Blogging can be a tiring feat. From starting with nothing to building your audience, to keeping track of your word count, there is an infinite number of things to consider when you decide to start a blog.
Fret no more because this article will tackle everything you need to understand the blogging business. Starting from the basics of how to create a blog to maintenance tips, here is the all-encompassing blogging guide to success.
An easy way to figure out your niche topic is to ask yourself these four questions:
Answering these questions shouldn’t take long, but don’t feel pressured if you need more time to figure out which answers would be the best fit for you and your future business. Here is a guide to most profitable blogging niche for reference.
When drafting potential names, don’t forget to incorporate your blog’s niche into it. If your blog is about photography, your blog name should have a word that points to that specific industry to give potential readers a glimpse of your content.
Keep it short and unique. A blog name that’s too long will be hard to remember and a blog with a name that’s too similar to your competitors will have a hard time gaining traction. If you’re hit with writer’s block, use online name generators to spark some new ideas. The perfect blog name will come to you. You just need a little bit of creativity and a lot of patience.
Because visual appeal plays a big role in creating a good first impression with your viewers, choosing a blog theme is a big task that shouldn’t be overlooked. You can check our detailed guide on how to select best blog template.
Presentation is key in content creation so remember to keep your paragraphs short to improve readability. Other factors like visuals, font size, and line length need to be considered when drafting your post.
Adding inbound links (links to existing content in your blog) and outbound links (links to credible content by established websites) also helps boost your stats.
If you constantly keep at it, it won’t be long before your blog gains popularity and becomes the top blog for your industry.
Web hosts also give you your domain name (yourblogname.com) and/or personalized email accounts (yourname@yourblogname.com). There are many free web hosting companies as well as premium web hosting companies which you can select to host your website.
Depending on your goals, your word count goal will vary. If your goal is to generate comments from your users, a post of 300 words is more than enough to tick that off your bucket list.
But if you aim to become a ranking page on Google, tools and algorithms require a range of 1,500 to over 2,500 words to be seen at the first search results page.
Be mindful of algorithm changes to these SEO tools because the slightest change can make or break your stats. An example of a technological advancement that changed search engine algorithms is the prevalence of voice search.
Thanks to Siri and Alexa, more people are going hands-free and voicing out their searches rather than typing them out.
Software like Canva allows you to craft digital posters, invitations, and banners for your page. It even comes with free stock photos!
You can arrange your tasks by due date or importance to get a clear understanding of what your everyday tasks will look like.
You can remind your followers about a blog post they might have missed earlier in the week so don’t be shy! Tweet that links and wait for your stats to climb.
This kind of interaction builds a genuine relationship with your audience and there’s a high chance they’ll stay loyal to your branding.
By tracking your performance, it encourages you to keep at it to reach the next goal and prevents you from regressing.
By bringing it straight to their inbox, users can get a glimpse of your content without having to actively seek it out. Once you've gathered the emails, you can use any email marketing software to send emails to your subscribers.
Who knows? You might make lifelong friends with these bloggers and team up for sponsorship and partnerships.
The work doesn’t stop after you’ve published your first blog post. The work doesn’t stop after you’ve reached your 1,000th subscriber. The work actually never stops if you’re looking at blogging as a full-time business.
If you ignore your readers and their suggestions for a better user experience, your blog won’t last long.
It’s better to post a carefully researched and well-articulated piece once a week than to spam your users daily with tactless and cheap content.
Trying to juggle everything when you clearly can’t handle it is a one-way ticket to Burn Out City, and you really don’t want to go there.
You should never underestimate your competitors because it will be the cause of your downfall.
Fret no more because this article will tackle everything you need to understand the blogging business. Starting from the basics of how to create a blog to maintenance tips, here is the all-encompassing blogging guide to success.
How to Start a Blog
Here are some of the important steps need to be taken while starting a blog. If you're looking to start a specific WordPress blog then you may also check how to start a WordPress blog from scratch.1. Find your niche
Before even creating your blog, you need to find a unique topic and angle of industry you’ll be writing about. A good example of a niche would be a blog centered on sustainable interior design or middle-grade fiction novels. These topics have a large enough audience for you to attract with less competition.An easy way to figure out your niche topic is to ask yourself these four questions:
- What am I passionate about?
