Blogging is a great way to attract an audience to your website. Blogging is a great way to promote your business or yourself. To become a successful blogger, it’s important to ask yourself these five questions.

Has this been written about before?

Find your niche. Find a unique topic that few people are writing about. Once you find a specific topic you are passionate about, brainstorm possible extensions of the topic. A perk of writing about a unique topic is that there is plenty of room for extensive writing on related topics. For example, if you are passionate about real estate and interior design, you could feasibly write about laws or economy fluctuations that may impact real estate, up-and-coming student designers, and more. If you are a travel blogger, you can also blog about your favorite products, tips to make travel easier, or write about apps to organize your trip.

Are you passionate about blogging on this topic?

Write with passion. Writing a successful blog will come much more easily if you write about something you are passionate about. Showing that you are invested in and care about what you’re writing about will in turn interest the reader. If you’re bored – so are they.

Is the blog interesting?

Ask yourself, “Would I find this interesting if I hadn’t written it?” You can’t expect people to read your work if you don’t even find the topic interesting. When blogging, you want to build an audience that trusts and continues to come back to your content. If their first impression of your writing is that it lacks enthusiasm, relevant details and personality, then they won’t click on your website the next time an article pops up.

Why should people care about your blog?

With every blog post, it’s important to answer this question. Don’t leave it to your reader to decipher why they should care. Explain to your reader why your work will positively impact their lives. Maybe it’s making them more educated about community issues, a better home designer or a better parent. Maybe it’s giving them invaluable information about caring for their health. Let them know how to use the information you share in the way that produces peak results.

Is your blog informed?

Know your topic front, back and sideways. Stay informed with industry news to ensure your work is staying up-to-date and isn’t telling a story told by countless others. Reading your competition’s blogs can be a good way to see what works and what doesn’t, without having to go through the trial and error yourself. This is also a great way of keeping informed with what readers are interested in. The best way to improve your writing is by reading.

By Breeana Greenberg