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Researching before blogging verifies the accuracy of your content.
Credible bloggers share proven information obtained from reliable sources.
Every blogger does thorough research at the outset.
Even confident beginners boost their credibility by linking to trusted resources as a reference. Google likes bloggers who link to credible posts as vetting mechanisms. Never mind that we all need some help to get content ideas at the outset.
I learned via:
- researching top blogging tips blogs
- gaining critical experience
to become the blogger I am today.
I augmented both strategies by diving into the research sources below.
Before listing these sites I want to explain how to go about researching blog posts with a simple system.
How to Vet Credible Resources
What makes a good source for research?
- a proven track record of detailed content published over years
- highly detailed content
- highly practical content one can seamlessly understand and use
- timely content relevant right up to today
- posts published by highly experienced, knowledgeable bloggers who baby-step readers through processes without leaving out important steps
Practice researching to get a feel for who really knows their stuff. You will separate the leaders from the rest intuitively because spotting specialists gets easier with repetition.
Bonus tip; seeing experienced bloggers endorse your research source via:
- blog comments
- social media comments
- onsite testimonials
serves as a strong marker; your due diligence source is good money.
My content may be polarizing. But some of the top bloggers in the world link to it, all of whom only drop backlinks to bloggers they deem to be highly trusted, genuinely credible sources.
How to Extract Useful Information
Visit your source.
Follow these steps.
Practical Steps
- read, view or listen to content
- open a Word document
- re-read, review or re-listen to content for taking notes (like in school)
- study the notes for a bit (like in school)
- take resonant research vibing with your brand as a material basis for your blog post
My mindset has always been this; if I had no idea what I was doing as a beginner blogger I learned from professional bloggers. I researched content to be a responsible blogger. Otherwise, I’d have been an irresponsible dingbat who misled others for my arrogance, pride, or bat shit delusion.
Blogging typically becomes the blind leading the blind. Few do any research at all. As a matter of fact, I read content on Reddit today from green bloggers spreading highly ineffective strategies.
However, reading posts from top Reddit users, top Quora users, top bloggers in your niche and Page 1 Google results tends to give you top shelf research material. Ditto for credible LinkedIn and social media users who spawn detailed, practical content.
Sticking to my simple system cultivates the proper frame of mind. Be a blogging student to write highly accurate, practical blog posts empowering readers to effectively solve their problems.
What About Statistics?
I use hard numbers lightly because every stat is outdated the moment it goes live.
Think.
Stats happened in the past which have nothing to do with now or the future.
Why would you ever tell readers to look back at numbers and base their potential on past statistics?
I see this disservice as insulting, frankly.
Dramatic stats (as the world perceives these numbers) serve readers by shocking ’em into following proven systems.
For example, 81% of bloggers never earn more than $100 USD for their entire careers. Bloggers usually follow no proven system then fail miserably. I shared that one to underscore why sticking to the fundamentals of creating and connecting for a long time is the only way to:
- go pro
- experience exponentially increasing success
based on that eye-opening stat.
Trust your gut on this one.
I prefer not to look at past results achieved by others as the future ceiling for Blogging From Paradise Readers.
Alas, now it is time to list due diligence sources.
Check out these resources to research blog posts.
1: Google It
Google search terms related to the blog post topic.
Scan page 1 for results resonant with your teaching style.
I perform due diligence on articles consistent with your values. For example, I never research articles about how to get rich fast for my monetizing posts because the concept aligns zero with my Blogging From Paradise school of teaching.
I read a few posts from trusted sources to get a feel for topics. Taking notes to filter out the non-essentials leaves the meat and potatoes for me and my readers.
Page 1 typically yields the best results. But this is not gospel. Journey onto page 2 to see some diamonds in the rough. Perhaps you may even find my SEO-optimizing resistant blog lurking in the page 2 weeds.
2: Read Top Blogs from Your Niche
Follow top blogs from your niche for strong research materials.
Leading bloggers press their finger on the cyber pulse of their niche.
Add credible blogs to Feedly for easy reading.
Build a watch list of valued blogs. Demand relevance as Father Time passes. Various blogging tips blogs came and went like the tide during my 16 year blogging career. Some changed topics or morphed into multi-topic blogs; cred drop for me to see specialists become jack of all trades types.
Keep that list current to maintain due diligence quality control. Guarantee the best content for your readers by vetting sources consistently.
Top bloggers succeed for a clear reason; all offer the most helpful, accurate content regularly to cement their credibility.
3: Quora
Quora provides bloggers with a blogging goldmine of ideas.
Follow topics related to your niche.
Sift through low value posts to find the gems.
Quora flashes 400 million monthly users.
A small percentage become thought leaders whose answers typically reach the top of search results.
4: Reddit
Reddit offers highly detailed discussions concerning various topics.
Follow subreddits aligned with your blogging niche.
Look past the odd troll here and there to follow value-providers among its 500 million user base.
Highly credible specialists tend to contribute freely to Reddit.
Learn from leaders.
5: Social Media
Scan Facebook and Twitter for research.
Complete due diligence by querying hashtags on social networks.
Join Twitter Communities and Facebook Groups. Pay attention to top creators. Read their work carefully. Access helpful research to write relevant blog posts.
Watch videos on YouTube; I frame it as the holy grail of blogging tips research on the tech side of things. YT is my go-to for visuals on backoffice stuff way too difficult for me to visualize sans video tutorials.
Remember to embed YouTube videos when appropriate. Give readers graphic step by step instruction to fortify your research and text-based content.
6: LinkedIn
Query hashtags and follow thought leaders on LinkedIn.
Join Groups to zero in on professionals leading their industries.
Concentrate on helpful LinkedIn Articles; a few of mine appear on page 1 of Google, proving the credibility of this due diligence medium.
Conclusion
Research to establish a rock-solid reputation as a trusted content creator.
Nobody knows it all.
Humble yourself. Be truly helpful for readers.
Complete due diligence to publish accurate information.
Empower readers with the best content available in your niche.
