I’ve been learning a lot about habits recently. From the moment we wake up, habits take control: make coffee, make breakfast, shower, dress, go to work. From one point of view, patterns are a necessity.
They take most of the guesswork out of life, so we can successfully get to where we need to be and do what we need to do. But slavishly following unhealthy habits is not good for anyone.
One good habit that I’ve picked up recently has been this blog. I do it, without even thinking to do it or even feeling the need to do it, which is something key to making a successful blog.
But making a habit of writing your blog is just one step.
Here are five steps to creating a successful health blog:
#5 Know Your Stuff
Health and wellness are delicate subjects. Even though I was passionate about helping people live a healthy lifestyle, I realized that some things fell out of my field of knowledge. It’s important to make contacts with people who know about the body, the mind, nature, and science.
And that goes for every type of blog. Unless you have years of experience in a particular field (finance, health, the arts), you want to temper your advice with real-world knowledge and facts from trusted sources.
But consulting with professionals is especially important for a health blog. You don’t want to be responsible for people getting hurt. Research and checking with someone who knows what they’re talking about first is the best way to avoid that.
#4 Be up-to-date
The best e cig from VapingDaily selection is a great way to quit smoking on Tuesday. But on Thursday there may appear more innovative smoking substitutes. Bacon is good for you one day and bad for you the next (actually, bacon is bad for you).
If your blog is all about health and wellness then keeping up-to-date on all the latest studies, trends and fads should be a part of your process. The news cycle brings contradictory stories and studies about all kinds of things.
You don’t want to be the one person espousing the restorative properties of acai berries, while the rest of the world has already moved on to something else. So make sure you check all your news feeds daily, and even other blogs, to get a better idea of what’s happening in the wellness world.
#3 Take A Position
It’s important to keep up-to-date and do your research, but at the same time, you don’t want to copy what everyone else is doing. People come to your blog for your insights, your opinion, your advice. So it’s important that you stake a position that is uniquely yours and stick to it.
If you are firmly against genetically modified foods, then don’t all of a sudden start talking about the wonders of farmed salmon or seedless grapes (both genetically modified foods, although farmed salmon is much worse).
If you are all about the electronic cigarette and its benefits over smoking regular cigarettes, don’t all of sudden come out against it because a new study says they’re harmful. Consistency is another important selling point.
Building that kind of relationship with your readers – where they know what to expect from you – ensures that they’ll make a habit (there’s that word again) out of visiting your blog and reading your posts.
#2 Reach Out and Interact
Having a blog may not make you the most famous person in the world. But one thing that a successful blogger has in common with a famous musician, actor or personality is that they all exist because of an audience.
Blogs don’t exist in a vacuum. Increasing your audience should always be heavy on your mind and one way you can attract readers is by serving your faithful audience. You should always make it a point to be available to your readers.
Read comments people leave. Respond to questions people send you. Or do outreach on your own by inviting people to talk online (you can set up a separate email or Facebook account to make this possible).
If people know that you are more than just words on the screen, then that goes a long way to forging those crucial relationships that’ll not only bring new readers but keep your long-time readers.
And one more thing. Don’t be cynical about it. Don’t think of interacting with your readers as a chore or as a means to an end. Take a genuine interest in what people say and respond in kind.
#1 Enjoy It
Taking a genuine interest leads me to my last, and most important point. Sure, in the back of your mind, money may have played a role in why you started blogging. There’s no shame in that.
But don’t underestimate people’s intelligence. You can maybe get away with pushing a particular product if you truly believe in it and once in a while. But if all you talk about, all the time, is how this e-cig is the best e-cig ever, for example, then people won’t take you seriously.
If everything about your blog becomes monetized (affiliate links, or pushing products and services), people will see right through you. And they will speak with their browsers.
Besides, always thinking about money is stressful. It’s better to think about how amazing you can make your blog. Pour yourself into it as you would with any other passion project.
And just like people will see through your money-grubbing tactics, if you use them too often, people will respond (positively) to how much fun they see you’re having in making your blog.
About the Author
Phyllis Baker is the blogger and PR manager of the QuitSmokingCommunity. Currently, she is writing about self-development, health issues and addiction treatment.