“NEWS” is the Secret Code of Blogging Success
I was in a state of being questioned. I was constantly confronting the question, the question of how to ensure success in blogging endeavor. Is there a formula? Has any hypothesis presented? The questions were widespread and had deeply divided my default frame of intrigued mind. Having been though multiple roles in business , profession and having seen both the test of failures and having tasted success, I had fairly developed a good learning curve for myself. By nature I’m a tad little more curious and anything that is slightly intriguing challenges me and makes me excited to explore that uncovered corner and solve the ostensibly fastened conundrum.
I did an extensive research.
Is there a science behind the art of blogging?
Can we apply a formula ?
Can success be fairly assured?
Is there a code that can connect with blogging?
I was frantically looking for a profound answer not a perfect answer, an answer which will be fairly accepted and adopted to see success in the venture of blogging. The venture could be for personal gratification or for professional gain or a pure commercial game. It could be anything. The formula should be reasonably applicable, only the factor of discount may vary with the nature of the venture.
Blogging success is a fascinating function of the following four simple factors;
Networking
Blogging is a community. The community members have different place to hang out and they have other interest and they would love to interact with members having similar interest. I may be blogging on creativity but professionally may be a copywriter. I may be blogging on internet marketing but personally love playing the game of chess. I may be blogging on startup and entrepreneurship but maybe freelancing business consultant. There are wheels within wheels. There are these sub-groups surfing in these large groups in the coined arena called blogosphere.
Networking is about discovering groups and sub-groups, connecting, communicating and conversing in a way that is dignified and drawing them to be friends. Though it is important to keep up the decorum and building the relationship within the given boundary is an art, and we need to keep learning that art of conversation and connection.
Networking is not an easy skill. It is something that doesn’t come naturally to all of us. Some have it and others need to develop it. The art of networking, I needn’t have to touch on the various social media (Facebook to Twitter to Instagram) available and how to use those tools to accelerate the process of networking.
Engagement
Blogging is engagement. There is no purpose in just getting the visitors to the blog and not knowing what to do with them. It is like calling your guests for a party and not knowing what to give and how to interact. It is very important to set up a mechanism to make the welcome warm and cordial. They should feel at home. This includes many things from the design to colors to the navigation to the display, everything on the landing page counts. A good designer factors in many of those aspects which makes the visitor at home. The theme and the technology.
The first impression is an important one, second comes the experience they are having with every minute of their presence in the blog space and third it is the greatest aspect of value they are deriving with this engagement with your blog. The reader’s engagement is essential to the growth and success of the blog. I needn’t have to talk on the combination of visual component to text in terms of graphs, graphics and infographics.
Writing
Blogging is synonymous with writing. Many of us get lost between blogging and writing. Blogging and writing gets interchangeably used in the web. It is understood that writing diaries on web is blogging. This is at a very generic level. But if we look at a fundamental level blogging is content creation and content creation is nothing but is an extension of creative writing.
Just take writing out of blogging, it is one more website.
It is just not any writing, it is one of most difficult writing form as the target audiences are far and wide, with lesser level of understanding to high level of understanding, the spectrum is wide and catering to the needs of different level of users is a real challenge.
The use of language.
The choice of words.
The combination of sentences.
The simplicity of explanation.
All adds up to make the real difference being a successful blogger. Blogging is about writing and writing skill is critical to the success of blogging.
Speaking
Blogging has a voice. It seems it is the odd man out in the group. How come speaking is a factor of success in blogging where the platform is a virtual one and the primary mode of conversation is through written comments and forum participation. This was perhaps true in the early stage of blogging history when other mediums were insignificant or were not in existence, things have changed thereafter and changed radically, today other mediums dominate the scene.
The advent of YouTube to Podcast to Webinar has redefined the rules of the game, the game of blogging. Most successful bloggers are part of the major blogging events participating and speaking their mind out and making their statement count. They all have started series of Podcasting not about themselves but about others in the form of interviewing. Time has always been precious and now with so much to do, it has become limited in same 24 hours, activities have expanded exponentially and the clock has neither expanded nor has reduced the speed of travel. Given the constraints and limited space to maneuver our thoughts, the mind gets hooked to things that are different and that are helping us our other means of knowledge acquisition.
