So you want to try blogging, but don’t know where to start. Well blogging is a great way to express yourself, especially if you have a business idea or want to promote a product. First ask yourself what’s your passion, what you love & what can you offer. This will also give you a chance to build a community, interact with people & get feedback. Below we have some ideas to get you started with your blog.
Before we start we would like to point out the 5 common mistakes to avoid when starting a new blog:
- Using dark backgrounds with light text.
- Plagiarism (even with pictures)
- Auto loading music.
- Using “click here” instead of keyword phrases
- Sidebar clutter
Alright with that out the way, follow the steps below for starting a successful blog.
Decide Topic & Intention for your Blog
Choose the topic of your blog with care and consideration. It’s essential that you determine your objectives for it. Your blog site should be the reflection of your interests and knowledge on your chosen topic. You need to think properly about subjects that you’re going to talk about on your blog e.g. Are you simply writing a blog for fun or to discuss your ideas and opinions? Are you trying to advertise your business? Think ahead to what you’d like to gain from your blog 6 months, 1 year and 3 years & so on. Then model, create & market your blog to meet those objectives.
Purchase a domain name
It’s wise to use a unique domain, e.g. www.stevesmith.com, rather than using a hosting platform such as e.g. stevesmith.wordpress.com. When choosing a domain these are the key points to consider.
- Make it Memorable
- Keep it Short
- Don’t use special characters or hyphens
- Use Keywords or Make it Descriptive
If you want to find a domain name, highly recommend to check out HostUCan Domain Checker, in which you could compare the domain registration fee from different domain registrars.
Targeting Your Audience
It’s essential to post quality content than to write ample content; this will keep your audience engaged and makes them come back for more. For e.g. if your intended content is for business professionals, then your layout would be much different than a blog targeted to teenagers. Your audience will have expectations so you’ll need to keep innovating and ideating constantly.
Share & Ask for Support
Even the most knowledgeable blog writers comprehend the blogosphere is an ever-changing place and no one knows everything about writing a blog. Most of all, blog writers are part of small close community, and almost all blog writers know that everyone is a starter at some factor. Don’t be afraid to share your work & also ask for help from your readers & other bloggers, social media is the best tool and most blog writers are always willing to expand their network regardless of whether you’re a starter blog writer or a professional pro.
Be Consistent
Think of your blog as a brand. Just like popular companies like Nike & Adidas, your blog symbolizes a particular message & image. Being consistent allows you to meet your audience’s expectations and engages them to come back for more and more.
Read, Research, Reflect
Every blog you post is new, so don’t be surprised that you would have to regularly research topics. The Internet is changing dramatically, & the blogosphere is not an exception to that rule. As you develop your blog, always take the time to research new software & features. We learn something new every day so there’s always something new out there. Read what other bloggers & people have to say and reflect.
Find a Reliable Web hosting
An unreliable web hosting solution might ruin all of your effort to build a blog. So it’s critical to find a reliable WordPress hosting which could meet the hosting needs of your blog. If you are a blog beginner, then award winners in Best WordPress Hosting is the right place to go, where we list out the top 3 web hosts who outperform the others on price value, performance, reliability and customer support when hosting WordPress.