Build A Better Blog Day 14: Update A Key Page On Your Blog

We are so busy writing blogs, that we forget about things like--updating our BIO, the About Page, References, etc. 

Now if you like to keep all your posts relevant, you'll need to go back and update those older posts. Or you can be like me and enjoy laughing at myself way back when. A moment in history when I thought big hair looked good. 

Once a year I'll look back at the past and it will inspire a new post. 

So here are a few key pages to go over and make sure things are fresh and up to date!

1. Home Page
2. Sidebar
3. Headers
4. Logos
5. Site objectives
6. Calls to action
7. About page
8. Landing page
9. Contact page
10. High traffic page
11. Other misc. key pages...

If you want to find out more suggestions get Darren's book!

Build A Better Blog with Darren Rowe

ACTION ITEM: Identify key posts & pages and give them an update!


 START AT THE BEGINNING!

Hug A Vet Day...Memorial Day Rememberance

It's not my unusual blog day, but it is the blog about my life and to ignore this day, for me, would not be possible. 

This is my one day where I can stop and cry for those faithful, those still living, long past, and yet to come. 

Those who give their lives for a purpose greater than themselves. Greater than us all. 

There will always be conflict. And these men and women will be there for it. 

You are my heroes. 

 

Build A Better Blog Day 13: Take A Trip To The Mall And Improve Your Blog

Photo Credit: isayx3 via Compfight cc

First thing Darren said was "You probably think I've lost my mind".

I DON'T! That's BRILLIANT! I get to shop and improve my blog?! Wow, Darren, do you know your target audience or what! I know where your going with this.

People watching gets you understanding...people. Not only that but shops have great ways to get customer attention. Study it! As Darren says...Malls are great because they're places in which marketers employ all kinds of strategies that can be useful to learn. Study from the best! RETAIL! 

ACTION ITEM: 
This weekend, when you're out and about doing chores, stop and sit for a while. Eat a snack and observe the people. What are they buying? How are shops getting customers in the door? Where are lookey-loo's lingering--do you think they are actually interested in the item or is it just Oh shiny! 

After you've been home for a while, think back to what you learned about people from your observations. Write them down. Maybe you'll get more fodder subjects to blog about! 

The most awesome book about blogging! Click and buy!

START AT THE BEGINNING!

Build A Better Blog Day 12: Develop An Editorial Calendar For Your Blog

Be like MegaMind! Think!

Today's ACTION ITEM includes follow through from Day #11. 

1. Calculate how many posts you want to schedule for the week/month - whatever.

2. Whip out your calendar/excel spreadsheet/Google calendar - whatever - and plug in titles of the posts you want to write for each of your ideas from Day #11 on the specific days you want them.

3. Write a sentence on what you want to bring up. Describe the subject or points you want to make.

I have an excellent template from HubSpot HERE for you. They've done all the heavy lifting of creating a template. You can start using this one and see if you like it.

This gives you the chance to work on your blog for a block of time most convenient for you. Blogs tend to be best for scheduling. Other social media I try to be authentic and post when I think of it. Now I'm assuming you know what to do with this, but as usual, you can find great examples in Darren's book! Which is here!  

Buy the BOOK! With great advice!

START AT THE BEGINNING

Build A Better Blog Day 11: Come Up With 10 Post Ideas

My 10 post ideas I came up with!

Awesome! We finally get to a topic that I really can sink my teeth into!

This is an exercise that I will use every month! You want to plan your blogs or most of them so you can:

* Keep up blog momentum.
* Never run out of blog topics.
*Make efficent use of your time.

I've been told by Hubsopt that businesses with a blog get 55% more traffic than those without. but does that translate to sales? Well, it's 55% more people that will gain exposure to you. I believe in the rule of the one-fourth. One-fourth of your estimated numbers will be the real numbers for your ads. One-fourth of those people will become your customers. So if you expect 100 people to respond to an ad, 25 will respond and 1 will become your customer.

When you blog once a week is okay. Quality is better than quantity. Remember, if you're trying to become an authority what you say is so important. You want to be know for saying things good enough to come from the mouth of Seth Godin.  

But on to the exercise...

Darrin says, "One of the biggest challenges facing bloggers with blogs that have been around for longer than a few months is to come up with fresh content on a regular basis."

And then he gives us a task that obliterated ever running out of things to say.

Come up with 10 future topics you want to write about. I started with what my blog is about. SNMcKibben is about love, sex and relationships revolving around social taboos. I used Picktochart to make my topics beautiful! You can see them above!

Oh, wait...Keep your feelings out of relationships, why all emotion comes from love...

Once I started, ideas came forth! It's a great exercise!

Now, if you still scratching your head here's what you can do...

Take your last 5 post titles and expand on them using the same technique. brainstorm. Explore the subject to the fullest. 

ACTION ITEM: Brain storm until you have a month's worth of ideas!