Key Elements to a Successful Blog

Key Elements to a Successful Blog
By: Al Zan

Everyone who starts blogging would like to become successful. Success can be achieved and interpreted in different ways. Most bloggers are inclined to measure success by the number of traffic or visits generated by their blogs while some bloggers claim themselves successful when they effectively monetize their blogs. However you define and measure success in Blogging, Blogging Mix will be a useful concept for bloggers who aspire to become successful.

Today's article will focus on defining and explaining the Blogging Mix and its components. It will also give you a brief overview of the necessary elements that every blogger needs in order to become successful in blogging.

In marketing, we have what we call as the marketing mix. Otherwise known as the 4Ps and 7Ps for goods and services respectively. These Ps (product, price, promotion, place, physical evidence, process and people) are key elements that determine the success of a marketing campaign, program or project.

Blogging has its own mix of elements that I wish to refer to as the Blogging Mix. Blogging Mix is made up of 3Cs, namely; Content, Connection and Continuity. These three elements are vital for the success of every blogger. Just like the marketing mix, the proper management of the Blogging Mix will lead bloggers to a successful blogging experience.

Blogging Mix or the 3Cs (content, connection and continuity)

Blogging Mix embodies all that a blogger should have or should accomplish to become successful in blogging. Content, Connection and Continuity are all that is needed for bloggers to achieve their goals and objectives. Let's tackle the Blogging Mix one by one starting first with content.

Content

Content refers to the value of posts or entries that a blogger publish on his or her blog. It also refers to the topic, layout, theme, genre, tone, use of keywords, HTML and the format of the blog. In short, 'content is a blog's internal environment'. Take note that in content, bloggers are primarily if not solely responsible of its outcome.

Perhaps you have heard from other bloggers that content is king, king for the reason that according to them it's the most important aspect of a blog. The idea of giving content the utmost importance is something I beg to disagree with. I have noticed some blogs with great contents but do not receive the attention and appreciation they deserve. I believe that a blog is supported by three elements (content, connection and continuity) in order to be successful. These three elements share the same and equal importance and value. They work like a tripod and the absence of one element makes blogging a failure.

Here are a few questions that can be used to gauge the effectiveness of a blog's content.

1. Is your blog's topic timely, relevant, informative or entertaining?

2. Are the posts on your blog presented well for convenient reading? Are your posts free from errors? Are you using your keywords in your posts?

3. Is your blog optimized for search engines? Is it search engine friendly? Are you using tags?

4. Do you spend time to conduct research before writing your entries? Do you take time to understand what your readers need and want?

Any question with a NO answer needs your attention. Take note that these are basic things in blogging. Articles discussing the more technical issues of content will be posted at Blogskinny.com very soon.

Connection

Connection is another important element in the Blogging Mix. Connection refers to the inbound or incoming (link to your web page from another site) and outbound or outgoing links to your blog. It also pertains to a blogger's network of friends, readers, admirers, competitors and community. Connection should also be understood as the ways bloggers interact with their networks. And lastly, connection refers to the techniques and strategies that bloggers employ to publicize or promote their blogs. In simple words, 'connection is the external environment of a blog'. While bloggers have more responsibilities to their blog's content, connection largely depends to the blog's external environment (i.e. readers, admirers, competitors etc.).

A lot of blog experts assert how links, both inward and outward, are essential in determining a blog's search engine ranking or a blog's visibility in the blogosphere. Link alone however cannot stand on its own. As I've said earlier, bloggers need connections to supplement content and continuity to support both. In a series of posts I will soon publish in www.blogskinny.com, I will be writing a more detailed article about connection so keep on visiting Blogskinny.com for updates.

To assess your blog's Connection, here are a few more questions to guide you.

1. Do you receive positive and negative comments or feedbacks about your posts on your blog? Do you respond to these comments?

2. Do you have an RSS? Do people subscribe to your feeds?

3. Have you signed up in Technorati, Mybloglog, Blogcatalog or Squidoo?

4. Have you been commenting on other blogger's blog? Have you been joining forums lately?

5. Is your blog registered to major search engines? Blog directories? RSS directories?

Continuity

Continuity may sound easy or simple but it actually shares the same level of devotion and hard work that content and connection require. Continuity refers to the continuous development or improvement of a blog's content and continuity. It also refers to the consistent and continuous updating or posting fresh articles on your blog. Most successful bloggers of today are those people who remained consistent in updating their blogs. Through continuous blogging, a blogger will be able to gain a wide number of readers and will receive more referrals from search engines and other websites and weblogs.

You should however understand that continuity is not merely about continuous blogging or posting new entries or articles on your blog. More importantly, continuity is all about development and progress. It's about taking the next step one after another. If you take time to read older blog posts of successful bloggers, you'll find out that their current posts are a lot better compared to their older entries. This is what exactly continuity is all about.

In recognition of the significance of continuity in successful blogging, I will be devoting a series of posts to tackle the issues surrounding continuity and its impact to successful blogging at Blogskinny.com.

Conclusion

To be a successful blogger your blog needs more than just content, connection and continuity. You should have the proper combination of the Blogging Mix or the 3 Cs depending on the nature of your blog. The proper combination of the Blogging Mix is another article that will be covered in the succeeding posts.

Do you agree with this article? Do you think I'm missing another "C" in the Blogging Mix that should be included? Whatever you have in mind, please share it to other readers so we can learn from each other. You can always post your opinions and ideas in the comment section. Thanks.



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