One of the things I enjoy the most about blogs, especially blogs that are run by one individual, is analyzing why the blog is successful.
What is the magic ingredient that makes this blog succeed, when so many others fail?
Based on my observations, here are some of the elements you can apply to make your blog something special. Note you don’t have to apply all these ingredients, one could be enough, though of course if you apply more than one you increase your chance of success.
- Enter a market early: Many of the top blogs are that way simply because they were one of the first, or the first, to enter the market and devote serious time and energy to produce valuable content on a consistent basis.
- Be prolific: Never give up is a great attitude, and some blogs, while not necessarily always having the best content, always have something new and interesting. If you publish multiple articles every day for years, the force of your consistency can take you far.
- Personality power: Some of the most popular blogs focus on the quirky, loud, controversial, attractive, cute, sexy, unusual, outspoken, intelligent, or any typically interesting human characteristics that make people want to pay attention to you.
- You’re established: If you’re already a player in your market, as in you’ve done something not many people have done, even just one major accomplishment, that can be enough of a leverage point to highlight your blog above the rest.
- You’re famous: If you’re famous then people automatically pay attention to you and that includes reading your blog.
- You experiment: Some of the best blogs are hinged on the back of a “scientist” in their industry. A scientist is anyone who conducts experiments that have results other people want to know about.
- The journeyman: Some blogs begin with little focus other than being what blogs were first created for, as daily journals of what’s going on in your life. Do this for long enough and if you live an interesting life, people will read simply because they’ve come along the journey with you so far and they want to know what’s next.
- Writing style: While it’s not a mandatory requirement, some blogs succeed because of the quality of the writing.
- Connections: If you know people who know people, the sheer power of your network can result in a popular blog because you learn insider secrets, or are the first to report interesting news, or have interviews with famous people.
- Technology: Some bloggers use cutting edge tools, like high production value video, or beautiful graphics, or music to enhance what they do, leveraging online technology and multimedia to deliver a user experience that is difficult to find anywhere else.
Many of the above techniques cannot be taught, while others you can learn but take an above average level of effort to succeed with. Of course, this is why these techniques work. If everyone could do these things easily, they wouldn’t be effective, so as in all things in life, that which comes with greatest effort offers greatest reward.
Bear in mind that these ingredients must be inserted into a solid framework for a successful blog to begin with. Without a base understanding of what it takes to build a great blog in terms of technology and the web in general, you might have one of the above “magical” ingredients but lack an understanding of how the blogging tool works to distribute your magic to the world.
Thankfully it is easy to learn the process of how to build a great blog. Processes can be replicated.
Good luck finding your magic.
Yaro Starak
Magician
Great post, Yaro! I’ll have to apply some these techniques when launching my new blog @addtodesign. Thanks 🙂
Hey nice list post. You really need to have experience and walk the walk and not just talk. This is a big one. And consistency is the key also. Once i posted daily to thedailymac.com the blog started to get attention and was featured on a big video blog.
Then i lose interest and abandoned the blog and now it’s dead. You give a lot of great advice, thanks for the post.
Hello Yaro,
As always great to read your posts. To be quite candid I’ve learnt a lot by reading your posts and subscribing to your newsletters. Although, my favorite niche is politics but I like that Journeyman approach which you have talked about. Will surely use it to leverage more traffic.
I would also like to point out that there is nothing like good content. Several pillar articles of mine are still producing great traffic despite having been written months ago. Bye for now…….SushJ
Nice, concise post, Yaro. We study a lot of this in your Blog Mastermind group, which is terrifically useful if you’re starting out in blogging. Trying to attack many of these points, and then seeing where you’re getting the most effect is a good strategy. I’d be interested in knowing the difference between the two blogging programs you offer, and if there’s any reason to be in both. Thanks for all your great content, Yaro!
With millions of blogs, splogs, adsense blogs, flogs being created everyday, how can one enter a market early. Unless one come up with a really innovative thing. For example, My Blog – An Alien’s Struggle on Earth
Hi Yaro,
Nice post. Do you think some of the points you mention are more influential than others? In my opinion there are just 2 qualities you need to succeed.
1. Know what you are blogging about. It’s never possible to know everything in your field, but you do need to know more than other people. Sometimes I read blog from people and I truly ask myself: Do they have any clue they are writing about.
2. Be consistant. Keep blogging on a regular schedule. If people know you are publishing content every monday, wednesday and friday, they will visit your blog is a high quality blog (number 1)
The other points you mention are of course important, but they aren’t the key points I think. If you will have/do the points I mentioned, some of the other points will come naturally.
