6 Lessons Learned From 99 Blog Posts In 1 Year

Aug 12, 2010

It has been one year and a few days since the launch of the Finding Answers Blog.  This post represents the one-hundredth post for the blog.  There have been quite a few things learned since the launch of the blog last year.  This post has the top six lessons we learned that you could use to make your own blog better.

#1 The Echo Effect of A Guest Blogger

Other articles about how to make your blog effective always talk about having a guest blogger write a post.  The key of course is to have the right guest blogger with the right post at the right time.  Having those three key elements will have a tremendous impact on your blog!

As you can see in the nearby graph, when Shelly Kramer of V3 Integrated Media wrote about The Power of Women In Social Media , traffic to the Finding Answers Blog soared in the month of December to 1,847 unique visits.  In the day the post was launched there were 947 unique visits.  Those are some pretty cool numbers.  What has happened since is that the number of unique visitors to the blog has never dropped below four hundred.

Shelly’s post is still read and shows up in searches almost every day.

#2 Write Consistently

To maintain readership and the sharpness of your own writing skills you need to post frequently.  Not only do the search engines enjoy the fresh content that you are creating, so do your readers who have taken the time to add your blog to their feeds.

You will also learn how to fight through writers block, make arguments concise and relevant, and you will discover your voice.  If that is not enough for you, all the new content that you are creating will position you as a thought leader against your competition.

#3 Promote Your Posts Wisely

There are guides out there that tell you to “shout out” far and wide when you have finished a recent blog post.  These guides tell you to post on Twitter, Facebook, Ning, LinkedIn, etc. etc.  Be careful because all that shouting can back fire!

You have to send out notifications wisely and in the right locations.  The Finding Answers Blog posts to the LinkedIn groups where the post makes sense and does so sparingly.  An auto tweet is sent when the post is initially put up online.  Then, if it is appropriate, a link to post is shared on a few business websites like Business Week’s Business Exchange.

Where you announce or link to your blog posts has to match with the niche your business is trying to serve aka your audience.  The best way to be heard is to not over promote yourself!

#4 Pick A Reader Friendly Theme

When it comes to blog themes there are as many as there are manufacturers of beer.  A lot!  You have to get over yourself first.  It is not about what you like, it is about what is easy to use for the reader.  Many bloggers forget this and overload their posts with too many buttons, Google ads, and other junk.  Blog posts are like the AM/PM convenience stores: your readers want to get in, get out, and get on with their lives!

Keep your blog theme simple, easy to read, and with buttons easily visible so your readers can share your great content!

#5 Titles Open The Door; Content Means Everything

While we are all trained as children not to judge books by their covers, alas we do!  It goes with titles too.  Some of the catchiest titles that tend to grab the most readers are the “How To” “Top Secrets” “X Number of Easy”.  These titles will get you readers.  They will not stay long.

No matter how enticing your title is, you have to have the content to back it up.  There are a dime a dozen “Secrets To Social Media” and “How To Make A Tweet Cool” blog posts out there.  Some are valuable, but most are not because they only reinforce what most people already know by reading the other similar posts!

Readers (search engines included) devour content that is fresh, bold, and enlightening.  Your job as a blogger is to deliver that content.  So once you get past the coolness of the awesome title you must deliver the goods when it comes to content.  If you do not… you will not retain or attract readers!

#6 Patience Young Blogger

It has been one year and a few days since the Finding Answers Blog was started.  Has it delivered?  Yes it has.  We have built steady readership overtime through consistent valuable posts that match the mission of the blog: getting information you can use today.  Do we deliver exceptional content every time? No, we admit that we miss the mark sometimes, but we do not quit.

It takes time and patience to become the best at anything.  Even if you have talent.  People are not born immediate stars — they practice.  So you too must practice, write, edit, post, and your readers will come.

Thank You

To our readers, our guest bloggers, our commentators, and those who forward our posts to their friends… thank you!  We look forward to writing more posts and providing you with the information you need to make your business a success!