6 Things to Consider While Choosing a Niche

Not all of us have been blessed with the gene that tells us from birth what we were meant to do with our lives. For most of us, we need to clarify what we want to do and how to do. Choosing the right niche offers you the opportunity to establish yourself as an expert and provide a solution to a specific set of problems for a selected group of people.

Choosing a niche means that you become clear about the service you provide and the people you can be of most help to. It also means developing crystal clear marketing messages that effectively reach your target audience. While choosing a niche for you, consider these 6 things.

Are you interested in the topic?

 

Nothing could be worse than choosing a niche just because of its popularity. If it’s not your passion you will quickly become tired and will throw it away. Choose the topic that interests you so that you can keep blogging for a long time on the topic.

Is your topic popular enough?

 

While the blogger’s interest is important it’s not enough on its own to build a successful blog. Another crucial ingredient is that people want to read on the topic you are blogging on. Make sure there is a hungry market for your product.

Is the topic growing?

 

Popular topics keep changing over time. It’s always great to get on a topic before it becomes popular rather than when it’s on the decline.Keep an eye on what people are into and what the latest trends are. Predict the next big thing that people will be searching for.

What competition is there?

 

Most popular topics are covered by a huge number of blogs and websites. If you choose a niche which has a million of competitors, you can hardly gain anything from your blog. Choose the niche that is popular enough but has a comparatively low competition.

Will you have enough content?

 

Blogging doesn’t end after posting a few posts in your blog.You will have to keep your blog updating on a regular basis. Unless you have enough content to write on, you can’t attract much of an audience. Choose a topic which you think will not run out of content sooner.

Are there income streams?

 

If you are taking blogging seriously, you might be expecting to your returns soon. Unless the topic you are blogging on has a promising income stream, you can get nothing back. Make sure that your blog is a productive one.

Think about these things and do your research. One of the easiest and most accessible research tools is ‘Google Adwords.’ See how many people are searching for a particular topic and who are out there offering solutions.

How to Make Your Blog Post More Readable

Your blog is not for you, it's for your readers. They need to enjoy reading your blog posts. You might have a great idea for a blog post but if it becomes unreadable, your idea is bound to go to waste. Here are 10 things you can do to make your blog post more appealing to your readers.

1. Start with introductory paragraph:

Start your blog post with a short and clear paragraph that introduces your article to your readers. Tell your readers exactly what they are about to read. Lengthy introductory paragraph can make your post unintelligible.

2. Structure your blog post:

Structured posts are easy to go through, and your readers will be able to get points even if they skim through the post. Divide the body of the post into several small paragraphs. Using bullets or numbers can help you to make your post more readable.

3. Break paragraphs into tiny segments:

Long paragraphs are hard to digest for the readers. Instead of writing long paragraphs divide them into several tiny segments so that readers don’t need to skip the paragraph.

4.Use sub-headers:

Readers can get bored reading long block of text. Sub-headers are a great way to make the readers feel comfortable. Readers can get quick idea of the topics and can skip to the topics they are interested in.

5. Use basic text style:

Using proper font for your text will be a main factor. It should be simple enough and at the same time it must match with your blog style. Properly utilizing some text styles like bold and italics will make your important points to be noticeable.

6. Use graphics:

At times images are even easier to absorb than text. Related pictures can give value to your post. It also makes the blog post more attractive for the readers' eyes. Use one or two related pictures depending on the size of the post. 

7.Avoid unnecessary details:

Don't always give details to everything. Too many details can irritate your readers and make the post unreadable. Simple things are not needed to be explained in details. In case some readers need the details, put a link so that they can find the details through the link.

8.Avoid extra use of keywords:

If you use keywords repeatedly in your post, it will make the readers bored. No one likes unnecessary repetitions.Use your keyword only where it suits. Don’t always think about SEO, think about your readers too.

9.Avoid extra links:

Links are useful for SEO, but if you give too many links in your post it will look odd. Repeated links to other posts or websites can divert your readers from the post and even can divert them from your blog too.

10. Ask questions:

Asking questions is a great way to engage your readers more. A smart question can make a reader more interested and the reader would even be prompted to leave a reply in the comment section. Put your readers’ mind at work.

