In 1994, a Swarthmore College student by the name of Justin Hall created what has now been known as the first blog, links.net. During the time that the site was created it wasn’t referred to as blogs, in fact it was called a personal home page and in 1997 it officially became known a weblog.
Since it’s inception in 1994, blogs have continued to shape the presence of the internet. To date over 10,000 new blogs are created and over 2 million posts are written each day. With so many blogs being created it can be easy to get lost in the shuffle, but here are 5 things you can do to take your blog to the next level.
Amp Up Your Content
Content is king, especially when you’re attempting to take your blog to the next level. It is imperative as a blogger that you are not only creating great content but that you are creating content that your audience cares about. In fact, having one blog with 10,000 views is way more important than having 10,000 blogs with no views. If you are struggling with what types of content to create, consider doing keyword research in order to see what types of content performs best and what types of content your audience is looking for.
Web Hosting
What’s web hosting is probably something you have asked time and time again. Web hosting is defined as the activity or business of providing storage space and access for websites. Web hosting is similar to the relationship of a home on an acre of land. Web hosting is literally the space online where your website can reside. While having web hosting is great you don’t have to have it. If all you wish to reserve is a domain name (which you will learn more about later) you can easily do it by simply registering that domain. The largest amount of money you will often spend on your blog especially in the early days is on the web hosting.
Domains
As mentioned above, one does not have to have web hosting in order to have a domain but it helps. Many sites such as WordPress, Blogger, etc. all have their own domain names available but if you’re interested in creating a blog that sits on a particular domain such as “myblog.com,” you’ll have to go out on a limb and purchase a domain which could be as low as .99 a year for the first year.
Social Media
Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and the list goes on of the various social media sites out there for you to use as leverage for your blog. Social media can play a pivotal role in the growth of your blog because it is how you drive awareness about your new content. If you’re not sure how you should use social media as leverage on your site, consider hiring a social media specialist who can help you determine what times you should post and what types of content to post.
Word of Mouth
Believe it or not, word of mouth is still one of the best ways you can promote your blog to the world. While it may seem easier to promote your blog online, some people will only connect to blogs that they have a personal connection to and word of mouth allows for that.
Spreading word of mouth doesn’t mean you have to literally talk about your blog to every person you encounter; however, when you attend certain networking events always have business cards on hand that provide a link to your site. The goal is to increase traffic by any means necessary.
What ways have you found helpful in taking your blog to the next level? Leave your comments below.