It is about the power of listening, and the convenience of listening; and both has come in the form of podcast. The power of voice and the flow of energy with face to face contact and communication that has become so easy with webinar, just little technical arrangement and with few clicks you are there and your power of voice transcends.
…NEWS…
I am pleased you came into the blogging world Dear Nihar, And it is always a delight to read you posts for they are always topical and deeply thought out. Your voice is one of respect and Kindness, And your contributions to my own offerings are a delight to read..
I always feel well listened to here.. and enjoy our conversations..
So thank you dear Nihar… You have cracked the secret Code 🙂
Sue you are absolutely right, you just read my mind…perhaps all good people think alike.
I was looking back and I was thinking, I have indeed drifted from the subject of BLOGGING. It was time I touch on it and it is always fascinating to debate and dissect the many interesting facets of blogging as a tool and that keeps coming at us, the more we keep engaging with the platform. So, much to learn and so much to talk, the space of blogging is creatively intriguing and interestingly keeps us magically hooked…
Where else I would met such wonderful friend like you and have such beautiful conversations, life is not about work and living, it is about living a meaningful life and it comes with conversations, community engagement. The CODE is a depiction and it depends whether is really connects or not…
Thanks so much for your wonderful words as always…
I am not able to imagine a life now without blogging…
take care!!!
😀
Podcast! That’s the in thing for many successful bloggers (particularly in US).
Btw Nihar, the post struck a strong chord as I can relate completely with all the points. Blogging for me has been about re-discovering my own interests by engaging with the blogging community. More than two decades back when I was in college, I used to write poetry and rhymes in the breaks between classes. But after I started working, somehow I completely lost the habit and it remained as a college fad.
When I started blogging, initially I focused on mainly of topics such as strategy, markets industry trends etc, which were in sync with the topics that I cover in workshops. But as I started engaging with the blogging community I realized how amazingly talented some bloggers were. I learned about haiku from Maniparna and Kokila and was absolutely impressed and inspired by what they wrote. One day Maniparna suggested that I include a section on poetry in my blog. Haiku in a strategy blog? For quite some time I resisted . But then my fondness for this form of poetry got the better of me and now you know how I write mostly haiku and poems on all possible subjects. Isn’t that what creativity is about?
Look at yourself. A process innovator who writes stories and innovates the process of blogging. 🙂 So yes, this medium of expression encourages us to be creative and innovative to be successful as bloggers.
Look forward to a podcast on your blog soon. 🙂
Somali I couldn’t have agreed more with you. Indeed our tryst with blogging has inexplicably changed our trajectory and our engagement with the world through this virtual medium. It is no less than a magic though we can go on debating the logic behind it. It reminds me of my college days decades back when we didn’t have the means and technology to make our communication and conversation so fascinating. The hand written letters and later part the e-mails added that new dimension to our expression and connection. Yes, as rightly pointed out, creativity had limited space to maneuver and we were restricted in our imagination and engaging our senses with only paper and pen.
Yes, I still remember couple of years back when I started looking at Blogging seriously, though I sporadically used to read and learn about the innovative platform, but never could imagine its depth and diversity until I personally got engaged and explored the different dimensions and finer nuances of the platform. It is just not about writing, it is about the conversations and it is about meaningful expression and creative engagement with such beautiful and intelligent community.
You have also earlier told about the lovely face off you had with Haiku and how Haiku and Tanka has become an integral part of your life, I had no clue on these forms and as keep reading those beautiful lines from your post, I get inspired and drive to sooner than later will fall in love and try my hands out, just to give my limited creative avenues a new dimension. Yes, Maniparna and Kolika are deeply into this form of creativity and it is just not about the thoughts but the meaningful exercise of mind with such limited words. Indeed creativity needs different forms and wings to keep flying and flying high with colors and grace…
I started writing and then stopped for sometime. The lack of opportunity to share my thoughts in the printing media had kept my engagement with writing limited and after all we all write to connect to express to learn from others and to share our view points…and I was lost till I discovered the platform and I could trigger my dwindling interest in writing. I must give the credit to blogosphere…
Yes, Podcast has been extensively used by the pro bloggers from US and Australia…the best part is with so many different ways we can experiment and engage with the blogging medium and every year we can keep adding new dimensions and the best part is the technology is in our control.
