![\"Breakthrough\"](\"https:\/\/seo-hacker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/Breakthrough.jpg\")
<\/a><\/center>Blogs make for great reading because bloggers tend to be individuals or companies blogging unbiased content. That makes for a refreshing read compared to advertising-backed publishers, sponsored writing, unjustifiable opinions, and scores of other nuances that make even long-term, respectable publishers dwarf in comparison to trust.<\/p>\nFor a blog to reach this stage of \u201cdumbing down what the big publishers claim,<\/em>\u201d there\u2019s a long way to go. Here are some tips to make your blog stay on the high-performance circuit.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Webmaster’s Note:<\/strong> This is a guest post by Jeff Davis.<\/em><\/p>\n Define \u201cPerformance\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n A blog \u2013 like a business \u2013 has many parameters to gauge its success on. You could drill down into multiple sub-niches or stick to a popular topic. High performance \u2013 for you \u2013 could mean traffic that could bring servers down or maybe it\u2019s about attractive suave readers who prefer sophistication and \u201calternative thought.\u201d<\/p>\n You might say that your blog is high-performing if it pays the bills or you might not even be happy with your blog making it to the leagues. The first step hence, is to determine what high-performance means to \u201cyou\u201d as a blogger: is it about a select group of readers (low, but targeted traffic), conversions for sale (for something you sell), or making your blog every advertiser\u2019s dream?<\/p>\n Keep it Personal, One-on-One<\/b><\/p>\n Blogs are presentations you are making to government bodies, banks, or even venture capitalists. Blogs are a tool for self-publishing but most bloggers forget the \u201cself\u201d part in a crazy pursuit for popularity, traffic, and monetization. Not that any of those goals are bad, but it\u2019s just that blogs aren\u2019t blogs if you produced content that should rather be fit for \u201cThe Economist.\u201d Keep your blogs personal. Use \u201cI\u201d and \u201cWe\u201d and \u201cYou\u201d in your content.<\/p>\n The day you start a sentence with something like \u201cOne should\u2026\u201d you are off limits. Maybe you should work on the next edition of The Bible.\u00a0There’s a writing voice and identity you’ll want to achieve. Sean’s post on Establishing your Content Identity<\/a> points it out perfectly.<\/p>\n Present Opinions with Fact<\/b><\/p>\n Try presenting an opinion without justification on your blog posts you\u2019d be met with an unending comment stream of criticism from your readers. While it\u2019s sometimes good to rant, rave, or go into a mega-slashing mode murdering popular opinion, \u201ctalking down\u201d or \u201cgoing against the grain\u201d \u2013 admittedly it gets you a lot of traffic, views, and social media shares \u2013 it\u2019s always a good practice to back up your opinion with facts.<\/p>\n At least, ride on the back of what someone else said about the topic at hand. Someone who is more established, proven, or credible in your field or niche.<\/p>\n Market it like a Business<\/b><\/p>\n No matter what your goals are (point 1), you\u2019d need to push your blog out, reach out to your readers, and attract traffic. All of that takes a never-ending, relentless, and possibly a lifetime of work to get traffic for your blog. Marketing, just as it is for business, is a bloggers\u2019 daily job. You could write all you want but none of that popularity and influence comes just by writing; you\u2019d have to market your blog too.<\/p>\n Blogging is a business<\/a>, and your blog needs to be run like one. You just have to do what it takes.<\/p>\n Blog for a Reason<\/b><\/p>\n Don\u2019t blog because it makes you money or because it makes you popular for the wrong reasons. Don\u2019t blog because that\u2019s what every digital marketer worth his or her salt suggests. Don\u2019t blog because you thought that it was a great way to start your online business.<\/p>\n Blog only if you are passionate about whatever it is that you blog about. If you have to blog, do it for a reason. The reason is for you to find out and for the rest of the world to read.<\/p>\n Strive for Influence<\/b><\/p>\n After you pick the niche you want to blog on, it\u2019s time to work on your \u201cpersonal brand\u201d and influence. Gary Vaynerchuck<\/a>, for instance, is known for his effect on his readers and not so much for AdSense revenue or for any of his affiliate income.<\/p>\n If you blogged enough \u2013 and passionately enough \u2013 for a reason, this influence would come in time. Anything else you\u2019d do looks like so much else on the web that no one would notice.