So, you love to blog? You have story to tell and information to share, right? If you want people to hear you and benefit from it, then blogging is a great option to consider!
Blogging is no easy task though, it is time consuming to say the least and only people who are really motivated and determined manage to make it big. However, knowing the business side of it can really help as well which is why you need this beginners guide. From starting your blog to monetizing it, learn how you can make it to the top.
Pick a Profitable Niche
Each one of us has a story to tell. The ups and downs of life, its minute details are a point of interest, if not for all then at least for some. There is an audience that wants to hear about your experience, that finds you relatable. They think your tale can offer an insight to their own situation. You might be passionate about something and share the love you have for it with others who share your interests. You might have a couple of interests but, the niche you choose must be profitable.
Once you’ve identified what interests you, research online and see what is happening in the field. If you think there’s a large enough audience, go right ahead. You may not be an expert in the field and that is ok! Till the time it interests you and you share your thoughts well, people will find your blog genuine and interesting.
We can’t stress enough on the fact that you shouldn’t write on something you know or understand very little about. For this reason, you might want to begin with picking a niche which you can easily talk about like TV shows. You’ll have tons of content to discuss with the new episodes and all you really need is a good cable connection so you have something to watch. Signing up with the best cable providers Dallas is a good starting point. You can make it as niche as you want from city, like Dallas to the genre of shows you discuss.
Figure Out What You Need
When you start blogging, choosing a random platform is not the best option. You must get your own domain to say the very least. A lot of people use free platform to begin their blog only to later realize that they can’t monetize on it. Don’t be that person. Here’s a list of some things that you will need for sure.
Get a domain name and buy hosting. For beginners, we recommend using WordPress to set up your site and BlueHost to host it. The next thing you need to do is create great content. Given how competitive it really is, you need to make sure you have something more to offer to the readers. This can include simple things like be well formatted and have good, relevant images. You could also link to other interesting articles to guide the readers.
You might also need to get the same twitter handle, Instagram page and Facebook profile as that of your blog to ensure you’re present on every digital platform. Then comes monetizing. You need to figure out what kind of business model it will follow. Do you plan on making money over products you plan on selling on you blog or through advertisements? You might want to check how you can get on board with google and make money through advertisement.
Build Your Audience
Before you monetize though, you need to have a big enough audience, so build your following. There are a ton of tools you can use to promote your blog, but the first thing you need to understand is how SEO works and how you can use it. You can also use social media to boost your site. Sometimes just Facebook isn’t enough. To build your following you must connect to the target audience on the platform they use the most. Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, Pinterest, LinkedIn or Reddit. Wherever they are so should you be as well.
Monetize!
Once you have your blog up and running with a decent traffic coming to it, it’s time to monetize. There are multiple ways you can do so.
One way is by selling products on your blog. It can be a physical product, a digital product or even membership to the site and its content. You can also offer services like consultation, or show off your skills as writer or designer to get some well-paying gigs. If you are a celebrity in the field which people look to for advice, you might get sponsored by companies that wish to advertise to your audience. You might have to advertise their products on banners or review their products. You can also use things like Adsense and let Google advertise on your site at a cost. Figure out what the business model is and how can you monetize it and you’re good to go.
Final Word
This list is quite informative for the beginner just starting their blog but it only scratches the surface of there is to know. But, you can cross that bridge when you get to it. First, you must begin this journey. So, get your blogging on!