If you become a little more careful about these things when you start blogging for the first time, it will make your blog posts more appealing to the readers and at the same time you will make a habit of writing quality posts.

What about you? How do you make your blog post more readable for your readers? Please mention your suggestion(s) in the comment section.

Pros and Cons of Freelance writing

It’s always precious to become your own boss. Becoming self employed freelance writer is one of the ways you can fulfill your desire. But before you decide to do so, be sure that it’s not a piece of cake. You need to weigh up the pros and cons of the career.

Certain authorities on the subject will keep describing and exaggerating the positives like working from home, working according to your own schedule, working in your pajamas, working on assignments you prefer and soon without ever letting you realize the negatives. And be sure: there are plenty of them.

 Becoming freelance writer means choosing to work in isolation. It takes a particular type of individual to spend the whole day working in isolation. Lots of people have tried this career and failed, simply because they require the company of others. They need to be in the presence of other people, to have someone to talk to, to debate ideas with, to give them encouragement or just to tell them what to do. Make sure that you are one that enjoys working in isolation.

Freelancers have the liberty to work at a pace that suits them, can take breaks whenever they want to, can enjoy walks or drives in the country, and can have a hangout whenever they prefer. But most freelances have to work hard to earn enough to get by, and they can’t do that if they are out making fun all day. They need to be disciplined and organized; otherwise their career will be doomed.

They can enjoy a lie in every so often if they are so inclined. They can work in the early hours of in the morning before the rest of the world intrudes, can have a session at 3 in the afternoon, or even can choose to work at late night. It doesn’t really matter when you work as long as you do. Make sure that you can utilize your freedom in productivity, not wasting the valuable time.

Freelancing is a job. Like any other jobs the freelancers have to produce goods. It’s time-consuming and demanding. There’s potential for stress, anxiety, and frustration, although a brisk walk along the canal can help to get rid of some of these issues. They are expected to have control over the types of assignments accepted and fulfilled. They are expected to experience job satisfaction to varying degrees, depending on the subject chosen, the enjoyment writing about and the amount of remuneration.

You need to balance your work life with your social life, or one will take over the other. You need to make sure the work you do is worth doing and that the time you put in earns you a decent amount of compensation.You need to be determined to succeed, willing to learn, patient, committed,optimistic and resilient. You need to believe in yourself wholeheartedly and be willing to work to meet deadlines, even when the sun is splitting the rocks just outside your window.

There is no short-cut to success. You need to choose the right job for you and do your best to fulfill the job requirement to achieve success.As a freelancer you are supposed to have the above discussed pros and cons and it’s you who have to decide whether freelance writing is the right profession for you or not.

The Power of Networking to Blogging Success

Networking has become the buzzword for online community in recent years. You can’t think of a successful online venture without networking properly. And in case of blogging, it is the way to build your blogging career. Networking is mandatory for all bloggers to make their blogs a success. If you are a newbie blogger then you can’t think of taking your blogging experience to the next level without networking.

We all know the vast power of social media and it’s growing day by day. It is high time to take advantage of this online phenomenon in your success as a blogger if you haven’t yet. In this article I’m going to show you how the power of networking can lead you to blogging success.

Network in the Blogosphere

If your blog is a new one, it’s a little tiny island in the vast sea. There are millions of blogs on the internet and many of them have already established their authority as successful blogs.Even if you are blogging on a small niche, there are already a few thousand blogs there on the same niche. There are hardly any chances that online visitors will find yours amid the huge crowd of blogs. Your blog will have to reach the readers first up. And the best way for you to reach the readers is to network in the blogosphere. Engage yourself with the readers in the blogosphere and establish your authority. If you can network properly and establish yourself as an authority on your niche, readers will start following you and you can make your blog a successful one.

There are many ways to network in the blogosphere. The most effective one is to comment on other blogs. It will make you acquainted with the readers of those blogs. Leave meaningful and informative comments and engage with the readers in conversations. If you can establish your authority in your comments, readers will automatically follow you.

