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“I have been blogging for two weeks and I only have a few visitors per day, what am I doing wrong?”
“I would love to start blogging, what niche should I blog in that will be profitable?”
These are just a couple of the questions that I hear again and again in the blogging groups that I am a part of. In today’s blog post, I want to break down some blogging basics so that you can get your blog started correctly.
People tend to overcomplicate things. I know, because I am one of those people. Yes, blogging has multiple moving parts but that doesn’t mean that it has to be complicated. In the beginning, you are going to feel overwhelmed and confused BUT if you take it one step at a time, and give yourself a chance to learn, grow, and build your knowledge WHILE also doing it, you are going to succeed.
AN INTRODUCTION TO BLOGGING
When I first begin to teach a workshop, I will ask this question…
“When was the last time that you read a blog post?”
Most of the time, I will get responses like, “I don’t read any blogs.”
Usually, I will laugh and then continue the conversation because for the most part, almost all of us will read blogs, we just don’t realize that we are.
Typically anytime you go to a search engine like Pinterest, Google, or Duck Duck Go, you type in something that you are searching for. That search engine takes you to blog posts that answer the question that you typed in. You will get a combination of sponsored posts (paid) and unpaid posts.
The same goes for if you look up a recipe. That recipe will typically be associated with a blog. My point is…
Most of the time we are reading blogs and we don’t even realize it.
Blogging helps people looking for information find the answers that they are searching for.
Blogging has emerged as a powerful platform for sharing ideas, experiences, and expertise. Understanding the fundamentals of blogging is crucial. This article dives into the core concepts of blogging, providing you with a comprehensive guide to get started on your blogging journey.
UNDERSTANDING THE BASICS OF BLOGGING TO START YOUR OWN BLOG
I love blogging.
If you didn’t know that, you haven’t followed me long enough.
There are so many different benefits to blogging including sharing your story, healing from your past, building your business, etc. Knowing the basics is going to help you lay a strong foundation to help you build your blog as you keep going.
Your niche
What is a niche?
The niche refers to a specific topic or subject that a blogger focuses on when creating content for their blog. It’s essentially the main theme or subject matter that ties together all the posts on the blog.
Choosing a niche is going to help you define your target audience and create content that caters to their interests and needs.
Your niche should be a combination of your passions, your expertise, and your stories. This is how you are going to stand out in the niche that you blog in AND how you are going to stick with blogging.
DO NOT CHOOSE A BLOG NICHE BASED ON THE AMOUNT OF INCOME THAT YOU CAN MAKE!
Yes, I totally understand that you are going to want to monetize your blog BUT that SHOULD NOT BE the deciding factor when finalizing your niche. If you are looking for ways to narrow down your niche, here are five lists that are going to help you.
Your platform
This is a topic where bloggers are going to be set in the platform that they choose. HOWEVER, not all platforms are made for every person. You need to get clear on what you are looking for when it comes to your blogging platform. A few questions to ask yourself…
Are you going to monetize your blog?
Do you know how to build a website?
What are your blogging goals?
I have used many different platforms and am currently using ShowIt. When it comes to ShowIt, it is a ShowIt website with a WordPress blog. I am not a huge lover of WordPress. I had issues with them in the past but I know that they are an excellent platform for bloggers. I love that ShowIt gives me the use of a WordPress blog.
I also recommend Wix. I love Wix and I have used them for most of my blogging journey. If you do not know technology very well, Wix is a great platform to use. Just remember that when choosing a platform, choose the one that is going to work for you. You can get recommendations from other bloggers but choose the one that is going to benefit you the best.
Your blog posts
My blog posts from when I first started blogging look completely different from the posts I publish now. You will learn to find your groove when it comes to writing your posts. You will also find the layout that you love to write in. This will be different from blogger to blogger. Here are some ways to focus on your content.
