Blogging has been dynamic and constantly transforming into something magnificent ever year. Blogging In 2013 to market, blogging for SEO, blogging for back-linking and now its the year of the authority. Authority meaning your dominance in the space of blogging and not really sports authority or spiritual authority. Blogging In 2013 is more about building authority for your self more than anything else. While SEO and marketing matter a lot with Blogging In 2013, the primary focus this year is to revolve around who you are and what you can deliver as a blogger. Top bloggers across the globe are shifting focus and reducing guest posts and are becoming very choosy as they start to realize their blogs no longer voice their views.
What Can you do to be an authority in your niche? Here are 4 Reasons Why Blogging in 2013 Is the Year Of Authority
#1 Stop Accepting Guest Posts
Top bloggers including Darren, Daniel have stopped accepting guest posts on their blogs. As a blogger this not only helps you be more you on your blog than 1000′s of guest authors who keep rambling about the same things. This gives you the flexibility to write about stuff that matter to you the most and invite authoritative figures to write for you blog which would make the world of difference to your readers.
Its not about back-linking or SEO any more with blogs. The focus is more about defining who you are and what your blog can really offer. I think its a good thing to stop accepting guest posts if you want stand out as an authoritative figure in your niche. While many blogs and bloggers continue to encourage guest Blogging In 2013 (I’m not against it), but for me to establish yourself as a subject matter expert, you need to prove yourself. What better place than your own blog.
#2 Focus On One Specific Topic Blogging In 2013
While there is a lot you need to know to set up a business online, be it a blog, product sales affiliate marketing. its best that you focus on one specific area of expertise. While we bloggers, most of us can do pretty much all activities from writing, to marketing to social media we are not experts in all aspects of life. By focusing on one specific area of expertise, it enables us to showcase our strength in the field.
This is one of the most convincing factor about authority and your success depends on it. Success can take a few good months to several years. But it all depends on the effort you put into your work and clients. As a blogger its important that you focus on one specific area to build an Authority in 2013.
#3 Market, Promote And Engage With Other Authority Figures
The best way to get the attention you deserve is to focus on your blog. While social media and other platforms can be a good source to market and promote, one of the recent study shows that they can be quite distracting. Social media today is becoming very noisy and is considered as one of the greatest source of distraction. Do you really need to be on social networks 24/7? Think again. Prioritize your objectives and goals accordingly.
I’ve changed my focus for 2013 to work on things that simply talk about what my knowledge and understanding can offer other bloggers and businesses across the globe. While a lot of gurus out there will not agree with my take on social networks I guess I need to make my stand on what is best for my blog. Both as a blogger and business, think about the benefits and the de-merits a social network offers you and is it worth it.
#4 Write Content Based On Quality And Not Quantity
Blogging In 2013 is not about how much content you churn out every day. If you are a news site, then that would make sense. But think again if you are a knowledge platform does it really matter the number of posts you write daily? Or the quality of each post and the information contained in it. For me its more about the information that the post contains and not really the number of posts.
I read Mashable and TechCrunch simply to get Technology news updates and I read sites like ProBlogger, Daily Blog Tips to get valuable blogging information. While sites like TechCrunch and Mashable are excellent news sites, they no longer offer posts that are educational and informative in terms of getting things done. LifeHacker for one is a site that still offers information that helps everyone.
Now that I’ve shared my research and understand of how blogging would be in 2013 and my focus on Blogging In 2013, what are you planning as a blogger in 2013?
About Eddie Gear
Thanks Eddie, very interesting ideas you have put forward, whats your opinion on curation with blogging?
Glad you found the post helpful Liza. Can you tell me what you mean by Curation with blogging?
When you source content from other peoples blogs/sites and make it all available in one place, or as I do on my blog.. find a good post (like your one here) and either quote it or paraphrase it linking to the original article for more info.
Its basically sharing great stuff via your blog, as you do (or should be doing) on twitter,facebook, etc.
Liza, Thanks for the explanation. From my point of view, if you can find great content on other blogs, so can millions of others. Sharing others content on your blog can be a post positive and negative. While more people might find use for the great content, you do not really set or establish authority over what you can deliver as a blogger or a profession as most content shared on the blog is not your own.
This is important stuff Eddie. This is exactly what I’m doing in 2013, I want to become an authority in blogging and in marketing especially. I am still planning my businesses, and I am trying hard to focus on just a few things and not doing “everything” for money. It’s so much harder to become an authority if you’re not focusing.
Hi Jens, Its good to hear that many bloggers are starting to focus on what blogging for business was really intended for. I would love to hear from you how the transitions works out and if you need to work on a strategy, do let me know and may be we can work something together.