WHAT IS A BLOG?

WHAT IS A BLOG?

WHAT IS A BLOG?

what is a blogIntroduction

So you’ve heard the term “blog” and you want to know what blogs are all about. Well you’ve come to the right place. In this series of articles we will take you from asking what a blog is to having all the knowledge you need to start a blog of your own.
Over the months and years you will be able to share your thoughts with hundreds or thousands of readers, promote yourself, your business or your cause and you may even earn a full time living from your blog.
bluehost discountBlog Basics has worked out a special offer with Bluehost (plus a free domain name). For just $3.49 per month (42% off), you can have your blog setup in less than 20 minutes.

So What Is a Blog?

Let’s begin with some definitions. A bit dry, we realize, but this is a necessary evil. First we’ll define the word this whole site is based around – blog.
A blog is a frequently updated online personal journal or diary. It is a place to express yourself to the world. A place to share your thoughts and your passions. Really, it’s anything you want it to be. For our purposes we’ll say that a blog is your own website that you are going to update on an ongoing basis. Blog is a short form for the word weblog and the two words are used interchangeably.
Here are a couple of other definitions:
“…the first journalistic model that actually harnesses rather than merely exploits the true democratic nature of the web. It’s a new medium finally finding a unique voice.”–Andrew Sullivan
“[a] collection of posts…short, informal, sometimes controversial, and sometimes deeply personal…with the freshest information at the top.”–Meg Hourihan

Terminology

As so often happens in the English language, many derivatives of the word blog have been created. One who participates in the activities of maintaining a blog is known as a blogger and the activity of keeping a blog is known as blogging. So we could say that the blogger blogs in his blog, but that might cause your English teacher to weep. We are going to use these terms with alarming frequency, so make sure you understand what they mean before you go on.
Blog (noun) – a journal or diary that is on the Internet.
Blogger (noun) – a person who keeps a blog – Bloggers are revolutionizing the way news is shared.
Blog (verb) – to write a blog – I am going to blog before breakfast this morning.
Blogging (verb) – the action of writing a blog – Blogging is my way of sharing my passions with the world.
Originally blogs were known primarily as places for people to write about their day-to-day activities. Their mundane, everyday tasks became fodder for journal entries. Somehow these writers gained a following and the hobby of blogging was born. Today people write about far more interesting topics, but we’ll get to that in a minute.

Who Blogs?

So who are these fearless people who would be willing to post about their lives in as public a forum as the Internet? They are people just like you. Once the haven of technical know-it-alls, blogging has suddenly caught-on as a legitimate hobby and has entered the mainstream. Every day millions of people, some of whom have no technical ability whatsoever, write on their blogs.
To meet this demand some amazing tools have been created that will allow anyone, even people with very little knowledge of computers, to have their own blog. If you can find your way onto the Internet and follow some basic instructions you can have your own blog. It’s just that easy.

Why Do People Blog?

So you may be asking why anyone would want to have their own blog. We believe the answer lies in the fact that every human has a voice and wishes their voice to be heard. The Internet is a medium that is unparalleled in its reach. Never before have average people like you or me been able to reach a global audience with so little trouble. Bloggers have the opportunity of reaching hundreds or even thousands of people each and every day.
There are still many people who like to share the details of their days. They may post twenty or thirty times a day, detailing when they ate lunch and when they headed home from work. On the other hand there are bloggers who give almost no detail about their lives, but write instead about a hobby or interest of theirs. They may dedicate their blog to something they are passionate about.
In fact, today’s blogs can provide hair tips, up-to-date news, technical information, celebrity scandal, political rumor, gets people involved in volunteering, advice on investments as well as there being blogs about niche topics like cooking, health, gardening, sport, blogging blogs (this blog) and of course many personal blogs and quite a few strange blogs.

Additional Blog Topics

Over to You

What are your favorite blogs? Are you already blogging? Thinking of blogging? What will you blog about? Do you have any concerns about blogging?