<\/p>\n Social Media is your Blog # 2<\/b><\/p>\n So, you have a blog and you keep pumping enough content to make it a potential winner. Sadly, there are only so many readers that your blog can attract initially. Your readership grows over time and your blog is little less viral or has much less potential (by itself) than when compared to social media, for instance.<\/p>\n Hence, social media is your platform to stretch your efforts. It\u2019s your blogging channel #2. Social media helps you to amplify your message, spread your content virally, bring in an additional set of readers (sometimes, overwhelmingly enough), and give you a lot more influence than what you can ask for. If you think you need help in this field, SEO Hacker provides a serious set of Social Media Marketing Services<\/a>.<\/p>\n Build Relationships Everyday <\/b><\/p>\n You could look at all possible reasons to start building relationships with others (within and outside of your niche) but they would all pale in comparison with this one reason to create relationships: you learn, respect, and love others. You are in awe of others. You relate to others because you just relate to them. There are no reasons for building relationships with other bloggers and business owners.<\/p>\n Build your network for the sake of \u201cbuilding your network\u201d and you\u2019ll see some of these relationships blossoming into opportunities of a lifetime. Still, that\u2019s not the reason why you connect.<\/p>\n Do More than just Blog <\/b><\/p>\n Bloggers blog, don\u2019t they? Yes and no. That\u2019s where most bloggers limit their potential. Instead, work towards a lot more than just a blog. A book is a good start (even the self-publishing option is a good one). Launch events, conferences, and online webinars. Start tutorials or launch online courses on the niche you blog on.<\/p>\n All of these endeavors help you to develop credibility (not to mention the possibility to make money), and drive even more readers to your blog. Of course, it takes a ton of effort to do all this. You need to keep slogging away at your blog every single day<\/a>. Who said blogging was easy?<\/p>\n Keep Track of your Numbers<\/b><\/p>\n You\u2019d never know where you ought to go if you didn\u2019t know where you are. Google Analytics is free for now and that\u2019s more than to ascertain who your visitors are, where they come from, the mobile devices they use, and how long they spend on your blog. You can even drill down information about the content they read, social interactions, and much more.<\/p>\n Set up \u201cgoals\u201d within your dashboard to get you all the information you need. Work from there.<\/p>\n Feature Prominent People on your Blog <\/b><\/p>\n Social leverage is a secret that not many bloggers tend to put to good use. Whether you are creating a humongous list of \u201c18 people you should seek advice on [Niche idea]\u201d or even if you wanted to mention someone in the passing, do so with a flourish. Then, outreach each of these influencers to let them know that they\u2019ve been featured on your blog post. News spreads quickly. You\u2019ll get on the radar.<\/p>\n Attract and Accept Guest Posts<\/b><\/p>\n Don\u2019t close opportunities for other bloggers who might want to guest post on your blog. Whether they are doing to gain backlinks or to gain exposure or credibility, it\u2019s a win-win situation for both parties.<\/p>\n Blog owners don\u2019t have to give up control on quality of the content (which you can supervise) and dictate editorial terms for every approaching guest blogger. However, closing the doors for guest posts works to your disadvantage.<\/p>\n Build a Team of Writers (with Credits)<\/b><\/p>\n Ghost writing has its place but so does credited publishing of blog posts. Tap into the power of other\u2019s hard work.<\/p>\n Spread your Content Variety<\/b><\/p>\n Yes, it\u2019s a blog. It\u2019s not limited to text, though. Add all sorts of content on your blog. That includes videos, links to your podcasts that features on iTunes or elsewhere. Slide decks on Slideshare.net and embedded magazines. Infographics, animated content, and interviews. Webinars, recorded seminars, and even book excerpts. The blog is your playground.<\/p>\n Notice how Sean uses Slideshare<\/a> for his blog?<\/p>\n Go play.<\/p>\n Bleed to Win<\/b><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\nWhy build a team of writers or attract tons of guest bloggers, you ask? Every contributing author has vested interest in promoting these published blog posts elsewhere. Apart from the direct links inbound to your own blog (from each of these other blogger\u2019s websites and blogs), you\u2019ll also gain some social spread.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n