Marketers who prioritize blogging are 13 times more likely to enjoy positive ROI. Basically, if you consistently blog, you’re more likely to reap its benefits.
But let’s say that’s old news to you. Let’s say you already knew that blogging is one of the best things you can do for your online business. The real questions is: how do you get your blog to the next level?
Here are three tips for creating and achieving your blog writing goals this year:
1. Set Realistic Blog Writing Goals
Start small and focus on what is possible. If you’re already running out of time in the day to respond to emails or complete simple tasks, pushing yourself to write one blog post every single day will only set yourself up for failure.
Your blog writing goals should be based on two things. You should look at your business objectives and what you’re trying to accomplish in the next year. For example, are you trying to increase website traffic or sign-ups to your email newsletter? These business objectives can each require different blog writing strategies.
Then, consider everything else you have on your plate. Don’t push yourself to write more than you’re capable of. It’s better to write one, quality post each week rather than three quick, fluffy posts.
2. Make Blog Writing a Habit
Once you’ve identified your goals, force yourself to stick to a routine and make writing a habit. If you’re just starting out, this can be especially difficult. In fact, it takes about 66 days to form a new habit.
Block out time each week to sit down and write. And, if you find yourself staring at a blank Word Document, just start typing. The point is to get you more comfortable with writing on a regular basis, so you might not always produce a publish-worthy blog post. Over time, it’ll get much easier to start writing a post right away, but in the meantime, just concrete on getting your ideas on paper.
3. Write One “Epic” Piece of Content
Let’s say you’ve already mastered the one or two blog posts each week, and you’re looking for a way to increase traffic and write more quality content. It can be daunting to think of writing four to five blog posts each week, so what can you do?
We recommend creating one “epic” piece of content. This is a long, in-depth article that covers everything you need to know about a certain topic (they usually have titles like “The Ultimate Guide to X” or “A Comprehensive Guide to X”). This piece of content will take a long time to write, much longer than any blog post. But, once you have created this one huge post, you can use it to create dozens of other assets.
For example, each “chapter” or section of your epic piece of content could be a single blog post. Or, you could write a blog post just focusing on one tip in your long article. For more ideas on repurposing epic pieces of content, click here.
How to Start
Write down your blog writing goals using the SMART goals format. SMART goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound.
If you aren’t sure what your blog goals should be, analyze what you’re currently doing and what is and isn’t working. Ask yourselves these questions:
- How often are you currently blogging?
- What kind of topics are getting the most traffic?
- What about the least traffic?
- Where would you like your blog to be in the next six months?
And, no matter what kind of goal you come up with, remember to be easy on yourself. Don’t set unreasonable expectations and celebrate your successes.