Blogging has taken the internet by storm in recent years and it seems that just about everyone has a blog, including most professional freelance writers and web writers. But many freelance writers and web writers fail to use their blogs as an effective tool to promote their writing online, thereby increasing page views and revenue.
Writers and freelance writers should consider the following tips for successful blogging, leading to more page views and better earnings.
Blogs are effective promotion tools, especially for online writers who are looking to increase page views and revenue on articles posted on the web
Writers Can Use a Blog to Tease Articles or Other Work on the Web
The purpose of a tease is to pique the reader's interest; to get the reader wanting more.
A topical blog is an effective tool to attract readers to the writer's articles that deal with the same subject matter. A tease blog entry serves as a preview or a summary on a more in-depth article on the same topic.
Web writers can also use a blog entry as a tool to make a connection between current events that are apt to attract page views and articles on a related topic. Therefore, if Michael Vick gets arrested for organizing dog fights, a pet care feature writer may write a blog entry on this issue, making a direct connection between Vick's arrest and an article that the writer has written on dog fighting legislation. When possible, the blog should also be linked to other related articles on subjects like how to report animal abuse, tips for training abused animals or pit bull bias.
Use Article Round-Up Blog Entries to Promote Groups of Related Articles
Blogging is an effective article promotion tool, particularly when writers create an article round-up blog entry. The web writer can draw a parallel between multiple articles using a blog entry.
The first step involves finding a common thread among a group of articles. A writer should then create a blog entry with a brief introduction that establishes a connection between the articles. Then, create a list of links to the related articles. Each of the articles should be linked back to this blog entry, which can serve as an index for the group of related articles.
Answer Reader Questions or Frequently Asked Questions to Promote Articles on the Web
Many freelance writers specialize in writing about a particular topic or subject. These writers will commonly receive questions from readers. A blog entry is a great way to answer reader questions, while promoting related articles with links.
These "Q&A" blog entries tend to attract a healthy number of page views from people seeking an answer to the same or a similar question and if a blog entry also provides links to related articles by the same author, blog visitors who initially sought to get an answer to their question will often click on the links to in an effort to learn more.
Niche writers who do not receive many reader questions can often answer hypothetical questions, as most specialty writers and experts will be well aware of the most frequently asked questions in their field of expertise. Answering hypothetical questions is usually just as effective in directing blog visitors to related articles, thereby increasing article page views and revenues across the board.
Additional Tips for Using a Blog as a Promotional Tool
A blog's general style should match the style of content that the blog is promoting. If the writer's web writing is written in first-person or second-person, then a first-person or second-person blog will be most appropriate and effective as an article promotion tool. Articles written in third-person are best promoted with a blog that's written in second-person or third-person.
Exceptions to this matching style rule are certainly permitted for some blog entries, but the general style should match - a professional writer who is authoring articles of a more informational, hard-news nature should avoid first-person blog entries, which can harm credibility if the reader starts to forget that the author is, in fact, a professional.
Bloggers and freelance writers should also remember the power of a blog's RSS feed. Use the blog to announce new articles to RSS feed subscribers to build a readership for the blog and the writer's articles on the web.
A blog is a very effective promotional tool for web writers who are seeking to earn more revenue and increase page views. But the blog must be used strategically, as a tool.
A blog of musings, opinions and thoughts may be fun to write, but it's not an effective tool for promotion in many cases. The key is to blog smart; to blog in a manner that's in line with the style and genre of writing that the freelancer is trying to promote.