How to start a blog? The same question came to my mind as well when I first wanted to start my own blog. But I didn’t know how to do so. If you’re currently in the same situation, I’ll help you come out of this.
What is Blogging? (As a Beginner)
Blogging simply means writing about something you know and like so other people can also learn about it. Like, if you know how to use professional cameras. You can create a blog and share your experience on it. Other than sharing the information with other users on the internet, you can also earn money. There are several ways to earn from a blog, like Google Adsense, sponsors, affiliates, and a few more.
Why You Should Start a Blog?
There could be several reasons for starting your own personal blog. Here’s why most people start an online blog:
Personal Branding;
Earn Some Extra Bucks Besides the Regular Job;
Improve Your Online Presence;
Get More Clients;
Below, I have explained the step-by-step process for starting a successful website/blog from the very scratch:
STEP 1. Choose a Niche (topic/interest)
What do I mean by a niche? In short, niche is a topic around which you’ll cover articles/content on your blog.
STEP 2. Analyze Blogs in your Niche
You need to visit the sites in your niche to understand how they’re approaching things and getting more views.
Step. 3. Take a Pen and Notebook
You need to now note down some great content ideas in a notebook to cover on your personal website. I would say research for topics for a week. For instance, if I want to start a travel blog, I’ll write about evergreen topics, like “Best 5 Places to Visit in Delhi With Friends,” “Best 5 Temples to Visit in Delhi”, etc.
A Domain and Best Hosting for Your Website
You may not understand these terms because you are new to them. Let me make a small glossary of them:
Domain: A domain name is the unique name of a site, like Google.com, Techburner.in, or Greekchamp.com.
Hosting: Hosting is a virtual space to host the website and publish it on the web to let other users check it.
Is Domain Name and Hosting Costs for Free?
I know you are curious to know about it. The answer is No. But wait, the price of every domain varies from store to store. On average, a domain costs Rs. 800. And a hosting cost of at least Rs. 199/month.
I am not going to talk about how to set up a blog. Because it is effortless to do it, and everyone can do it by watching a few YouTube tutorials. Thank you for understanding.
What are the Other Requirements?
You will need a Domain and Hosting to start a blog. Yes, I have already mentioned these things above as well. So, why am I repeating it? Because I need your attention. The two most important things are remaining. Have you noticed above, I had written How to Start a Successful Blog instead of Start a Blog? The word "Successful" matters the most.
If you want to start a successful blog. You have to keep in mind that you need to work harder and be more dedicated to your BLOG. Keep in mind, without Passion, Hard Work, and Dedication, you would not achieve your goals.
Remember the phrase:
You can do it. You can do it. You can do it. You can do it. You can do it. You can do it.
What are the Mistakes I Have Made in My Blogging Journey?
I had made countless blunders with the first blog. Still, I am happy because I have learnt something new with every mistake, and now, I can share them with you. I have listed my blunders below.
1. Choose a Profitable Niche:
What do I mean by a Profitable Niche? The more profitable niche you choose, the more you will earn. There are several ways to make from a blog—for instance, Google Adsense, Sponsors, Affiliate Marketing, Sponsor Articles, Brand Collaboration, etc. But not every niche can earn from the methods mentioned above. For Eg, a movie downloading website can not earn from Google Adsense.
2. Do not Copy Content from Other Websites:
This is the huge blunder I made when I was new in this industry. And, I do not want you to make the same mistake. Do not ever copy content from your competitor's site. Moreover, Google will not rank your website. As a result, you will not be able to earn.
3. Do not Apply Everything Simultaneously:
It could be possible that you have planned different strategies for your blog. But in a rush, you apply every approach without even waiting for the results. Apply techniques to your site by giving them time to show results and analyze them properly.
4. Give Time to Your Learning
As we all know, learning takes time. Do not try to learn everything on the same day. Your knowledge would not be helpful unless you implement it on your blog or whatever you are doing. You will not learn everything quickly; it will take time to understand the whole process. Be patient.
5. Do Not Quit, If You Are Not Getting Results.
Yes, it had happened to me as well. But due to dedication and passion, I was able to keep myself in the game. I was also not getting traffic at the starting of 4–5 months. But still, I was writing because I knew one day I would beat my competitors as well. You will not believe I had ranked my article on Google's first page under 5 minutes the span after publishing.
