7 things you should know before starting your first blog

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Whether you are blogging for income, as a marketing strategy, or simply to engage an audience, here are seven things you need to know before you get started

Running a blog can seem daunting, especially with the millions of blogs already out there. Never fear, starting an engaging and well-written blog can be a wonderful step in the right direction of your writing career. However, there are several pieces of the process you should probably know before starting.

Here are seven bits of advice to jumpstart your blog’s development.

1. Have a clear vision

Most often, when starting a blog, you will have some idea of what you want to write about. Perhaps you are a baker interested in sharing your experience. This is well and good, but you need to ask yourself: What is it about the information you have that will interest viewers and keep them coming back?

Your audience will determine your blog’s success, so be sure to have a clear purpose behind your ideas. As a baker, you know why you love to bake. Make sure your audience knows why, too.

Also Read: 4 things you need to know about marketing your startup to a global audience and How To Start A Blog (Step-By-Step Guide)

2. Research is your best friend

Research is the cornerstone of your blog. Research should include information on your blog’s subject, your audience, content development, and marketing. The research will take time and is the most critical element to your blog’s success. Do not jump ahead to your initial post until you have sufficient knowledge to hold your blog to an accomplished standard.

3. Web hosting options

There are plenty of free hosting sites to choose from: Medium, Tumblr, and Blogger. However, WordPress.org outmatches these choices by giving you the freedom needed to truly personalise and develop your website. If your blog’s purpose is to bring in revenue and views, by investing a few dollars into a WordPress account, you will save yourself a headache down the road.

Also Read: Why guest posting is a crucial parameter in SEO?

4. SEO Matters

In your research, be sure to include search engine optimisation (SEO) development. If used properly, SEO will bring your blog to the top. SEO includes:

• Keywords. If you use particular words or phrases, place them strategically throughout your posts, so that search engines will have easier access to the type of content you provide. This allows their systems to index your content more efficiently and speedily.

• Forward linking. Forward links provide a way for search engines to not only find your site but also attain information regarding your blog’s authority.

So, for example, your blog centres on baking and you have a post that offers information on the best Fall desserts. By linking this article to MarthaStewart.com, a website that is considered an authority on the subject, you build reliability and trustworthiness.

5. Know your fellow bloggers

Within your research, discover the community of bloggers who are writing about the same subjects you are. If you are running a baking blog, research other blogs that discuss baking. This will give insight into what type of content is trending in this particular digital marketing niche, as well as who your audience might be.

In addition, if you are able to connect with other bloggers in the baking community, it could lead to future guest postings, which will help bring more traffic to both your blogs. The internet can be a lonely place. It is better to have friends.

6. Keeping a Schedule is Critical

If you do not post regularly, search engines will tune you out; your website will read as inactive and therefore not important enough for search engines to share with their viewers. Generating new content is critical in keeping your audience interested and coming back for more. Posting weekly is a good start. However, to truly grow your audience, you will want to increase the amount of posting.

7. Stay positive

This is vital to your blog’s survival, especially in the beginning. It takes time and patience to nurture a blog into existence. There is so much that goes into preparing for your first post alone: research, writing, formatting and marketing. Then come all the postings after, which will require just as much dedication.

You might not see the fruits of your labor five postings in, but that does not mean you stop what you are doing. Continue researching, continue writing and continue finding new ways to bring viewers to your website. Do not worry. If you have the patience, like with anything in life, you will succeed.

Also Read: Advice for Launching your First Website 

Good luck in your blogging endeavours. If you ever feel like you are not finding the success you hoped for, the internet usually has your answer within a post on a blog.

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The views expressed here are of the author’s, and e27 may not necessarily subscribe to them. e27 invites members from Asia’s tech industry and startup community to share their honest opinions and expert knowledge with our readers. If you are interested in sharing your point of view, submit your post here.

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