We all have New Year’s resolutions – and if your resolution in 2012 was that you’d start blogging more often, chances are things have started to stagnate by now! But not to worry – in this second part of “Making 2015 Awesome”, we’ll address what you can do for your blog and blog audience to dust things off and move successfully into the new year.
1.) Get your tech up-to-date.
If you haven’t been logging in to your blog much lately, you may be missing out on some overdue upgrades. Keeping your blog platform ensures that you are able to use the newest technology – which can make things easier, or more secure. No matter the platform you use – if it is running on a server you own, you should update it at regular intervals.
The same goes for any third party plugins you may have installed to extend your blogs functionality. Just be sure to back up your data before you make any significant changes, so you don’t end up with a crisis instead of some light cleaning. And while you’re at it, go ahead and delete the plugins you don’t use, and any spam you might find.
2.) Review what worked – and what didn’t.
Did you have a great idea for a post or post series last year? Did you spend a ton of time researching it, putting it together, and polishing it – only to see that nobody really read it? Did you see something quick-and-dirty you posted on the fly draw your biggest audience yet? Or have you been avoiding your blog stats altogether? Now is the time to face the facts, and learn from what worked and what didn’t.
If you’re trying to boost your brand, it’s vital that you attract an audience who will read what you post. Knowing what worked for you last year helps you build on those successes as you move forward. Knowing what tanked allows you to save time and energy, by not repeating previous mistakes!
3.) Start posting quality content.
Quality content drives traffic – we see this time and time again! But one well-written post will not make a flagging audience take note. Take the time to post regular, engaging posts about topics you know your audience is excited by – this is where point number two comes into play! The most successful blogs are those where quality and frequency remain consistent.
If you’re not sure where to start, start with a year in review, then move to posts announcing something new for the new year. Do a series of “best of” posts. Touch back on an old subject matter that you blogged about several months prior.
4.) Start something new!
The new year is a great time to start a new project, series or idea. Start a new collaboration, launch a new package deal, coupon, or service. Get people interested in what you are working on and planning for the new year.
Portland branding agency – Portland web design – Upswept Creative