Over the past couple of years there has been a creative boom and the rise of successful blogs and bloggers such as Zoella, Alfie Deyes and Jim Chapman. The power of blogging is big business, so if you’re thinking of joining the blogging community, read on as we share our top tips for starting a blog.
Hosting
To set up your blog you need to think about the right hosting platform for you; from Blogger to WordPress a simple Google search will fill your screen with possible websites from which to choose. Do your research, weigh up the pros and cons for each and look at what other bloggers in your field use to host their website.
Blogger is probably the easiest you will come across, when setting up – not only is it a free platform to use but you can be up and running within minutes.
WordPress is slightly more complex but it allows for greater freedom when creating your blog, allowing your site to look more professional.
Once you’ve set your blog up each site will add a ‘Blogspot’ or ‘WordPress’ to your URL, so if you want your web address to look more professional with a .com or .co.uk domain you can buy one from a host such as GoDaddy.
What are your goals?
First and foremost when starting your blog it’s important to identify what you want to get from it. Do you want to create content that will entertain your reader, use your blog as a promotional tool for a brand or product, or just simply share snippets of your daily life? Once you have figured out what you want to achieve, keep these goals in mind as it will help create a structure for now and looking to the future.
Know your audience
A must for bloggers is knowing your audience – this will affect the content of your blog. Google Analytics is a great tool to install when starting out as it gives you an insight into the people visiting your blog and for how long, their location, age as well as their interests. As soon as you get this information you can tailor your content and imagery to appeal to your audience.
Content
Content by far is the most important aspect of blogging, as this is what will result in loyal readers who return with each new post. Choose a topic that you are passionate about, whether that’s baking, movie reviews or even fashion. By writing about something you love your readers will be able to feel this passion from your content.
Try and be original with your writing as this will give people a reason to visit your blog – you may be writing a post that has been done a million times before but adding your own unique spin on the idea will leave your audience wanting to read your post.
Be consistent with your posts, and have at least one post go out a week. Once you consistently update your blog with new posts your readers will start to become interested in your content and will keep coming back.
Social
Naturally it will take a while to grow your audience, and this is where social media can play a key part in increasing your audience organically. By becoming more active on some of the more popular social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram the more your name will be seen within the community and your niche area. Engage with other bloggers and build relationships within the community as this will help to grow your audience.
There are many blogger groups on social platforms, and by joining these groups you will not only get to know more people with similar interests but you can create conversation about blogging, exchanging ideas and tips to help improve your blog.
Overall there is no right or wrong when it comes to blogging, it’s very much a case of trial and error until you find a routine that works best for you.