When people start a blog they often think to themselves – oh it’ll be so much fun! Shortly afterward the disillusions they once held give way to the realization that blogging is A LOT of WORK. Most people have no idea how much. Coming up with relatable blog content on a daily or weekly basis requires careful consideration of what is going to get people talking.
It’s simply not enough to say, I want to start a blog! and expect everyone to immediately pick up what you’re putting down. It starts with creating killer blog content that is going to keep people coming back for more.
On an average post my own blog content is shared between 200-500 times between Facebook and Pinterest alone, not counting other social media platforms. When it’s published on larger platforms like Scary Mommy it has been shared up to 60K times. Through trial and error I’ve come to learn what people love to share and what they’d rather leave alone.
This year I have increased my pageviews over 400% by focusing on the following five tips:
Top 5 Tips to Write Share-worthy Blog Content
1. Create a Blog Mission Statement:
This sounds simple enough, yet it’s probably the number one tip that bloggers overlook. Listen – you can’t be everything to everyone. Your content should be consistent with the brand you are seeking to establish. Who are you as a blogger? Who are your ideal readers? What will keep them coming back for more? Are you a crafty blogger? A parenting blogger? An inspirational blogger? An educational blogger? If you’re not sure – it’s time to get focused! Of course you can branch out from the usual once you’ve established your brand. But be warned – If people never know what to expect from you, they’ll come to expect very little.
2. Your Blog is Not Your Online Diary:
After tip number one, this is the biggest mistake I see in the blogging world. It’s time for #realtalk and this one might hurt. If you’re only writing about yourself, your family, and your life – I’ve got a harsh truth for you, unless you are a bonefide celeb – #noonecares. I’m sorry but it’s true. Outside of your close friends and family, personal anecdotes including what you did on the weekend, what you had for lunch, and your latest vacay is not going to keep people coming back for more. Sure these are okay every once in awhile to connect with your readers. Personal anecdotes can be great add-ons to post on more general content, but they shouldn’t be the focus. You’ve got to give the wider audience something more to relate to. Who is going to share a very personal post about someone they don’t know?
3. Limit and carefully choose sponsored posts:
The most common trap successful bloggers fall into is selling themselves out for any sponsored post that comes their way that will help pay the bills. Added to this, the content that initially hooked their readers is now diluted and almost non-existent in comparison to sponsored posts. Make a commitment to yourself and your readers to only work with brands that you can support in good conscience – otherwise you’ll quickly lose credibility. Also, don’t tip the scales of sponsored posts into greater than 50% of your overall content. I get it – blogging is tough work. We all want to make a buck where we can, but at what cost? You might gain a couple hundred dollars at the expense of losing significant followers.
4. Keep it Positive:
I can’t emphasize this enough. If you analyze the trends of viral posts, often the ones that seem to resonate the most with the general public are the ones that teach you, encourage you, inspire you, or make you laugh. You also probably don’t want to be the writer behind that blog that went viral that made everyone feel bad about themselves. There is enough negativity in the world – and the blogging world can provide a false sense of entitlement to rant and rave about anything that even remotely annoys or angers you. Just. Don’t. It’s hard to get behind that and the initial effect always wears thin.
5. Consider Share-ability:
Before writing any new post I consider the topics that I’m hearing about in the media, among my close friends, at work, at the local grocery store. What’s going to resonate with people? What do I have to say that others are going to say: YES! SO MUCH TRUTH! I MUST SHARE WITH EVERYONE I KNOW! Choose quality over quantity when it comes to posting on your blog and don’t press send unless you can stand behind every word with absolute conviction.
If these blog content tips were helpful for you please click to share with others! And don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter so you don’t miss the rest of the series!
The Good Enuf Mommy
These tips are fantastic! I especially love #2 hehe. I always felt like I needed to be funny to write shareable content but it's been my most authentic content that has gotten the most shares
Awesome tips! I love the one about being positive. I do see some negative posts go viral, but I'm always put off by those. Pinning!
Great tips-some things for me to work on! Ha! The negative posts are definitely hard to get through. Sometimes I bail. i would much rather spend my time reading positive, uplifting posts.
I'm loving these tips! #3 is really important. It is so easy to get wrapped up in the whole sponsored post thing. Great information. Thanks.
Totally! Loved all your points, especially the one about keeping it positive. Happy thoughts is what everyone is looking for, not the negativity. Sharing!
I so agree with #2. You have to branch out beyond what is happening with your family! I'm still figuring out a good balance for #3. 🙂
This is a fantastic post! I definitely agree, people don't care what you do on your weekends. Haha! I love the point about being positive, I feel like this is so important! 😀
Jess http://www.beautifulbreakable.com
These are great tips! I love the one on share-ability! SO true! Thanks for sharing! xx
These are awesome tips. The mission statement is where I am struggling the most right now. Thank you for sharing!
Yes I so agree! I don't want to read about your life every day – once in awhile is good for me to relate to you 🙂
I read this last night (a friend shared it) and it was awesome. I now realize that my personal anecdotes aren't going to "save the day" in terms of traffic and I need to include a list or some type of lessons in my posts to have them shared more frequently. Thanks!
