Several months ago, I began exploring various business opportunities. In so doing, I came across a meaningful comment about the business I was looking at: “If you treat this business like it’s a hobby, it will pay you like a hobby. But if you treat the business like a real job, it will pay you like a real job.” This principle is applicable to the world of blogging. If you created a blog to build a readership or gain wealth, you will need to put concerted effort into accomplishing your goal. And while there are many factors that can contribute to your success, making your blog highly functional can play an integral role in drawing repent traffic to it. Here are three things to keep in mind as you build your blog:
1. Categories
Using categories is important because it makes your blog look organized. Moreover, it will actually make your blog more organized. In short, categories enable you to separate your blog posts into unique groups that give the reader a basic understanding of the topic that you will cover. On my own blog (The Political Slant), I have created several categories like gay marriage, racism, abortion, democracy and more. In so doing, I have enabled my readers to access all the blog posts I’ve written on one topic with a click of a button.
2. Share Buttons
Share Buttons are a great marketing tool because they enable your readers to forward links from your blog to other people. Moreover, adding Share Buttons to your blog can help you generate more money from it. In discussing how Share Buttons help market your blog, marketing expert Dharmesh Shah says: “It’s a one-time investment to configure your blog to include these social media buttons-but the dividends pay off forever.” To make the most of this feature, your Share Buttons should be functional. When I first started using them, I only had Twitter and Facebook widgets which were placed several inches apart on the homepage of my blog. But eventually, I stumbled upon an html code from www.addthis.com that features a ton of Share Buttons clustered together so the viewer doesn’t have to hop around the blog to share content with other people. In short, the new Share Buttons I’m using are much more aesthetically appealing and functional.
3. Distracting Background/Layout
Having great blog posts is not enough to ensure that your readers come back to your blog. Additionally, you need to ensure that your blog does not include a distracting background or layout. An example would be the use of a bright neon background or a layout which features several shapes or images that detract from the viewer’s ability to read your text. Although these types of backgrounds and layouts may not be annoying to everyone, people who are interested in actually reading the material you’re submitting are likely to prefer simple text with a simple, subtle background.
Conclusion
While the aforementioned advice is not an exhaustive list of the marketing tips you should implement as you build your blog, these strategies can be very efficacious. Good luck!
More Articles Like This:
Blogging 101: Dispelling Myths About the Blogosphere
