There are lots of people wondering how possible it is to start a blog that matters. This topic has been of general concern, that lots of blogs have a thing or two to say about it. But then, when searched for online, majority of these search results either lead to a sales page or a blog post advertising some paid membership site or course. Surely, it's true and acceptable that people value what they have to spend money on than what they've got for free. It's also good to note that, there are few people out there who do not have just enough to pay up for a premium membership site or course, but need a headstart in building a valuable blog.
Previously, I wrote a very short post about starting a blog that matters, but in this post, I will go deeper into stating few prerequisites that can help you and I in not just starting a blog, but a blog that pays and makes our time online worthwhile. I am not claiming to be a pro or some guru and just like you, I'm still learning but I bet that by following this free guide, without questioning my qualifications, you can have your blog up and running in the next few hours whether you've failed at it once or you're just starting out.
As a new blogger, you may and may not need to spend money in creating and developing your blog but all depends on your financial capability. If you have just enough money to spend, then go for the best creation tactics for your blog which are often paid for but then you should know that money does little or absolutely nothing in building your blog. You are the key to developing a blog that catches the attention of the public.
Starting A Blog That Matters
Starting a blog shouldn't be expensive and complicated and to avoid glitches and complications, I will be listing a few things that you need to do.
Start A Blog That Matters Stage 1: Creating and Starting A New Blog
Discover If Blogging Is Right for you
It's actually disturbing to discover that lots of people jump into blogging because they've heard of someone's amazing experiences in the blogging profession. Such people do not blog because they want to but because they believe that blogging is a very simple thing to do and an easy way to make money. Bottom line is, if you do not have the passion to blog, please don't let someone's success story lead you into wasting your money, time and resource. Results most times, do not come as fast you believe they should.
Brainstorm On What You Want To Blog About
There are lots of things to blog about, most of these things are born out of passion, some are borne out of curiosity while others are borne out of specific reasons and requirements. The best thing to blog about is what you have passion for or what you are willing to learn about. Although most bloggers preach the need to avoid passion in some instance because, most areas that you are passionate about yield little or no result. But, if you know what you are doing, you are sure to hit the jackpot someday with the right action and practices.
If you feel that what you're passionate about isn't best for you, then go for what you are willing to learn. There are lots of profitable niches out there that you can surely fit into but you should, as early stated be willing to learn about whatever area of specialization you choose.
Decide and Choose the right domain For You
When starting a blog or a business online, one of the most important features for getting the word out is your business' domain name. Think of the domain name as the name by which your business will always be known online & offline, example facebook.com.
What is a domain name?
A domain name is the name by which a site is known online. Your domain, no matter what niche you choose, is the unique address of your blog on the Internet. And to continue to keep ownership of whatever domain you've purchased, you will have to keep paying the annual fee which ranges from $10 - $30 or more (depending on the domain extension). Your domain/URL when
typed in browsers address bar leads to your blog. Also, it can be found on search engines such as Google and Bing, so you definitely need to find a unique moniker. Read More About Finding the right Domain for your blog.
Decide on The Best Blogging Platform For You
Before you begin creating your blog, you will need to settle with any of the two blogging platforms suitable for you. It's common for newbies to opt in for the hosted blogging platforms, but it's generally recommend that you set up your blog on a self-hosted blogging platform.
~ I have written an extensive comparison between blogger and WordPress
~ Check out other CMS like WordPress
~Check out The best free blog hosts
Choosing the best web host for your self hosted blog
Finding a web hosting provider to host your blogging software can be really intimidating as there are so many of them out there. It will be a lot easier to pick the right one for you by concentrating on what your specific needs are.
Before jumping into just any hosting provider you see online, you need to know the prerequisites of getting a good host for your blog because, the wrong web host can cause more harm than good to your blog. To maintain a successful blog, it’s crucial that you choose a reliable hosting provider. Read More About Choosing a Web host provider for your Self-hosted blog.
Installing and Setting Up Your Blog
I have written an extensive guide on installing the WordPress.org blog application with bluehost as well as creating a blog on blogger.
Choosing A Theme For Your Blog
Your theme/template is an important aspect of your blog aside its content. whether you are getting ready to start a new blog or redesigning an already existing blog, you need to pay absolute attention to the theme you want to install. The most important aspect of a good theme is that it should fulfil you and your readers requirements. Read more about choosing the right theme for your blog.
Start A Blog That Matters Stage 2: Developing Your New Blog
The stage 1 of starting a blog that matters is probably the easiest part of it all because, this stage has a lot more to do with your ability than your blog's look, host, and design.
Learning From Older Bloggers In Your Niche
Whatever niche (topic area that you will write about) you decide to blog in, there is always a more experienced and well grounded blogger that you can learn and seek advice from, as the case may be. It's best to stalk bloggers in your niche to avoid grave mistakes that you are likely regret. Most well grounded bloggers are willing to help newbies in their niche and this is easy to discover because there are lots of free blogging courses created by different old bloggers. The best you can do is find out the old bloggers in your niche.
Create Your Social Profiles
Although creating your social profiles could be the least of your worries as a new blogger, but it's definitely great if you create social profiles for your blog at an early stage. Remember you are not just trying to build a blog but a brand as well. So, while you set up a Twitter account, a Google Plus page, and a Facebook page for your blog remember to use your blog's name so you will be easier to identify at some point, when you wouldn't have to self promote.
Create Relevant Pages For Your Blog
Pages are areas in your blog, different from your regular posts that help your readers and visitors connect to you as well as know more about your blog and understand your rules and policies.
The important pages that you should set up include;
~ An about page
~ A contact page
~ A privacy policy page.
There are a few other pages that you can set up to help your readers understand how you run your blog.
Start Creating your blog posts
Your blog becomes official when you create your first blog post. It's often and should be an introductory article, ushering in prospective readers into your blog as well as letting them know what to expect from you.
After your introductory post, it's time to write meaningful posts as regards your niche and topic. Drafts are great ways to save up unfinished posts and researching is a great way to write quality articles. Don't be an island.
Promote Your Blog
There is no limit as to how much you can promote your blog and its posts. It's generally advised that as a new blogger, you do more promotion than content creation because you will need a visitor to read your blog posts.
Below are great and healthy ways to promote your blog and its posts.
~ Promote on social media
~ Drop relevant comments with a link back to your blog or post in authority blog in your niche.
~ Join and participate in forums
~ Share your blog to your friends and family.
~ Write guest posts on authority blogs related to yours.
~ Above all, Submits your blog to search Engines.
Start a Blog that Matters Stage 3; Monetizing Your Blog
After creating and developing your blog, the next thing that comes to mind is “When and How Do I Monetize My Blog”.
The truth with monetizing a blog is that, you may not make money in the earliest stage of its growth. Making money with your blog is not as simple as speculated so there is every possibility that you might have to wait for probably a year after starting your blog.
I'm not saying that you can't monetize a new blog, but I'd like to let you know that making money with a blog often is a slow and steady movement. Your content matters, your site visits matters and your patience matters. You should be more bothered with establishing yourself by providing valuable contents to your site visitors. The trust flow will eventually increase and as your traffic starts growing, your chances of making money blogging will increase. The opportunities to make money with your blog will come, not for short term gain but for long term gain.
Helpful post: Make money blogging for new bloggers
Need more Insightful Post About Starting a Blog that Matters? Then read this CashCowCouple's in-depth Post on Starting a Blog
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