Become a successful writer
As a professional consultant or freelancer, you probably have a lot to say about your field of expertise—after all, it’s this specialized skill set upon which you have based a business. Your knowledge base is what makes you marketable in your industry, and simply sharing your ideas online with a blog can do a lot more for your freelance business than you might expect. But how to become a successful blogger is the big question.
Consultants today use blogs to explain tips and tricks, assert opinions, and keep readers (and clients!) up-to-date on happenings in their industries. Not only can a blog serve as a useful marketing tool to gain followers and market share, but it can also become a fun and creative outlet for you. Blogging can open doors, because you never know who will read and share your content.
However, getting started on a blog can be a daunting task—especially for those who aren’t accustomed to writing extensively on a regular basis. For all those aspiring bloggers out there, successful blogging is not as difficult as you might think. Learn how to become a successful blogger
Find the right platform. Do you already have a website set up for your services? Can you easily add a page for a blog? Any additional traffic to your site is always a positive. If this is not an option for you, WordPress, Medium , and Quora are all solid, easy-to-use blog platforms frequently utilized by industry professionals.
Keep it up-to-date. The best blogs keep readers up-to-date on the latest trends or news stories within a particular niche or industry. Keep up on recent developments by following a keyword on Google Alerts or specific RSS feeds geared toward-industry specific topics. Search hashtags on Twitter to find relevant articles to comment on in a short blog piece or even educational videos to share in the blog format. The more current you are in your blogging, the more clout you carry with your followers.
Keep it short. Remember word count isn’t everything. However, Google does love long blogs and it is great if you have the time and expertise to discuss a subject at length. Attention spans of readers usually lasts 7 minutes and most readers can read between 1500-1600 words in that time. So creating a blog at that length would be ideal for SEO. But, don’t stress if you do not have the time. Regular blogs don’t need to be more than 500 words but be sure to keep your readers engaged. No matter the length of the blog, avoid repetition and wordiness.
Be consistent. A crucial part of blogging is consistency. Make a goal to publish content once a week or once a month, and stick to it. If you are finding it difficult to maintain this during busy periods, fill a weekly blog with a transcribed interview. For example, talk to someone you admire in your industry; even super influential people are often willing to give up 15 minutes of their time.
Without making your blogs a blatant plea to be hired, make sure they always connect back to the services you provide. When writing within your niche, it is fitting to link to your portfolio or contact information.
Not sure what topics will grab your readers attention? Make your way through this list of topics that will reel in readers and clients. Don’t forget to use juicy keywords in your titles and first paragraphs and try to always supplement a blog with a graphic. So in order to succeed in your freelance business you should learn how to become a successful blogger too.
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