I’m sure many of you know what blogging is, but for the few of you who do not know what a blog is, allow me to enlighten you. A blog is a web page that serves as a journal for an individual which is freely accessible to internet users all over the globe. Sounds easy enough, doesn’t it?

Blogging is not as easy as many think. With millions of blogs out there, it’s hard to achieve true success. You can spend 15 hours a day working on your blog but, if you’re not doing the right things you’re just wasting your time. So what goes into having a successful blog you ask? There are many ways you can ensure your blog will be successful. There are a few important factors you need to determine before starting a blog, which include:

–> Goals

–> Target Audience

Below are a few other important elements you should take into consideration when creating and maintaining your own blog:

1. Name and URL Link
The name of your blog is very important. It should be unique and memorable so that visitors will remember it and return after the first visit.

When choosing a domain for your blog, select one that will represent your brand – which is you. Pick something that’s short and unforgettable. Anything too long will be hard to remember and easily forgotten. This may result in visitors not returning to your blog.

2. Design
The design is the first thing a visitor will notice when arriving on your blog. If you want to ‘wow’ your visitors then choose a design that stands out from the rest in order for your blog to be unforgettable. Remember, first impressions last.

Another important factor to take into consideration is navigation. Make sure that everything on your blog is easy to find and access. There’s nothing more annoying than spending hours trying to find recent posts, tags, a search box, etc.

3. Content
I’m sure you’ve heard the cliché, “Content is king.” Well, if you want a successful blog then you should live by it.

Content helps increase your traffic and improve your rankings. If you want readers to share your posts then you should put a lot of time and effort into your content.

4. Social Media Platforms
Social interactivity is fundamental for any blog. When creating your blog, add plugins or widgets in order to make it easy for your readers to share your content. Be sure to add a Facebook like button, a Twitter button for retweeting, and the new Google +1 button. If you create great content, people will share it on their social media platforms.

Blogging Heroes

Among more than 102 000 000 blogs, a few stand out as influential — they are called Blogging Heroes. Wired magazine Editor-in-Chief Chris Anderson is one of them with one of the most successful blogs in the world – “The Long Tail”.

Below are a few points by Chris Anderson that might help you when creating your own blog or increasing the quality of your blog:

A blog is a thinking tool, a means of collecting, composing, and amplifying your thoughts—while getting useful feedback. Ideas are enriched by the experiences of blog readers.

A personal blog presents a better platform for communicating honestly and transparently than a company blog, where a writer is constrained by commercial considerations. However, remember that self-promotion is more effective when it includes a value-added element.

A blog, especially one with a large community, can function as a distributed research project and become an efficient marketing platform.

When blogging, focus on specific interests. You don’t have to appeal to an overly diverse audience. Focused blogs are self-selecting, in that they draw readers who have a legitimate interest in the blogs’ subjects.

Such readers are more likely to forgive errors and omissions, and will contribute more than someone just passing through.

Every blog, and every blogger, can be improved. To maximize your blog’s audience, focus with laser precision on your subject.

If you want to hear Chris live, catch him at the Discovery Invest Leadership Summit on 21 September 2011.