12 things I've changed about my blogs' content since starting them

I've been publishing this blog for just over 6 years, and The Eloquent Woman for not quite 4 years. In that time, I've made plenty of adjustments--something you should be doing with your blog, Facebook page, Twitter feed or any other recurring feed of information you publish. Course corrections shouldn't be tire-damaging, but a part of your plan, and taking stock a few times a year can help you see what needs changing. Re-read your posts in order, gather analytic data and reader feedback to see which posts resonated most, and think through whether your approaches still meet your goals. Here's what I've changed about my blogs thanks to similar reviews:

1. Pronouns: After years of having it drummed into me that the "vertical pronoun" wasn't preferable, I've ditched the editorial we for the editorial I/me/mine. Much better...for me. 
2. Voice: I know my voice has gotten stronger in both blogs, and that has taken work. As a longtime writer, I know that my voice here is closest to my earliest professional writing: Fast, funny, tight and direct. But it has taken time to feel confident enough to do that.
3. Post length: Also more tentative to begin with, my posts began super-short and now range from one paragraph to many. I still edit ruthlessly and write as short as I can, but there's more variation.
4. Visuals: Now, they're a must--and using a visual in almost every post also means I have automatic thumbnails in my Facebook re-posts, a tactic that does boost readership. Mostly, I use photos, but video--when appropriate--also has become an important component on both blogs.
5. More behind-the-scenes: I started by letting readers direct me to this point, via their questions ("I like your blog and wonder how you..."). That grew into posts that share lessons I've learned while doing these blogs, fair game, I figure, since I began blogging in part to help clients try it. Some of the most-read posts on this blog shared observations about how I do this (hence, a post like this one).
6. Unafraid of the obvious: If you read my posts and you already know something I've put in a post, good for you. You're not my only reader. Sharing universal and common situations helps newbies catch up, reminds managers what they need to be sharing, and most importantly, tells clients what I know and how I approach things. But when you're starting out, the inner critic (and sometimes outer ones) can talk you out of this. Don't listen.
7. Frequency:  I've played carefully with frequency, and done a lot of ear-to-the-ground listening to bolster changes. But when I post consistently and frequently, I get more readers. That was true when I started out aiming for three posts a week, but both blogs are averaging a post every weekday, for the most part, and their audiences are growing exponentially.
8. Series: I start series periodically on the blogs, and I've killed some, too, either for my sake or for the readers' sakes. But well-planned series are a great traffic builder and a great way to focus on a topic that just can't be covered in brevity. Sometimes readers suggest these, too; on The Eloquent Woman blog, I've done series to share famous or excellent speeches by women, when readers said they couldn't find enough good examples of women speakers, for example. Now I'm working on ways to curate what's appeared in past series to make archives of useful themed information.
9. Recycling, annotating and updating: Both blogs have a body of work that's extensive, and new readers won't surf through them all. So I've found ways to revise, update and repost some posts, or to collect several posts on a topic (on The Eloquent Woman, we call that the "all-in-one" on humor, or wardrobe, or gestures). These, too, are popular posts, packed as they are with lots of tips in one compilation. My preference is to make it clear these are reposts "from the vault," annotated or compiled, so that longtime readers also know what they're getting.
10. Planning: A core part of the philosophy of don't get caught, naturally. Planning, which I now do within my blogging platform and in Evernote, means capturing source material and ideas with consistency, and then producing and scheduling posts--leaving enough flexibility to respond timely when an appropriate story is breaking and needs coverage here. The more I blog, the more I plan.
11. Humor: It's always been there, but I am quite sure both blogs are more relaxed and confident about handling humor. It pays, though, to have a strong sense of who's reading you and how you use humor--it shouldn't be against either your reader or yourself, I feel, at least not for my blogs.
12. Trial balloons: The Eloquent Woman blog began on this blog as a series of well-received, well-read posts on public speaking, and then on women and public speaking. After an early and warm reception, I was ready to give that topic its own blog, having done the research on whether the content pool was deep enough. Don't wing it with trial balloons...they need planning, too.

What have you changed about your blogs since you started them? Share in the comments.

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