5 things that will guarantee your blog more traffic this year.

Do you find blogging difficult, or worse, not knowing where to begin? Maybe you find traffic lingering and you need a boost. There are great blogs, good blogs and ones not worth talking about.

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When I began this adventure of blogging on a regular basis, I really didn’t know what I was doing. There has been a lot of trial and error. I’ve seen success and failure. But, at the end of the day one thing remains, I keep pressing forward.

This weekend an old friend came to town. I want to say it’s been at least 12 – 16 years since we’ve seen each other. In conversation over lunch, the topic of blogging came up. We both agreed it’s harder than it looks. Especially the weekly posts. Yet one thing we both said, “showing up each week is what counts for bloggers.”

When I look at JBSISAM.COM I see a blog where worn-out leaders and overwhelmed writers can come to get the tools they need so they can find their voice and succeed in their family, ministry/business and life. I know I don’t have all the answers, but I know how to motivate.

On Wednesday’s podcast, I’ll be sharing the results from my 2016 reader survey [If you’ve not done so, you can take the survey here.]. However, I now know the content I produce is valuable.

But what makes a good blog versus an “I’ll write about anything blog?” I want to give you 5 things that will guarantee you more traffic this year.

1. Know why you write. One of the biggest frustrations with many blogs I come across, the authors don’t know why they’re writing. I honestly think we have enough cat videos gracing our screens, we don’t need a blog highlighting the latest one.

In all seriousness, if you are not clear on why you’re writing, it’s best to hang up the hat. For me, I write to help people find their voice and succeed in life. Why do you write?

2. Know your audience. One thing I’ve learned from Michael Hyatt is the value of taking reader surveys. I’ve now completed two in as many years. This has helped me clarify who I’m writing for. As a blogger the most important person you’re writing for is the one who reads your blog. Don’t write what you want, write what they want, and they’ll keep coming back.

3. Have a homebase. So many blogs are using eg. myblogname.wordpress.com. Nothing is more frustrating than coming across a well written blog that doesn’t even have it’s own domain name. Even if you choose to use a free blogging site like WordPress.com, at least buy a domain name.

Our blog is our homebase. It’s best to own, but make sure the majority of your writing is on your website, not Facebook, Twitter or other websites. We want our audience to keep coming back for more.

4. Limit your writing categories. When I began writing on this blog, I wrote about anything and everything. I feel I’ve come back full-circle to my passion – writing. I write in several categories, Spiritual/Personal Development, Leadership, Writing, and Productivity. The less categories we write about, the more focused we’ll be in our message. Then when you do go off script, it’s that much more engaging.

5. Be consistent. There are blogs I would love to follow, however I never know when they’ll publish the next post. I find it frustrating. The biggest impact I’ve made to this blog is by showing up 2-3 times a week. Monday, Wednesday and sometimes Friday. My audience knows when I’m going to post and they show up on those days. But make sure you show up.

Blogging is a lonely occupation. You sit with your computer, thoughts and ideas. You take those thoughts and transform them into an article that you believe will impact your readers to take them to the next level. I guarantee if you take these five points and put them into practice, you will see more traffic showing up each week to consume your content. But remember it takes knowing your audience and showing up for them each and every week.

[reminder]Where can you improve your blog? What are you willing to do to take yours to the next level?[/reminder]