There’s been a lot of buzz over the years about the power of blogging and its effectiveness as part of core content marketing strategy, but what very few people are discussing is the number of failed blogs. The New York Times
#1. Schedule a few months of content
Data from Hubspot has shown that 82% of businesses that blog daily acquire a customer through their blog, compared to 57% of businesses that blog monthly. Further research shows that companies that publish 16 or more blogs posts monthly get 3.5 times more traffic than companies that publish fewer than 4 blog posts monthly.
The two studies cited above instantly make something clear: it takes more than just quality content to build a successful blog. Frequency matters too, and publishing regular content on a consistent basis is sure to yield dividends.
One of the best ways to ensure that you’re able to meet up with schedule is by preparing months of content in advance, and scheduling your content so that articles keep going live on your blog no matter what happens. WordPress has an in-built scheduling feature that allows you to schedule years of content if you want, and there are over 100 different types of blog posts you can write.
Here are some quick content types guaranteed to yield massive ROI:
- Resource articles; they work really well because they give readers instant solutions to their problems
- How to articles; they are direct and practical, so people enjoy and reference them
- List articles; they are quick and easy to consume, and they tend to go viral easily
- Case studies; they showcase the effectiveness of an approach you teach, and as a result establish credibility for you
#2. Create content upgrades
Content upgrades are a creative way to maximize conversions from new or existing articles on your blog; the idea behind a content upgrade is simple, you offer people an advanced version (or a continuation) of the content they just read in exchange for their email address.
I first implemented a content upgrade on my blog early this year, and I gained 700 extra subscribers within a month of implementing it; this pace has kept up, and content upgrades now contribute several hundreds of extra subscribers to my email list every month.
Your content upgrade can be a PDF version of your article, or it can be a checklist, or a resource, or a worksheet, or a template or a free plugin or app. It has to be relevant to the article the reader is reading, and you have to offer it to them right after they finish reading your article. Below are some resources to help you create effective content upgrades:
- How to Increase Conversions by 795% in One Day
- How to Use Content Upgrades to Grow Your List
- 10 Content Upgrades You Can Create
#3. Create an autoresponder series
For a long time I made the mistake of building an email list and only sending them an email at will; as a result, very few of my subscribers actually knew who I was, and this seriously impacted their response whenever I sent a message.
I decided to do something about this, and creating an autoresponder series has been very helpful; my autoresponder series is nothing complicated. Instead, it’s a series of emails linking to the very best content on my blog; it took very little effort, and I killed two birds with one stone by driving consistent traffic to my blog and engaging my audience. It also helped sales of my products. Countless readers have thanked me for the quality information I offer since I started an autoresponder series.
With an email service provider like AWeber or Mailchimp, it’s easy to set up an email list and create an autoresponder series; not only do you have a database of people you can reach out to at will, but you’ll be able to drive consistent traffic to your blog and engage with your audience.
#4. Set up a Welcome Mat
The “Welcome Mat” feature was recently introduced by Sumome, and I’ve gotten amazing results since I started using it. In fact, I got over 1,000 extra subscribers the first month I implemented a Welcome Mat on my blog (screenshot below):
A Welcome Mat is a sign up form that instantly takes over a reader’s screen as soon as they visit your website, that they can escape by scrolling down or clicking the down arrow button. Welcome Mats work really well because they are the center of attraction, the only option readers can see, so they clearly communicate your offer to readers.
You can install a Welcome Mat on your blog by installing the SumoMe plugin, going to their store and installing the “Welcome Mat” addon and configuring the options to show what you want.
#5. Create “Key Pages” to Ensure an Income Boost
One of the major challenges a blogger has to deal with is that of generating income. While there are dozens of ways to make money from a blog, I’ve had much luck with freelancing; if you’re a blogger struggling to earn money, or if you just started blogging and want income to start coming in quickly, you can start by offering your services as a consultant. To get better results, be sure to create these key pages:
=> Key Page 1. A Services Pages: Whether you’re promoting your freelancing or consulting service, a services page helps put the spotlight on your services and answers some of the questions your prospects might have. Here are some tips:
- Ensure that your headline promise your clients a benefit; it’s simply not enough to create a page that says “Services” or “Consulting” and then leave it at that. I’ve been able to triple conversions from my services page by tweaking the headline to promise my clients results, compared to using the generic “Services”.
- Clarify the services you offer; this is especially important if you offer a lot of services. Don’t leave your clients confused; explain each service and give them enough information to decide on what they want.
- Include all the means to contact you; be sure to include all the ways you can be contacted. If possible, include a contact form, list your email address and include a Skype id or your phone number. The more accessible you are, the better.
=> Key Page 2. About Page: An about page is another essential key page; potential clients won’t want to work with a ghost, and having a clear about page that demonstrates your expertise and legitimacy will go a long way to endear them to you.
Ideally, your about page should tell your readers about you, about your blog and what’s in it for them and also include testimonials and recommendations of others about you. This article explains how to create a good about page.
Conclusion
The above tips will go a long way to turbocharge your blog, leading to significant ROI from your blogging investments. What other tips would you like to add?
Images: “computer mouse connect to word BLOG with earth globe / Shutterstock.com“
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