Whether you are starting up a new web site aimed at bloggers
or whether you are looking to make your existing blogging site more
distinctive, the key to building and maintaining a site that will capture the
interest and attention of the blogging community is finding your niche. If you
can fill a unique need in a way that no other web site does, you'll be able to
build a lasting readership among web surfers. Once you have discovered a niche,
you will still have a lot to do, but finding your place in the blogosphere is
the place to begin.
Every great blogging web site starts with a great idea, and
you can't build a successful site that will last without one. There are many
great sites aimed at today's bloggers, and competition for the attention of this
growing demographic is fierce. To make your blogging web site stand out from
the pack, you will need to offer something that no other site is currently offering,
or you will need to do the same thing that an already popular site does but in
a more impressive or valuable way.
One way to discover an ideal model for your blogging web
site is to look at the sites that have successfully captured a blogging
audience already to determine if you can appropriate some of their strategies
to help realize your vision. Of course, you will also need to add a unique
flair to your project in order to stand apart from your competition. Many
people agree that the web sites that do the best in today's market are the
sites that have the most personality. So consider how you can give your site a
unique and attractive feeling by lending your own voice and sensibility to your
site's design and content.
Once you have a great idea for your site, have pinpointed a
special niche that you are well equipped to fill, and have infused the site
with personality, the next step is figuring out how to get the word out to
bloggers (we’ll talk about that in our marketing segment). In the long run, a
great idea just isn't enough to propel your blogging web site to success. You
will need to draft a smart and realistic marketing plan in order to draw
readers to your site. Once you hook a blogger, your great content will keep
them coming back. But your number one priority is finding a way to keep the
readers hooked once they land on your site.