Another effective way is to write guest posts for different blogs. It’s a hard task but the result can be great.You will get the chance to present yourself to a huge traffic of those blogs and if you can come up with great posts, you’ll succeed in bringing some of the traffic to your own blog. It will also help you to build a relationship with those respective bloggers.

The best way is to keep commenting and guest posting simultaneously. Keep in mind to network with the blogs that are related to your own blog. It will give you greater result. However,commenting on a variety of blogs can also be beneficial.

Network in the Social Media

Nowadays people are building businesses on social media. Online businesses are dependent on networking and you can’t think of successful networking keeping social media aside. Social media like Facebook, Twitter and Google Plus are the main driving force in building online businesses. With more than 750 million active Facebook users,it can alone drive many businesses to success. Twitter is always playing a vital role in establishing online businesses. With the emergence of Google Plus in social media, you can’t make your business a successful if you avoid them.As you already know the importance of networking in making a successful blog,you can use these social media in build a strong network of readers.

If you have a few hundred friends in Facebook and if you interact with them on a regular basis, you can have a lead of traffic from them. As you share your interest with your friends, it is likely that they will like your blog. It is easier to reach people from different geographical locations and you’ll have a range of readership all over the world. And with a Facebook fan page, you can drive thousands of traffic to your blog.

There is hardly any successful blog without a twitter account. Some of them have multiple accounts though. Why will you not use Twitter to network with people? It is easier to network with people that share the same interest you do. You will also be able to network with ‘A’ list bloggers on Twitter. It will help you learn many things about blogging success.

Now, come to the new social media giant – Google Plus. From the current perspective, it is quite impossible to make your business a successful one avoiding the BOSS, Google. And Google Plus has an integration that will impact on your blogs search results. Simply, the greater network you have on Google Plus, the better will do your blog in search engines.

Start building your network today,if you haven’t started yet. Broaden it in some capacity every day. You will be amazed at the difference it can make in your blogging experience.

How to Promote Your Blog Offline

Promoting your blog offline is as important as promoting it online. Though it’s quite difficult to promote a blog offline, it can substantially increase your blog’s reach. A combination of both online and offline promotion can be highly valuable for your blog. Many bloggers have used offline promotion and they’ve got great result.

There are certain ways to promote a blog offline. Here are the most important ones.

 1. Friends, Family, and Co-workers

The most convenient way to promote your blog offline is to let your friends, family, and co-workers know about your blog. As you share most of your interests with your friends, they may love your blog and become loyal readers. Your family members are always with you and they are expected to remain with your blog too. You can tell your co-workers about your blog. Many of them will become your regular readers.

2. Business Cards

Business cards are not only for offline businesses but also for online businesses. Having business cards means that now you can promote your blog easily without even pronouncing a single word about it. You’ll meet many a people in your everyday life and you can easily hand over a card to them. This will substantially increase your visitors. You may feel shy to tell your friends about your blog but if you have a business card, you can easily let them know about it.

3. Social and Industry Events

One of the easiest ways to promote your blog offline is to attend different social and industry events. An industry event related to your niche will provide you with the opportunity to meet people of authority in your niche. It will also help you to establish your authority as a blogger. Social events can give you an opportunity to meet people from all sorts of life and you can promote your blog in those events. You don’t know who is going to be your loyal reader.

4. Newspapers and Local Publications

Promoting your blog using the newspapers can help you to present your blog to a large number of people. As newspapers are read widely, they will help you to establish your authority. Write a short news story about your blog and send it to different newspapers along with a press release. You can also use local publications to promote your blog. If your niche is based on local issues then it will be the most important promotion method.

5. Readers Meet-up

Meet your readers as much as you can. This builds a tie between the author and the readers that lasts for a longer period. You’ll also be able to attract loyalty from your readers. And a loyal reader can turn out to be a lead bringing his or her friends to your blog. But you can’t meet all your readers. At least try to meet the readers those live in your neighborhood. It will also help you to get valuable feedback regarding your blog.

Do you promote your blog offline? What way do you use to promote it offline? Please feel free to share.

