{"id":1411,"date":"2012-02-27T13:39:15","date_gmt":"2012-02-27T13:39:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sgis.co.uk\/blog\/?p=1411"},"modified":"2014-08-14T11:22:34","modified_gmt":"2014-08-14T11:22:34","slug":"10-must-haves-for-a-successful-blog","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sgis.co.uk\/blog\/2012\/02\/10-must-haves-for-a-successful-blog\/","title":{"rendered":"Tips to a successful blog"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>At SGIS we have a whole host of clients, different sites of different sizes and levels of success. This week we quizzed Bristol Foodie for their top tips to blogging success.<\/p>\n

URL:<\/strong> www.bristolfoodie.co.uk<\/a>
\nTopic:<\/strong> food and drink in Bristol, UK
\nFounded:<\/strong> 2009
\nVisitors:<\/strong> 12,000 per month<\/p>\n

1. Passion<\/h2>\n

For many people and businesses blogging is a hobby or an addition to the day job so its important to be passionate about your subject matter \u2013 otherwise you will never motivate yourself to post.<\/p>\n

2. Patience<\/h2>\n

We started blogging as a hobby and at first our page views were tiny. Two and a half years later we get twelve thousand visitors a month*. Some blogs take off overnight but if yours isn’t one of them (and most aren’t) just persevere, don’t expect too much too soon.<\/p>\n

*stats correct as of February 2012<\/p>\n

3. Quality<\/h2>\n

Readers soon bore of drivel spat out for the sake of it. Put thought behind your posts and think about what content your readers will find interesting. Also, typos, poor grammar and broken links make you look unprofessional \u2013 check and double check posts before they are published.<\/p>\n

4. Data<\/h2>\n

Keep an eye on your stats. The information you get on visitor numbers, page views etc will tell you the best times and days to post and also what sort of topics or content works best for you. The Business hosting package with SGIS comes with free analytics which is a great help.<\/p>\n

5. Innovation<\/h2>\n

The internet is a fast moving place \u2013 so keep up with current trends and innovate new ideas for content, be brave! Try it, if it doesn’t work then move on and try something else.<\/p>\n

6. Company<\/h2>\n

Two heads are better than one. A co-blogger or even casual contributors really help when it comes to posting regular content. They are also great at proof reading \u2013 we never spot our own mistakes so having more than one blogger on hand to sanity check posts is invaluable. <\/p>\n

7. Integrity<\/h2>\n

A blog is essentially an online diary. So you need to be honest \u2013 readers will soon cotton on to advertising or businesses paying for posts or links on your website. So don’t do it. If you do take payment or receive freebies in exchange for posts be upfront about it.<\/p>\n

Something else is integrity over information and photographs.<\/p>\n