How to Start a WordPress Blog (Step by Step)

How to Start a WordPress Blog (Step by Step)
How to Start a WordPress Blog


How to Start a WordPress Blog (Step by Step)

Do you want to start a WordPress blog the right way? We know that starting a blog can be a terrifying thought specially when you are not geeky. Guess what – you are not alone. Having helped over 130,000+ users start a blog, we have decided to create the most comprehensive guide on how to start a WordPress blog without any technical knowledge.
The process is easy to follow whether you are 20 years old or 60 years old. However if you need help, our expert team will help you setup your blog for free. → Click Here to Get Your Free WordPress Blog Setup! ←
What do you need to start a WordPress blog?
There are three things you need to start a WordPress blog:


  • A domain name idea (this will be the name of your blog i.e wpbeginner.com)
  • A web hosting account (this is where your website live on the internet)
  • Your undivided attention for 30 minutes.

  • Yes, you read it right. You can start a blog from scratch in less than 30 minutes, and we will walk you through the whole process, step by step.
    In this tutorial, we will cover:


  • How to Register a Domain Name for Free
  • How to Choose the Best Web Hosting
  • How to Install WordPress
  • How to Change Your Theme
  • How to Write Your First Blog Post
  • How to Customize WordPress with Plugins
  • Resources to Learn WordPress

