The Blog
Before you even begin to create your personal blog, it's important to know just what a blog really is. The word blog is actually produced from the term Weblog or Blog. Back in the days, around the late 1990's, these Web logs were utilized by individuals to track updates and references to other resources online. They served as journals, which made them useful as a publishing tool for the user's blast of consciousness. Of course, the readers can still comment and share their thoughts on just about anything beneath the sun. Technically, blogs may also be known as CMS or Content Management Systems. Being a CMS, blogs permit the writers to easily publish to a particular Internet site and manage the content without the need of experiencing to deal with this program code. Publishing software also provides users with a GUI or Graphical INTERFACE for easy pointing and clicking of these articles. By using easy-to-do procedures, it is possible to perform configurations and set up, which can ease your task as a blogger since the tool can automatically organize your published articles next time you publish.
The benefit of Blogging
The main question is; why should you start blogging? The initial thing you have to know is that blogging can enhance and support your online communications. However, you must first understand the outcome of your blog that you desire so as to attain success. The main reason why you need to start blogging, is that it could be both a fantastic outlet for your frustrations or excitement. What you are passionate about and profitable concurrently. It does not imply that if you're not into blogging, you should not blog. Being in a small business, especially those with dealings on the web, requires you to establish a clientele that are actually thinking about your products or services. Blogs can perform this easily due to its accessibility and as an excellent medium for marketing that it is, blogs are essential for businesses. Way more, if you are handling a business, you will find a good chance that your competition is blogging about their services and products. This is an easy method for you yourself to examine your competition and what their clients' preferences are. Additionally, blogs can create strong customer relationships since your target market can simply and directly talk to the authority inside your business. This type of opportunity is hard to resist since a solid customer relationship can eventually lead to lasting trust to your product and services; hence, eventual upsurge in your revenue.
How to start a blog as a business -- listed below are 7 steps to get you started on your own journey to developing a blog for profit. Follow this step-by-step guide that shows you how to be a blogger who provides value to your readers.
1. Look for a Blog Idea (Business Idea) Which "Fits" YOU!
In order to determine how to start out a blog, we've still surely got to go back to the fundamentals of determining a good blog idea.
We're back again to "fit" again - blogs are simply like business ideas -- they have to be a "fit" for you personally, your personality, interests, and expertise.
2. Check-Out Your Competition
Another important factor for how to start a blog is to have a look at your competition to find out what they could be doing? That is good market research! Spend some time on their blogs...
What is the competition doing well - is it possible to incorporate this into your blog? What ideas must you improve your blog compared to the competition? How will you write your blog to incorporate information which you don't readily see available? What will be your internet voice - witty, humorous, serious, challenging, etc.?
3. Brainstorm Some Domain Name Ideas
Sit down with a notebook when you're learning how to start a blog and begin jotting down a number of names which get at the intent of your main topic idea and/or your spin. This will give you as well as your business a head start determining a terrific domain URL and providing you with probably the most flexibility and traffic at the beginning for your business blog.
4. Find Your Domain Name
When you're first determining how to start a blog, it is easy to belong to the trap of attempting to do that as cheaply as possible. Don't do it together with your domain name!!!
You're domain name will cost you around $10 - do this step! It's important and will save you problems down the road. Remember that that is like any other business and do the right steps!
Find a domain that has your unique topic in the domain name - this will help you with the search engines and building your traffic organically over time. Maybe you may also get your "spin" in the name to give your domain some character.
Try to buy a .com or .net URL -- this can serve your organization best since these are the most recognized tags on the internet (this might change over time, but also for now these remain the standards). Avoid "cutesy" or "weird" names of domain - while they're fun in the moment, others may totally miss your point if they find you at all on the web.
One of many free tools which I find particularly helpful is at http://www.NameCheap.com.
5. CHOOSE A Software/Hosting
While you are learning how to begin a blog, one of the major decisions you'll make is choosing blogging software and hosting sites, be sure you are comparing apples to apples (rather than oranges). Many sites which claim to be "free" are not free. There are some perceived cheap options in the hosting world (or so it seems if you are just getting started!)
However, these options may cost you more in the long run since they usually do not actually supply you with a business building system (BBS) and the support you need and deserve to make your life easier also to help grow your business. As you compare options, be sure you consider both your short-term and long-term needs for the business blog. Ask yourself what tools will undoubtedly be important to your business blog over time.
You'll want to browse the fine-print to check out any site restrictions to determine if they will continue to work or may negatively impact your future business plans.
Does your host give you training (you will need it for whatever type of business and software you're using)? Choose a system that includes everything you need to build a business -- this includes built-ins which offer keyword searches, software built-ins so everything works together, e-zines, quality monetization models, constant upgrades because the internet and Google become smarter, and support forums to assist you grow your business.
Beware of hosting systems requiring you to pay extra for each little plug-in you'll need to build a successful business. With this particular type of hosting model, you're charged for every individual piece of business software including a separate fee for your domain name, domain hosting, blogging software, keyword searches plug-in, home based business plug-ins, premium templates, e-zine support, traffic analytics, even extra costs for additional traffic as your site followers grow, etc. This can cost your business a fortune!
And as you are learning how to begin a blog, be sure to benefit from any tutorials offered. These will be a tremendous value and benefit for you as well as your business -- remember you're learning a whole new industry and language. You will have specific nuances you'll need to learn at each step on the way. Keep learning and building your blog so it looks professional to your visitors.
6. Create TOP QUALITY Content for Your Visitors
This is ESSENTIAL step if you are starting a blog! You would like to provide your readers with good quality information - and you will want to have at the least 30 pages, but 50+ is way better to begin with with. All of your pages ought to be between 350 - 500+ words (<350 are not enough to provide valuable information to your readers).
If you plan to make your blog a business, you need to write proficiently for a number of hours each day... Visit this page 's why it's so vital that you LOVE your topics and reveal what you know and are thinking about. Many bloggers will quit because that is work and it's a business! This requires dedication just like starting any other business.
When we're talking about how to begin a blog, we'd be remiss if we didn't discuss the necessity for good quality original content. Your content should be interesting, honest, and you must be yourself when you're writing. This means you will be witty, charming, motivating, or rugged depending upon your personality. Just keep it real! This will keep your readers engaged, interested, and returning for more of your terrific featured articles.
Write your site content for folks with a short attention span - this is simply not a novel where folks will hang in there before end of the plot. They'll be looking to gain their information in quick short bursts.
7. How To Start A Blog & Promote It
One of the better ways to promote your site is to gain traffic organically through the use of specific keywords being searched for by your visitors. When you use the right keywords, the search engines will reward you by delivering your blog site to readers throughout the world. Get comfortable identifying specific words being searched inside your niche.
Make sure you tell your friends and family about your site - ask them to visit and give you constructive feedback. Make any necessary changes you imagine will help your blog.
Get your site link published on your own social media websites to encourage your social friends to go to your blog. Search for other media opportunities to get the word out about your blog. You can even advertise in hard copy magazines, online sites, or share links with other bloggers to encourage their traffic to visit your blog.
Who knows... maybe your friends will ask you how to start a blog and you will send them here!
Thanks for reading my article, hope that it was helpful and that you enjoyed.