Thanks so much Somali for such lovely perspective and indeed Happy Blogging!!!
Cheers to the Creativity that comes with it…
😀
I can relate to all the points here, Nihar. Blogging has made me a better human being. I was basically an introvert, but speaking and communicating with other bloggers have helped me a lot. Not only that, it has increased my communication skills. Earlier, I used to write poems, stories etc just on a whim, but now I’m more focused, now I know creativity has no limit, it can express itself in many forms.
Thanks for presenting this article, it almost has spoken my mind…. 😀
Yes Maniparna I couldn’t have summed it better, indeed blogging has made us a better human being…I have personally experienced the way I have been looking at life and things around me, particular the way we have been conversing with each other, it is limited to known circle and there are so many others having similar understanding and interesting but never had the opportunity to connect and converse…blogging is good for humanity to have community sharing and caring for each other.
We all as creative people are some way or other are more reserved and introvert and that is absolutely fine as that’s nature we love to be…yes, being extrovert helps to connect and communicate with others easily and extend our community of exchanging our thoughts…
Somali had mentioned in her comment that how she learned the Haiku from you and developed the new dimension to creative…I am really intrigued by Haiku and Tanka but not able to fathom the creative energy to venture into, it is not easy to capture creativity in few words and you do it brilliantly…
It is always such a pleasure sharing thoughts with you…
😀
Hi Nihar,
What an innovative way of ‘Breaking News!’ Blogging is indeed all four; each one has its own significance. All are so interdependent that sometimes I wonder what is more important!
It is no doubt a wonderful place to hang out and have fun for non-commercial bloggers. While professional bloggers sweat it out to accomplish the desired success, I have always taken blogging very lightly, a platform to share my experiences and insights about life and its nuances.
I have seen some blogs with frivolous talk and one-line comments with huge following. For them, networking must be the focus! Engagement with like-minded bloggers, reading their thoughts carefully and interacting with them reveals the quality of our writing, which is the core of blogging. I believe that words speak louder if they are well written.
Thanks for being a consistent blogger and a friend I can count on. I am so glad I met you. Stay blessed and have a nice weekend. 🙂
At the outset Balroop thank you so much for such a lovely perspective. Yes, earlier it was the library, club, friends place to a park or a community get together, always was in the physical world, it has its limitation…the travel, the bias, the prejudices, the gender, the profession, so many of these factors decided how the meeting and sharing happens and with whom all it happens…it never allowed like minded people to come together and discuss some common topics unless you are part of a group or a company, these barriers have broken with the innovation of blogging and the focus now revolves around idea, thoughts, conversation and meaningful discussion without any such fringe elements distracting our thoughts and exchange of ideas.
I fully agree it is this meaningful engagement that makes all the difference this platform, as rightly pointed out there are many blogs and it is their marketing network along with SEO techniques that makes them have huge following but the quality of discussion remains pedestal.
It is the quality of engagement in exchanging thoughts that is so vital to healthy and wealthy blogging practice, wealth is not always measured in monetary terms, the power of ideas and learning though beautiful conversational interactions.
I am so happy to have had so many wonderful conversation with you and with your insightful and in-depth reservoir of knowledge and creative thoughts, I’m truly blessed to have met you and keep learning so many things from you…
You too have a beautiful weekend…hope to hear your latest book that you are reading.
😀
I am pretty much a puny blogger in this community but like others Even I was searching for a proper route to guide me.I am really glad that I came across this post.You have made things clear with extreme clarity.This post really helped me a lot. Thank you so much!
I am glad that you liked it and it is helping in your pursuit of blogging…
There are many ways to support our endeavor for translating our passion into a wonderful engagement of expression and conversation…connecting with such wonderful friends across the globe is what makes a great difference.
😀