6. You Should Not Compare Your Blog with Someone's Else Blog
I said, do not compare your one-month-old blog with a one-year-old blog. You will not grow your blog if you give attention to someone else's blog just because he is getting traffic and you're not. Focus on your blog and take the necessary actions to grow it. Implement hard.
7. Do Not Spam
Sometimes, to bring more traffic to the blog, we usually spam the blog URL on several social media platforms. And, as a result, we get a disheartening ban from social media. In my case, I was spamming my blog URL in a Facebook group, and unfortunately, Facebook banned my domain from their platform. So, the next time, I was not able to get traffic from Facebook anymore.
8. Be Consistent!
Take a paper and write "Be Consistent" several times. Trust me! If you follow this quote. Your blog is going to be super successful. Consistency is the key to success. According to me, a newbie blogger should write at least 100 blogs for continuous 100 days. Remember the point when I said, write all the topics in one place, and find all the topics in your niche in advance. Mark my words, you will not face any content shortage issue.
9. Optimum Utilization of Resources
Make profiles on the name of your blog and optimize it accordingly. Promote it like a brand; tell it to your friends, family, colleagues. Utilize all the resources present on the internet, whether it is social media, forums, and more. You will be able to make it successful.
10. Learning is the Most Important Thing
I am thankful that I have not stopped learning in the early stages of blogging. But still, I am sharing it because few people just start their blog and do not discover other tactics and strategies to grow their blog. Remember one thing, growth is essential. If you are not learning, you are learning. Learn something new every day.
12. Implement Properly
As I said above, learning is essential. The next important step which comes after learning is implementing what you have learned. If you are only busy learning and not implementing it. Then, buddy, that knowledge is just a theory for you unless you practically try it.
No, the mistakes are countless. But these were the same mistakes I wanted to highlight. Do not be afraid of making mistakes.
Advice For New Bloggers
1. Quality and Quantity Content Both Matter.
It does not matter that every long article will rank on Google. Articles with more information and lesser words also rank much faster and higher. Do you remember that 5 minutes example? Yes, I had also implemented the same strategy with that article, and it ranked in the first position under 5 minutes. That was incredible.
2. Write Articles/Blogs on Problem Solving Queries
Most of the newbie articles always target a broader audience. Newbie bloggers should write articles on specific search queries. Let me explain more about this. For instance, a person is searching on Google, "How to Install Google Camera on XYZ Smartphone"? And, Google is actually looking for someone who has written a whole article on this specific query with valuable information. No more storytelling and all, only clear target answers. If Google thinks you are the one, it will definitely rank you. Now, you can rank faster by writing articles on specific search queries.
3. Find Loopholes in Your Competitors Article and Take Advantage Of It
When you will start finding loopholes or mistakes in your competitor's articles. On that day, you will start getting higher rankings if you implement it harder. Take your competitors' mistakes to your advantage.
4. Keep an Eye on Your Website Speed
Website speed is one of the significant factors behind rankings. If your website speed is slower than ever, Google will not rank you by any chance. Because if users face problems with your site speed. As a result, Google will not rank you. So, keep checking your website rate once a week. Try to use 7–8 essential plugins maximum. Moreover, use a lightweight theme such as Generate Press.
5. Keep Making Backlinks
Backlinks are essential for ranking but not more than the quality of your content. Try to make profile backlinks. Profile Backlinks are easy to make, but they may consume your time. Still, I hope you can invest your time in better rankings.
7. Consistency is the Key
I am focusing on consistency because it is essential for better rankings. The best way to let Google know about your website presence is consistency. In the starting days, you will see your Google position is changing every day, also known as Google Dancing. It is familiar with new sites.
8. Write Content in Easy and Readable Language
Every new blogger should write the content in an easy to read language. It is not necessary to show off your strength in English by writing hard to read articles. Write content that can be read by a ten year old child and 20 year old person as well.
9. Build Presence on Social Media Platforms
Social Media is the best way to bring traffic to a new website. I am repeating, use social as much as you can to build your brand. But do not break their guidelines, or they will ban you. Here, I am sharing a picture of one of my favorite social media profiles called Pinterest. Pinterest had brought me 500+ visitors per month. Still, I do not believe it. Have a look.
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