- Of these things, which of these passions are similar to others?
- What can I say about my topic that hasn’t been said before?
- Do I see myself doing this long-term?
Answering these questions shouldn’t take long, but don’t feel pressured if you need more time to figure out which answers would be the best fit for you and your future business. Here is a guide to most profitable blogging niche for reference.
2. Pick a blog name
Your blog name will be your brand image. The perfect name can make attaining success easier, so brainstorming for the right blog name is crucial.When drafting potential names, don’t forget to incorporate your blog’s niche into it. If your blog is about photography, your blog name should have a word that points to that specific industry to give potential readers a glimpse of your content.
Keep it short and unique. A blog name that’s too long will be hard to remember and a blog with a name that’s too similar to your competitors will have a hard time gaining traction. If you’re hit with writer’s block, use online name generators to spark some new ideas. The perfect blog name will come to you. You just need a little bit of creativity and a lot of patience.
3. Choose a blog template
Your blog template should be a nod to your niche while keeping it neat and organized. Themes that are device-agnostic and easy to customize and navigate are good features for a blog page.Because visual appeal plays a big role in creating a good first impression with your viewers, choosing a blog theme is a big task that shouldn’t be overlooked. You can check our detailed guide on how to select best blog template.
4. Draft your blog posts
When it comes to blogging, content takes center stage and plays the biggest part in attracting readers and gaining subscribers. Having a catchy title, for starters, helps capture the attention of users and encourages them to read “below the fold”.Presentation is key in content creation so remember to keep your paragraphs short to improve readability. Other factors like visuals, font size, and line length need to be considered when drafting your post.
Adding inbound links (links to existing content in your blog) and outbound links (links to credible content by established websites) also helps boost your stats.
5. Attract an audience
Once your blog goes live, your job is to create a loyal following. Tell your family and friends about your blog and make connections by reaching out to other enthusiasts of your topic!If you constantly keep at it, it won’t be long before your blog gains popularity and becomes the top blog for your industry.
6. Monetize your blog
If you’ve managed to gain a following and your blog generates a significant amount of traffic, you can monetize your blog through advertising opportunities, affiliate links, and sponsorship. We have a detailed guide on 17 ways to make money from blog which you can check to monetize your blog.Blogging Tools
It’s hard to reach top blogger status without a few helping hands. These blogging tools can help you manage the workload of creating and maintaining your blog. While some of these tools are free, others require an investment if you’re truly serious about becoming a blogger. You may also check 100+ top blogging tools list here with details.1. Web host
For your blog to go live, you need to have a web host. Web host services, in essence, store your blog on servers that allow users to find, access, and read your blog.Web hosts also give you your domain name (yourblogname.com) and/or personalized email accounts (yourname@yourblogname.com). There are many free web hosting companies as well as premium web hosting companies which you can select to host your website.
2. Word count tool
Keeping track of your word count when you draft blog posts is a crucial factor if you’re thinking about ranking on Google.Depending on your goals, your word count goal will vary. If your goal is to generate comments from your users, a post of 300 words is more than enough to tick that off your bucket list.
But if you aim to become a ranking page on Google, tools and algorithms require a range of 1,500 to over 2,500 words to be seen at the first search results page.
3. SEO tool
Keywords are the lifeblood of your blog’s content. Brainstorming a list of relevant keywords using an SEO tool helps you see which of these phrases are most popular with users and more likely to get them to read your blog. You can take the help of any keyword research tool to get the list of rankable keywords.Be mindful of algorithm changes to these SEO tools because the slightest change can make or break your stats. An example of a technological advancement that changed search engine algorithms is the prevalence of voice search.
Thanks to Siri and Alexa, more people are going hands-free and voicing out their searches rather than typing them out.
4. Design software
Don’t underestimate the wonders an effective visual can do for your blog. You don’t have to be a Photoshop junkie to create stunning infographics.Software like Canva allows you to craft digital posters, invitations, and banners for your page. It even comes with free stock photos!