  • Ready? Let’s get started.
    Step 1. Setup
    The biggest mistake beginners make when starting a blog is choosing the wrong blogging platform. Thankfully you’re here, so you won’t be making that mistake.
    For 95% of users, it makes more sense to use WordPress.org also known as self-hosted WordPress. Why? Because it is free to use, you can install plugins, customize your site design, and most importantly make money from your site without any restrictions (see the difference between WordPress.com vs WordPress.org).
    Now you have probably heard that WordPress is free.
    You might be wondering why is it free? What’s the catch?
    There’s no catch. It’s free because you have to do the setup and host it yourself.
    In other words, you need a domain name and web hosting.
    A domain name is what people type to get to your website. It’s your website’s address on the internet. Think google.com or wpbeginner.com
    Web hosting is where your website live. It’s your website’s house on the internet. Every website needs web hosting.
    A domain name typically costs $14.99 / year, and web hosting normally costs $7.99 / month.
    That’s a lot for beginners who are just starting out.
    Thankfully, Bluehost, an official WordPress recommended hosting provider, has agreed to offer our users a free domain name and over 60% off on web hosting.
    → Click here to Claim this Exclusive Bluehost offer ←
    Bluehost is one of the oldest web hosting companies, started in 1996 (that’s before Google). They are also the largest brand name when it comes to WordPress hosting because they host millions of websites including our own.
    On top of all this, Bluehost has been working with WordPress since 2005, and they are committed to giving back. That’s why they have promised us that if you cannot get your blog online within 30 minutes by following this tutorial, then our expert team will complete the process for you without any cost. They will compensate us, so you don’t have to. Contact us for free blog setup help.
    NOTE: At WPBeginner we believe in transparency. If you sign up with Bluehost using our referral link, we will earn a small commission at no extra cost to you (in fact, you will save money and get a free domain). We would get this commission for recommending just about any WordPress hosting company, but we only recommend products that we use personally use and believe will add value to our readers.
    Let’s go ahead and purchase your domain + hosting.
    Open up Bluehost in a new window and follow along.
    First thing you need to do is click on the green Get Started Now button to get started.
    Start with Bluehost
    On the next screen, select the plan that you need (basic and plus are the most popular).
    After that, you will be asked to enter the domain name for your website.
    Select your Domain Name
    Lastly, you will need to add your account information and finalize the package info to complete the process. On this screen, you will see optional extras that you can purchase. It’s entirely up to you whether or not you purchase these, but we generally don’t recommend purchasing these. You can always add them later on, if you decide that you need them.
    Hosting Checkout
    Once completed, you will receive an email with details on how to login to your web hosting control panel (cPanel). This is where you manage everything from support, emails, among other things. But most importantly, this is where you install WordPress.
    Step 2. Install WordPress
    In the cPanel, you will see dozens of small icons for different services and features. This can be a bit overwhelming, so ignore 95% of them because you will never need to use them.
    Scroll down to the website section and click on the WordPress icon.
    cPanel Install WordPress
    You will be redirected to the Bluehost Marketplace Quick Install screen for WordPress. Click on the Get Started button.
    On the next screen, you will be asked to select your domain name. Choose the domain from the dropdown and then click Next.
    Enter your Domain Name - WordPress Setup
    After that, you need to enter your Site Name, username, and a password for your site. You also need to check all the checkboxes and then click Install.
    Install WordPress - Bluehost Marketplace
    The QuickInstall will start installing WordPress. The marketplace will prompt you to browse WordPress themes, while WordPress is being installed.
    No need to do that right now. We’ll show you how to get free WordPress themes in the next step.
    Once WordPress is finished installing, you will see the success notice in the top header bar.
    Bluehost WordPress Install Complete
    Click on the Installation Complete link, and it will take you to the screen with your WordPress login URL and password.
    Bluehost Marketplace - WordPress login details
    Congratulations, you have created your WordPress site. That wasn’t too bad right.
    Your WordPress login URL will look like this:
    http://yoursite.com/wp-admin
    Click on the WordPress login link to login to your dashboard.
    Now we’re ready to customize your site’s appearance and start blogging.
    Step 3. Selecting your WordPress Theme
    The visual appearance of your WordPress blog is controlled by themes. When you first visit your blog, it will look something like this:
    Default WordPress Theme
    This is not very appealing to most people.
    Customizing the look and feel of your blog is by far one of the most exciting and rewarding part in the journey of creating your WordPress site.
    There are thousands of pre-made WordPress themes that you can install on your site. Some of them are free, while others are paid.
    You can change your theme by going to your WordPress dashboard and clicking on Appearance » Themes.
    Install WordPress Themes
    Go ahead and click on the Add New button.
    On the next screen, you will able to search from the 4100 free WordPress themes that are available in the official WordPress.org themes directory. You can sort by popular, latest, featured, as well as other feature filters (i.e industry, layout, etc).
    Select a Theme
    When you have found the theme that you like, simply bring your mouse on it, and it will show the Install button. Click on it and wait for the theme to be installed. After that, the install button will be replaced with an Activate button. You need to click on it to Activate the theme.
    Install and Activate WordPress Theme
    Once you have installed your theme, you can customize it by clicking on the Customize link under the Appearance menu.
    If you need help selecting a theme, then please refer to our guide on 9 things you should consider when selecting a perfect WordPress theme.
    Once you have selected your WordPress theme, you are now ready to create your first blog post.
    Step 4. Creating Your First Blog Post
    To write your first blog post, click on the Posts » Add New menu in your WordPress dashboard.
    You will see an editor area where you can write your first blog post.
    WordPress Blog Post Editor
    Once you’re done writing, go ahead and click on the Publish button on the right to publish your first blog post to the world.
    Publish Button
    On the posts screen, you will notice several other sections such as Categories and Tags. You can use these to organize your blog posts. We have a great writeup on the difference between categories vs tags, which we highly recommend that you read.
    To utilize all the features on the posts screen, you should read our article on how to add a new post in WordPress (video included).
    Often beginners are confused between posts and pages menu in the WordPress dashboard. That’s why we have written a complete guide on the difference between posts vs pages in WordPress.
    Step 5. Plugins & Customizations
    Once you have written your first blog post, you probably want to get started with adding other usual elements on your website such as a contact form, about page, and more.
    To further customize WordPress and add features like contact forms, galleries, sliders, etc, you need to use WordPress plugins.
    WordPress plugins are apps that allow you to add new features to your website.
    There are over 46,000 WordPress plugins available. At WPBeginner, we feature the best WordPress plugins to help you add the functionality that you need.
    We have a step by step guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.
    Often readers ask us which plugins do you use on your website. You can check out our Blueprint to see the list of plugins and tools that we use.
    Here’s a list of 24 must have WordPress plugins for business websites.
    Step 6. Mastering WordPress
    Business Learning and Support
    WPBeginner is the largest free WordPress resource site for beginners.
    At WPBeginner, our main goal is to provide cutting-edge helpful WordPress tutorials that are easy to understand for small businesses, bloggers, and non-techy WordPress website owners (see more about us).
    To expand your WordPress knowledge, you should check out:


  • WPBeginner Dictionary – The best place for beginners to start and familiarize themselves with the WordPress lingo
  • WPBeginner Videos – New to WordPress? Watch these 23 videos to master WordPress.
  • WPBeginner Blog – The central place for all our WordPress tutorials.

  • You can also subscribe to WPBeginner’s YouTube Channel where we regularly share video tutorials to help you learn WordPress.
    Lastly, you can use Google to type your question and add WPBeginner in front of it. Our users find this very helpful because you’ll likely find an answer to any WordPress questions that you have.
    In case you don’t find an answer to your question, simply use our contact form to send us a message. We love helping users get started with WordPress.
    We hope that you found our tutorial on how to start a WordPress blog to be helpful. You may also want to check out our article on 19 actionable tips to drive traffic to your new WordPress site.
    If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

    You Want To Start A Travel Blog? 7 Tips To Set You Apart.

