When and if you decide to go blogging seriously, for whatever reasons you have in mind, here are some things you may consider just before you start your blogging journey.
These tips can save you effort, money and a lot of time:
Know Your Purpose
Your reason to blog is your north star, the blueprint for your all your works. Your purpose keeps you in check for the things you should be doing.
Is it to entertain? To educate? To earn? To advocate?
Knowing that purpose put all your actions toward the direction you need to go.
Choose your Niche
The internet is vast. So are the topics that you can talk about. But focusing on a niche or a specific subject can bring more good to your blog.
First, it narrows the topics you need to discuss.
Second, it eases your way capturing your audience.
Third, with frequent, good content, you can gain credibility and authority within your niche, which can work for your best in the long run.
In essence, LESS is MORE.
Pick a name for your blog
Now that you know your niche, you can find the best possible match for the brand you wish to be known.
Would like to use your name? Or probably keywords related to you niche? Or it can be a very odd name that you can make eventually known (remember Google)?
After picking a name, make sure that it is unique. It is best to register your name in a .com, format. Personally, I still feel having .com site, as most people still have a general notion end a website with a .com.
Just search for domain registration via Google and see your options.
Check for hosting
There are ways you can blog. Choose the platform that best suit your purpose. You can choose between paid and free hosting sites.
Two of the most popular free sites WordPress.com, Blogspot.com
Or you can have your site hosted via paid web hosts.
Both options have their pros and cons.
Design your blog
Making your site attractive adds value to your blog as visitors then to get more glued to your site. Three main considerations in designing your blog are speed, mobility and usability.
Remember to focus on how fast your site can load in most media platform it can be best viewed with best functionality for users.
Distribute and Promote
Finally, once you get all your blog up and running, the best way to let your blog be known is to distribute it and promote.
Take advantage of the network you already have on your social media platform (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, etc.). The first people to consume (and most probably share) your thoughts are the people close to you.
Slowly, if you get traction with your articles, you can expect traffic to come in to your blog.
Pro-Tips
As added tip to your budding blogging career, make sure to:
- Provide fresh articles regularly
- Be authentic in your form, style and tone of content. This will give identity to your blog.
Rey Belen