Blogging is a tough business and it becomes tougher if you don’t know your objective and mission. However, over the years, I’ve found there are certain questions I can ask that will help me outline my purpose so I’m better in charge of the questions I’d like to answer through my blog. I’ve been a true believer that if you want to succeed, then you should have a clear purpose that solves a common problem within your niche. Only then will you be able to attract the right type of audience and keep pushing forward. If you can attract traffic and build loyalty, then it just makes it easier for you to prosper in the world of blogging. If you don’t believe me, then simply ask some of the MOST success bloggers within the industry. With this said,
I’d like to start this “2†part series, where I go over some of the MOST common questions to ask before you sit down and outline your blog’s purpose. These are very simple questions, but they will have a huge affect on your success.
Let’s get started…
The Audience
Once you’ve established your audience, you’ll have a better idea of your purpose, which we’ll discuss in the next section. However, you need a great outline of your audience so you know which way to aim your focus. By doing some research beforehand, you’ll be able to find out who your audience is and then create content to stir their interest, which is very important for your success. Keep in mind, blogging is very competitive and the ones that survive are those that attract a wide enough audience. Here are a few things you can do to research your audience…
- Research “target†keywords
- Visit competitors and see what they are doing
- Use Alexa.com because they provide a good breakdown.
- Test of Facebook ads because they have a great filter system.
The Purpose
It’s one thing to know your audience, but a completely different thing to have a clear idea of what you are trying to do. For example,
- Are you trying to solve a problem?
- Are you creating a debate?
- Are you trying to make money?
- Are you selling products and/or services?
All these questions will allow you to guide your content writing and create something engaging. This is important if you want to build momentum and have a successful blog. However, purpose comes after knowing your audience because it’s only when you know who you are writing for that you can create what they are looking for.
Why am I Unique?
It’s no secret you’re going to have competition so you have to ask yourself: Why am I Unique? This will make you think long and hard about the things you can do to stand out compared to others within your niche. Some blogs will focus on “expert interviews†while others will focus on “infographics†so think of ways you can stand out. I know many bloggers who have done very well by doing live case studies.
If you can find ways to stand out then you’ll have a way to build momentum against your competition and this will help spurt your growth quickly. It’s a simple question to ask yourself and something you should think about before you start blogging so you don’t hit a roadblock afterward.
The Content Types
If you decided you’re going to be unique because you’ll be a tutorial blog, then you have to figure out the ways you will present your content. For example, you will solve common problems within your niche so now write down ways you’ll achieve this. At this point, you have many content types available, all proven to be very effective, like:
- Video posts
- Infographics
- Images
- Text content
These are all great ways to present content and some will work better than others. I encourage all of you to try different things and find out how your audience engages with each. By doing this simple trial and error, you’ll be able to find what works well and increase engagement on your blog. With higher engagement comes a better chance of building more social shares and conversions. Here’s a quick tip:
It doesn’t matter what you’re doing online because you have to split test to find out what works compared to others. After, it’s time to simply optimize and push forward.