So you want to start writing a blog? That’s great, and it’s never been so easy! You can set up a WordPress, Blogger, or Tumblr account easily, and within minutes you can start sharing your musings and thoughts with the world.
Oh, but you want to write a successful blog that can help promote your small business? Or, you want a blog that you can turn into a business? There’s a bit more to it than just setting up a blog site and writing. You will need to understand a few concepts to set yourself up for success and create a blog that you can be proud of. Luckily for you, J.D. Scribes has you covered! Here are a few things you need to know before you start your blog.
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1.Plan For Your Blog To Be Successful. To host a successful blog, plan every single step. Like any other venture, blogs take planning. If you don’t aspire to succeed at blogging, you simply won’t achieve success. Here are a few questions to ask yourself when planning your blog:
2. Social Blogs Are More Likely To Be Successful. Social media users share millions of content with other users daily through various content. Once you understand and harness the powerful influence of social media, you will be able to increase the number of visitors and readers to your blog. Create an online profile, link it to your blog, and watch your numbers grow!
3. (Well-Written) Content Is King! Engage your readers with original, valuable material. Readers will know if you’re stingy with your thoughts or words. If you keep writing solid content, your audience will keep reading. Misspellings and/or grammatical errors are one way to insult your readers to the point of no longer reading your blog!
4. Get Acquainted With Basic SEO Elements. SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, will be a significant part of your blog’s marketing strategy. Understanding the importance of keywords, image SEO, and more can help you create a successful blog to attract many readers and visitors.
5. Relationships Matter. Bloggers need to socialize with other bloggers as well as their readers. Forge relationships and engage readers with your content. View those comments on your blog as live conversations, and don’t be afraid to write guest posts for other bloggers (with permission, of course.) Share and brainstorm with others to build a loyal following so that everyone can grow together.
Additional Questions to Ask Yourself When Planning Your Blog
Before you go any further in the process of creating a successful personal or business blog, here are a few additional questions to ask yourself:
- What are your goals for this blog? Is it for business promotion, or do you need a sounding board for your personal thoughts?
- What is your blog about? Most people start blogging to share with their readers their knowledge or something they are passionate about.
- Who are your competitors? If you’re blogging for a business or looking to make revenue, this step is essential. Look closely over your competition’s blogs. Can you use any of their ideas for your own business? How often are your competitors posting content? Look into yourself to figure out how you can make your blog stand out. Use tools like Moz and SEMRush to help you with keywords, content, and competitor research. It will be worth your time.
- Who will be your blog host? Sure, you can choose from any online blogging platform- WordPress, Tumblr, Squarespace, and Blogger are the most well-known. Or, would it behoove you to have your own server? This way, you can have control of the features of your blog. Weigh the options of convenience, cost, features, and accessibility of each platform, including your own, and carefully assess. Depending on traffic, it would be a good idea to look at website speed, as well. Research each component carefully and equally before moving on.
- How often will you post? Be honest with yourself in figuring how much do you have each week to post? How much time can you budget for writing original and useful content weekly? How much time will it take to beat your competitors if you’re writing for a business?
- How will your blog be promoted? Again, make a plan. Will you use social media, Pay Per Click advertising, or even ask for guest contributions?
- How are you going to track your blog’s success? Decide on an analytic platform to give you a solid understanding of your success.
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Final Thoughts
Starting a blog is exciting, but a lot of work goes into creating and maintaining one. We hope the information shared above will help those beginning a blog and a refresher to those who have already started one. Good luck!
