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Things To Know Before Starting a Blog

So you wish to be a blogger? But how do you get started since there is so much content on the web telling you a dozen of things on how to go about things. Then you tell yourself there is just too much, it might be better if I might just quit dreaming a blogger. Don’t lose your heart just yet.

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It is 2019 and we have compiled a comprehensive list which will detail you on steps to starting a blog. Everyone who is an expert now was once a beginner. And these steps will shape your skills from being an amateur blogger to being a pro.

1. A self-hosted WordPress blog is still your best bet

The best way to kick-start your blogging career is by blog hosting and setting up your own WordPress.org blog on that host of yours. It is, however, a fact that platforms such as Tumblr, Blogger, and even the famous WordPress.com do not offer much to play around with in terms of branding and control. Nevertheless, it’s a start.

There are both free blog hosting as well as paid blog hosting platforms available, though people initially often opt for the free version (due to being a newbie and all) which makes sense but what they fail to realize is that someday they will have to switch to their own host. That sure is going to be one annoying process but hey, if you are willing to take it, why not?!

2. Growing a mailing list is still the most important thing

Growing a mailing list is still relevant. You will hear experts saying that it was the best thing to do back in the year, perhaps, 2006 but no sir. It is your email that lands in other people’s inboxes. Imagine the benefits it can yield for your blog posts or contribute to your sale revenues should you choose to launch or promote an affiliate product.

But above all why is it important to maintain a mailing list is because you cannot completely rely on Google neither on social networking sites for traffic. These platforms are constantly changing their policies and may adversely affect your objectives so in the event of things going haywire, the mailing list is the best rescue.

3. It’s time to get smart about competition analysis

It has been observed that bloggers don’t usually research on topics they are going to write on or when coming up with new posts. The research is almost slim to none. The reasons cannot be truly deduced but what they fail to realize is that the competition takes the bigger piece of the pie away due to their non-serious attitude.

There is nothing that you are writing about hasn’t been written before. Every blog post is already out there and/or product you are seeking to market possess more or less same features. One way to get past this is by researching your rivals, and I mean thorough research on what they are up to with their posts and products.

This will reveal important keywords being targeted, the number of backlinks incorporated in chief posts and the source for these backlinks. The information is invaluable and you would be a fool to pass up on that! This also enables you to identify whether or not you can compete in a certain niche or for certain keyword(s).

4. It’s time to spend money on promotion

Be prepared to spend some money on advertising. Because if you don’t advertise how come you expect to get noticed? To make money you have to spend money and that is a shame that people don’t understand this very basic concept.

In 2017, spending on online advertising is going to increase and internet entrepreneurs will be seen heavily involved in promoting their posts and products. The internet is a big place and your best work is going to get noticed only if you go an extra mile and that is by spending.

It is hard to stand out amidst the clutter that engulfs the web space, and advertising spend can surely boost your chances of being first in the line. Make sure to spend keeping in mind your target audience to whom will interest whatever it is that you have to offer.

5. Long content still works

There is a misnomer that if the content is long people will get bored and walk away from your post and that online audience’s span of attention is very low so shorten your message etc. However, this not the case because readers still prefer long content and it is only a blog post based on several thousand words which can guarantee some takeaway for the readers. What do you expect to say with a mere 400?

Google has recently launched an in-depth articles section which shows up in search results which mean the demand for long content is greater than ever. Thus, forget working with fewer words instead go ‘BIG’ or else go home.

6. Visual content (videos, graphics, photos, etc.) will only get bigger

To look for great quality photos and videos online is tricky. The best ones are usually license protected and unless you purchase them you cannot utilize them on your blog. You can either use these stock photos or even better is to take photos and make videos on your own to integrate them into your blog.

Visual content is unquestionably becoming the king and has been on the rise for quite some time now. Thus the reason for tablets and bigger smartphone screens. Facebook and Twitter also prefer photos and videos over text. Heck, Pinterest is all about photos. Therefore, commence composing visual content if you are not already doing it.

In conclusion

Above are a few things highlighted that one must factor into account before taking on blogging. Do you think we missed out anything else needed to start a blog? Let us know in the comments below.

Comments (1)

  • As they say Content is King and without it whats the point for seo, social media and web design! Content is essential for any successful website

    Reply

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