I've been blogging for over a year but I still love reading things like this – it's such a good way to get back on track/remind yourself of what counts. x Natalie http://www.thegirlwithbangs.com
Suuuuuuch a great post! Thanks so much for sharing! I do find that the posts I write ABOUT topics (how to do affirmations, how to do a yoga pose, etc.) are way more popular than the "fluff" ones I write (5 Things I'm Loving, etc.). I definitely need to buckle down and write better content. 🙂
I love this. Shareability and too many sponsored posts are ones that get under my skin. I WANT to support my fellow blogger, so… when it's too advertise-y or isn't content that's fitting with what the bigger sites are sharing it is disappointing… A blog mission statement is genius!!!
Great tips 🙂 Thanks for sharing!! XO
Such great tips! At the beginning, I definitely used my blog more as an online diary. I'm hoping I've improved since then, but I still need to think about that. Thank you!
I agree with #2 wholeheartedly. I can't get into blogs that don't provide me with something – a how to, recipe, food for thought or book recommendation. Yes, your family is cute but I don't want to read about them every single day. How's that for #realtalk?
I definitely agree with #2 and 3.
I am a lifestyle blogger but I try to relate my posts to my audience instead of solely myself.
And I will not take any sponsored post of a brand I don't believe in 🙂
xoxo, Jenny
Great tips! I used to be so lost and overwhelmed in the blogging world. I share personal things on my mommy blog, but since starting a blog for my doula business I have thought about share-ability a lot.
The tip about being positive is spot on! I will steer away from a blog if its all ranty all the time. That kind of negativity spills over…so pass! lol
WOW your post is just amazing and I so agree with all of this! Especially number two and four!! I have seen your posts on Twitter and did not realize you were from Calgary! My mom lives there( I was raised in BC) and I visit there when I can ,so cool to connect with another Canuck! I have been in thE US for many years now…..sharing your post..LOVE IT!!
Valerie
Fashion and Travel
Being positive is so important – it's easy to become overwhelmed in the world of blogging.
These are really great tips!
Christie's Take on Life. x
Very, very good tip and definitely things I need to consider. I especially need to be more aware of tip number five and how I can put that tip into action. Thanks for this. I'm looking forward to the rest of the series!
Love these tips, especially number one and three. I think there is a fine balance to strike with sponsored posts.
What great advice for anyone who has a website. I really like the tip to keep it positive and I agree, I don't really want to read someone else's stream of thought diary post.
Great tips to consider before publishing a new post! Thanks for the advice!
#noonecares! AWESOME! True though. That made me laugh really hard.
This is just so refreshing! As I'm getting back into blogging after a bit of a break, I need to freshen up and add your list to my blog new years resolution list! Thanks for the valuable advice!
Great tips! You're right that people have no idea how much work this is and how hard it is just to go around social media and share posts (or to schedule post sharing). People say, "Oh you're always on Facebook!" but I am actually working there. They don't realize what I'm actually doing behind the scenes!
Great tips. I really need to get better about number 2. Thanks so much for sharing 🙂
Congratulations on making Top 30 Mommy Blogs! http://www.rebeccakrusee.com
This is a great list and I agree with everything you say, especially "this isn't you're diary, yo. It has been hard for me to learn the line between being readable and relateable and sometimes saying "yeah, I just gotta do me here for me min."
I struggle with balancing sponsored posts and try really hard to make them my own and make someone feel like they're sitting in my kitchen…not just listening to adsy blah blah blah.
Thanks for letting me linkup! This was awesomeeeeeeeeeee!
#2 is the kicker… i had to start a separate journal when i decided to monetize my blog!
great tips per usual tiffany!!!
Great tips! So true about staying positive. There's plenty of negativity out there…we don't need to add to it.
YES to #2! Personal diary is different than a marketable blog containing share-worthy content! I do think a lot of people make the mistake of using a blog as a personal diary (and nothing wrong with that if your intent is to have an outlet to journal/rant about your life), but there's definitely a difference between putting a shareable-content worthy spin on a personal story to relate to OTHERS (because like you said, no one's going to care about just you) and journaling!
Great list, but I do think that a lot of blogs are diaries. Yes, we put together lists that can apply to a large group of people, but a lot of us also write stories from the heart about our own personal experiences in hopes that others will relate. While I don't need to know how many times someone ate or went to the bathroom in a day, I do enjoy the pieces that people open up more of themselves in. But hey, maybe that's just me. I think that if you shine through in your work and you are authentic, you can still find financial success in writing.
Thank you for the awesome tips!
These are great tips for those of us who are beginners. I'm still trying to figure it out what I truly want to blog about a blog mission statement is something I have come across before but have never sat down and tried to focus on it. Positivity and usefulness keep me coming back to blogs. I don't mind sponsored posts if its done too much and flows seamlessly through the content. I do think it is something that takes time to learn how to do well. Best thing I enjoy about blogging is the learning and connecting. I'm visiting today from the #taketime linkup. Pinning your post.
Glad to come across this post that I'd saved to read a while back. Some really good tips, although I have to say it's a weird thing between the personal posts and the posts that are more geared towards helping others. I find ultimately it's about *resonant* content, a post can be entirely about you but it resonates so deeply with readers' emotions/joys/fears/experiences… or just makes them laugh, that they'll connect with it and share it too. My posts are a mix of fun stuff that inspires families to do more with their kids out and about, and personal/family posts, and often it's the latter that have the most impact (although not always the most shares). Good to find that balance. Thanks for the useful tips!