Youâve been thinking about starting a blog for quite a while? Or maybe youâve heard that writing is your strong point once or twice? Or like a million times? Why donât you start it now?Â
Ten years ago the amount of information about running a blog wasn't so available and easy to find and letâs be real, you didnât need that information then. So to simplify your journey now,
Iâm going to show you ten simple steps to start a blog.
1. Get the idea to start a blog
If you want to start a blog you donât need a super innovational idea. But your blog should be focused on something specific. Itâs 2020, thereâs no unique idea on this planet anymore. But such as people - not two are the same. So your experiences can be quite different from someone elseâs. Make it an advantage.
Try to find a niche that you are passionate about - the one that youâre most interested in. You have to ask yourself two key questions:Â
If the answer is yes, and I assure you, it is, you can take a look at step 2. But to prove Iâm right, let me just quickly discuss the two mentioned above.Â
Writing a blog should be a pleasure. If you donât know anything about the topic or even worse, you donât like it - itâll show in writing. You shouldnât start a blog if you donât like what youâre blogging about. You just need to be curious about the topic, unless you donât want to be able to show your passion. You know best what youâre good at. Just think about it for a while.Â
How about the second question? Do you think youâre the only one in your 20s obsessed with pottery? Nothing could be more wrong. No matter what youâre actually into - there are others out there. Just do your research, there are thousands of them. Youâll find it easy to win your audience.Â
2. Choose a blogging platformÂ
Choosing the place where you want to run your blog is pretty much one of the first things you need to think about. There are few platforms youâve probably heard of such as WordPress, Blogger etc. The best option is to try the biggest one. The more the platform is recognizable the more options and plugins it can offer. Which means, the more you can do with your blog. So when it comes to choosing a theme, using a text editor or uploading some media, there wonât be any limits. Great, isnât it?Â
3. Name your blog
Now, this step is one of the most creative and fun of all. The name of a blog is your brand. Itâs how people will see you. It has to be catchy and as short as it can be. Simple, but thought out. Related to what youâre going to blog about.Â
Think about the name from your readersâ perspective. The name has to be unique and clear, descriptive and easy to remember. If youâre going to write something personal, maybe choose your name to be the name of your blog. When you decide to write about something funny and easygoing, your blogâs name could be such as well. Why donât you choose a wordplay or a rhyme?Â
However, Iâm sure youâre here because you want to start a blog to earn some money. Then try to stick to the topic. Your name or personal hobby has nothing to do with the blog. Or at least, they shouldnât have.
4. Get a web hosting account
Web hosting is a service that allows your blog to be accessed through the internet. Itâs a kind of an undefined place in the internet space where your blog with all its content is located. Without web hosting, your blog canât be seen online. Without a domain name or your blogâs name, your blog wonât have an address. These two are inseparable. There are plenty of companies out there to choose your web hosting from. But how can you know which one is the best?
The options are two: a free one or self-hosting.Â
Free versions are cool. We all love them. But you have to remember that itâs not as colourful as it may seem. Firstly, you wonât be able to have the domain name you want. There will always be some wordpress.com or blogger.com. Not so bad if a blog is your personal diary, either way, it may look unprofessional. Secondly - limits. Not so many themes to use, or plugins to choose from, you wonât be able to fully monetize your blog - itâs all limited. Think about it.Â
Self-hosting means youâre the boss here. Youâll be able to name your blog whatever you want. There wonât be any additions between your blogâs name and a .com or any other web suffix. Thatâs a win-win situation. But - you have to pay. Prices start at a few dollars a month but you donât need anything fancy at this stage.Â
5. Select a theme and design your blog
Another pleasant activity. Thereâs nothing more exciting than deciding how it all should look like. Think about the websites that you enjoy visiting. The ones that are easy to use and intuitive with well-planned information architecture. Now, try to make your blog one as well. If a blog is tricky and difficult to navigate people wonât stay.
Avoid using a whole range of colours. Keep things simple. Stick to a few shades and remember classic doesnât have to mean boring. Itâs up to you how it will turn out.Â
A great example of that would be Quickblogging. The creator of this blog - Riccardo Virtuoso has focused on one particular colour and aesthetic theme. It looks clear and modern. If you donât want your blog to be overwhelming, try following this example, we assure you, itâll work magic.
Remember to make sure your blog will look good on any type of device, no matter if itâs a computer, tablet or mobile. Your blog needs to be responsive.Â
6. Brainstorm your blog topics
Pull out a pen and paper or open your favourite notes tool and write down some of your ideas. Think about common questions you or your readers might have due to the topic of your blog.
What do they love and what do they hate when it comes to your field of interest. These kinds of posts will bring you the audience and activate the people. Try to write about the things that are interesting to you, the ones that fascinate you, excite you or intrigue you.Â
Someone said that money rules the world? Well, maybe. But so do emotions.Â
Do you want to know what else can bring the traffic to your blog? Check it out!
7. Create your first masterpieceÂ
Most of the platform uses intuitive editors similar to well-known word processing tools so that journey wonât be difficult. How to write a good and attractive text? Start with the draft title and skip to the body. Focus on that part first. Write until you feel happy with your content. You know the topic of the post so you can feel that creative vibe and just go with the flow.Â
Have you ever heard of storytelling? Why donât you try that while writing your posts? Find out more about it in the link down below!
Now, letâs focus on the title. As some of my professors say: âThe title attracts the readerâ. And I cannot disagree. Make sure your title is catchy and interesting but avoid clickbait if you want to build a strong relationship with your audience.
8. Schedule your calendar
You know the saying: âRome was not built in a dayâ. Well, neither was the bloggersâ popularity. Sometimes it takes weeks or even months to run a well-doing blog. But do you want to know the key to success?Â
Regularity.Â
Schedule your weekly or monthly planner. Think about the time you have to spend on writing. And remember - quality before quantity.Â
9. Promote your blog
Unless you want to be an unpublished writer, promotion is something that may interest you. What was the reason youâve started the blog actually? To become recognizable. You can of course wait for the miracle to come but you can also help destiny a little bit.Â
Let your friends know about your blog. Write them a short message or paste the link to it on your private social media. That will surely cause some visits.
Start your Facebook Page, Instagram or Twitter. May it exist on social media.Â
Be active in your niche. Get involved on relevant social media, forums and pages. Comment on other blogs. Engage, build relationships.
Try some paid traffic. Use Google AdWords or Facebook Ads and promote your blog to the specific target audience.Â
Add your blog URL to your e-mail signature. So that anyone you contact via e-mail can check it out.Â
10. Monetize your blog
Now we get to the point where business mixes with pleasure. Wouldnât it be nice if you could make money online? I bet it would! Monetization is the process of translating your blog activity into earnings. All I can say is that itâs not that hard as you may think it is.Â
Obviously, thereâs more than one way to generate income from your blog. Iâm going to tell you about one of them. Affiliation - you already know that word.Â
Do you want to know how to use affiliation to make money blogging? This article tells everything about it!Â
If youâre looking for the tool that can help you increase earnings on your blog check out this - affiliate marketing program audit. A detailed analysis of your blog and a presentation containing the space for development.Â