Last week, we wrote a blog about the four Cs of creating a blog: commitment, consistency, communication and content. Today we’re going to take a deeper dive into the content portion.

For an author, a blog can be a fantastic outlet for your creativity. But, before you begin, take a look at these tips that might give you a push in the right direction with your blogging efforts and building your content strategy.

Ask questions – Ask yourself the question, “Who am I targeting with my blog posts?” To begin, consider your book’s genre and topic. This will help you narrow down the interests of the people who are most likely to read your blog. Once you have clearly defined who your audience is, you can better decide what type of content will appeal to them most.

Topics – Gather a list of ideas you think would make good blog posts, whether they’re about your book and upcoming events, industry news, or information pertaining to your book’s genre. Once you have jotted down your ideas in a list, review it and determine whether or not your readers would find those topics interesting as well. Remember, you are writing for your reader not yourself. And remember: every blog post doesn’t have to be verbose. Blogs are also a perfect place to post pictures accompanied by a small amount of text.

Get organized – Consider organizing your thoughts into an editorial calendar. This is a useful resource to schedule and organize your blog topics. Not only does it narrow your focus, it also helps you plan ahead. Try using a spreadsheet or chart and incorporate the publish dates, topics, tentative blog title and keywords that you will use when you are ready to publish.

Stand out –It’s no surprise, but there are thousands and thousands of blogs online. The onus is on you to choose content that will make your blog stand out. Be unique and provide original content that pertains to your niche market. Try not to just churn out information; rather, offer your unique perspective or a creative spin on what you have to say. Keeping your content interesting and fresh is one way to stand out in the blogging world.

Sharing is caring – Do your readers care enough to share your blog content? Is it worthy to be shared via email or social media? Make it easy on your reader to share your content by including social sharing buttons in your blog. When your content is shared, you increase the likelihood that more people will be exposed to your blog and your book, and become invested in what you have to say themselves.

As a published author, a blog can be a resourceful tool in your promotional efforts. But a solid content strategy is key to helping drive your blog’s success among readers.

There’s no better time than the present to start your blog journey, so consider starting yours today! Happy blogging!