea: invite former newscaster Kim Zook Barnes, award-winning newscaster and the brains behind Barnes Team Media, an on-camera and media/video training consulting agency, to a panel with both of us afterwards.
Together, the three of us took Q&As that the audience was asked to write down during our session. It was a fantastic idea on Jessica’s part and turned out well! We were able to answer some great questions live. Kim added some great insights from her experience in on-camera communications. See Jessica’s recap for the full Q&A list.
Video Recap of My Session
That’s a Wrap: How to Use 5 Types of Content to Grow Your Authority Online for Jessica’s #SocialMediaBootcamp in Austin, Texas
Thanks for hanging for my recap of Friday’s live talk!
It was an amazing event by Jessica Campos, and I was truly honored to be a part of it. Anything Jessica does is fabulous, so it was a no-brainer “yes.”
I hope you enjoyed it — in some way, either being there live or reading this recap — and were able to take away a new idea or two to use in your business.
Psst… If you don’t have them yet, don’t forget to grab your copy of my (93+!) slides:
Have questions? Anything to add to the conversation? Were you there? I’d love to hear from you in the comments!
