Blogging 101 is a 10 part series where I share my tips and tricks for creating and growing a blog from scratch. This is the third installment in the series, and you can find more information on the topics of this series here.
Although I will be giving you tips and tricks throughout this blogging series, there is one single factor that will determine the success of your blog and that is your content. No matter what your blog looks like, or what the name of your blog is, or what camera you use to take your photos, its your posts that will attract your readers and keep them coming back for more. Now, I know that many of you reading this may not be looking to create the next million dollar blog, but whatever your goals are for blogging, your content is the key to fulfilling them!
When it comes to developing great content consistently, you really need to understand a few things. First, you need to know what great content looks like. Think about it, which sorts of posts do you like to read? You probably like posts that incorporate beautiful pictures with well thought out text. You probably like posts that have been well researched with thorough explanations and relevant information. You know, I read a lot of blogs and different blog posts, even ones with topics that I am not necessarily interested in, and can you guess why? Because when blogs post good content, its hard not to want to read it. Even topics that aren’t exactly up my ally can become interesting when well written and well presented.
The second thing you need to understand about good content is that it doesn’t have to be complicated. There is a difference between well thought out and complicated. Posts don’t need to be thousands of words or filled with tons of pictures or cover topics that require hours and hours of library research in order to be considered good content. As long as your content is well thought out, meaning that all your points or information is presented clearly and your post is written with a clear structure, your readers will find value in it.
The final thing you need to understand about good content is that it is relevant. Now, relevancy is like a grey scale from black to white. On one end you have posts that are about very specific topics and events, and on the other hand you have posts that are “evergreen” meaning that they are relevant at any time. For example, a topical post about the release of a new iPhone should really be published the same day or week as the event itself when many people will be searching for information on it. You wouldn’t want to write about the release of the iPhone 5s now that its March and the phone has been out for nearly half a year. Even if you did write that post in a timely manner, after all the excitement about the new iPhone has died down, that post may not be as popular in the future. As for “evergreen” content, those posts may be things like a recipe for your grandmothers apple pie or a post teaching your favorite hairstyle. Both of those topics are things that could be relevant at any time and people may be searching for either of those on a daily basis! Of course, there are other examples that fill in that grey area between posts that need to be timely and posts that are “evergreen” and great blogs have a nice mix of all of them. Try to think about your content and focus on writing posts that are relevant. When you write about topics that people are interested in and are searching for, you will develop a consistent readership.
What type of content do you find you like to read most often? Thinking about what you read in terms of relevancy, do you find you read more topical and timely posts or “evergreen” content? Understanding relevancy, identifying good content and writing structured posts are three skills that bloggers need to develop into a second nature, so test your skills while you read other posts and blogs and try to exercise and hone your skills!
