This post is the first post in a four part series highlighting steps you should be taking to help market your blog.  Regardless of the content you are blogging about, there are things that are universal as far as what will help build readership which will lead to the ability to effectively monetize your blog.  Let’s get started with what you should do first.

1.  Before you do anything else, you must know what you want as a result of all this you are about to embark on.  Namely, what is your goal for this marketing plan?  Do you want 100 visitors a day in 7 days time?  Do you want 1000 rss subscribers by months end?  What is it you are trying to accomplish?  By writing this down, you are giving focused effort to something specific, and giving yourself something to work towards.  Without an identifiable goal, you won’t know what you are gearing your marketing towards and if you were successful or not in your efforts.

2.  After you have established an identifiable goal and set an appropriate amount of time to achieve it, you must define what you offer that your competition doesn’t.  This is what your marketing efforts will focus around.  You are selling a solution to a problem.  Write down what defines your superior advantage over what others have to offer.

3.  Next, pinpoint who your target audience is.  Is it other highly skilled individuals in your area of expertise?  Are you introducing your ideas or services to people wanting to learn more on the subject area?  No matter who it is, you must focus on those who have a strong interest in what you are offering, and it doesn’t matter if it’s a large selected amount of people or a very small group.  The more accurate your marketing efforts are towards your target audience, the better return on investment you will receive from your efforts.  Market towards the people who are highly interested in what you offer, not to everybody online.

4.  The last thing you need to designate is what you want consumers of your idea, service, or product to associate you with.  Do you offer knowledge, exclusivity, speed, value, or a competitve price?  Whatever it is, write down the ONE thing you want to pop into your readers head when they see your name.  Be the leader in your field in this one area, known as your “niche.”

The last three steps I listed above form a basis of what is to be your “brand”  and in effect you have created your identity to the readers and future consumers of what you are offering.  This brand is what is going to help you accomplish your goal outlined in step one.  Be genuine in your efforts and be yourself.  Inject your own personality into your brand so you become one in the same.  Let your “brand” shine thru in everything you do that is associated with your blog, from design, to posting, to all of your advertising.

In Part 2 of this series on how to successfully Market Your Blog, I am going to cover 3 things that you will need to implement in your blog to create regularity and build credibility in your identity.  Until then, happy blogging!