    You Want To Start A Travel Blog? 7 Tips To Set You Apart.
    blog_logo



    You Want To Start A Travel Blog? 7 Tips To Set You Apart.

    Most people get travel blogging wrong. They imagine that if they have a steady base of followers, brands will fly them around the world. Their only job there will be to meet the locals, eat their foods, take some Instagram-worthy pictures, and post a few words about the experience on their blog.
    Well, that’s just part of the deal. If you want to make it in this overly competitive blogging niche without hiring an article writer, you need to treat your travel blog as a business. That means setting clear objectives, finding a point of differentiation, and looking for ways to generate revenue.
    If you plan to start a travel blog, then here are seven tips to keep in mind:
    1. Pick a Niche.
    One of the biggest mistakes people make when starting a travel blog is thinking that the bigger the audience, the greater their chances of succeeding. In reality, the broader the subject, the tougher the competition.
    There are a lot of well-established travel blogs on the market, and it would be extremely difficult to compete against them. By choosing a niche, such as sustainable travel or luxury travel, you can build your authority in that particular industry. If you become the expert people turn to for information on a specific topic, then brands are more likely to notice you too.
    2. Focus on Improving Your Writing Skills.
    Get out of your head and into the minds of great thinkers. You don’t need to reinvent the wheel when it comes to blogging. But, you can make it better by reading a lot.
    Don’t limit yourself to travel related content. Business, marketing, management topics, as well as industry best practices will give you valuable insights on how to attract new readers and grow your blog. Topics like writing, history, biographies, and fiction will broaden your horizons and allow you to approach subjects from unique perspectives. For example, instead of reiterating the same boring facts about the Colosseum, you can awe your audience with fascinating stories and secrets.
    3. Built Your Expertise.
    Before you launch your blog, make sure you can create compelling content in the travel niche you’ve picked. It’s one thing to imagine yourself writing about your experiences and an entirely different thing to actually do it. So, book a trip, document your journey, and write a few blog posts about it. Or, simply describe your last travel experience.
    Have someone read the content to make sure you’ve created an engaging story that transports the reader to the county/city you’ve written about in your post.
    4. Be Unconventional.
    “How can I make this better and different?” is one of the questions you should ask yourself before writing. Don’t try to mimic what others have done before you. Make a video or podcast when everyone else is writing about a subject; be funny when everyone is serious. Innovate whenever you can.
    5. Think of Your Blog as a Service.
    High-quality blogging is not journaling, but more like a service. Talk less about yourself – what you ate, your thoughts – and more about the destination. Describe in detail what makes it unique and how is it culturally different. Tell your readers what they can do to recreate your footsteps. Always ask yourself what type of information can improve your reader’s experience when traveling to the places you’re describing on your blog.
    6. Network Outside the Industry.
    Participating in specific traveling events will help you become better known in the industry, but if you want to grow your blog, you need to break out of your shell.
    Identify where your expertise overlaps with other industries and approach the top bloggers. Look for industry leaders that want to include travel articles on their blogs but don’t know anyone who can help them. That way, you can become the travel blogger other industry leaders go to for advice, quotes or interviews.
    7. Create Your Own Products.
    Like any business, you want to sell, whether it’s your own products or others people’s merchandise via affiliate marketing. It’ll help you support your website without depending on sponsors and brand deals – which is not sustainable and easy at all.
    Ask your audience what would they need help with and build courses or eBooks around the topic. Or, you can offer consulting services. Just keep in mind that few people are actively interested in traveling. They usually care about it before a vacation. So, whatever service you design, make sure it doesn’t require a long-term investment.
    According to Google, “how to start a travel blog” is the seventh most searched question around the web. If you are one of those searchers, you’re in for some tough competition. The tips above will help you stand out and build a successful travel blog.

    Young Upstarts is a business and technology blog that champions new ideas, innovation and entrepreneurship. It focuses on highlighting young people and small businesses, celebrating their vision and role in changing the world with their ideas, products and services.

