What You Can Learn About Blogging on the Beach

21 Beach-Inspired Blog Tips

As the symbolic end of summer, Labor Day Weekend involves a trip to the beach for many people. You can learn a lot about blogging from this outing. Here are twenty-one beach-related blog tips.

1. Choose a beach. Do you have a favorite spot on a nearby beach or are you going away for the weekend?  Decide on whether you want to use a free resource or self-host your blog using your own domain.
2. Pack your beach gear. Going to the beach requires special equipment and toys. Similarly, you decide on various technical elements.
3. Select your bathing suit and cover up. Many people want to be alluring on the beach, whether it’s a sexy bikini, jams or a wonderful cover up. In terms of your blog, use design and graphics to attract attention.
4. Walk on the beach. Just as you scope out the perfect stretch of  beach, assess blogs and other media sources that can be potential competitors for readership.
5. Find a spot on the beach. Finding an opening for your blanket on a crowded Labor Day Weekend can be difficult. Similarly, before diving into your blog, determine your niche and how you’ll distinguish it from similar blogs.
6. Set up camp. Open your chairs, blankets and beach umbrellas. For your blog, outline your editorial calendar and strategy in terms of categories of posts and frequency.
7. Use sunscreen. To protect yourself from getting burned as a blogger, develop a set of terms of use to let readers know how they can use your content and how to behave on your blog.
8. Gossip on the beach. Everyone uses time on the beach for sharing secrets and other information. Your About page serves this purpose on your blog.
9. Bring beach reads. Unlike your beach reading, consuming other blogs can be serious reading. Your goal is to see what other bloggers are writing about and look for hot topics.
10. Test the waters. Just as you may only put your toes in at the water’s edge, you need to start blogging by drafting at least one post to see how it feels.
11. Heed the lifeguard. Get a copyeditor or friend to check your writing and your grammar to protect you against errors.
12. Jump into the water. Even the most water resistant person will get wet if it gets hot enough. Similarly, at some point, you need to hit the publish button on your blog.
13. Share your food. Provide ways for readers to receive your content without thinking about it. RSS and email are great options.
14. Socialize with others. Many people go to a local beach and see friends and neighbors. With your blog this translates to socializing your blog with social sharing to build your following. Make it easy for readers to take action.
15. Play a game of beach volleyball. Join the group gathering on your blog by responding to comments.
16. Capture beach memories in photos. Even if you don’t have a camera, your smartphone will do. Use the photos on your blog to enhance your readers’ experience.
17. Leave footprints in the sand. Walking along the shore, you leave your footprints. Similarly your blog builds your digital footprint. Expand your footprint by leaving comments on other people’s blogs.
18. Build sand castles. The beach inspires a wide range of creativity. Who doesn’t want to dig in and build? Similarly your blog gives you space to show your originality and thinking. Don’t be afraid to mix things up on your blog.
19. Look for shells along the seashore. Note that the pickings are best at low tide. On your blog, this activity translates to gathering ideas for future posts.
20. Beware of the riptide. Just as a strong current can suddenly pull you away from shore, visitors to your blog can cause problems in the form of nasty comments or by using your content without permission.
21. Put up your fishing pole. Depending on where your beach is, late in the day, you can fish. On Fire Island you can catch bluefish or striped bass and in Montauk you can get swordfish. Similarly, your blog can be a fishing pole in the digital sands to attract leads and customers.

Just as your day at the beach may entail less activity, you can enjoy a day of ocean air and the lapping waves against the shore. Similarly, your blog doesn’t need to follow all of these points. This list is a good starting point fro building your blog.

Is there anything else that you’d add to this list? If so, what is it?

Happy marketing,
Heidi Cohen

Here are some related blogging tips to help you.

• 60 Tips to Get Your Blog on Track.
• 99 Free Blog Titles (or what I did for my summer vacation
•  12 Blog short cuts.

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