What I've learned from publishing a blog post per week for 13?years
Dimitri Burkhard
Global Service Marketing Manager at Mettler-Toledo International | Brand Management | Digital Marketing
If you do the math, that’s more than 700 individual blog posts.
Seven hundred twelve stories that I’ve brainstormed, researched, typed up, edited (and edited again), published, and spread on social media.
In February 2010, when I hit the “Publish” button for the first time, I never imagined the amount of patience and persistence I would unleash.
Keeping up anything for 13 years is no small feat, right?
Through trial and error, I have learned some valuable things about publishing a multi-author online magazine:
Pick a topic you feel super passionate about. ??
You may think that this is obvious. But believe me, I have met more than a handful of aspiring publishers struggling to keep up writing - and gave up. The reason for quitting is usually a topic that is too narrow.
On the other hand, some pick the blog topic based on a trend that gets old fast. (Fidget spinner, anyone?)
I consider passion the most important driver that has kept me going for eight years. Hands down! Because without an inherent dedication and a limitless curiosity for my topic, I would have given up publishing the day I subscribed to Netflix.
But I didn’t.
Drop everything and reserve your name on every social media network. ??
Once you’ve decided what to call your new publication, one of the first tasks should be to claim your name.
I learned this the hard way with another project I was working on.
The dot com domain, Facebook Page URL, and Twitter handle were still available. But someone had already claimed the Instagram profile.
Workarounds, such as adding the country domain to a Twitter handle, will always exist. But in the best cases, you are the owner of all social profiles for your brand name - even if you are not actively curating each channel (yet).
Mastodon, anyone?
Statistics are dead. Long live statistics. ??
Don’t fret about the statistics too much, especially at the beginning of your publishing project. I’m saying this because you could easily get stuck inside a wormhole as you dig deeper and deeper into Google Analytics.
Instead of trying to find trends and understand your readers' behavior from a bunch of big data, go out there and engage with your readers.
Collect small data by asking them questions, responding to their comments and emails, or meeting them at events.
In contrast to the average number of pages per session, knowing about the concerns of your local readers will help you tailor content to the community’s needs.
There are some statistics that you should keep in mind, however. That’s because they will help you allocate your time (and money) more wisely.
One of these stats relates to traffic sources: Where were your visitors browsing before arriving on your site?
Say you notice that most visitors find your content on social media, but barely any discover it on search engines. In this case, you should churn out more content that people are actually searching for.
Search engine optimization should take no longer than a few minutes per?article. ??
My mantra is to think about content first.
What’s the overarching storyline you are going to tell?
What journey will you take readers on?
What obstacles must you overcome, and what message do you want to drive home?
Because if you're in for the long haul, you need to publish helpful content for human beings, not for algorithms.
And while algorithms can help brainstorm ideas, they can't replace authentic storytelling. Humans are still ahead of the curve in hitting the ground running with a proper camera and an old-fashioned reporter pad.
We interview young start-ups and local makers in Switzerland. We take photographs and document their learnings. And we create unique content that AI is not yet capable of inventing.
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To optimize blog content for search intent and keywords, do the following:
Ensure the keyword appears in the article title, h1 title, in the article URL, in at least one of the subheadings (i.e. the conclusion), in the ALT tags of several pictures, and a few times in the article copy.
Don't overdo it. It sounds more complicated than it is, but the plug-in will guide you. And the optimization won’t take more than a few minutes.
As of March 2023, we have organically ranked 55 keywords in the top position on Google. Some 500 keywords are on Google's page 1.
Spend time crafting a catchy title. And lure readers with odd-numbered?lists. ??
Initially, many of our articles had titles like “Hiking to XYZ.”
Over time, I experimented with sentences containing a subject, verb, and object: “We’ve hiked to XYZ, and here’s why you should, too.”
The experiment was a success.
Our most popular list articles have an odd number of items. And I have a theory of why they attract more attention.
Let’s assume we like things that are round as opposed to oval, even as opposed to odd. My list articles make readers feel like they are getting something legit with that extra cherry on top (= the odd item).
Let each author shine through their own?style. ??
Assuming that your publishing project features multiple authors, you will find that some prefer the long-story format with upwards of 800 words.
Others will write snackable lists that are easy to digest and quick to share on social media. Still, others will write visually rich essays about their personal experience doing such and such.
I have learned that in a solid online magazine, there is space for every single one of these formats. Because just as contributors are individuals, so are the readers.
Let your authors express themselves naturally. And refrain from editing their voice. Instead, stick to editing spelling and grammar only.
Not every reader cherishes lengthy interview formats, well-researched background pieces, or wordy travel essays.
But trust me, many do.
And they will not only come back for more, but they will follow their favorite contributor across the Web to never to miss a piece of writing.
Give credit where credit is?due. ??
Does this need explaining?
If you were inspired by someone’s writing or otherwise creative output, give them a head’s-up. Hyperlink their original article or mention them by name in the copy.
And always add a copyright notice if you publish an image under the Creative Commons license or with the photographer’s permission.
Through online publishing, even an introvert can “work a?room.” ??
There’s a truism in this. Because you see, I’m more of an introvert type.
I wouldn’t exactly place myself on the far end of the introvert scale because I have no problem speaking in front of an audience. Or going out to interview someone for a story. Or attending an event with hundreds of people.
But I regularly need to retreat to my own four walls to recharge. I need time to reflect and be inside my own head without external stimuli. I have found no better way to relax than to research a topic online, type up an article, or grab my dSLR and hit the town.
And finally, allow yourself to read a lot. Blogs, online magazines, Medium, Quora, Monocle, books, and newspapers - anything?goes. ??
Despite all the time it takes to upkeep an online magazine, you must invest just as much time into reading.
By breaking out of your bubble and exposing yourself to new topics, you will expand your horizon and come up with many more topics to write about…
If you’re curious about my publication, check out the Newly Swissed Online Magazine.
Together with fifteen storytellers from places like Canada, Japan, Kazakhstan, or Latvia, we cover Switzerland from the perspective of those who’ve returned - or those who are here for the very first time.