5. Project organizer
When your blog is up and running, you’ll need to get good at juggling. More often than not, you’ll be managing more than one project at any given time so invest in a project organizer to keep track of your tasks and avoid missing a deadline!You can arrange your tasks by due date or importance to get a clear understanding of what your everyday tasks will look like.
Do’s and Don’ts
Now that you know the skills and tools to run a successful blog, don’t be afraid to go back to the basics every now and then to refresh your memory with this blogging do’s and don’ts.DO
1. Do market your blog
Marketing your blog is as easy as telling your friends about it and sharing a link on your respective social media pages.You can remind your followers about a blog post they might have missed earlier in the week so don’t be shy! Tweet that links and wait for your stats to climb.
2. Do take time to read your readers’ comments
A blog that listens to its readers is successful. When you take time to read and respond to each comment with a personalized message, you’re telling your readers that you care about their opinions and are willing to listen to them.This kind of interaction builds a genuine relationship with your audience and there’s a high chance they’ll stay loyal to your branding.
3. Do keep track of your performance
Motivate yourself by targeting new milestones every season! You can track different key performance indicators such as subscriber/follower count, site traffic and ranking, amount of comments, etc.By tracking your performance, it encourages you to keep at it to reach the next goal and prevents you from regressing.
4. Do build an email list
Another way to build an interpersonal relationship with your audience is to build an email list and send out e-newsletters.By bringing it straight to their inbox, users can get a glimpse of your content without having to actively seek it out. Once you've gathered the emails, you can use any email marketing software to send emails to your subscribers.
5. Do network and interact with other blogs
Branch out and grow your network by interacting with other blogs in your industry. This boosts your connections and can expose you to business opportunities that will help your blog grow.Who knows? You might make lifelong friends with these bloggers and team up for sponsorship and partnerships.
DON’T
1. Don’t assume it’s a one-and-done job
The only thing harder than creating a blog is keeping it. There are so many blogs that are left behind after a few months because people realize that blogging isn’t a one-and-done job.The work doesn’t stop after you’ve published your first blog post. The work doesn’t stop after you’ve reached your 1,000th subscriber. The work actually never stops if you’re looking at blogging as a full-time business.
2. Don’t ignore your readers and their suggestions
Your readers are your most important asset, second only to keywords. Your readers are the ones who generate traffic and they can increase your popularity through word of mouth.If you ignore your readers and their suggestions for a better user experience, your blog won’t last long.
3. Don’t sacrifice quality for quantity
Continuously publishing blog posts is hard work, but you should never sacrifice quality for quantity.It’s better to post a carefully researched and well-articulated piece once a week than to spam your users daily with tactless and cheap content.
4. Don’t be afraid to ask for help
Keep your pride at bay and learn to ask for help when you need it. The truth of the matter is, you can’t do everything by yourself no matter how much you want to.Trying to juggle everything when you clearly can’t handle it is a one-way ticket to Burn Out City, and you really don’t want to go there.
5. Don’t underestimate your competitors
You may be number one now, but that doesn’t mean your competitors are accepting it without a fight. Being complacent is the worst thing you can do when you finally reach that number one spot because the person holding the number two spot is working consistently to take your place.You should never underestimate your competitors because it will be the cause of your downfall.
Author Bio
Jayson Antonio is an Outreach Specialist at Word Count Tool that offers useful tools such as Word Counter Tool, Character Counter Tool, Scrabble Word Finder, Pomodoro Timer, and Mind Map Tool for your creative writing. In his free time, he enjoys traveling, writing and playing mobile games.
Ashutosh Jha
Ashutosh Jha is a professional blogger, Blog and IT Consultant. He writes about Blogging, SEO, Making Money, Internet Marketing and Web Design.
If you liked the post, You can follow him on the below social media.
Website: TricksRoad
Hi Ashutosh,
ReplyDeleteVery nicely written post on the journey. I was using keyword wverywhere for getting the volume of keyword searches but now as that is a paid tool and so do you know any alternative to it for free.