Everyone thinks he is a blogger these days, but what does it really take to become an authority blogger and make money on the internet? It’s not just about having an idea or writing great content. If it was that easy, than everyone would be a successful blogger – and yet so many people fail.
In this article, we are going to cover the three key elements that make a blog successful: content, design and branding.
To create and manage a successful blog, you are going to need to implement all three of these elements.
1) CONTENT IS KING
Everyone says content is king, and it’s true. But you simply can’t put amazing content out there and hope for the best. When I first started my blog in 2007, I made sure I put out some really great content. This included everything from tutorials, free landing pages, guides, my personal stories and much more. If you want to create a killer blog that resonates with your audience, you need to personally relate with them and provide value in the process. This is why content always wins. Create content for your audience and they will not only keep coming back to your blog – they will also promote and share your quality content for you.
2) DESIGN IS INSTANT
The design of your blog is important, but not enough that you will need to spend a few thousand dollars on a design during your launch phase. Again, when I first launched my blog I wanted to leave a lasting impression with my blog, and not just based off my content. I spent a few hundred dollars and made sure I had a completely custom design that grabbed my audience’s attention and also made my content stand out.
You don’t need to spend a lot of money on a design, as there are plenty of free and low-cost themes out there that can be customized. Do what you can to make sure your design stands out. In one of my recent posts I even walk through the process of how to create a logo for your site for just $29. Just remember, there are millions of new blogs going live every month, so what can you do to make yours stand out from the crowd?
3) BRANDING IS EVERYTHING
The third component of creating a successful blog is your branding. The brand of your blog isn’t just your name, site design or content … it’s all of them. “Zac Johnson” became my personal brand when I launched my blog at ZacJohnson.com, and I went even further to increase the value of my brand when I had my “Zac Toon” created. This toon has been on the blog since day one, and it’s now very well known in the affiliate marketing and blogging niche.
So how does this all come together, you ask?
Readers visit my blog, find value in the content and see a custom theme design. They also will see the Zac Johnson toon and my message and content through the blog will reflect back in the minds of these readers with my branded name and logo. It’s all about building a cycle of quality content and brandability with your blog.
Depending on what niche and blog topic you are focusing on, you may set up and run your blog differently. If you are focusing your blog on your personal brand or online business, mine is definitely the path to go. Blogging is a very slow and long-term business model, so building your brand, message and audience up on a daily basis is one of the best ROI business models around.
Looking for an example of corporate (instead of individual) blogging? Visit the RingCentral blog!
Featured photo courtesy of Kris Olin via Photopin cc.
Originally published Aug 30, 2013, updated May 27, 2021
