What do they know that you don’t?
Those top bloggers, with their armies of fans, making waves across the Internet. What do they have that you don’t?
Well, in this research article, you’re about to learn the top 12 secrets of eight of the world’s top bloggers so you can learn how to be a successful blogger, just like them…
What Makes Them A Top Blogger?
This list isn’t an official Top 8 like you hear on the radio. Nobody, not even Google or Alexa, has enough traffic information to create a real ranking.The bloggers on this list are the top bloggers in their niche, or incredibly up-and-coming bloggers, based on detailed research (and lots of coffee drinking).
But what they did have to do was meet a certain criteria that looks like this:
- These folks are frequently featured on top ten and/or top blogger lists for their niche.
- They didn’t buy an established blog; they grew it from nothing.
- They have a mailing list or social media following of 10,000 or more people.
- They’re actively producing content.
A Look Behind The Research
We care about content here at CoSchedule. And how you can create better content: This research aims to reflect that.I’ve used BuzzSumo’s content analysis tool, as well as my own research, to focus on the content these bloggers have produced and how it’s made them a success.
This covers, but isn’t limited to:
- Content length
- Their content (and if their readers are content with it)
- Visuals
- Social media
Each section breaks down a blog, their content, and what they’ve done to become successful—and how to be a successful blogger all by yourself.
If you’re ready, let’s get into it, shall we?
#1. Consistency Is Key
Jon has a strict posting schedule of only one post per week, maximum. And, more often than not, that post is released on a Thursday.While that isn’t concrete—the blog occasionally posts on other days—that’s when he achieves the most success. Which shows his audience knows when to expect content, and is flocking there as soon as it’s released.
That consistency doesn’t just apply to when he posts his content. It’s also in how he writes his content.
#2. Maintain A Predictable Frequency
Between Monday and Friday, she posts content of different lengths at least once a day. As Matt Cutts from Google notes says, publishing content frequently can help you build an audience who checks in often to catch the latest information from your blog.#3. Build One Clear Distribution Channel
While it’s definitely beneficial to get yourself out there on every form of media, it can be more effective to focus on fewer, or as is the case here, just one channel: Facebook.By focusing on building her Facebook presence, Chiara’s able to predict and manipulate a large source of her traffic. Plus it’s much easier to build a following on one channel than on multiple.
#4. Understanding Your Audience, And Engaging Them, Is Crucial…
Matt’s content doesn’t really go viral. In fact, his social shares are some of the lowest here:But what he lacks in social shares, he makes up for in comments and engagements. Matt goes out of his way to talk to, and get to know, his audience on a different level. It’s not blogger to audience, it’s friend to friend.
And that’s why his posts regularly exceed 60 comments.
He constantly surveys and asks his audience what they want, how they want it, and when they want it.
There is no such thing as filler content either. He doesn’t have any fluff that just fills a posting schedule. He only provides long-form, actionable, or insightful content that his audience will benefit from.
This level of control for him—and his readers—makes sure that there’s a consistent flow of traffic, and that Boost Blog Traffic style of brand-standard-ness throughout his content.
#5. …But Not As Important As Outreach.
What has truly helped Matt get this blog to such heights is getting out there and networking with other people in the niche#6. It Starts With Personalization…
Benny’s blog is not about him. It’s not a way to boast about how many languages he speaks or about how good he is at teaching. Instead, it’s all about you and what you want to achieve.#7. …And It Ends With User Experience.
The rest of the site is built around what you want, too. Instead of wading through blog posts trying to find the one you want, Benny has set his site up to be:- Tailored to you
- Easy to navigate
#8. Use Your Blog To Build A Personal, Likable Brand
But the real takeaway from John’s blogging success isn’t just in how well he does all these things. It’s the personal brand he’s built. Because people don’t just come for the knowledge bombs—they come for him.With a close look at the blog, you can see not all of the content is to do with health and fitness. Instead, he focuses on the attached subjects to it that he, and his readers, care about.
Things like:
- Confidence
- Life skills
- Cooking
- Sex
He always makes decisions, and chooses content, that builds his personal brand. By creating such a strong, audience splitting tone of voice, he rallies people towards him (or pushes them away from him). Which is exactly what makes his blog remarkable.
#9. Give Away More Than Just The Milk
You’ve heard the saying, “Why buy the cow when you get the milk for free?” before, right?Lots of bloggers and marketers believe this to be true. That you need to save your best, and most valuable content for your paid content, because it’s stupid to give away your knowledge for free.
But, that’s not a belief he shares.
The average length of content there is around 3,000 words (I used to write him a 5,000-word epic each month), and he covers any topic a niche marketer might ever need.
#10: Shooting For Virality Is A Waste Of Resources
While this might not equate to a lot of social shares (his average is only 85 per post) what it does equate to is massive engagement, email subscriptions, and conversions into sales:How To Be A Successful Blogger (In Short, So You Don’t Forget)
Let’s look at the key points of how to be a successful blogger one last time, so you don’t have to go through the whole post again:
#1. Be Consistent: With your tone and with your schedule. When people know what to expect from your blog, they’ll be dying to come back every week.
#2. Share Your Advice Frequently: Your audience will come back if they can expect new content often. Plan a blog posting schedule that shares great advice frequently to build a loyal following.
#3. Focus On One Social Media Channel: Don’t spread yourself too thin, get a foothold on one channel, and then grow from there.
#4. Engage Your Audience: Get to know them. Understand them. And, ask them what they want. It’s better to create a small army that loves you then try and please everyone.
#5. Outreach: Get out there and network. Guest blog, comment and share. Make your name known by relevant people with similar audiences. Your next big hit may only be a conversation away.
#6. Personalize: Make the experience as tailored to your reader as you can. And, segment your mailing list accordingly.
#7. Focus On User Experience: Make your blog easy to navigate and find information. Use blog categories and tags to group similar content.
#8. Create A Clear Brand Identity: Take a stance, find your tone and create something unique. Let people flock to you (or run away from you) based on how they feel about it. But always be unmistakably you.
#9. Give Away As Much As Possible: Value will never die. And, you need to give it to your audience. The more you’re willing to share with them, the more they’ll trust you.
#1o. Going Viral Really Doesn’t Matter: Most of the bloggers, from the biggest to the smallest, don’t have viral hits every time. Their average shares per post are always under 900. So don’t fret about it too much. As long as the number is going up over time, you’re okay.
#11. Be Authentic And Transparent: You’re not a movie star. You can connect with your audience on a more personal level. So, get beyond the computer screen and reach out to them and become a bigger part of their lives.
#12. Break The Mould: Go above and beyond your competitors. Live and breath what you do and go to a level of depth that nobody else is willing to. It might be harder, but it’s definitely worth it.
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