Recipe for Successful Blogging

Great blogging happens like great cooking – you can read all of the great recipes for success and study under the experts but until you start cooking nothing will get done. I have written articles for my own site and for other sites about how to blog with success. I have led talks about building an online presence. I have learned from some of the best and was proud of where my website was headed.

And then I met Rachel from Grasping for Ojectivity and she shared her numbers and I realized I was a long way from where I wanted to be with my blog, with my writing and with my career in general. It amazes me how one comment can put it all into a new perspective. Her numbers reached into the thousands. Using the same tools she did to measure her numbers, mine barely moved the graph. I had settled for what I thought was good instead of continuing to push on to what I knew could be better (and best) for my blogging portion of my platform.

Know the Top Tips for Blogging

– Be consistent. It will be defined differently for different blogs, but find your rhythm and stick to it.

– Be worthy. Readers have to invest in your site and their time is the most valuable asset that they posses. Make sure that the investment will pay off.

– Be transparent. Show your heart when you write the words, or at least be open with any gifts, freebies or compensation you might receive for your words.

– Be focused. Again, focus will be different for different sites. Know what you are writing and who you are writing for in order to keep your posts targeted.

This is some of the ingredients to a “recipe” for a successful blog. I know it. I have shared it. But I find that I tend to do “my own thing” hoping for the same results instead of following the recipe. I understand that great chefs tend to use recipes as a starting point – but they are cooking something and not just looking at the oven hoping it spits something out because they cooked something in it last week.

That was me. Rachel consistently created things for her blog. She interacted with her readers on a daily basis. She shared openly about her family life and her journey in a personal way that would connect with others (I especially enjoyed this subtle Godfather reference). I just stared at the stats expecting them to take off and make me rich. Her recipe worked much better than mine.

Top Secrets for Cooking Up a Blog

– Know your blog. Stop right now and figure out what it is you are writing for and writing about. Create a plan (that includes a mission, vision and marketing statement). Structure your blog around this plan – including your categories and posting strategy. Investing in the knowing now will save you frustration down the road.

– Know your audience. There will be a community of readers that you aim at when writing. Sometimes you do it with intent – but most often it is subconscious. Tony Marino – over at Christian Authors Community on Google+ – recently shared that I need to identify my target audience by Demographic, Psychographic and Geographic metrics. It is not as easy as I thought it would be. I want everyone to read what I write and have an overwhelming need to share with everyone they know. The reality of the landscapes (and statistics on my sites) tells me that everyone does not read what I write and everyone that does read it does not like it. I have a target audience and it will help me create a successful recipe for blogging when I define that market.

– Know your motivation. The reason why you do what you are doing will help you make your decisions on what to do. Think about it. Write it out. Be honest with your reasons even if you are the only one that ever sees those reasons.

– Write NOW! It is not about tomorrow. It is not about yesterday. The key to a successful blogging experience is to write now. Build a habit of writing every day and a habit of publishing to your blog WHEN you write – even if you save that as a draft for posting on a different date. The only way you will ever build a successful blog around words is if you write.

– Be accountable. Find others that will help you stay focused on your journey. Use tools that will help you stay focused on your own.

– Remember the reasons. If you are writing to connect with others and to benefit others with the words you share, then you will care if you disappoint those others.

The secrets are not that secret. Be consistent. Be persistent. Be concerned with others and for others. Following the recipe to successful blogging requires actions.

What is your favorite recipe for a successful blogging dish?