victor
How many blogging tips have you learned since you started on this journey of blogging?
How many more do you think you really need to become successful as a blogger?
Have any idea?
Whatever your answer maybe one thing that is sure is the more tips and strategies on successful blogging you know and the more of them you put to work, the more successful you'll be when the chips are down! I believe that is why you see more of successful blogging tips being written about on blogs these days. Now, in this article I want to share with you a few tips that have helped me, and I'm sure will also help you succeed with your blogging adventure.
If you're just starting out blogging or you're working on building that much coveted successful bloggers status, one thing that you might be struggling with right now could be choosing between creating content or working on your blog's presentation. I know this because as a blogger I faced this dilemma for a long time.
During this period, I tried resolving whether to concentrate on content or to spend more time on presentation. Of course, it is a fact that we have very little time every day and I wanted to make the available time as productive as possible. And so I spent time in taking this decision. After a long time however, I was able to finally reach a conclusion and here it goes.
1. Your Blog Should Be Attractive And User Friendly
I think you have to start at the beginning. What do visitors see when they first visit your blog? I for one want to see uncluttered, minimalistic look. One thing is for certain. People want to see pleasing layout and soothing colors. Garish and bright front may look good on a Las Vegas gambling spot but is a big no-no for a blog. What’s the point in having great content if you scare off guys in the first instance?
User interaction and navigation is a huge thing and there are tons and tons of instruction manuals which talk about it. After spending days and months pouring over such documents I have reached a final conclusion – Keep it simple. Your blog must not distract from your blog's purpose. It should tell visitors what to expect right at the outset. To begin with, your website name or domain should be self-explanatory. The blog title should be succinct and clear. The layout must be smart.
2. WordPress Is A Great Blogging Platform
I have been there and have done it. Let me tell you one thing – don’t waste your time experimenting on different platforms. I have nothing against Blogger or Tumblr or SquareSpace or Posterous. I have tried them all and finally reached the conclusion that WordPress is best. It has everything for everyone. There are free themes for amateurs and premium themes for professionals. Actually free themes are also quite nice and can be used by pros. Premium themes cost less than the cost of a single lunch. WordPress is easy to install, pretty easy to learn and you can be up and going in a couple of hours.
3. Content Is King
Once you have put together the ingredients, it’s time to cook a nice good blog. You must, absolutely must, provide excellent content to visitors. There are no two ways to this part of the deal. I have visited sites which are insipid and tasteless. I have never gone back again. Your blog should be buzzing, happening and good to taste. The meal you cook up for visitors must not only be visually appealing but also good to taste – flavor, garnishing and finish – everything must be appetizing. If you offer visitors a great post they will come back again and again.
Conclusion
You need both – looks and content. One without the other will make it an incomplete meal. With WordPress you can create the right look. Content, of course, is a different animal altogether. You have to tame this animal if you want to be a successful blogger. The best way is to write about stuff which you are passionate about. Think clearly- write clearly – add value.
Over to you: Between creating content and presentation which one will you choose? Let us know your reasons in the comments below.
for me I think both,it is all about the content and presentation, because how can the reader likes your blog if you don’t have the good quality of content same to presentation.for me as a blogger I’ll make sure to it that i have the content and presentation that all readers will really like it.
I agree with you. There is a saying that an elephant has two sets of teeth – one for showing and another for eating. You need show as well as value.
Victor
You can create good looking blog by choosing right and attractive wordpress theme but for interesting content you need to put lot of effort everytime. You can take idea by visiting niche blogs, forums and latest news.
@Aaron,
You’re definitely right there. Blogging success is not just about picking the “right” theme. There are thousands of themes out there, most of them free, you can choose from. However, the onus is on your content. You should be able to craft some usable content for your blog visitor to devour!
Thanks for the reply Victor, I really need it, like what you said uniqueness is the main point here.
I agree with your post – that you should start by optimizing the site presentation, then work on creating great content. I would then actually take it one step further and work on the presentation of the content – ie. adding pictures, headlines etc. to improve the readability of your posts. This way presentation wise, everything is optimized for your readers. And you will have great content that will attract more readers.
There is no doubt in it that Content is King. For becoming a successful blogger one should have some characteristics like – Discipline, Focus, and Passion. These things make you able to write a unique and strong content which is the most important factor about blogging.
Secondly, I would say that a better look always helps you to fetch anyone towards it. A successful blogger always keep these two things in mind while blogging.
The beginners must keep these tips in mind if they want success in blogging.