Blogging is a very powerful tool that allows thought leaders to reach massive audiences. I’ve been blogging for almost ten years both professionally and personally and I’ve learned a lot of hard lessons. Here are four tips that I have for novice bloggers on building a blog that scales.
1. Setup Google Analytics
If you want to optimize your content and develop growth opportunities, you need insights and analysis from Google Analytics. You can analyze web traffic, channel sources, referral links, and where people are going on your website. Early on in my career, I had switched domains but forgot to set up the tracking code for Google Analytics on my new website. When I went to look at how it was doing, I was shocked to see it was completely flat. Missing data for several months after making a big transition is the last thing you want to see.
2. Engage with Influencers
When we first begin as bloggers, we often think that merely writing content will generate huge returns. Unfortunately, it won’t. Consider developing relationships with fellow bloggers by posting on forums, sharing each other’s content on social media, and having genuine conversations to learn more about one another. Cultivate these relationships over time. The earlier on you start doing this, the better the return will be. You never know who will go big and if you have an existing relationship with them, a simple retweet from a friend can result in a huge increase of traffic to your website.
3. Setup Your SEO
SEO can do a great job of generating traffic for your site — if you lay the foundations down early on. Most content management systems have plugins for SEO, but a novice blogger might not be aware that they need to activate them. The last thing you want is to not have the proper keywords setup in your metatags or URLs. Moreover, it will help you structure the themes around which you can generate your content.
4. Create a Content Calendar
In the beginning, you won’t have that much content, but as you scale the blog, it can get disorganized very quickly. You need to separate articles that are in development, others that are in review, others that are scheduled to post, and then those that are published and need outreach via social channels and email. The best way to manage all of these processes is by using a content calendar. You can generate one via a simple spreadsheet on Google, use a widget via WordPress, or do something as simple as create a KANBAN board with tools like Trello.
By following these four tips, you’ll ensure that your blog is built to last.
