Blogging today is about as easy as posting to Facebook. Anybody can do it provided that they know where to start. There are approximately 30.6 million bloggers in the U.S in 2018, and that number may rise to 31.7 million by 2020. You too can join this growing community of online entrepreneurs who are earning a living off of sharing ideas and information that can positively impact other people’s life. Create a successful blog with these six tips in mind:
Choose a Niche
Start by picking the subject of your blog. A very straightforward way to pick the right niche is turning to your passions, favorite pastimes and or hobbies. Readers can quickly notice your enthusiasm about your content, and they’ll reward you by sharing it on social media or coming back to read more. For me, I love connecting with other parents, especially those that own or run a business. Due to that, it was easy for me to decide on the focus for my family-oriented blog, as well as, come up with relevant topics. I recommend you avoid choosing a subject based on financial gains as you may lose interest in it and disappoint your fans. With that said, online blog idea generators may provide some needed inspiration while you brainstorm, HubSpot is one of my faves.
Pick a Blogging Platform
You may prefer WordPress for your blog because it’s straightforward to use and easy to maintain. It comes with tons of plugins and add-ons, and there’s no limit as to how you may customize the design and layout of your blog. If you’re unable to develop your blog on your own, you can always consult professionals for technical input.
Decide Where to Host the Blog
You don’t have to worry about where to host your blog if you’re using a free platform. However, a free blog does not have a unique domain name, and it may have hosting storage restrictions that prevent you from creating a feature-rich experience that includes videos or a lot of images. If you opt to self-host for a fee, you can get a unique domain name and a host of other features.
Design the Blog
You may buy or use a free theme for your blog. Be sure your theme has a design and layout that matches your unique niche. It helps to research other successful blogs in your area of specialization to see what the trends and best practices are. Pick a theme that looks professional and is easy to personalize. Equally important, the best themes feature responsive design, which enhances their accessibility via several digital platforms and devices, including smartphones.
Promote Your Blog
The success of your blog depends on the traffic or number of people that visit it daily. So, to increase the online visibility of your blog, try sharing your posts in many places on the web. Be sure to post and share your fresh content on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other appropriate social media. You could also consider paid advertising with programs such as Google’s AdWords or Facebook ads.
Monetizing Your Blog
There are many ways to turn your blog into a legitimate, full-time job. The most straightforward route is joining a paid ad program such as Google Adsense, whereby you earn a proportion of the generated advertising revenue. Alternatively, you may sell a service or product via your blog, especially if you’re an expert in a particular field. For instance, you could sell online tutorials or courses via your blog. Another great idea is affiliate marketing, whereby your blog provides ads (in the form of links) that visitors may click and perform an intended action, such as buy or sign up. In that case, your earnings depend on user actions.
Certainly, blogging can reward handsomely if you’re passionate about what you’re doing. So be sure to choose a niche that interests you and to provide meaningful content. Who knows, someday your blog could turn into a book!
I’d love to hear from you and check out your awesome new blog, thanks for visiting mine!
Please note: I reserve the right to delete comments that are offensive or off-topic.