The best bloggers in the world - What do they have in common and what can we learn from them?
Inspired by Dan Larimer´s post I started a little research about the most successful blogs in the world.
We all know from our own experiences that blogging is a quite hard business. It needs a lot of effort and patience, while we are moving in a highly competitive market segment.
That´s why I asked myself: What do have successful blogs / bloggers in common? What is their secret ? What can we learn from them?
What makes a blogger´s brand successful?
1 - RECOGNITION VALUE
All of the top blogs I have seen so far have some essential characteristics in common. One of them is their recognition value, the individual character which makes them outstanding: their BRAND AWARENESS.
A blog´s recognition value is like the voice of a famous singer: unique. You need to be able to recognize it amoung all other voices (blogs) in the world, just listening to a few tones (reading a few words).
From a business point of view that value is your USP (Unique Selling Proposition). It´s the answer to the question: why should somebody read MY blog instead of ANOTHER blog?
Ask yourself: What is it people would talk about if they talked about my blog?
2 - POSITIONING
While the definition of the recognition value is an intrinsic approach (looking INTO the blog), the positioning is an extrinsic course of action (looking OUT OF the blog).
One of the essential characteristics of successful blogs is that their authors knew how to niche the market.
If you enter a new market you have basicly two options how to position your product:
A) trying to compete with already existing players
B) learning from these existing players and creating something different
If you want to succeed in the long term you have to FIND YOUR OWN WAY.
Study the best ones - and then become the synergy of everything you have learned from them.
3 - TARGETING
Succesful bloggers aline their content with A) their own brand values and B) with the expectations of their target groups. You need to know well your recipient in order to be able to address the right messages.
Bloggers are creators, designers, builders. Bloggers are arquitects who pile words, one upon the other, forming new buildings. BLOGGERS ARE ARTISTS who move their audiences touching them emotionally.
That reminds me one of my favourite movie sequences, seen in the movie: 'Indecent Proposal' (1993):
'Even a brick wants to be something': (watch it - it´s inspiring!)
Writing means inspiring. In the end your success will be measured according to the sensations sparked amoung your readers. Impress them! Surprise them! GIVE THEM VALUE!
4 - CONSISTENCY
A good brand needs a strong market penetration, but that doesn´t happen over night. We need to work continuously and shouldn´t ever be satisfied with ourselves.
'Sometimes we win and sometimes we learn.' In the beginning there will be a lot of lessons to learn, and every unsuccessful article will help us to grow and come closer to our aim.
Analyze your most successful publications and compare them with your most unsuccessful ones. Know your strength and your weakness, then focus on your strength and keep going into that direction.
Be good at what you are doing or don´t do it at all.
The quality of your content is key to your CREDIBILITY. People wouldn´t start talking about your blog (recommend it, share it, make it viral) if they were not absolutely convinced about it.
These are some of my favourite top blogs outside steemit´s borders:
Best and most inspiring personal development blogs 2016 (Source) - No. 2: Mark Manson:
https://markmanson.net/
Top 10 most inspirational bloggers in the world (Source) - No. 3: Pat Flynn:
https://www.smartpassiveincome.com/
Top 10 Professional female bloggers in the world (Source) - No. 6: Penelope Trunk
http://penelopetrunk.com/
I hope this was inspring! My next article is going to be dedicated to successful steemit bloggers. There are quite a lot, so I will start preparing my piece right now...:-)
Remember: 'Even a brick wants to be something.'
Thanks for your time and attention.
Marly -
Picture source title: https://secure.static.tumblr.com/
Picture source quote brand: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/
Picture source quote competition: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/
Picture source brand awareness: http://image.slidesharecdn.com/
Picture source quote be good: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/
Awesome post, learned some new things. I have been steadily brainstorming a logo for myself and a font style I want to use!
I am happy the article inspired you. If people enjoy reading my pieces, it´s the maximum I can achieve here. Steem on and good luck with that design project! :)
It did indeed! Maximum Awesomeness Achievement Unlocked!
Steem on, thank for the words of encouragement!
I've read your last two posts, as well as @dantheman 's and would like to add this: Steemit's greatest asset, is all of us. The time is now for all of us to venture out into the rest of the internet world and plant a big blue Steemit flag everywhere we can. In many cases that's going to be on a domain with our bright shiny face all over the front of it. surfermarly.com for example.
Thanks four your comment, @vegascomic!
I think what steemit needs is a really nice marketing campaign to catch all these bored social media users on their boring platforms....;-) Growth will be the solution to many challenges we are facing right now.
Very helpful, Thank you! :)
I am glad you liked it, thanks for your support!
This post has been ranked within the top 25 most undervalued posts in the second half of Jan 11. We estimate that this post is undervalued by $22.56 as compared to a scenario in which every voter had an equal say.
See the full rankings and details in The Daily Tribune: Jan 11 - Part II. You can also read about some of our methodology, data analysis and technical details in our initial post.
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