Blogging is a great way to build your brand. You can use it to share your knowledge with others and increase your online presence. But before you start blogging, there are things you need to know.
This guide will help you get started on the right foot by teaching you how to choose the right platform, host site, and domain name for your blog and how to market it once it’s live.
| Takeaways |
|---|
| 1. Starting a blog series can provide valuable content for your audience. |
| 2. Expert advice can help you navigate the challenges of blogging. |
| 3. Consistency is crucial when creating a blog series. |
| 4. Plan your blog series content strategically for maximum impact. |
| 5. Engage with your readers and gather feedback to improve your series. |
Why Do You Want To Start A Blog And What Is Your Purpose?
Why do you want to start a blog? What is your purpose for starting a blog? And what do you ultimately want to achieve with your blog?
You need to know the answers to these questions before starting your blog. Otherwise, you will likely fail or give up after some time of running the site. You also need an idea of what niche or niche(s) will be covered by the site and who is its target audience (if there is one).
It’s important to think about these things when creating any business because they help shape identity and purpose.
In short: knowing where I’m going helps me stay focused on my goals and makes it easier for me to make decisions along the way
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Choose Your Niche, Target Audience, And Branding
First, you need to define your audience. Who are they? What are their goals? What do they want to accomplish or learn from your blog?
Next, you need to define your niche. What topic will you be writing about on the blog? And why does this topic matter to them (your readers)?
Is there a market for it? Can people find what they need on Google when searching for this topic and related keywords (keywords are the words that readers use when searching)?
Then identify your brand and make it stand out from other blogs in the same category as yours by creating a unique personality that resonates with readers who have similar tastes as yourself.*
For example:*A hobby blogger might create an irreverent sense of humor while taking their work seriously enough so that it feels trustworthy.*A fashion blogger may use photos from high-end magazines.
But also include shots taken by their photographer friend who has no professional training but good taste in clothes. An entrepreneur may focus more on what works rather than what doesn’t;
There’s no time for wallowing over failures because there’s always something else waiting just around the corner
Decide On Your Platform WordPress Or Blogger
You have to decide on your platform. You can use WordPress or Blogger.
WordPress is a free open-source blogging platform. It’s very flexible and customizable, but you need to know some basic coding skills to customize it properly and make it work for you.
Blogger is a free blogging platform owned by Google that gets updated quite often and has lots of features including themes, widgets, analytics, etc…
It’s easier to use than WordPress because there are fewer things you need to do manually when setting up your blog with this platform (but not as customizable).
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Choose A Hosting Site For Your Domain
Choosing the right hosting site is the first step in creating your blog. This will affect how fast your website loads and how much it costs to host, so you must get this part right.
Here are some things to keep in mind when choosing a hosting site:
Choose a hosting site that offers a free domain name. You’ll want to be able to register your own personal (or business) domain name without paying for one upfront; many sites offer this service for free, but others may charge a fee.
Choose a hosting site that offers free web hosting as well as free domain registration some companies will charge extra if they host your blog on their servers instead of yours or they give part of their profit from ads displayed on your website back to them;
Others will make money off of selling advertising space on every page load while charging nothing upfront whatsoever so do some research before committing yourself!
Design Your Site Using A Template
Once you’ve decided on the topic of your blog, it’s time to design your site. Designing a website is not as simple as buying one from a web designer. You want to make sure that it is easy to use and fully functional before you start publishing content.
- Choose a template that is easy to use
You will be using this template for years, so it should be user-friendly, organized, and mobile-friendly. If you are not familiar with HTML coding or CSS stylesheets, then choose a template that has been coded well by experienced designers who know what they are doing.
Create An Editorial Calendar And Plan The Types Of Posts You Will Publish
An editorial calendar is an important part of blogging, particularly if you have the goal to make money through your blog.
An editorial calendar will help you plan and schedule posts for different times of the year. It will also help you create content that is relevant and timely to your audience.
Creating an editorial calendar isn’t difficult; it just takes some planning. Here’s what you need to do:
Plan for events and holidays by scheduling posts about them in advance so that they are posted on these dates (if possible). You can also use these posts as opportunities to promote products or services related to the holiday or event in question!
Schedule topics based on seasonal trends, such as gardening tips in springtime. If this isn’t something that works well with your niche/audience don’t worry!
Use whatever topic ideas come naturally while still keeping an eye out for anything trending at large among people interested in similar topics as yours.”
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Create Content That Will Attract Followers And Encourage Them To Subscribe
If you want your blog to be successful, you need to create content that will appeal to and interest your target audience.
This can take many forms: it could be informative posts about topics related to your niche; it might be entertaining videos or images; it could also be something else entirely.
Whatever kind of content you’re producing, however, there are some guidelines for making sure you have a quality product:
Make sure that the information is relevant to the needs and interests of your target audience.
Make sure the writing is clear and easy to read so that even those who aren’t particularly knowledgeable about the subject matter can understand what’s going on without much difficulty (or help).
While humor may not always work best at attracting readership (especially if they don’t know who wrote it), being entertaining in some way goes a long way toward keeping people coming back again and again!
Build Relationships With Other Bloggers
One of the best ways to grow your blog is by collaborating and building relationships with other bloggers. You can learn a lot from other bloggers and you can give back by sharing some of your knowledge or offering them guest posts on your site.
You can also collaborate on content together or promote each others’ sites in exchange for some kind of reward (ex: sharing audience).
Market Your Blog Across Different Social Channels Including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, And Pinterest
As you’ve already learned, blogging is all about building relationships. And social media is a great way to do just that!
Use social media to promote your blog by sharing posts on Twitter and Facebook each week.