    How to Start a Blog That You Can Grow Into a Business

    How to Start a Blog That You Can Grow Into a Business
    how to start a blog]


    How to Start a Blog That You Can Grow Into a Business

    how to start a blog
    Businesses of all kinds start blogging as a way to build up a long-term audience.
    But the reverse is also happening where more and more bloggers start businesses as an extension of their publishing. And it makes sense.
    One of the biggest challenges new businesses face is building an audience for their products. Bloggers, on the other hand, often work backwards, building an audience first by consistently putting out good content, and then exploring ways to monetize their traffic.
    Starting a blog is easy if you just want to have fun. But if you’re thinking about making money as a blogger down the road, you’ll need to be strategic about how you set it up for success.
    This guide will take a thorough look at what you need to know to start a blog and grow it into a source of traffic and income. And while it’s meant for those who haven’t started a business yet, it’s relevant for any businesses that want to get into the blogging game.
    But first let’s answer an important question that may seem obvious at first.
    What Is a Blog?
    You’re reading one right now.
    A blog or “web log” is a web page for content that you regularly add to and update. Unlike other publications and articles, blogs tend to take on a more personal tone that helps them connect more deeply with their audiences.
    People start blogs for all kinds of reasons, including:
  • Sharing their opinions, passions, or glimpses into their lives.
  • Teaching others what they know.
  • Building an email list.
  • Developing their personal brand as an expert.
  • Selling products or services.
  • A combination of any or all of the above.
  • For these reasons, blogging can be incredibly fulfilling—especially when complete strangers start consuming your content—but it’s also a commitment.
    Whether you publish daily, weekly, or monthly, it’s important to be as consistent as possible, not just in how often you publish but in the kind of content you publish as well.
    It’s very rare for bloggers to see results right away, so keep in mind why you’re doing it to stay motivated in the early stages.
    How to Start a Blog
    The hardest part about blogging is finding the time and the ideas you need to do it consistently. Getting started, however, is fairly straightforward.
    Starting a blog with the potential to be a business comes down to the following steps, which we’ll explore in detail:
  • Consider the different opportunities to monetize.
  • Pick an audience to serve.
  • Choose a blogging platform, a domain name, and build your blog.
  • Lay the groundwork for distribution.
  • Planning out your publishing strategy.
  • If you’re wondering why we’re talking about monetization first, it’s because we need to think more like an entrepreneur than just a blogger in order to make this a profitable venture.
    Different Ways to Make Money Blogging
    There are a bunch of ways you can monetize your blog, depending on the kind of blog you decide to start. But people usually think of ads first for some reason.
    The truth is, there are better and faster ways to make money with your blog that don’t require a massive volume of page views every day. It's twice as true if you can build a loyal audience, not just a large one.
    You can make money blogging by:
  • Selling physical products that align with your audience, whether it’s t-shirts or hot sauce.
  • Selling digital products like resumes, photos, or designs that you create once and sell again and again and again.
  • Selling services like writing, consulting, and design.
  • Publishing a book and selling it as a physical or digital product.
  • Becoming an affiliate for another brand and make a commission every time you sell their product.
  • Donations powered by platforms like Patreon.
  • Doing paid reviews/promotions for brands.
  • There are ample opportunities to monetize your blog, but you have to enjoy what you blog about in order to succeed.
    Your most important consideration—more than making money—will be who your audience is and how you’re going to serve them.
    Picking a Niche: What’s Your “Thing” Going to Be?
    There’s no shortage of content on the internet. It may seem hard to stand out (it is), but there are two ways you can compete: By choosing a specific audience to focus on and by creating content that has something about it that readers can't easily find elsewhere.
    You can do this in a number of ways:
  • Focus on a specific location (e.g. New York).
  • Focus on a specific segment within a larger category (e.g. not just recipes, but vegan recipes).
  • Deliver your content in a different style or voice (e.g. humor).
  • Compete with quality (e.g. in-depth posts on a topic that no one else is willing to do).
  • BlogTO, for example, covers a wide range of lifestyle topics but focuses specifically on the diverse city of Toronto.
    how to start a blog
    Source: BlogTO
    The niche you choose is important as it not only has to be an audience that you can sustainably serve with a steady flow of content ideas, but will ultimately determine how you explore monetization later. Consider what kind of products or services you could potentially sell to this audience, and whether you know enough or care enough about that topic to cover it many, many times over.
