The 10 commandments of blogging
It's a new year. You have another year to achieve your business and blogging goals. There are many things you will need to do this year, but there are a few things you must do to get the most out of your blog. Let's call them commandments.
1. Thou shalt write every day.
Words are your hammer and nails. Know how to use them, and they will build your blog and business. The only way to master writing is to write a lot, so set aside time every day to write a few paragraphs. Over time you'll find your style and voice.
2. Thou shalt publish once a week.
I've neglected this commandment before and suffered. A blog is a living organism, and you must feed it with new content. A blog without fresh content will be ignored by readers and Google, drying up your traffic, leads and sales. Your traffic will increase as you post more frequently.
Be careful to balance frequency with quality. No one will return to a blog with shoddy content.
3. Thou shalt build an email list.
You must identify readers who want a deeper relationship with your content. These readers will become sharers, leads and sales. Even if you don't plan to sell anything to them, collect their email addresses. Your email list is your first and most important business asset.
4. Thou shalt track everything.
Install Google Analytics on your blog. Get comfortable with the reports and tools. Understand who sends you traffic and which posts attract the most subscribers, leads and sales. Without this data you'll take unnecessary risks, bet on the wrong content, and overlook valuable opportunities.
Tip: Google Analyticator is a WordPress plugin that makes it very easy to install Google Analytics.