Use social media as a way of communicating with your readers. Respond to their questions in the comments section, or reach out directly via messenger if they don’t want to post publicly.
Use social media to build relationships with other bloggers by commenting on their blogs, liking or sharing their content, reaching out via email if necessary (or even better: arranging an offline meet-up), etc. This will help in getting more traffic from those sites back onto yours!
You can also use these platforms as opportunities for building relationships with brands/businesses who might be able to work together somehow down the road.
If they see something they like on one of your posts then chances are good that they’ll reach out themselves instead of having someone else mention it first! Last but not least…
Plan For Affiliate Marketing. How Will You Monetize Your Blog, If That Is One Of Your Goals?
Affiliate marketing is a great way to monetize your blog. If you have an audience, you can use affiliate links in your posts and get paid for the sales that are made.
This way, you don’t have to sell anything directly, but instead, make money when someone buys something through your link.
There are many different platforms for affiliate marketing such as Amazon Associates and Shopify Plus Affiliates Program. They all offer different rates based on how much traffic or sales you generate from it (and also depending on the product category).
For example, if I recommend a book on Amazon Associates program and they buy it through my link – I will receive anywhere between 4% – 8% commission on every sale that comes through my link!
That means if someone buys a $10 book with my affiliate link – I would get $0.40-0.80 dollars per purchase!
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Write Compelling Titles That Are SEO Friendly
- Write a compelling title.
- Write a short title that is SEO friendly.
- Use keywords in your title. You want to include specific keywords that relate to the blog post topic, but don’t go overboard with keyword stuffing because search engines can penalize you for it.
- If you’re not sure which keywords are best for your blog, check out Google Adwords Keyword Planner or SEMrush’s Keyword Search Volume tool for some ideas!
- Write an attention-grabbing question as your title (for example: “How Do I Start A Blog?”). This will help ensure that people who read through their feeds on social media will notice your content and click through!
If you plan on writing these posts regularly, consider using a series of questions as titles such as “The Complete Guide To Starting A Blog Series.” This way readers will know they can expect more articles in this series!
You could also use this tactic when promoting individual posts by asking questions like “What Is The Best Way To Start A Blog?”
Include Images In Your Posts. Make Sure You Have The Right To Use Them!
The next step is to create an image for your post. You may be thinking, “Images? I’m a writer, not a graphic designer!” That’s okay! Tons of websites allow people without any artistic skills to create quality images with minimal effort. Here are some tips:
Make sure the image you use has been legally obtained. This means that it must have had consent from all parties involved in taking the picture or making the illustration (the photographer/author/artist).
It should also be high quality and relevant to your post; if you’re writing about how much you love dogs, don’t use a photo of kittens playing on top of each other!
If possible, try using images throughout your blog posts instead of just one at the beginning or end. Not only will this break up large chunks of text so they’re easier to read but it can also help illustrate points better than words alone would do.
Try playing around with different sizes too: small ones could indicate headers for subsections while larger ones could show off quotes or statuses from other sources (like blogs/news sites).
Proofread Before Publishing
Proofreading Is Important!
It’s also a good habit to get into. You can use a tool like Grammarly to help you proofread your blog post before publishing.
Grammarly is free and it will catch any grammatical errors, spelling mistakes, punctuation errors, and more. You can also ask friends or family members to proofread for you if they have the time.
Blogging Can Be Done As A Hobby Or As A Business With Profit Potential
Blogging can be done as a hobby or as a business with profit potential. The only requirements are that you have something to say and that people want to hear it.
Are you passionate about something?
If so, great! Write about it!
Maybe your favorite hobby is bird watching or flower arranging; maybe you enjoy knitting sweaters for penguins; whatever it is, don’t let anyone stop you from sharing your love of the activity with the rest of us by blogging about it!
Or maybe there’s something else that inspires your passion: politics, fashion design, making sure everyone knows how much better Firefly is than Star Wars whatever makes your heart go pitter-patter, go ahead and write about it!
Writing compelling news articles requires skill and finesse. Whether you’re a blogger or a journalist, our comprehensive guide on The Blogger’s Guide to Writing Great News Articles will equip you with the essential techniques to create engaging and impactful news stories that resonate with your audience.
Conclusion
If you are interested in starting a blog but don’t know where to begin, this guide is for you. We hope it has helped answer some of your questions and given you some ideas on what to do next.
If all else fails though, feel free to contact us! We would love to hear from other people who are just getting started in this exciting world of blogging!
Further Reading
Blogging for Dummies: A comprehensive guide for beginners who want to start a blog and explore the world of blogging.
How to Start a Blog: HubSpot’s step-by-step tutorial on starting a blog, covering everything from idea generation to content promotion.
How to Start a Blog: Wix’s blog post that offers practical tips and advice for launching a successful blog using their platform.
FAQs
What is the best platform for starting a blog?
The choice of the best platform depends on your needs and goals. Popular options include WordPress, Blogger, and Wix, each offering unique features and ease of use.
How much time does it take to start a blog?
The time to start a blog can vary depending on your familiarity with the platform and the complexity of your desired design. Generally, it can take a few hours to set up a basic blog.
Do I need coding knowledge to start a blog?
No, you don’t need coding knowledge to start a blog. Many blogging platforms offer user-friendly interfaces, allowing you to create and customize your blog without coding.
How often should I publish new blog posts?
Consistency is key. Aim to publish new blog posts regularly, whether it’s once a week, twice a month, or any other schedule that you can consistently maintain.
Can I make money from blogging?
Yes, blogging can be monetized through various methods, such as ads, affiliate marketing, sponsored content, and selling products or services. However, success may take time and dedication.
Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.
