If you read my blog help posts, this may not come as shock. However, after many messages asking how to take a blog to the next level, I decided to take all the ideas and throw them into one post. The aim is to make this method as clear as possible.
Once I began to take Steem seriously back in September of 2017, I implemented this strategy and my growth has only gone up. Over the last four to five months, my followers increased by over 350%! All because I stuck to the method that follows.
I'll link to every post for more information as we progress, as there is no way we can get into all the details in this one post. At the end, I created an infographic as an easy reference for the more visually stimulated. Feel free to share it around, all I ask is to be credited when you do; no payment necessary.
Pick A Niche
In my post aimed at helping the reader find the greatest niche for them we first mention how many. The best growth comes from focusing on one niche. Yes, one topic such as technology, baking, homesteading, and whatever else you can come up with.
The reason is because users follow you for a specific type of content. When you take the time to find the best one for yourself and focus on that alone, you attract the people who are into that subject. No confusion for your readers, they know what to expect from you when you write. If a users follows you because you write about homesteading, but then you switch to technology, they will most likely unfollow.
Steem is a unique platform for blogging, and I have found that you can get away with having more than one niche. This can only work if done correctly and you stay strict on the next step. It is always better to stick to one niche than float around two or three and have none of your readers know what is coming next.
Create A Schedule
The second most important step to grow our blog is to set a schedule. It matters less about how often you post, and more about your consistency. Make it easy on your followers by showing them when they can expect new content from you. This goes for one niche, or three niches.
If you choose to write in more than one niche, you have to take our schedule even more seriously. Mixing up your posting days may not be a big deal when starting out. However, it quickly becomes an expectation the more followers you earn. If our followers expect to see a post about technology on Monday, than you have to produce that content.
It is ok to schedule off days, and this will let you recharge from the past week of posting. Also the number of days where you publish new content is entirely up to you, but you must stick to the schedule you create. Consistency is the key. Without it, we are holding ourselves back. If a new post everyday is too much, than do not do that. It's best to spend the time to figure out how much time you can devote to your creations.
Create Evergreen Content
This and the following steps are the ones that we must repeat day in and day out. The first two are the setup and rarely need changing or tweaking once you find your groove. Creating evergreen content is the most important step in my opinion. Doing so allows anyone, at any time in the future, to find your content and benefit from it.
Not every niche can be evergreen, such as cryptocurrency. That space changes too much too often. That is not to say you should not write about it if it fits your niche. Also you could write a review of a product, only for it to change in a years' time. You need to make as much of your content as evergreen as possible.
When your content is relevant today and a year from today, that content can work for you every time it gets a read. This content also tends to rank well in search engines. If you make a how-to post that gains traction, you could see your post on page one for several search terms. This drives traffic, readers, and potential followers.
Engage With Your Readers
Do not stiff the readers. If someone takes the time to leave a comment it is your duty to respond. There are, of course, expeditions for spam comments and bots, but those are not as prevalent as one might think. Most of the comments are from real, genuine people, even if all they say is "thank you".
Steemit does not make it easy to know when we get new comments on our blog posts. I recommend @ginabot if you are on Discord a lot as I am. My last post was all about this wonderful creation and how I use it in maximize my engagement. We must take this seriously as it shows the commenter we care about our content and their time.
So many times I have commented on a post only to never hear a response. Maybe the user did not know my comment was there, or maybe they just ignored my effort. Either way, it makes me feel as if my voice is unimportant. Making your readers feel this way is only going to drive them away, not follow you for more quality engagement.
Network Effectively
This is last on the list because, no matter how many people you meet and new friends get made, if you do not master the first four, all your networking will work against you. Networking is a double edged sword that you should only wield when your best work is at the forefront.
Networking speeds up either the growth or death processes. If you create the best content you can, then the networking will yield great results over time. However, the opposite is also true. If your content has little to no effort, than the same networking will only keep you at zero and is therefor a waste of your time.
Another key point is to not let the networking distract you from creating content. We all came here to create blogs, videos, or music on the blockchain. Too often have I read in Discord "oh crap, I didn't write anything today". Always write before you network so you can be using the content you scheduled for your readers.
All images came from royalty and attribution free sources unless specified.
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