Blogging 101: Helpful Hints

April is coming to an end, and with the end of the month comes the final blog in our current series. This month has focused on the topic of blogging, which means that we’ve used the word “blog” way too much this month. Outside of that fact, though, we’ve discussed things like how to set up a blog post, some aspects of the actual content, and some extras to include within your post. This week we finally wrap all of that up as we offer some generally helpful hints that will hopefully help with your blogging endeavors.

Consistency

This might seem like an unnecessary point to include, but consistency is truly the key to blogging. The hope is that your blog would incur a following of some kind, and unsurprisingly, people like to have regular content coming their way. Your readers want to know when to expect new content, which is why you should stick to whatever days you decide to post new content. Now, there are a lot of conversations as to what posting regularly to your blog should look like, and many people can argue as to whether you should post once, twice, or more a week. Personally, I’m a huge advocate for posting new content once a week around the same time frame on a weekly basis. I have found quality and consistency to be more important than quantity.

Now, do we get off our own schedule sometimes? Sure. Your readers will forgive some missteps along the way, but try to stick to the schedule you determine to the best of your ability.

Length

While there are pros and cons to both longer and shorter posts, the minimum word count should at least be 300 words according to WESFED. This minimum length helps search engines to recognize your blog, and that length also plays into keyword research. In fact, posts with over 1,000 words tend to rank best among search engines, but honestly, they take a longer time to write and aren’t necessarily the most convenient for readers.

It’s up to you as to how long you want your posts to be, but shorter posts can be easier to create on a regular basis. For reference, most of our blogs tend to fall in the 500-700 word count range, which we have found convenient to maintain. Feel free to let your posts vary in length, but always aim to hit the 300 word count minimum.

Promotion

One of the benefits of blogging is that it posts fresh content on your website on a (hopefully) consistent basis. However, there is not much hope of people finding your blog posts if you don’t tell the world that it is there. This is where social media comes into play. Statista shows that 79% of the U.S. population has some type of social media profile, and currently 2.34 billion people worldwide can say the same thing. With that in mind, why would you not share your blogs on your social media profiles?

Do your research about what social media networks would most benefit your blog based on your topics and intended audience, but share your blogs on social media for a greater impact.

While some of these points might seem like common sense, you would be amazed to see how many people do not follow these helpful hints. Here’s to hoping that these hints will make blogging a little easier for you. What other helpful hints would you offer? Comment and let us know!

Also, if you’re interested in our blogging services, you can find more information here.

Stay tuned next Friday as we move on to a different blog series altogether!