I've been reading a lot of blogs all over the web about marketing and affiliate schemes and have almost decided to start my own. I'm a bit unsure about my writing style, which I'm hoping will improve as I blog, but how do bloggers keep their visitors coming back? I think the biggest problem I will have is trying to make content that will grip the user, with people blogging up to everyday of their lives, how can I make my blog challenge theirs? Does anyone have any good hints or where to begin? How did you start blogging?
try to express some new, possibly controversial ideas, that will engage and generate user participation by replying to your blog posts with comments
Do you reckon, atxsurf, that its better to have a focused blog on a single topic such as affiliate marketing or to have one about my daily happenings?
i would say somewhat focused is better, however there are thousands of blogs about affiliate marketing, a one about your daily happenings might be good to presuming that is interesting/educational to read for somebody who do not know you.
Don't be afraid to upset people, and don't try and please everyone. Stick to your opinions and positions and speak directly to the kind of people you want to read your blog. Identify the target market you are after, find out what they want to read about and write about it. Let your personality and character shine through to set you apart from your competitors.
Good advice - how long did it take for your blogs (assuming you guys blog) to take off? (i.e. get returning visitors, comments etc).
barrywolf- Couple of points. You should blog about something that fires your passion and build your affiliate offers around that. For example, say you like the haggis. Dedicate your blog to that, and become the leading voice of all things haggis-y. Post often, and post relevant. Maybe take iPhone photos of the haggis at your favorite restaurants around Scotland. Write reviews. Post recipes. Get into arguments with your visitors about the goodness of sheep gut. But most importantly, ping the search engines when you post, and ask your readers to backlink to you. If you're on a platform like Wordpress, these methods will send your blog up the rankings quickly. Once you've got those basics down, you can insert affiliate offers. Considering the haggis is a (debatable) food item, perhaps you offer a similar food product. Or affiliate links to online pharmacies that carry digestive aids. Or a weight loss product. As mentioned before, there are tons of "how-to-make-money-as-an-affiliate" blogs out there, and unless you're an expert, no one will spend time on yours. Write what you know and then monetize it. Good luck. RR
good and new content every day, is a good start. Then you need to get some trackbacks and lots of backlinks.
I would like you to visit this blog on wwwdotmyeasyonlinepaydotcom. They give very nice explanations on principles of blogging. I hop it helps.
You really need to network with other high profile bloggers. If they are kind enough to drop your link in their daily dumps you will see your visits skyrocket and maybe retain some visitors. Also, try guest posting on a high traffic website similar to yours.
Daily fresh and original content will help popularize your blog and improve your SERP. As regards a niche, choose one that won't be difficult for you to get content
Like some others have said, you need to pick a topic that you're passionate about. However, you also need a topic that's going to draw traffic. Do people really care about your daily happenings? Probably not (no offense). Plus, there is no affiliate program for your daily events or random thoughts. If you want to make money, you'll have to pick a product that interests you and start blogging. You obviously need awesome content, but that alone isn't going to bring in the traffic. Take advantage of some guest blogging opportunities. It's a great way to send highly-targeted traffic to your website. If you want to do some writing that is more serious, do some article marketing. It will build up your backlinks, increase your search engine ranking, and increase traffic to your blog. Also, you can find some forums that are related to your niche, and become a valuable, contributing member of the group. Above all else, have fun! Readers can tell when they're writer is really enjoying themselves. If you're bored with the topic, your content will come across as boring.
Awesome replies with great tips, can't say how much I've appreciated the feedback (especially about haggis - getting hungry! ) I was going to do a generic blog about affiliate marketing and try to tap into the affiliate schemes through that, but with your help i'm going to revise my plan.
Quality content + Reliable web host. I like to read, and I keep up with other people's blogs. Usually, i decide within the first minute or two if I will continue reading, If I don't I never revisit the site.
the thing about blogs is u need to write about something you have some kind of knowledge or experience. that's the only way it will be interesting to you. if your not intrested in what you write, u will find yourself not enjoying it and the blog just wont be successful. so do something you love, so people could read and feel ur passion through ur writing. good luck!