How to Use a To-Do List

 

One of the best ways to increase your productivity as a blogger is to have a to-do list. If you have a to-do list and if you follow that list regularly then you can complete more tasks everyday. And in the end you’ll become more productive as a blogger than one who doesn’t have a to-do list. 

Here are some tips and tricks you can use to imply your to-do list more effectively.

1. Make your to-do list accessible

Make sure that your to-do list is easily accessible. You may have a to-do list in your note book or on a note pad. You can also use electronic devices like smart-phone, iPod, and computer applications. Whatever method you follow, just make sure that you can access them easily, anytime, and anywhere.

2. Make your to-do list visible

Keep your to-do list in front of your eyes so that it reminds you what to do then. If you use a note book or note pad, keep it on your desk where you work. If you use electronic devices, make sure that they are visible. If you have a to-do list but if you don’t see it often, then it won’t serve its purpose properly. 

3. Start your day with your to-do list

It is necessary to develop the habit of following your to-do list. What’s the benefit of having a to-do list if you don’t follow it? It’s better to start your day with your to-do list. For this you need to make your to-do list in the previous night before you go to sleep. If you can develop this habit you can end up completing more tasks in a day. 

4. Put the important tasks on top

It is better to complete your important tasks as early as possible. For this reason, keep your important tasks on top of your to-do list. You may always not be able to complete all the tasks for different reasons. You may also need to change your plan for emergency reasons. If you keep your important tasks on top then you’ll be able to complete them early.

5. Make your to-do list realistic

Don’t make your to-do list so long that you can’t complete all the tasks. It’s necessary to develop the habit of completing the tasks in the to-do list. If you make it too long then you can’t develop the habit. Include as many tasks as you can complete. If your list becomes too long, try to remove the tasks that are less important.

6. Include breaks between tasks

Taking breaks are also essential for productivity. You can’t keep doing your tasks without breaks. Make sure that you include breaks between your tasks. But don’t include breaks inside the task. It may distract your concentration. Finish a single task, reward yourself with a break and then start the next task.

It’s normal that you’ll miss few tasks quite often. But don’t leave them completely. Add them to the next day’s to-do list. If you can’t develop a habit of following your to-do list, you can achieve more productivity and it will increase continuously.

How to Write a Killer Blog Post

It’s often said by the master bloggers that ‘content is the king’, and they are cent percent right. If you really want to make your blog a successful one, then you need to come up with killer posts on a regular basis. But how can you develop a killer blog post? Here are some tips for you:

1. Get the Idea

To write great blog post you need great idea. Write down any idea that happens to come in your mind. Not all the ideas will be worth developing. But having an idea journal will help you to get great ideas when you need them. 

2. Develop the Idea

After getting the idea for the post you need to develop it further. Think from different angles and you’ll come up with interesting details. If you’re free then write the article down. Otherwise keep notes of the details and these details will help with writing the post.

3. List the Main Points

From the details of the idea find out the main points and write them down. Having points for any article makes it easier to digest for the readers. Write as many points as it is necessary to cover the whole topic. Don’t write less and don’t write more.

4. Write an Exciting Introduction

An opening paragraph can make the difference between an article being read or thrown away. So make develop an exciting introductory paragraph or two so that the readers get convinced to read the article. Try to give them an idea of what they’re supposed to expect in the post.

5. Expand each Point

Now you come to the body of your blog post. Here you need to expand each of your points with details. Elaborate the points so that the readers can easily understand your points. Write short paragraphs. Give relevant examples if necessary. 

6. Add relevant Picture

A suitable picture can add a lot to your article. It can make the post more attractive and also can help you to make the topic clearer to the readers. But don’t use irrelevant picture. It will weaken your blog post. 

7. Revise the Post

When you finish writing your blog post, revise it. Check for spelling errors and grammatical errors. Having spelling errors and grammatical mistakes are very bad sign for a blog post. They can decrease the quality of the article.

8. Write the Headline

Now that you have finished everything, you can write an eye grabbing headline or title for your post. Some writers write the title first. In that case revise the title and make any necessary changes. Try to make it as eye-catchy as possible but do not make it irrelevant.

It’s time to publish the blog post. Hit the PUBLISH button.