Audit your blog’s effectiveness
Want more followers to your blog, and more comments?
Unsure if your blog is achieving your gaols?
Use this checklist (below) for some ideas for acitons that you can take:
Your blog is easily FOUND on Google
- Effective SEO, keywords etc. – matches people’s searches, topical etc.
- Plenty of posts
- Alt text on images
GOOD and USEFUL content for visitors
- User-focussed – Content meets people’s needs, focussed, answers their Qs, etc.
- Scannability, and clear headings
- Visually attractive – and infographics, video blog posts etc.
- Variety of posts – and think of new mediums: slideshows, webinars, podcasts, pdf
- Simple navigation, menu, categories
- Links within blog, and between posts and pages
- Has ‘authority’ – demonstrates knowledge and experience of subject
- Added benefits: Freebies, recommendations/ideas, redirects etc.
Opportunities for INTERACTION – Give readers a reason to RETURN
- Like/Social Media buttons – for readers to like and share your content
- Comments fields, with responses by you
- Frequent, varied and good quality posts
- Invitations to reader: polls, questions, set challenges
SELF promotion of your blog
- Cite blog on footer of your emails
- Social Media buttons, for readers to share blog posts – and ask them to share
- Capture emails of those visiting your blog; build up a mailing list
- Syndicate your work, sharing on other blogs/websites
- Reach out to those who have liked/shared your content, or related content elsewhere
- Promote your posts on your own social media, using #, and eg a video on Youtube
- Feature guest bloggers, with followers
EXTERNAL promotion – Finding readers / Increasing your FOLLOWING
- Write a guest post on comparable blogs, with followers
- Post on forums, with blog address in your signature
- Target and connect with influencers, industry experts, etc.
- Establish links/relationships with organisations you’d like to pair up with
Recap: Evaluate your blog against your GOALS
What were your goals?
- More followers
- Get comments from readers
- Secure work opportunities with specific organisations
- Lift your website’s ranking on Google …
Hope that helps, Robert