    Once you have some ideas for niches, use Google to look up your competitors on the topic and use Buzzsumo to get a sense of how well content on this topic performs and what channels it performs best on.
    Choosing a Platform and Building Your Blog
    This is where many would-be bloggers get stuck. They’re not exactly sure which platform they should invest their time and money on.
    The choice usually boils down to a self-hosted or hosted platform:
  • Self-hosted: These platform generally offer more customization options, but you will still have to pay a monthly fee to host the site yourself and it requires some initial setup. Wordpress.org is the go-to platform if you’re considering the self-hosted route. This guide from Smashing Magazine will walk you through it.
  • Hosted: These platforms let you get started right away and some of them have built-in audiences. Some are free like Blogger and Wordpress.com (the hosted alternative to Wordpress.org) and some are paid.
  • When choosing a platform, think about the future and how you want to monetize your blog eventually. Not all platforms will give you everything you need, while some will give you more than you will ever need.
    Some bloggers opt for free hosted platforms like Medium and Tumblr because they give you access to an engaged community of other bloggers and readers on the platform. We’ll discuss it in more detail later, but you can republish on these platforms to take advantage of their audiences—you don’t need to build your main blog on these free platforms to use them.
    Shopify is a hosted platform that includes both an ecommerce site and a blogging platform, as well as hundreds of apps you can add as you grow, if you want to sell physical/digital products or services right away. You can start your 14-day free trial today.
    Picking a Name and Theme For Your Blog
    Once you’ve picked your platform, you should considering buying a domain name (yourblog.com) and a theme (the look and layout of your blog).
    Shopping for a domain is a good time to think about what you’re going to call your website. Choose something that’s catchy, memorable, easy to type, and isn’t already taken by another brand.
    Unless you’re trying to build a personal brand or a portfolio site, I would recommend against using your name as the domain. You can still be the face of your blog even if your name isn’t in the URL, and it’s a lot easier to build a sticky brand when you come up with a creative name that reflects your blog’s identity. To add some more personality, get a logo made on Fiverr or use our free logo generator app (Android only).
    Once that’s settled, you’ll need to pick a theme.
    A “theme” is just a template for the layout, look, and features of your website. There are plenty of free themes available, whatever platform you choose. But if you’re not happy with those options, consider paying the one-time fee for a paid theme as it will have a big impact on the overall experience users have on your website.
    how to start a blog
    Source: Shopify Theme Store
    Laying The Groundwork for Growth
    We usually talk about growing an audience after we start publishing. But if you want to build up momentum quickly, you need to start thinking about it even before you launch.
    Many bloggers struggle with distribution, and I think there’s two parts to the reason:
  • They don't have a concrete, repeatable distribution strategy within their publishing process.
  • Publishing is already a nerve-wracking experience, and amplifying your reach makes it that much scarier.
  • The latter is something you eventually get over, but the former requires some initial thought and investment of time before you launch.
    So let’s walk through some of the ways you can plan for growth and get the most out of every post you create.
    Start Collecting Emails as Soon as Possible
    It doesn’t matter what platform you’re blogging on, you should be focusing on getting email subscribers. Every new subscriber is a sign that you’re doing something right and is a potential repeat reader that you can easily reach.
    Even if you switch platforms down the road, or decide to start something new, your email list remains with you.
    MailChimp is an easy email marketing tool to recommend because it’s free up to 2000 subscribers. But it’s not enough to just have a subscriber list. You need to capture these emails at every turn and you do that with sign-up forms.
    how to start a blog email list
    A good habit to get into is to embed sign-up forms directly into your content with a call to action to subscribe, like the one you see below.
    Many email marketing solutions lets you create and use these forms easily. You can even generate a link that directs to a separate sign-up page that you can link out to in your blog posts, social media, and email signature.
    Remember that people aren’t going to subscribe to your blog if you don’t ask and if you don’t make it easy for them.
    Every time you publish a post, you should email it to your list—a process you can automate down the road once you get into the swing of things.
    Look For Opportunities to Go After Search Engine Traffic
    Using keyword research, you can get an idea of how much search volume there is for particular search queries in your niche. The higher the number, the more demand there is for a topic, and the more traffic you can potentially generate long-term.
    The easiest way to do this is to simply install the Keywords Everywhere Chrome Extension and start googling from your audience’s perspective to try to unearth interesting content ideas. Queries that start with “how to…” or “best...” are a good place to start.
