OLBlog

Who else would like to have an extremely popular, well-read, shared-like-crazy blog?
I’m thinking most bloggers worth their weight would shout “Yes, yes, YES!” in a heartbeat!
But here’s the catch.

It requires a little work.  You know the kind.
The roll-up-your-sleeves kind.  And, (here’s the kicker), you have to blog consistently.  I’m talking several times a week. In the beginning, I would even say more.  Try every single day.

You can do it, but . . .
Much more than a tad of inspiration and motivation is involved.  You can’t just blog when you feel like it.  Nope. Doesn’t work.  There’s just simply no way your blog can become well-known and on the forefront of reader’s minds without some regular meat for them to devour.  And that means writing on a consistent basis.
Not what you wanted to hear?
Sorry, Promise!
I do know how you you feel.  While I’m passionate about blogging and putting content out there that will benefit my readers and cause them to think, some days I don’t feel like writing. Or feel inspired. Or anything of the sort.  THAT’s when I pull out my own advice and take it!


Quick and Easy Motivational Tips:

• Remember why you are writing in the first place.  You know, your area of expertise.  Go back to the beginning and tell folks why you do what you do.  What you love about it, how you can help them, and what you’ve learned along the way.  Surely, those are some of your favorite topics?  Stay in your ball park.  Write about what you know and you just can’t go wrong. 

• Visualize your ideal reader. You know who they are.  You know why they read your blog.  So, put that content hungry reader in your mind and give them what they want.  It’s an easy way to motivate yourself if you take the focus off of you and put it on them.  Bring kthem into the story and give them something they can’t get anywhere else.  A conversation with you.

• Create a schedule. I know. I rebel too.  Schedules can make me seem like I am stifling my creativity.  But, guess what?  It’s actually forcing me to make the time for my creativity.  Doesn’t that resonate with you better?  Make the time and see what happens!

• Keep a notebook or pad handy. How many of your most brilliant blog post ideas have shown up in the strangest places? The car, the drug store line, while feeding your cat, you name it.  They usually show up at the most inconvenient moments! How many do you remember?  Get in the habit of writing them down as soon as you can and before it you it, blog ideas will be so plentiful you’ll start to think you are an idea machine! Can I also say that those spontaneous ideas are usually some of the BEST? Trust me.

• Keep taking action. Here’s one of my personal favorite quotes from the late Conrad Hilton:  “Success seems to be connected with action. Successful people keep moving. They make mistakes, but they don’t quit.” The point? Keep going, be consistent, and the results will show up!

Great blogs are  usually the results of a blogger’s good habits.  Consistent habits.  The popular bloggers know that already.

The beauty and downfall of blogging is that anyone can do it. But if you don’t blog correctly and use professional copywriting tactics, then your blog content is only going to turn out so-so. This means that you will be missing out on the steady traffic that you could have gained if your posts were sharp, compelling, and intriguing to your reader.

Blogging the right way can improve your search engine rankings and even build your back links. When you write content that is exceptional and attractive, readers will be likely to pass along to their friends and link to it in social media. If your content is flat and poorly written, then no one will want to read it, bottom line.
The truth is that excellent blogging is achieved by going back to copywriting basics. Starting with the obvious…

Don’t write only for the search engines!

Yes, it is important that your blog content contains keywords to appeal to the search engines, but you do have to draw the line somewhere. It is much more important that you are writing on relevant hot topics that readers will actually be interested in. Here is a challenge for you. Set up a Google News alert based on your specific keywords and stay up-to-date on the most relevant content. You can also check out your keywords in social media and on social bookmarking websites like Digg.

Make it your priority to blog on hot news content related to your industry as it happens. Then, and only then, can you sprinkle in your keywords where they make sense. If you focus heavily on SEO copywriting, it will sound mechanical and forced. A reader can spot SEO copywriting from a mile away.
Instead, write for both your readers and the search engines. When your blog content is compelling, interesting, and full of valuable information, it will be linked to again and again. This will improve your search engine rankings much more effectively than attempting to stuff your blog posts full of keywords.

Keep your sentences short and sweet.

As an online reader yourself, you may have noticed that you are likely to scan a blog post before reading it in its entirety. You are probably doing it right now as we speak! That is the nature of online readership. Readers will skim through a post to check out relevant subheadings and bullet points before committing to reading a post completely.

To make this work to your advantage, focus on riveting headlines, subheadings, and bullet points. Use shorter paragraphs and shorter sentences. This will make your content easier to read. When in doubt, break up a longer sentence that is connected by “and” or “but” to give it better readability.

Write to your target audience.

If you already have a social media presence, then you should know exactly who you are targeting in your blog posts. If not, then you need to take the time to do some important research before forging ahead as a blogger.

Understanding your target audience will make it easier for you to select the tone and topic of each blog post. You can also observe conversations in social media to see what language your customers are using when they discuss products related to your industry.

Then, use the same language when you write your blog posts. This is an excellent marketing tactic that will help readers naturally identify with your blog since you are using the same language that they use. It creates a sense of familiarity and will facilitate loyal readership for your blog.
You can use the tips listed above to transform your blogging style and keep your readers coming back for more!