With over 100 million blogs floating around in the blogosphere, your blog has to compelling enough to attract an audience. It may be the ease of starting a blog that makes it such a phenomenon. Maintaining a blog, on the other hand, requires finesse, traffic, social media strategy, design, monetization and more.

The Blog Plan

Putting a plan in place for your blog is one of the easiest ways to ensure its success. Use this three-step approach to turning your blog from ho-hum to holy cow.

1. Become Your Audience

You have to think and act like the audience you’re speaking to with your blog. Put yourself in their shoes and use this mindset to always make sure you’re providing information on your blog that is relevant to the blog topic and to the blog audience.

Questions to Ponder About Your Readers

• What are their cares?

• What are their interests?

• What are their likes and dislikes?

• What do they desire?

• What do they fear?

Then, assess what experience or knowledge you possess that answers the call of the information they seek on a particular topic or niche. As is the case with any marketing medium (and a blog is a marketing medium), you have to know your audience.

2. Stay Engaged

Consistency is the key component of a successful blog. Consistency equates to posting to your blog at least two to three times per week. If you can’t commit, consider getting guest bloggers to share posts to fill in the blanks. Also, share and talk about information that you know. Turn to the experts on topics and areas you want to cover for which you aren’t an expert.

3. Integrate Technology

A blog without integration is an island of its own. Make sure that your readers can leave comments on your blog, but also be sure that you’re utilizing other communication tools. Social media networks such as Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn should be included on your blog. Your blog address should also be included on your Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn profiles. As technology changes, your blog needs to change with it.

With over 100 million blogs in the blogosphere, make your blog stand out from the crowd. You’re not into blogging to create "just another blog." You’re into blogging to create an amazing blog.