Blogging is a fun and productive way to spend your free time. A blog helps with prospecting for business or serves as a conduit for your passion. It’s possible for anyone to start a blog, all you need is a bit of dedication and persistence.
As with anything in life, if you don’t have the knowledge you need to complete a task, you’ll end up failing or procrastinating on achieving your goals. If you’re thinking about starting a blog, but have no idea of where to begin, then here are 5 tips to help you get started.
-
Find the Best Domain and Hosting
Log onto a domain merchant’s website and search for the blog name URL you want to purchase. If it’s available, visit a few domain sites to compare prices. GoDaddy.com and Bluehost offer discounted domains and hosting.
If you can’t find your exact name in a dotcom format, try looking through the options for .org, and .net. Bluehost offers a “one-click” setup of WordPress when you purchase a domain from them. This option helps you with the installation of your site, and if you have any questions, their support team are there to talk you through any issues you experience with the setup.
-
Choose Your Theme
A theme provides your blog with its look and feel. If you lack in design skill, then WordPress has a wide variety of wordpress themes to suit any blog. Purchasing a theme is inexpensive and well worth the money considering the savings you’ll make on development costs and your time.
Once you’ve purchased the theme, it’s yours for life, and there are no added annual subscription fees. A WordPress theme consists of a Framework and the Child Theme, select the design that suits your brand, lifestyle blog, or business.
-
Use Plugins & Analytics
It’s vital to install analytics on your blog. The best analytics plugin is “Google Analytics for WordPress.” This plugin allows you to track which pages your visitors are reading, helping you identify content with the capacity to go viral.
Other plugins worth mentioning are Yoast SEO and social media share buttons. People love to share information that’s important to them, so offer them the opportunity with every blog you post. Set up a Feedburner account for free, this enables visitors to subscribe to your RSS feed for notifications on future posts.
-
Backend and Content Creation
WordPress allows you to set up as many pages as you like. Your blog structure should include an about page, contact page, landing page, archives, and terms of service. Create the content for each of these pages, and your blog is almost ready to go!
Your logo is a critical component of your blog that forms your brand identity. It’s possible to create your design from scratch using simple tools like Canva. However, if design work isn’t part of your skillset, log onto Fiverr and hire a freelancer to create your logo for less than $10.
Every blog you post must contain images and video for maximum user engagement. Use sites like pxhere and Pexels for free stock photos you can add to your posts. Spice up your images with text and other design themes using Canva.
-
Share Your Blog Through Social Channels
Once you’ve set up your blog and published your first post, reach out to micro-influencers on social media. Develop a relationship with 5 influencers that are willing to cross-promote your content. Some influencers may charge a small fee to push your content to their audience. However, it’s well worth the investment if you think about the potential traffic it could drive to your blog.
Persistence Pays Off
Blogging takes time to show results. Stay persistent and commit to a regular publishing schedule. If you continually produce outstanding content, your audience will grow into a reliable stream of traffic you can monetize.