Tips to Improve Your Blog and Drive Traffic to It

Start by making a list of everything you like. Eliminate the items that get only your lukewarm attention. Divide the list items into pairs and discard the topic that you find least interesting. When you get to the end of the first round, create new pairs from the remaining topics. Repeat this process until you have one final topic remaining. You’ve just found the theme for your blog.

Sit down and write, even if you realize you are spewing nonsense. The physical act of committing words to the screen or to paper is the best cure for writer’s block. Discipline yourself to write a thousand words each day. It doesn’t matter if what rolls from your fingertips reads like it a kindergartener’s account of show-and-tell hour at school. Everyone has a story. You’re working on finding your voice.

Do some research and learn about search engine optimization, or SEO. Choosing the right keywords and using them wisely and judiciously will help drive more traffic to your blog.

Follow your heart, listen to your intuition. If you have a feeling that your blog is heading down the wrong path, it probably is. Now is the time to take corrective action.

Become a good writer. The best way to become a good writer is to read omnivorously, absorbing the quality prose crafted by authors across the years. Acquire a copy of Strunk and White’s The Elements of Style, a perennial favorite among writers and editors; most questions of grammar, punctuation, and usage are found in its pages.

Adding photos and short video clips is a good way to grab readers’ attention. Social media sites like Facebook make it easy to upload visual media that will make your blog more entertaining. You could even take this one step farther and create a totally visual blog, or periodically feature an all-video post.

Don’t overlook the importance of real-world social networks. Tell your friends and family about your blog and what you’re trying to express in it. It’s likely they’re interested in the same things you are and hold similar views. Good, long-term friends are an invaluable source of useful feedback questions regarding content and page layout. Provide a link to your blog in newsletters of organizations you belong to.