Your length will vary and change too depending on your audience and the topic that you are talking about. For example, if you are speaking to beginners then you are going to want to break your blog posts up into smaller guides whereas if you are speaking to experts, you can write a longer guide. This will also change the language that you use.
I recommend that you write blog posts between 1,000 to 2,500 words. Typically most of my blog posts are between 1,500 and 2,000 words.
Your audience
In 2022, there were over 600 million blogs in the world.
600 MILLION!!!!
These numbers aren’t meant to scare you. They are meant to show you that it is going to take time to build up an audience. You are going to use SEO and social media platforms to help you with that but that doesn’t mean that your audience is going to come flocking to you.
Blogging is a long-term game. If you are in it to make a quick buck or to have thousands flocking to your site within a week then you are in the wrong game. Disclaimer: I’m not saying that this doesn’t happen but it isn’t the norm!
When building an audience, it is going to take time but there are strategies to help with that. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t have hundreds or thousands of readers on your website. Be grateful for the ones who are showing up and continue to grow from there! Here are some tips to build your blogging audience.
SEO
I find that this is one of the biggest hurdles for beginner bloggers. They feel like they need to know all the things when it comes to SEO. I am here to tell you that that isn’t the case. Don’t let your lack of knowledge in SEO stop you from blogging.
SEO is an everchanging piece of the blogging puzzle and you can learn it as you go.
Please don’t think that you need to know SEO before you start blogging. Here is a guide to helping you with SEO basics so that you can start blogging right now.
Consistency
I have blogged about consistency many times throughout my time as a blogger. Consistency means something different for every blogger out there and you just need to figure out what it means to you.
To figure this out, you need to get crystal clear on how much time you have to spend on blogging. Focus on the next three months because life happens.
How much time every week do you have to work on your blog?
Remember this doesn’t include just writing your blog posts. It is also going to include website upkeep, graphic creation, research if needed, editing, and social media platforms plus anything else that you are doing.
This is going to help you to break down how much time you have to focus on your blog. Remember that as a beginner blogger, you are going to take anywhere from four to six hours on one blog post from start to finish. As you blog, your time will get less and less but plan for this in the beginning.
If you have a full-time job, family, and any other priorities in your life, writing three to four blog posts per week may be far-fetched. When I didn’t have a full-time job, I could easily write three blog posts per week. Now that I do have a full-time job, my time is limited and so I am writing between one and two blog posts per week.
If you can start with one blog post per week then start there and you can begin to build up and check back in in three months. You can always change the frequency once you have the hang of blogging.
Monetization
If you are starting from scratch and want to monetize, I suggest waiting. I want you to have a monetization plan but I don’t want you to immediately start trying to make money.
When it comes to monetizing your blog, you need to build up trust with your audience and build up your blogging authority. All of these are going to take time.
Start with a monetization plan but don’t focus on monetizing until three to six months into blogging. You can even wait longer than that. This is going to give you time to build up a foundation.
People want to know and trust who they are purchasing from and blogging is going to help you do that but don’t make it your main focus.
Blogger tip:
I know that you see those Pinterest pins showcasing how the new blogger made $5K or $10K in their first 30 days of blogging. I see them and they make me want to scream. I have been blogging for years and have never had a $10K month.
Now I am not saying that it is impossible but I am saying that when a blogger says that they did it in their first 30 days of blogging, you aren’t seeing the whole picture. They are discrediting all of the work that they put in before those first 30 days.
AGAIN, I AM NOT SAYING IT ISN’T POSSIBLE BUT I AM SAYING THAT IT ISN’T AS EASY AS THEY MAKE IT OUT TO BE!!!!
You can make money from your blog but be prepared for it to take longer than 30 days or even six months. Give yourself time to grow and build your blog.
Embarking on a blogging journey can be both exciting and rewarding. By mastering the blogging basics, you’re setting yourself up for success in the digital world. If you are looking for help when starting your blog, Blogology is starting on October 4, 2023.
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