Cheers,
Tommy
Yaro you have precisely summarized the crux. One thing is really very important that you should build your community otherwise you survival will become tough.
Thanks for the article. I’m working on a number of blogs right now. Comments is always a good indicator on connection with the reader and overall success of a blog. My record is 174 comments so far through a free prize (idea credit to seth godin/yaro) competition. This seems the quickest way to grow watchers.
But most importantly, be yourself and do it with passion and you will slowly climb to the top of the mound.
Entering the market early is a little difficult these days. Unless there is some new product or tool, etc that comes out many niches out there are thoroughly covered.
I believe that Point “2. Be prolific” is one of the most important. Many set out to make their dream income or “get rich” from blogging and never get close. The important thing is that you are doing what you are passionate about. That way even if you do not become a full-time blogger you have enjoyed the journey which may be what you need to give you that little bit extra to continue with the journey.
Hi Yaro, this post got me thinking about my work (just began my blog). I’m trying to combine a few of these tactics together: good writing style describing a technical journey, and I’m hoping this will generate valuable content people can use. I have to say I enjoy every minute of this kind of blogging.
Regarding that first point, any ideas on how to discover a market early?
Thanks – Ami
It’s not as hard as you might think to be one of the first to a market, it’s really all about differentiation.
Clearly Internet Marketing is a saturated niche right now in terms of blogs, but how many blogs talk specifically about how to market with Facebook paid advertising? I’m pretty sure a diligent hard working blogger could make it their own and be one of the first to focus on that niche.
Of course the niche has to be big enough and valuable enough too, so you need to strike a balance of drilling down into a sub-niche without drilling so far that you have no audience.
Thanks for the tip, I see what you mean, food for thought and I need to do some digesting on this. I’m wondering if the new Apple iPad technology will open up some new niche opportunities for bloggers (blogging for the iPad format).
Enjoy your day,
Ami
10 quick and easy tips that you can use to start any blog for sure. Video blogging is going to take over someday, Im sure.
Getting in early definitely has serious value, but finding a relatively uncontested niche is not that simple these days! Then you also have to work double as hard to get the better of the existing champions who have many years worth of link and authority building under their belts already.
Great post and all great tips! This could be a good guideline for making a successful blog!
Post frequency do matters, good post.
Have to say, I’m not use to your posts being so short! Despite the length, there are some good tidbits of useful information there.
It is tough to standout in the blogging world today. But it is possible if your blog focuses on a sub-niche of a popular niche. I know I’ve been guilty of starting a blog in a popular niche only to grow frustrated and give up on it due to the lack of visitors and such.
As always, great informative post, Yaro.
Wesley Craig Green
Some people have even become famous from having a blog, look at perz hilton.
Most definitely! He was appealing enough to where he himself became a marketable person!
Results are everything and never lie. If you can make your blog work and get results with what you do, great. If not, it’s time to do something else.
Bloggers also stand out by commenting on other blogs, like I’m doing here; in the hopes that you or someone else reading this might be tempted to click my name to see what I wrote last.
What great tips Yaro… How do you know if you are entering a market early, or it’s to late?
11. Be transparent – that’s the trend nowadays anyway.
12. Tag a call-to-action at the end of your posts 😉
Those are some great points. I think Personality power is the most important of all. For me, that is the first thing that I look for. The rest are also very important.
Till then,
Jean
I appreciated the comment about being passionate and Yaro’s tip about showing your own personality. Without passion (energy) and individuality along with consistency forget about it!! To stay focused and consistent you must have the energy to keep pushing forward everyday regardless of your hurdles.
I think 6 will be the most useful one for new bloggers?
I`m still trying to create my own unique side 😀
“Enter a market early…” While I agree on this point 100%, many bloggers who are first in a specific area tend to quit after a short while. They don’t see the traffic because the market is still new. So, if I may add, enter a market early and be patient.
Great post.
I’m going for the Early, Personality Power, and Journeyman combo 🙂
Great article Yaro, you make some really good points about how to make your blog stand out from the pack, but would you ever recommend people to start a blog just because of buzz potential, what if they have no experience in that field?
Some really good advice as usual Yaro, Affiliate marketing has been my main focus until recently, I’m just getting started with my blog and I’m sure those tips will help.
I think offering great value, and being sincere always helps.
It comes from “web blog” as already stated. The word blog is not exactly an acronym so individual letters do not have a meaning of their own; blog by itself is a legitimate word.
