3 quick keys to better blogging

One question I get asked quite often is about blogging? How do you post so often? How do you have time? I started a blog a while back but haven’t posted in a few months. I thought I would talk about blogging this week take on a few of the common questions I get and try to explain where I am coming from so as an introduction of sorts I thought I would give you three quick keys to better blogging.

1. Ask Why and Who before How – Many people ask me how to blog or how do I blog so often or how do they get started. All perfectly fine questions. But many times I ask in return “Why do you want to blog.” Before you start a blog you have to ask yourself “Why am I doing this?” and “Who am I doing this for?” If you can’t answer either of those questions your blog will not last past the novelty stage.

2. Past frequently then post consistently – There are many debates in the interwebs concerning the amount of posts you should post. Here is my take post frequently when you are getting started. You need a good archive base so your niche can see that you are an authority and that you are serious. More posts = more traffic and you need to build traffic. The last benefit of posting frequently is you can discover your “Blogging voice” much quicker. Most people quit blogging before they hit their stride. You have to push past the blogging small talk at the beginning where you do posts on weird stuff before you figure out what you can authoritatively speak on and what the kind people (other than your mom) who stop by your blog want to hear. Once you have been blogging for a while you have built your tribe you can now switch from frequent posts to consistent posts. Your readers at this stage know you and trust you. You don’t have to post every day of the week at this point but settling into a good rhythm helps build your sites credibility. In todays information age a 3 month break in posting can be a death blow to your blog. Be consistent.  I try and blog 3 to 4 times a week.

3.  Have the right tools – To be effective at anything you have to know how to use the right tools. A hammer don’t help if you are trying cut with precision. You need the right tools to make the most of your time and to extend your reach. I will  share more about the tools I use later in the week but one of the biggest games changers for me has been using the right theme. A theme is more than just esthetics it’s functionality.