Once the brief was set upon, myself and Luke made a list of research to undertake as a team. This list included current design blogs, what makes a successful design blog, coding in Tumblr and ways of marketing a blog. Therefore as a first task of research I decided to look into what makes a successful design blog, and to find a way of making a blog stand out amongst thousands of others.
One common theme that arises in researching into what makes a successful blog is promotion, as after you’ve published your first post, it’s time to get it out there and viewed. Setting up social media accounts for a blog on these platforms: Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Instagram, Pinterest (this one being the most important). These social media platforms will get the word out about the content we will be sharing, but unfortunately, we are really just guests in each social media space, and are limited by the operation of each site. For example, your Facebook posts will only show up to a fraction of your Facebook “fans”, unless you are willing to pay more money to boost your posts and get more eyes on them. A mailing list is also important as when readers sign up to a mailing list, you will have a built in audience of people who you can reach directly when you have an announcement to make, a share, or just when you just want to connect and get to know them better. Mailchimp is the most common but most cost effective solution as it allows up to 2000 emails free of charge.
Another key aspect is to find a niche as there are thousands of design blogs out there. With new ones being created everyday and its getting to the point where a design blog can’t simply be just another design blog. Our niche can be communicated through our concept of common interests. As you determine your niche, people are more likely to visit the blog when they have a specific need.
Finally It’s all about content as I've seen in research. Valuable information for your readers is key as they are not likely to be visiting your blog in the future if it isn't. While your blog should look professional, don’t waste so much time ensuring your blog design is the best one around. Use that time to make sure you are providing great content to your readers instead.
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