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Beginner’s Guide to Start Your Own Blog in 2023

Anyone can start a successful blog. It’s surprisingly easy to do, and you don’t need any technical know-how to do it. Free hosted blogs are a quick and easy solution if you want to get going immediately, but if you view this as a long-term project, it is better to go with a self-hosted blog. You can learn how to successfully start a blog by reading the following article. We will also discuss the merits of monetizing your blog and how you can do this.

Why Blog?

Is blogging worthwhile? Yes, it is. A blog is not only an opportunity to get your thoughts and feelings out there into the wider world, but it can be a long-term business as well. You can blog under your own name, use a pen name or publish anonymously.

Many people who set up a blog basically intend to educate others on a topic that is close to their heart or something that they have expertise in. You might have noticed that blogs that follow the journey of a terminally ill individual or impart advice on parenting and family issues often attract a wide following. Similarly, bloggers who have hands-on experience in marketing, branding, finance, education are famous in their respective industries.

You can blog about whatever you like, but it is always best to pick a topic that you feel strongly about, as your content will have greater resonance with readers.

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And yes, if you are a business owner, blogging can be highly useful for your business as well. Creating a blog for your business can help to build a brand and extend your reach beyond existing customers. If you post useful and informative keyword-rich content, people will find your blogs via search engines and get to know your business. This, in turn, helps to direct readers to your website or brick-and-mortar store.

How to Start a Blog

A self-hosted blog is always the best way, as this gives you the freedom to monetize your blog and your own web address. Choose a domain name, find a hosting package that’s affordable, and use WordPress to build a blog. There are zillions of templates, so you should have no problem finding one that suits how you want your blog to look.

Related Reading:

How to Setup a Review Blog Using WordPress

Do Bloggers Really Make Money?

Yes they do!

Many bloggers set up a blog with the express intention of making money. That isn’t going to happen overnight, but with some business savvy and a lot of commitment, you can make a good fortune from a blog. Some successful bloggers make thousands of dollars a month from their blog, but most don’t make much at all.

What this all mean is, starting a blog with the intention of making a million dollars is kind of an unrealistic goal. You need a proper business plan to develop a money making blog, i.e. a plan that has details of anticipated expenses, content strategy, marketing plan and a timeline for the blog to be profitable.

Related Reading:

Why Do I Need a Business Plan, Even for Starting a Home Based Business?

How to Make a Blog Profitable

If you do want to make your blog profitable, here’s what you need to know.

Firstly, focus on creating high-quality content. The best SEO in the world won’t keep a reader on the page if the content is poor. Writing keyword rich content is essential. Create content that’s useful to the reader, whether it’s a ‘how-to’ guide or a great explanation of a difficult concept.

Next, decide HOW you want to monetize the blog. You can use an advertising program like Google AdWords or affiliate advertising from Amazon (or similar), or you can sell products via the blog.

Related Reading:

6 Ways to Build a Successful Revenue Model for Your Travel Blog

Promote your blog in as many places as possible. Include a link to the blog in your email signature, on forums you frequent, and in your social media accounts. Whenever you publish a blog, promote it on social media, as this helps to drive relevant traffic. You can also use Social Media effectively to drive traffic to your blog, i.e. join relevant Facebook, Linkedin groups and share your content there. Create Social Media profiles/pages for your blog, invite friends and ask them to invite their friends to join, and share your content on your Social Media regularly.

Remember, the more traffic your blog gets, the better revenues you have.

Keep Learning

Last, but not least, learning is the only key to success in any field and so it is in the blogging industry. As you can see, blogging has become a big industry now and there is a huge competition between blogs. In order to stand out among the crowd, engage your readers more and bring new ones, you must learn the technical side of blogging as well. The more you learn, the better you perform, so never stop the yourself from learning something new!

The Bottom Line

Writing a blog is fun, useful, and can even be a highly profitable option. Why not to make blogging your big project in 2019? It could be the first step to a whole new career!

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Get the latest news, resources and tips to help you and your small business succeed.

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