7 Things You Need to Know About Blogging
Blogging is one of the great things to do to exercise creativity. Whether you’re choosing to blog as your full-time gig, or something fun to do on the side, blogging really allows individuals to speak their mind about whatever their niche is.
Perhaps you love food; you can start a food blog. If you enjoy reading books, why not start a blog critiquing different novels? It’s the best outlet to speak about your choice of topic.
If you’re thinking about starting your own blog, check out seven things you should know before setting up shop.
#1 There are different platforms
Okay, okay. This may seem like a “no-brainer” to some, but others may not realize how much you can do with blogging. You can choose all different types of platforms depending on what you feel most comfortable using. For example, there is WordPress (most popular), Blogger, Tumblr, and so many more you can choose from. Each one is unique and offers different features depending on what you need and what you feel best using. Play around with each before locking in to a platform.
#2 Choose the right domain
The domain is the heart and soul of your blog. It is the one-liner that the world will see to know what your blog is about. Spend some time on this making sure it’s short, sweet, catchy, fun and describes your blog just right. It can also be a challenge to find a domain that is available. Don’t rush this part, once you’re locked in – you’re locked in!
#3 Gaining traffic
The whole point of having a blog is to get people to read it, right? So the next step is figuring out how to get traffic. You can promote your blog through some social media work, guest blogging and having guest bloggers, getting people to share your blog, and some good SEO strategies, just to name a few. Check out this infographic on the 10 Maxims For Successful Blogging.
#4 You can make money from your blog
Get paid to blog? Count us in! A lot of people aren’t exactly sure how to make this work, but it’s really not that hard. A few options are to join an advertising program, such as Google AdSense, publish posts and reviews for pay, sell merchandise, join an affiliate advertising networking, and so much more! Have fun and get creative with this part of blogging. The sky is the limit.
#5 Add your blog in your website
A lot of new bloggers think they just need to have a blog, but what most don’t know is that you can have an actual website with a blog built into it. This is good because you can showcase more of your work and portfolio on a website, and you still have the blog on the site for followers. WordPress offers this feature, and it’s very simple to create.
#6 It requires consistency
The biggest challenge bloggers run into is creating content and keeping their posts consistent. Be sure to post at least 3 times per week. The more you post, the more you’ll gain readership and followers. If you aren’t constantly creating new content, you’ll find it difficult to maintain readers.
#7 It’s fun!
Blogging is fun! So have fun with it. Keep your posts clean and professional, but keep your voice fun and engaging. You want readers to feel like you’re having a conversation with them. Keep your posts conversational and informative. Keeping a fun and upbeat voice will take you a long way.
image credit: stokpic.com
A Florida native filled with charm, a sense of humor, style, and a passion for writing, Dana Damato is a talented journalist covering all things entertainment, fashion, food, travel, and lifestyle. Dana first realized her dreams of becoming a writer at age ten and wrote her first book at the age of 12. With a growing passion for writing, Dana knew from then on that being a writer is what she needed to do as a career.
