Perhaps you have been toying around with the idea for some time and finally decided you want to get your blog up and running. This is an exciting thing to do which will allow you to have somewhere to focus all your artistic and intellectual energy. Giving you a meaningful hobby that you might one day be able to turn into a career. Learn how & all the steps to create and craft great content for your blog in this ideas planning and strategy guide.
The only problem now is knowing where to start. Below, you will get some starting points on what to write about. How to make your blog look good with great content, and how you could make some money from it.
Great Content for Blogs
What to write about
The first thing you need to work out is what you will write about on this new blog of yours. While you may have a general idea, you need to rein it in to get the best results and readership. For example, let’s say you’re interested in art.
This is a very broad subject, and potential readers may be put off. So, if they think they are going to have to sift through loads of content to get to what actually interests them. So, the rule is to begin small.
You might like lots of genres of art, but you know more about photography or surrealism than anything else. It would help if you started by writing pieces on these and then branch out into the wider topic areas. Once you have some loyal readers. There are always ideas if you are stuck, such as conducting an interview with someone of interest. Or running a competition that could strike up more interest in what you have to say online.
Conduct target market research for planning a content strategy for a blog
Let me ask you something; have you ever showered and can’t get the water to the right temperature? It’s lukewarm, so you twist a hair out of it, and it boils? Create great content for your blog like it.
- While frustrating, it shows you how little effort can go from lukewarm to hot. You’ve heard it before – it’s called the extra mile.
- This step is the small change that takes your blog from mediocre to great.
- So how to conduct targeted market research? First, ask yourself a few good questions:
- Where is my online audience? (specific blogs, social media platforms, forums, Facebook groups, etc.)
What is your most considerable criticism at work? (Maybe they hate their commute or boss, or maybe they’re bored, or perhaps they’re not getting enough traffic to their site.). - The type of content or articles do they like to read most? (If you have a blog, check your Google Analytics to create & craft great content for your blog and the steps for planning this strategy.
- Which posts are performing best? You can also use BuzzSumo to see which of your competitors’ articles are getting the most shares.)
To clarify, I asked content experts for their opinion on target market research. Here’s his suggestion:
Almost every company knows the demographics of their customers, ie. H. who are they? But they know next to nothing about their psychographics (i.e., why they buy).
Find a pain and solve it to create great blog content
Successful blog posts follow the age-old principle of problem-stirrer-solution (PAS) writing. They begin by introducing the fundamental problem faced by the reader. Then they provoke those issues by addressing symptoms and pain points. Ultimately, they come up with a solution (whether it’s an idea, tip, trick, or just positioning their product/service as the solution).
But you can’t do this effectively without understanding what your readers are trying to achieve, what’s holding them back from doing so, and what will happen if they don’t achieve their goals.
Find the answers to these three questions through surveys, interviews, and more, and you’ll be able to create blog content that does more than collect social shares.
Some retro flair steps to craft blog content
The other truly important thing about your blog is how it looks. Because this is what people will see before they start reading your content. If they are not impressed, they are not going to click, no matter how good your work is.
One way of doing this is by adding photos, be it of you. So, things your blog posts cover, or just to add some color, and this will be eye-catching to potential readers. One idea is to use Super Snaps to print Polaroids online which you can then either scan in. Or take digital photos to give your blog a retro feel. Which is a really popular trend on platforms such as Instagram.
Turning fun into cash with great content
Writing a blog full-time is, for many people, a dream come true. But this opportunity doesn’t just fall into anyone’s lap. What you need, if you want to make this a reality. Is a plan of how to get started making money.
The first thing you need is to build your readership, and, in turn, build a rapport with them. A great way to do this is by engaging with people in the comments section. So, even putting out a piece asking what people would like to see from you.
Starting your own blog can be loads of fun, and now you know where to start, there is nothing stopping you.
