Travel blogging has gone way beyond a hobby. Getting better at blogging is exactly what the craftsman in you should be focusing on. The coming year of course, thanks to mass adoption of the internet and content platforms muscling in on traditional news and media outlets, promises to be even bigger in blog content consumption than ever. If you’re smart of course, you'll be looking for new, more unconventional ways to hone your craft. And that’s what this post is for.
Most people approach blogging by worrying about all the traditional matters of concern. Personal branding, domain names, design, coherent content and all the rest. And while focusing on those things is no doubt valuable, there are other, less discussed ways, of improving your skills.
Steal Like an Artist
While Austin Kleon’s New York Times best-selling book argues that all great artists should steal, the case remains, most people are averse to this idea, especially travel bloggers and content creators. The argument here however is that most people are looking at this the wrong way. Travel bloggers quite rightly shouldn’t steal other bloggers work and re-publish duplicate content on their site – that'll only damage your position in the engines and put you at risk of Google penalties anyway – but that’s not to say they can’t appropriate the themes or subjects of another site’s most popular content.
Getting better at blogging is about paying attention to what content attracts an audience and what emotional buttons it pushes. Look at what your competitors are doing in regards to this and if they’re successful, steal the same core concepts but try and add a further caveat or twist. Chances are the same impact is likely to be made by your content emerging a couple of days or weeks later.
Lean on Others for Content
Most travel bloggers or content creators have this deep-set belief that every word or component of their content should come from their own hands and heads. The fact is however, that you can get much better at blogging, and get much wider circulation of your content, by leaning on others to help shape your content.
What this means is basically asking questions of prominent thinkers or thought-leaders in your space and attributing what they tell you back to their platforms. The same can be said for interviews. Make your content work for you by giving other people, with valuable things to say, a chance to promote themselves and share their expertise on your platform. By being the source of great information your brand will only grow stronger.
Create Conflict in Your Space
This one is a bit of a risk but in creating conflict in your space you’re increasingly likely to draw attention to your platform and get more eyes on your content. That said, it’s not for the faint-hearted so you'll need to be resolute and well-versed in debate and know where the line is not to be crossed if you don’t want your brand image to get tarnished.
Provocative argument though, and especially taking to task the suggestions, opinions or content of others, can often work in your favour. Sure, it’s counterintuitive, especially when most blogging advice tells you to work on relationships, but, if done in a constructive way, it’s not likely to impede you making the right connections and an audience might even respect you more for your counter-position in the space.
One thing is for sure, there are many ways to go about blogging. Unconventional or not, the tips above are certainly something to think about and experiment with if you’re looking to get results.
This article was provided by Join Universe (www.joinuniverse.com)