    how to start a blog
    Even if you don’t land a spot on the first page of the search engine results for these searches, you’ll have a content idea with proven demand. But if you want to aim high, you can learn more about SEO. And if you're on Shopify, consider the free SEO Checker app for optimizing your posts.
    Set Up Your Social Media Strategy
    At first, it might seem like a smart move to be on every single social media platform, but that gets hard to manage fast and isn’t always effective.
    Instead, focus on the channels where your audience spends the most time. Depending on your niche and your resources, your choice of channels will vary.
    For example, a Facebook Page is a good all-around asset for any blogger who’s willing to pay to promote their content. On the other hand, a cost-conscious food blogger will probably stand to get a lot more free engagement on Pinterest and Instagram than Twitter.
    Don’t neglect your personal networks either—your friends and family make a great early audience.
    Reduce, Reuse, and Resurface Your Content
    You can’t put out large posts every day. A good blogger knows how to reuse and repurpose their content to get the most mileage out of it.
    So, here are some ideas to keep in mind as you go forward:
  • Create "micro-content" for social media from existing posts with tools like Canva.
  • Post a roundup of past blog posts with a common theme (e.g. “Our Best Posts of 2016”).
  • Recreate blog posts as other types of content, such as infographics or quizzes.
  • Regularly republish your content on new platforms with built-in audiences like Medium, LinkedIn, or Tumblr to get more early exposure, adding a link to the original post to the top (“Originally published on youblog.com”) to increase your chances of getting clicks back to your site.
  • Occasionally update and republish old content after a good amount of time has passed to expose it to readers who missed it the first time. This works great with seasonal content (e.g. “10 Lazy Halloween Costume Ideas”)
  • Consider accepting guest posts once you’ve started to amass a following. Guest authors will likely share this content with their own audiences too.
  • Add links to related content within and at the end of your posts. (If you’re on Shopify, install the free Related Blog Posts app.)
  • When time is money and you’re in the business of blogging, you need to constantly squeeze more value out of your efforts.
    Understand Analytics to Understand Your Audience
    The best opportunities are hidden in data.
    Depending on the platform you choose you’ll have different metrics to look at, but you’ll at least get the number of views and where your visitors are coming from, which can tell you a lot about your performance.
    But if you take the time to set up Google Analytics on your site (it's free), you can get deeper insights, like the average amount of time people spent reading your post, the quality of the readers coming from different sources, and even the number of readers in real-time.
    how to start a blog
    Data can also be used as leverage for bloggers. The ability to prove how much traffic you bring in is a huge asset that makes others more likely to want to work with you or gain access to your audience.
    Planning Out Your Publishing Strategy
    Every blogger needs to keep a healthy supply of ideas and it helps if you plan ahead to ensure you never run out.
    I highly recommend that you create a content calendar to help you keep track of your ideas (and keep yourself on track too).
    You can use a simple spreadsheet to plan out your content calendar, but I recommend Trello since it’s free and also makes for a good place to dump ideas and organize them.
    how to blog
    Thinking about your content mix is also important to get a sense of the scope of your blog and what categories/tags you might use to organize it all as you add more content in the future.
    A good mix includes:
  • Evergreen content that addresses questions/queries/problems that people regularly search out on Google.
  • Topical content that tackles current topics and trends your audience cares about.
  • Curated content that is smaller in scope and requires less time to create to help you pace yourself and keep your audience engaged between longer posts.
  • Feature pieces about other people or brands who might share it with their audiences (e.g. interviews, reviews, etc.)
  • Visual or interactive content at least occasionally to add some variety to your blog (e.g. infographics, quizzes, memes, etc.).
  • Try to plan out your blog posts at least one month in advance and publish on a consistent schedule so your audience has an idea of how often to expect new content.
    Keep in mind that you won’t grow your audience overnight. You’ll have some hits and some misses, but you need to keep going to keep growing.
    Building Your Audience-Powered Business
    However you choose to go about your blog, it’s your audience that ultimately determines its potential as a business. Focus on growing this audience as you publish on a regular basis, and you'll see your traffic and reach grow as well.
    You can learn more about blogging better by checking out the following resources:
    Blogging isn't just fun and fulfilling—it's also one of many paths to entrepreneurship. If you think like an entrepreneur when you start your blog and aim high when it comes to growth, you can build a valuable audience that can help power your business for a long time to come.
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