Blogging is an activity to share knowledge or expertise. Whether you’re covering topics on environment, travel, cooking, sports, entertainment, politics, fashion, etc, blogs are usually created with specific audience in mind.
So when you want your blog to be read by millions of readers that have similar interests across the globe on a daily basis, how can you blog to such a global audience? Blogging for a global market is a rather new experience and it requires some tricks and a little strategy. Here are simple things you can do to make your blog appeal to global audience and increase the success of your blog.
Table of Contents
Define Your Content And Your Audience:
So you’ve started a blog, but for it to be a success it is important to know what your content is about, who your visitors are and where do they come from. If your content is about politics in France, it’s not fair to get your version in Swedish or Chinese: most of your audience will definitely be French. But if your blog is exclusively dedicated to Tai-Chi, the Chinese exercise that has multiple health benefits on mind and body then you can take it for granted that your readers will be much more international, therefore a multilingual version of your blog would be a better option to keep your global audience engaged.
Focus On International Topics:
You need to do research to find out what appeals to a specific nation. For instance, if you’re a food blogger and want to draw interest of Japanese readers then you could write on Nestle Kit Kats as they are extremely popular in that nation with over eighty different flavors. Likewise, if your blog is about novels, and want to target Finland and Norway readers, you’ll find that Donald Duck comics are hugely popular there.
Use Simple Language:
One of the first things to consider while writing your posts is the language. If it is full of colloquialism or dialect that will possibly alienate global audience, then you should modify it. For example, if you are writing for Scottish readers, using words such as ‘wheesht’ in place of ‘be quiet’ or ‘pieced’ in place of sandwhiches’, make your writing unfriendly to your readers. Instead, use simple language that is easy to understand and engage such audience for long. Also, avoid long sentences that have more than 20 words.
Translate Your Posts:
If you want your blog to reach millions of readers across the continents, you should consider translating your content. By translating your content into the language of your target market, your blog is easily accessible to readers in their native language rather than English. As discussed above with the Swedish example, your blog can reach out to a wider audience in a country that already has a passion for your theme.
You have two options of translation- electronic and manual translation. Google translate is one of the best translation devices bloggers flock to as it offers a quick and free solution. But the problem with automatic translators is that they deliver a basic direct translation, which aren’t perfect and they will inevitably lose the tone of your blog. However, if you’re using simple English in your posts, you could give it a try.
On the other hand, if you can afford, a native-speaking translator is undoubtedly the best choice. Translation services such as www.peoplehour.com or www.proz.com provide reasonable prices for professional services.
Research The Most Relevant Keywords:
Optimizing your content for search engine purpose will help increase your blog’s exposure and generate more traffic to it. It’s worth doing a little research to find the right keywords native speakers tend to search for and optimize your content for these words.
After you have identified the most relevant keywords, you should place them at appropriate places on your blog. These should be used in your headings, alt text with images, the image file name and your first paragraph. The trick is to blend the keywords naturally into your content without ruining your posts.
Consider The Time Zones:
A good, general rule of thumb for any blog is to publish the fresh material in the morning, so when your readers switch on their computers, they can find your new posts. Of course this time varies for your readers located in different nations with different time zones. Hence, schedule the publishing times for your posts depending on the language they are written. Though this requires some effort, it gives your blog a professional allure. Services like www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/ will help you in managing time zones of different nations.
Promote Your Blog:
Though your blog has unique and valuable content, it is of no use if no one reads it. This is where social networks come in. Facebook and Twitter are not enough to get your blog to international audience. You should also consider other platforms popular in foreign countries. For example, in Russia, Vkontakte is a popular platform with over 130 million readers while in Netherlands, Hyves, has over 10 million members. These are some of the popular social networks used in different countries, but if employed, can make your international audience have fun with your blog.
About the Author:This Post is written by Brianne. She is a writer/blogger. She writes articles on Technology, social media, WordPress, Gamification, website development and online development etc. These days she contributes on punchh.
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