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Starting your own blog is a brilliant way to share your perspective and life experiences with the world. If you know how to market your blog, it can also be a reliable source of income in the long run, and all you need to have under your belt is basic computer skills. While it all boils down to having basic writing skills, a computer, and an internet connection, there are some technicalities that you need to be aware of before you get started. Read on to find out exactly what you need to successfully launch your own blog or website.
Narrow Your Niche Down
Before you set up your blog, you need to decide on niche. For instance, travel writing has recently become popular and quickly garners an audience. If you’re a good cook, you can come up with your own recipes and share your culinary secrets with the world. If you’re unsure what to write about, make a list of your favorite hobbies and pick a topic that comes naturally to you. The trick is to narrow your niche down and focus on one specific topic – at least when you’re just getting started.
Keep Your Writing Simple
A common mistake that beginner bloggers make is getting caught up with the quality of their writing, but the truth is, blogs don’t only cater to voracious readers, and as long as your content is consistent and to the point, you don’t have to go overboard with developing a writing style. In fact, you should always use layman’s terms, unless you specialize in technical writing. You’ll also want to stay away from ridiculously long blogs. If you want your writing to be more in-depth, it’s best to post multiple short blogs rather than one long post. This will also help you generate more views, which you can monetize in the future.
Pick a Catchy Name
After you decide on a niche and make a list of everything you want to share with the world, coming up with a catchy blog name that attracts the right audience should be your next step. You want the name to be telling of what the content is about, and you’ll also want it to be short and easy to remember. For instance, for a cooking blog, instead of picking a vague name like “Kathy’s Kitchen,” go for something more specific such as “Kathy’s Keto Recipes.”
Sign Up on a Reputable Platform
While starting your own website is a much more reliable plan if you want to make money blogging, if you’re only writing for the purpose of building a portfolio or as a way to share your ideas with the world, signing up on blogging platforms is a great way to do that, especially for beginners who have little to no capital to spare on web development and hosting. Platforms such as Medium and WordPress are reputable and can help you attract an audience when you’re just getting started. After uploading your content, share it on your social media pages and ask your friends and family to share it around for exposure.
Launch Your Own Website
Starting your own website is, hands-down, the best way you can generate income with blogging. This way, you can monetize your content through ads. Of course, it’s recommended to hire a professional web developer to design a sleek and easy-to-navigate website, but if you don’t have the budget for that, there are plenty of tutorials online that take you step-by-step through the process of building a website from scratch using WordPress and similar free services.
Find a Trust-worthy Hosting Service
If you’re launching your own website from scratch, you don’t want to get caught up in web design and content without first finding a reputable hosting service. Web hosts can be pricey, but as the web developers from WP-Tweaks state, you can land yourself a good deal if you purchase yearly or bi-yearly bundles. Many web hosts also offer special discounts and coupons for long-term customers, so if you’re in it for the long haul, it’s much more affordable to go for yearly subscriptions.
Maintain Your Blog
Once you’ve developed and launched your website, you’ll want to maintain your blog by continuing to upload more content to it. It can be discouraging to see only a couple of views when you’re just starting out, but you need to be patient if you want your website to grow organically. On the plus side, if you have enough capital, you can sponsor your blog posts on social media websites, especially if you have videos on your website. Sponsored posts are an inexpensive way to get more followers. Once you have a proper audience of a couple of thousand people, you can start to monetize your website through Google AdSense.
There you have it! That’s everything you need to start your own blog. While it’s recommended to launch your own website, if you’re not interested in monetizing your content, you can always sign up on blogging platforms to share your adventures and ideas with your audience. Remember that it’s crucial to choose a trustworthy and reliable hosting service before you start working on web design. By following our guide to the T, all you need to do next is be patient, keep uploading content and watch your audience grow organically in no time.