Become a Better Blogger Today With These 4 Actions To get attention on the crowded Internet, you have to devote time to your craft and plan well.
By Zach Cutler Edited by Dan Bova
Opinions expressed by BIZ Experiences contributors are their own.
More than two million blog posts are published every day, according to data from Technorati.
With massive amounts of content being published each day, how do you break through the noise and create content that's worth viewing?
Related: The Rule of 5 for Bloggers
First, it's important to understand what it takes to be a top-notch blogger. Here are four ways to get started:
1. Commit to creating quality content. Bloggers who spend more time writing content are more likely to value quality content, as opposed to how much content they produce. According to a June 2014 report by Orbit Media Studios, 54 percent of bloggers spend two hours or less writing a blog post. However, only five percent of bloggers are spending at least six hours crafting a blog post.
To create quality content, bloggers should also follow Google's E-A-T test (Expertise, Authority, and Trustworthiness). Bloggers who create content that positions them as an expert voice will increase the chances of their content getting shared and a higher website ranking.
2. Spend more time in the research and editing processes. Investing time in researching a piece can make a huge difference in the quality of a blog post. The more statistics and facts you can include in your blog posts, the more value you'll add to their writing.
Writers should also focus more on the editing process. According to Orbit Media Studios, about 73 percent of bloggers edit their own work.
Related: Have Writer's Block? Here Are 5 Ways to Come Up With New Story Ideas.
3. Maintain an ongoing list of content ideas. One of the biggest challenges for bloggers is generating new ideas that are timely and relevant for their audience.
A great way to keep ideas fresh is to look for ideas everywhere. Research different news outlets and blogs, pay attention to online conversations, and take lessons from real-life experiences to generate fresh content ideas.
4. Use an editorial calendar. According to Orbit Media Studios, almost 14 percent of bloggers aren't consistent with how often they publish content.
By using an editorial calendar, bloggers can improve their consistency and create better content.
There are a variety of tools bloggers can use to create their editorial calendars. For example, Google Drive and CoSchedule are excellent platforms for streamlining content creation and making sure content gets published and promoted at the right time.
