Table of Contents
How do I measure the success of my blog?
Before you can measure the success of your blog, you need to set goals you can track in the first place. Ask yourself why you’re starting your blog; is it for a product that you already have, or are you trying to find like-minded people?
Once you know what your goals are, think about related metrics. Here are some examples:
- Business blog: Number of product sales/subscription sign-ups and inquiries
- Community-building: The amount of comments generated and new followers
- Magazine-style: The number of advertising spots sold
When you know which metrics to track, you should ignore everything else. For example, if your goal isn’t to get more followers, you shouldn’t worry about whether your profiles are growing through your blog.
You should identify which tools you need for measuring your goals. For example, if website traffic is important, look at software like Google Analytics or Fathom Analytics. Set up goals if possible (Google Analytics has an option that allows this, for example).
Do I need a separate content strategy for my blog?
You can build a blog without a content strategy, but it’s not a good idea; having one gives you more direction.
A content strategy involves planning posts in advance and focusing specifically on your target audience. Things you must outline in your content strategy include:
- Target audience
- Topics to write about (evergreen and seasonal)
- Posting schedule (i.e. how many times per week)
- Promotion (e.g. social media and newsletters)
Combined with your goals, content strategizing can be a roadmap for your blog – not having one will probably result in you losing out to someone who does.
What are the most important elements of a successful blog post?
Some aspects of blog posts are subjective, such as word counts. But others are more fixed, and they cover the following:
- Value provided to your audience
- Clear and logical structure (with headings and subheadings where appropriate)
- Original visuals (i.e. photos and graphics)
- Call to action (e.g. “start your free trial today”)
How long does it take to see results from blogging?
Blogging is a long-term game; expect to see some results after a minimum of six months of consistent posting. Because it takes a long time to see results from blogging, it’s essential that you talk about topics that interest you; focusing just on the money will likely fail.
The early days can be disheartening, but focus on producing high-quality posts. You should also use your beginner phase to experiment… start with the following.
- Starting a newsletter
- Experimenting with different social media channels
- Collaborating with others in your niche
- Guest posting
What are some common mistakes to avoid in business blogging?
While you mustn’t ignore SEO, you also shouldn’t stuff keywords and create clickbait. You should also refrain from posting dull content; a good benchmark is to create content that you personally would consume.
Other beginner mistakes to avoid include:
- Not focusing on page responsiveness
- Using generic visuals
- Not checking for spelling and grammatical errors
- Over-promoting your blog posts
You’ll need some time to experiment, but make sure that you learn from your mistakes.
Do I need to copyright my blog content?
Your content is technically copyrighted by default when you publish it, but you can add a copyright notice on your page. Consider watermarking original photos and graphics, too.
Do I need to trademark my blog name?
It’s not mandatory to trademark your blog name, but you might want to if you’re a brand. Assess your individual situation and determine whether it’s needed.
What are some essential tools for bloggers?
Bloggers should familiarize themselves with content management systems (CMS), such as WordPress, Hocoos AI blog builder, Squarespace, and Wix. Analytics software like Google Analytics is also frequently used, but you should ensure that your tool complies with data privacy laws (e.g. GDPR).
Other tools for bloggers include:
- Email marketing tools: Mailchimp, ConvertKit
- Graphic design: Canva, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop
- Social media management: Buffer, Hootsuite
If you don’t have a big budget, look for free and affordable alternatives. For example, Mailchimp has free and paid tiers.
Can blogging be profitable?
Blogging can be profitable, but you have to play the long-term game and not expect quick wins.
Different blogs choose different methods of monetization, and what you pick will depend a lot on your niche and target audience. Examples to consider include:
- Advertising and affiliate marketing
- Selling digital and physical products (e.g. books, art prints, and checklists)
- Selling services (e.g. freelance copywriting)
- Memberships and subscriptions
If you already have the idea to monetize your blog someday, focus now on building the audience you’d like to help and not just adopting growth hacking. Do this by creating content that you would consume and not falling for shiny object syndrome. Use resources like the Niche Pursuits blog and AuthorityHacker to research monetization strategies.
Conclusion
Defining what blogging success means is a personal journey that requires you to identify your specific goals. After doing that, produce content for your target audience and keep updated with the changing online landscape. While monetization normally doesn’t come first, you should still think about it early on and attract the type of audience that would like to buy your products and services.
Focus on the long run and use the tips you’ve read in this guide, such as creating a content calendar. If you need to, perform additional research on running a blog and building a website.
