Want to start a blog? Great idea! But…how do you get started? There’s so much info out there on the internet and everyone’s telling you to do different things. Whom should you listen to? Well…I think you should listen to me. Just give me a shot, I promise I won’t disappoint.
I understand you know less than nothing about blogging. In fact, after reading this article and a bit of practice, I believe that you’ll figure out the path to becoming a pro-blogger in a week. I promise it’ll be simple and relatively easy to understand. Sounds good? But before I tell you how to start your blog, let’s figure out why to start a blog. In case you already have a solid idea of the ‘WHYs’, it’s nice to be reminded of the fundamentals, right?
4 WHYs
- Blogging has quickly become one of the most popular ways of communicating, spreading information and news. There are millions of blogs online (don’t worry, you can make yours stand out and get notice).
- It’s a great way to express yourself and also a fantastic way to share information with others.
- You become a better person and a better writer.
- You can make money doing it.
How to get started?
- Pick Your Blog’s Name and a Domain: First, it’s time to pick a domain name for your blog, your domain name is more than your online address- it’s your online identity and public face of your band. A creative, memorable name plays an important part in drawing visitors to your site. Think like a visitor and choose the best extension.
- Find a Hosting Provider and Choose a Blogging Platform: As a beginner, you’ll want a blogging platform that’s easy to set up, has a low learning curve and doesn’t require any coding skills. There are several different blogging platforms out there such as WordPress, Tumblr, Blogger, and Wix, which are easy to use and usually prove great with respect to the return on investment of both time and money. It’ll help you set up your blog in less than 30 minutes.
- Find your niche and decide what to blog about: You don’t read a blog because it looks nice. You don’t read a blog because they publish frequently (although those both help). Your niche is more than just a topic. It’s the approach you’re going to take, the audience you want to go after and the way you talk to them. So make sure you decide on what to write, what your tone will be and your intent behind writing the blog post.
- Choose a theme and design your blog: Now that you’ve got the nuts and bolts of blogging, it’s time to turn this black canvas into a work of art. Self-hosted WordPress sites have thousands of amazing free and paid theme options. Choose a pleasant yet attractive one that suits your content and delivery style.
- Develop Your Content Strategy: Creating a ‘content strategy’ might sound like a complex and time-consuming thing but it’s not. Just define your goal for your blog and then get to know your readers. That will help you decide on your content pillars. Brainstorm blog post ideas and use keyword research. A perfect strategy makes your blog even better. (Commit to a regular publishing schedule too)
- Publish and Promote Your Posts: If you’ve made it this far, you’re well off in the journey of learning how to start a blog. What next? ‘Publish’. But there’s one last piece of the puzzle that’s Promotions. Start promoting your blog and your blog posts on social media and by writing guest posts on other websites.
See
I told you it wasn’t so tough, right?
Now that you’re a blogger, here are a few tips to maintain your blog and
improve it.
Blogging Tips:
- Define your audience.
- Add value to your readers.
- Be original and maintain transparency.
- Be yourself and honest.
- Find your voice.
- Keep it simple.
- Notice trends and adapt.
- Know when to post.
- Write more and read even more than you write.
“Blogging is not rocket science; it’s about being yourself and putting what you have into it.”
Anonymous
