Blogging in 2020 and Beyond

Keeping ahead of the pack is getting increasingly difficult as the blog market introduces more and more new bloggers to the scene. But is blogging in 2020 a waste of time? Certainly not! You can still create a successful blog today so long as you start with a strong foundation and keep consistent. Here are my top tips for blogging in 2020 and beyond.

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Start on Social Media

Straight away! Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr, LinkedIn… Whatever your social media preference. I suggest you build a page for your blog on your platform of choice and start growing your audience so that you can get them excited for the launch of your blog. It is hard work, so rallying your friends and family is the best way to get the initial traffic ball rolling. Similarly, Pinterest – although not a social media platform – is also something that you should spend time on. Google Analytics views Pinterest as a social media platform and many bloggers find that the majority of their traffic is a result of their efforts on Pinterest. Therefore, you should familiarize yourself with Pinterest’s SEO and tap into their traffic regardless of your niche.

Create a blogging schedule that suits you

Consistency is what keeps blogs alive so make sure you create a realistic schedule for yourself that you know you can stick to. It is very important that it fits in to your day to day activities because consistency is what helps web traffic gradually grow steadily over time. TRUST ME. I have been lazy blogging before with sporadic traffic but I noticed a MASSIVE increase in my traffic when I was blogging regularly and sticking to my blogging and blog marketing plan. Take the time to craft out your blogging routine and stick to it. It is very rewarding. Open an Excel spread sheet, name it “Blogging in 2020 – Lets do this thing!” and make yourself a personalized calendar. Moreover, it’s a great motivator when it is perfectly tailored to your needs.

Use the right tools

Tools I suggest are:

Yoast SEO
Hootsuite
Canva
MailChimp
Hemingway Editor
Google Analytics
Sumo
Smush – Compress, Optimize and Lazy Load Images

These are the ones that I honestly suggest. I haven’t put any links on them because I am not making affiliate income from suggesting these, they are genuinely what I find most helpful and, for the most part, they are free!

Understand a bit of the Backend

A little bit of self-study will do a world of wonders for you. Generally speaking, this will help you understand why something is going wrong and prevent you from making coding mistakes that can botch your whole site. In addition to that, YouTube has unlimited resources on WordPress so, find a YouTuber you like and then watch a few videos every now and then to stay updated. Speaking of staying updated, make sure your website is always updated! It’s also a good idea to keep security in mind. Read this post to clue yourself up on WordPress security.

Take marketing seriously

Blogging n 2020 is not just about writing 10 blogs a day and waiting, you have to market about 40% of the time. Keyword research will only get you so far and organic traffic is getting harder to achieve due to saturation. Join relevant Facebook communities. Make sure your Facebook Page is SEO friendly and consistent with the information on your website. Set up an Instagram account. Submit your blogs to sites that accept guest blogs. Put in the work. You can use Hootsuite to help you with scheduling your posts. Create multiple pins per blog post on Pinterest and pin everyday for a few minutes. Answer ALL of your comments and be social on the platforms. Build relationships with other bloggers and learn from them. Comment on other posts and have real conversations. Because it’s a big part of the job. If you can, invest in Facebook ads. See this post about marketing for travel blog for more details.

SEO SEO SEO

Right from the start, focus on your SEO optimization. Install Yoast. Pay for premium if you can. Google can see your site’s SEO score and statistically, more sites that have optimized their SEO rank higher on Google. This translates to higher traffic, which means more opportunity to earn. Don’t just SEO your website. SEO your Facebook business page, SEO your Pinterest account, SEO every part of the internet that you have control over to point the crawlers towards your business and guide your ideal reader to your door step. Use Ubersuggest for your keyword research. Frequently assess and pay attention to what your competitors are doing and make your content valuable!

Lastly, we are blogging in 2020 and content is still King

Write quality content and do keyword research to see what people are actually looking for. Be helpful. Most importantly, be shareable. Try to make your content answer a question so that it will be the first reference for your viewers. BE HONEST! Write from the heart and fact check yourself. All things considered, if you are serious about writing, I encourage you to browse through the content of our environmental journalism and travel writing program.

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Blogger Profile - Robyn Green

Robyn joined the Africa Media in 2018 to bring a young and enthusiastic approach to our social media and marketing campaigns. She brings with her a serious passion for people and animals alike. She also teaches a workshop called Social Media and the Independent artist. The workshop is aimed at helping freelance photographers, writers and film makers build their online presence.