OUTER BEAUTY
So this post does not necessarily fit in under the beauty department of this blog, but since many of you readers have your own blogs, and sharing is caring:) I decided to write about one of the books I´m currently reading. It´s called "Platform - get noticed in a noisy world" by New York Times best-selling author Michael Hyatt, recently published. The praise for this business book goes beyond huge. So being online as well as a book worm I had to buy it. Michael Hyatt is a professional blogger, author and speaker whose blog is consistently ranked in the top three for productivity, leadership, publishing and social media marketing. This post may be a bit long (hmm...not ideal according to point #3 from the author:) but please read on if you are interested, I have taken out the best tips for increasing blog traffic for you. I thought a Sunday would probably be a good day to be a bit productive together!
From the book "Platform - get noticed in a noisy world":
"Assuming you want to increase your blog traffic, there are certain mistakes you must avoid to be successful. If you commit to these errors, your traffic will never gain momentum, Worse, it may plateau or begin to decrease.
These are the top ten traffic killers:
1. You don´t post often enough.
Frequency is what separates the women from the girls. You cannot build solid traffic without frequent posts.
2. You post too often.
Yes, it is possible. You would do better writing one really great post a day rather than several mediocre ones. The trick is to find your frequency sweet spot.
3. Your post is too long.
You can get a way with this if your posts are scannable - that is, you make use of subheads, lists and other devices that keep people moving through your content. If a posts getting to long, consider breaking it up into several posts.
4. You don´t invite engagement.
Be controversial, transparent and/or open-ended. This is why I try to end every post with a question.
5. You don´t participate in the conversation.
When bloggers don´t participate in the conversation by commenting on their own posts and responding to their readers, it is like hosting a party at your home, making a brief apperance, and then disappering. People want to have a conversation with you.
6. You don´t make your content accessible.
Readers today have shorter attention span. They are scanning content, lookings for items that interest them.
7. You don´t create catchy headlines.
Eight out of ten people will read your headline copy, but only two out of ten will read the rest. This means your headlines are the most important thing you write.
8. Your first paragraph is weak.
You must use this paragraph to pull them (the readers) into the rest of the blog post. Start with a story, a promise, or a startling fact. The idea is to grab their attention and hang on to it.
9. Your post is off-brand
A hobby blogger can get away with the occasional post that strays from your primary message or brand. But if your are trying to build a platform, you need to find an editorial focus and stick to it. A tigther focus leads to higher traffic.
10. Your post is about you
Most readers care about themselves. They want to know what´s in it for them. Your personal stories can be a doorway to that, but in the end, the best posts are about your readers' needs, fears, problems or concerns. Always ask, what´s the takeaway for my reader?
If you can avoid these mistakes, you will be well on your way to increasing traffic and growing your home base".
{Link with love! Images via Pinterest 1 kristanlynn.com 2. google}
