All You Need to Know Before Starting a Blog
Let’s start from scratch, by answering the question “why one should start a blog?”. Well, the answer to this question varies from person to person, there are people (like me) who started it just as a hobby and there are many others who take it as a way to make money from the beginning. Your purpose of starting a blog can be either of them or both, or even maybe other than that, but what I want to tell you is that it’s worth it!
1. Blogging is financially rewarding
The reason why blogging is becoming more and more prolific is mainly due to the potential financial gain associated with it. There is no doubt that it’s becoming a dream job for many people. Imagine working from the comfort of your home and being your boss, it’s the goal almost every blogger starts with. Blogging is a great way to generate a passive income.
Although it may seem far off for someone who is just starting a blog, but it’s becoming pretty much acceptable in this technological age, that blogging is becoming a full-time job and ultimately a career to be taken seriously. How can I earn with blogging? Well, hold on! this aspect is going to be discussed a bit later.
2. It helps you in your self-growth
A blog can help you grow in so many ways. You will most likely become even more passionate about the topics you like. It allows you to connect and learn from others, which is perhaps one of the biggest positives of blogging. You will get the chance to explore the topics you know nothing about and this will constantly help you in learning something new. You will be able to express yourself about different aspects of life in a way that you want. Connecting with the blogging community and expressing yourself with freedom will certainly help you in gaining confidence as well. Blogging gives you a creative outlet and a flexibility to write.
3. Blogging is a great writing experience
You must have heard of the quote that practice makes a man perfect. It’s so true. Suppose you are a crazy fan of cricket, and you watch matches regularly with enthusiasm but don’t play it, the outcome will be that you will know all the basics of the game but will not be good in playing it in the real ground. Watching others to play might help you improve your game sense and learn the rules and regulations of the game, but as long you are not practicing, you will not be able to compete in the field.
The same is the case with blogs and writing. Writing regularly will help you improve your writing skills, increase your understandings, and express what you possess in your mind. Blogging is the best way to polish your writing skills. Moreover, if you are trying to get into freelance writing, it’s the best way to show that your writing is current, and you are writing regularly. When you create posts on your blog, you are officially published on the internet. This will not just build your portfolio, but you will be able to promote yourself easily, by linking your blog posts. Once you have a diversified portfolio, you will be able to provide relevant writing samples to your potential clients in a freelance marketplace.
4. You are helping others
Taking the financial benefits aside, you will be a part of an awesome community that is helping others in different ways. No matter what type of blog you have, you can help someone in one way or the other.
People can be positively motivated by your blog posts if your blog is about motivation and advice. You can help others by sharing your personal experiences about anything they are facing troubles in. They may learn something new if your post is informative or at least they may find some enjoyment from reading your posts, and so on.
5. Blogging is the best way to support your business
Blogging can be a great way to improve the business you already have, or to create a one all on its own. It’s the latest way to market a business. If you have a blog that you regularly update to promote your business, clients will see you as more approachable and involved in your business. You can even promote your freelance services through your blog. Blogging is not just a fun hobby but a good source of business marketing as well.
6. It allows you to develop your technical skills
You will get an exposure to learn basic technical skills while blogging. Whether it’s a picture to edit, using attractive templates, or changing the aesthetics of your blog by using some basic coding, and so on, you will learn a lot of valuable information about the technological age in which we live. Web research, social media, search engine optimization (SEO), digital marketing; these are some of the skills you will be picking up within a few weeks of starting your blog.
What to blog about?
Determining what to blog about can seem difficult at first, but I think it’s not!
In my opinion, one should start a blog around a topic that he is passionate about, that he is an expert in, that he likes, or something else along these lines. This will make blogging more fun instead of a chore.
Your blog can be about anything and you can monetize any type of blog too, so don’t let this fear hold you back. There are countless topics you can write on and many ways to monetize your blog. Here are some of the blog topic ideas I am going to share with you. The list doesn’t end here either.
Choose one, all, or some. It’s entirely up to you.
· Lifestyle
· Health and Fitness
· Family
· Inspiration and advice
· Sports
· Travel
· Education
· Finance
· Crafting
· Business and start-ups
· Food
· Parenting
· Relationships
· Video Games
· Music
· Animals
· Technology and more!
That’s the beauty of having a blog. It can be about anything you like.
Should I be an expert or have a qualification in the niches of my blog?
I don’t think you need to be an expert in the niche or have a qualification in most cases when it comes to blogging. Most of the time, readers just want to hear from you, follow a real person’s journey, read about how a real person made it through a problem, and so on. However, if you are going to advise about medical or legal matters or some technical stuff where your wrong information can create a lot of trouble for someone, yes, you should be an expert.
Where does blog income come from?
Well, it’s a bit lengthy topic which I’ll cover in a separate article in the future but let’s briefly discuss it now. There are several ways to make money from blogging. One of the most common ways bloggers make money is through ads. They place monetized ads on their site and are paid when a user views or interacts with these ads. The most popular network for placing such ads is Google Adsense. You can also sell private ads if you have good traffic on your site. You have to contact advertisers, set ad rates, and display their ads banners, buttons, or links.
Affiliate marketing is a great tool for monetizing your blog. You will earn a commission for each sale by promoting other people’s or company’s products. Another best way of earning through your blog is by selling your digital products like eBooks, apps, plugins, themes, music, images, videos, online courses, etc. If you are a freelancer, you have a good opportunity to sell your services by marketing your gigs on your blog and displaying links to your freelance marketplace’s profile.
You can also earn through sponsored posts on social media for different brands if you have a strong social media presence and follower list. Selling guest posts to other’s blogs is another way to earn. So there are many options you can have to make money from your blog, you just need to get started and work hard with perseverance.
How long does it take to start making money from blogging?
There is no one answer to this question. There are bloggers out there who started making thousands of dollars after just a few months of blogging, while there are others who aren’t making any money. You should keep in mind that blogging isn’t a get rich quick scheme. However, if you are serious about it, you never know what it may turn into. It all depends on the efforts you put into it.
Some miscellaneous Blogging tips:
Before you start a blog, let’s have a look at some of the tips that could benefit you in your blogging journey.
1. Publish high-quality content
Your blog posts should always be of high quality. This will lead to readers coming back for more and more. Bill Gates once said, “content is king”. You need to have a strong content to fuel your SEO strategy, drive traffic to your website and rank it higher. The success of your blog is mainly determined by its content.
2. Post regularly
For most blogs, you should publish something at least once a week. Going for weeks or months at a time without a blog post can lead to readers forgetting about you.
3. Create catchy headlines
The title of your post is a major factor influencing whether readers click over or not. It is rather the first introduction readers have to your published work and remember that first impression is the last impression.
4. Be yourself
Blogging is a way to create your narrative. Don’t try to pretend someone else while blogging because everyone has his own uniqueness. People love reading real blogs where they can tell who the writer is, just by reading what he has written. Inject all of your personality in what you write.
5. Have an about page
People enjoy blogs that have a personal view, and sometimes they even want to read about the author and see where he or she comes from, what is the purpose, values, mission, and what the readers should expect to find on the blog. Make an about page that should reflect such information and let your readers learn more about you. It builds trust among your audience as they get to know who is the real person behind the scenes. Include a picture, bio, and links to other posts that will describe you and your life, all in one easy page.
6. Create social media accounts
Find other social media sites to be active on. There are several social networking apps like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Quora, Pinterest, and Youtube you may want to check out. You can easily promote your blog through these platforms and get more traffic.
Throughout your blogging journey, you need to be open to the idea of learning something new and accepting the fact that there is always room for improvement.