Another one I would say is “You Don’t Hide”. So many Bloggers I find hiding behind their Blogs. Meaning, it’s difficult to find their name, pictures or anything about them.
I think it’s important for people to own their blog and show themselves on it. It’s about YOUR opinion of a topic you’re writing about, not the topic itself.
I read this Blog because I want to hear Yaro’s opinion on a topic, not just a generic third-person unbiased description of a topic.
-Paul
Hey Great Post Yaro. I am working building my blog, and some days it can get a bit discouraging. I feel I’m not ‘prolific’ enough. lol But this post was a great reminder of some of the things I need to focus on, so thanks for that.
Warm regards,
C
Hi Yaro,
Being a magician in this case means doing magic to work a lot :p
Unless you are a famous person, you need to dedicate effort and enough time to succeed. This is cool. You need nothing but that. So everybody could be a magician, if they are willing to pay the price.
Not that I could have, but I have come a bit too late though not so late that I cannot compliment you on a well written advisory post.
That’s a great list Yaro.
One thing that really stuck with me from membership site mastermind was how you discussed the need for differentiation and ‘narrowing down’ to something very specific. I’ve found that one piece of advice so useful, especially to combat thoughts such as “It’s already all been done!” It so hasn’t already all been done; there are loads of opportunities similar to the Facebook one which is an excellent example!
I think you are right in terms of staying power and personality. Those ingredients are crucial to becoming a good blogger. If you are a lame duck no one is really going to want to read what you say. To me the best kind of traffic is the kind that creates a relationship with the reader and entices them to keep returning just to see what else you are going to write about. To me that works better than any other type of traffic.
Apprecitate the tips Yaro. I would consider myself number 6 (experiments) in the webmaster field. However I am a bit worried with the trend of you pushing your membership programs. It seems as that is definately your priority.
Having said that still some great content available and as the blog owner you are free to do whatever you want.
Hey Yaro thank you, for updating my knowledge about blog. I liked your all 10 points but 2 and 8 points very good from my point of view; it is very crucial points to achieve success for our blog. If we update our blog daily with latest information and with very good content it is gives more chance to be popular.
It’s hard to enter a money making niche “early” since anyone, even without technical knowledge, can start a blog.
Great post Yaro.
It’s helpful to see that because it allows someone to look at their target market and understand what they need to be doing to get their blog to produce more.
This is a great check list for me to implement into my blog. The parts that you’ve mentioned that I haven’t implemented I will do so. Thank you so much Yaro for continuing to provide the necessary tools to help us succeed!
Hi Yaro
i love the idea about entering the market early as this can make a big difference. I remember been one of the first to bring a twitter ebook out before everyone else did and it made a huge difference.
Plus it is lovely to be original.
kind regards
sam
X
Yes I also agree with the others Yaro. I really utilized from your tips form my blog. I love also this blog.Because it is like a school to learn everything about being a blog master and transforming from a newby into a master.Thanks all for your support for that way.
I’d also like to add that, regarding #1 “Enter a market early: Many of the top blogs are that way simply because they were one of the first, or the first, to enter the market and devote serious time and energy to produce valuable content on a consistent basis.”
Don’t let this discourage you – we are in the age of the long tail, more niches are created everyday. There are only so many square inches of “screen” real estate a webpage can provide information on. Unlike the physical world, land can be created in the online world!
These are some great tactics for any blogger to apply to their blog. To bad I don’t have the “Famous” thing going for me though…
Your first point is the most difficult…entering a market early. There are opportunities but less than before I think. When you find one though, it could be a gold mine! I say, better to try and keep trying…and allow some of this to be, at the least, an experimental learning opportunity UNTIL you find the most ideal and opportune niche!
A good domain name can also give you a big advantage. A good domain name helps with SEO and gives a better impression to visitors. In addition, if it’s easy to remember then it could lead to more repeat visitors.
Thnx for offering this content as an mp3 download. I much prefer this format so I can listen to the content whilst out walking or in the car.
Very helpful list for both newbies and long-time bloggers. You’ve touched and summarized some of the vital details of effective blogging. I’ve been struggling with #3 & 8, as I haven’t figured out the best writing style to show my personality. I keep reading blogs and I love how they fully incorporate their personality with the way they write. You bet I’m learning from it, and maybe sooner I’ll figure right one for me.
Excellent tips. Effort, time and patience!
I think we must be the only one, unique.
We should make people remeber us.