Everyone has one friend who thinks people care about his or her incoherent ramblings on any given topic.
It also seems like anyone who has eaten at more than one decent sushi establishment starts a food blog.
There are some blogs that are great, but the majority of these sites are garbage.
Here are five ways to improve your blog:
1. Don’t be a terrible writer.
Many of those who consider themselves writers are actually lacking in that department.
Readers will generally tell a blogger if they thought an article or post was low-quality, or the shares and likes on the post will be lower than usual.
Writers can be developed, so if you're thinking writing is a personal weakness, just listen to your readers and keep producing content.
All of this being said, some bloggers will not be willing to try to improve their writing, and they'll just keep posting the same creative deficiencies day after day.
2. Don’t branch out too much.
Readers aren't coming to a food blog to hear about the funny thing the author’s dog did.
Trying to keep the blog on topic is important, as too many topics can alienate readers who were fans of the blog’s original content.
Blogs that have too many sections tend to look like a place where orphan content is placed when it cannot find a home on a legitimate blog.
3. Ask readers what they want to read.
This is a simple tip for bloggers that can help them to keep the content generated fresh.
The same, old regurgitated articles and posts day after day can become boring for readers.
If a reader wants to contribute an article, then a fresh perspective should be given a chance.
This cuts down on the time the site owner has to spend on the content, all while helping a loyal reader expand his or her portfolio.
Readers often enjoy a weekly themed article, whether it's “Wacky Sushi Wednesday” or “My Life Sucks Monday.” It's something to look forward to each week.
4. Give tips.
Ninety-day transformations are flooding everyone’s news feeds.
They can be extremely annoying, but if you're blogging about a transformation or even about traveling, it's important to give readers something useful.
Putting together tips can be used as a resource for many readers, and it will gain attention from new readers who want the travel or transformation tips.
Giving tips will also garner some traffic from search engines of people who need these specific tips.
Answer any questions in the comments, as this will make the readers feel a personal attachment to you and the blog.
If writing for the readers is the goal of the blog, then engaging with the readers is nearly as important as the content that is produced.
5. Redesign your blog.
If your blog looks like a GeoCities site from the 90s, then it's time for a redesign.
Making a blog with a Wordpress template is very simple for someone without a technical background.
A blog is an expression of oneself, but if you're thinking about adding so many videos that it freezes smartphones and computers, then you should curb your expression a bit.
The color of the blog can also distract readers, and so can bright, flashing advertisements.
Just think to yourself whether you would have a good user review of a site if it had a certain feature.
If the answer is yes, then adding that feature is acceptable.
Blogging is a great outlet for expression that can actually be profitable.
A high school classmate of mine actually travels the world for free because of his blog and travel-hacking skills.
Stand out from the crowd for the right reasons, and produce fresh and engaging content on a consistent basis.
