A Quest to Start A Blog

Are you on a quest to start a blog? If you are, you’ve come to the right place. Creating a blog nowadays isn’t a hassle; you can have what you’ve been yearning for with a few simple steps.

It is undoubtedly one of the best sources of income, but you must equip yourself with the right tips. Therefore, here are 20 things to know before you start a blog.

1. Blogging is Not Free

While popular blogging platforms such as Tumblr, Blogger, and WordPress.com are free and easy to navigate, they come with their limitations meaning you don’t have complete control.

Start a Blog: You’ll have to cough out some bucks if you want more monetization opportunities, unlimited design flexibility, a new web address, and more extensive storage.

Starting a self-hosted blog requires a domain name, hosting, and WordPress installation.

All this should cost you around $60-100 per year. Not bad considering the endless opportunities.

2. Things to Know Before You Start a Blog: Blogging Takes Patience and Effort

Why do you want to start a blog? Is your primary goal to make money out of it from the start? If so, Blogging isn’t for you.

There are several other ways to make a quick buck online, and Blogging is certainly not one of them. Growing an audience and generating traffic requires hard work, consistency, and patience.

You need to undergo the awkward moments where you publish your first post, and nobody reads it. In a nutshell, Blogging isn’t for those out to make a quick buck.

3. Be Proactive

Writing an excellent article is a good start, but getting traffic is the main challenge. Never expect people to find your posts through search engines with a new blog.

You must be very proactive by using various social media platforms as promoting tools. Buy traffic ads on Twitter or Instagram if you must and share the same content again and again if you believe it’s that good.

4. Identify Your Niche when you Start a Blog

There’s no such thing as a different blog. Before starting a blog, it is of paramount importance to decide what you want to write about and stay on that path.

How does your blog stand out from the rest? Choose a niche you are passionate about and avoid overextending it.

Ask yourself who is going to read your blog and what their needs are. You are on the right track if you can find the answers to these questions.

5. Get Acquainted with Basic HTML

Start a Blog: Technological advancements have enabled the customization of plugins and themes without looking at any code.

However, a basic understanding of CSS and HTML can be of great use to pro bloggers. In short, you will be able to edit the errors and even change the appearance of your articles.

6. Content is Always King

The argument is that “Quality Vs. Quantity” has always been a contentious issue between pro bloggers and online marketers.

As a blogger, though, you should never settle for quantity over quality, as your readers need to derive value from the info in your blog. Shallow and primary blogs never get far.

7. Things to Know Before You Start a Blog: Basic SEO Skills are a Must

One of the most fundamental skills you need as a blogger is learning basic Search Engine Optimization – an effective way of traffic generation nowadays.

Even the slightest knowledge of SEO can give you a significant edge, as complicated as it may seem. The traffic you get from major search engines is always the key to constant growth.

8. Strive for a Unique Design

Aesthetics matter significantly in marketing, meaning your blog design will ultimately determine how readers perceive your content.

You never get a second chance to make a first impression. You can guarantee nobody will read your blog if it looks ugly!

9. Know Your Copyright Laws

People steal content every single day. So what happens when someone uses your content without permission? Well, it can happen.

You need to get acquainted with matters about copyright issues, just in case you find yourself on the wrong side. However, you should learn how to protect your articles and images.

10. Authenticity Matters

As earlier stated, you’ll have to find a niche you are passionate about before you can start blogging.

The secret here is always to remain true to who you are and trust your audience to find you.

People will always buy from people they can trust, meaning authentic stuff and content is mandatory in Blogging.

11. Make it Easy to Share Your Pictures and Posts

As you may have gathered by now, social media is one of the most marketing tools online.

Posting your content on Facebook and Twitter isn’t enough, and you’ll need to provide share buttons on your posts for direct access.

Allows your audience to share your content or pictures on their profiles.

12. Don’t Quit Your Job Just Yet

Sure, Blogging will earn you enough money at some point if you follow the tips in this article.

However, it is a long-term investment without instant yields. When starting your blog, don’t wake up one morning; call your boss and quit.

It is better to wait until it’s up and running with consistent traffic to back it up.

13. Find a Mentor

When starting a blog, find someone who’s been there before. A mentor is of paramount importance, and for a good reason.

You need someone to ask for advice or help when things don’t go your way. Besides, how else will you know that your content is King?

14. You Don’t Have to Be a Writer

Making it big as a blogger doesn’t require professional writing skills. As I have mentioned, the most important thing is to remain faithful to you and know how to express it.

Your fingerprint as a blogger is your personality. People don’t like complicated stuff.

15. Stay Ahead of Competition

Regarding Blogging, you need to know the competition to have an edge. Even if it means keeping a spreadsheet,

keeping an updated list of all your competitors, and visiting their blogs regularly to find out the steps they are taking to stay ahead.

16. Things to Know Before You Start a Blog: Competition is good in Blogging

While it feels terrible seeing competitors beat you at your own game, it is essential to remember that they are a helpful resource for Blogging.

Commenting on other blogs, for instance, builds your network. Conversely, guest posts will generate consistent traffic from their site to yours and vice versa.

17. Avoid Going for Trendy Topics

True, trending topics will always amass colossal traffic. However, what use is it if it’s just another article rehashed?

Long-term blogging topics are always the best simply because of their timeless nature. There is a thin line between a trending topic and an ongoing subject – go for the latter.

18. Pictures Speak Volumes

While content is King, adding a “featured image” can go a long way in generating much-needed traffic for your blog.

Pictures speak volumes. People will want a sneak peek if you can have quality photos related to what you are talking about.

19. Invest in a Good Camera

The previous pinpoints the importance of photos in blogs, meaning the importance of a quality camera is essential.

Sure, you could use a smartphone when starting out, but as you grow, investing in a state-of-art camera would undoubtedly be in your best interest – more so for travel blogs.

20. Don’t Hold Back

They always say there is no difference between good and bad publicity.

While it is essential to stay focused, you should never be afraid of controversy occasionally.

The main thing is not to hold back your true feelings as a blogger keeping in mind your personality is your fingerprint.

In Summary – Start a Blog

I have written a lot in this article about 20 things to know before you start a blog. Over 1400 words will help you immensely if you understand and follow them.

Thanks for reading this article!

Please comment below, tell me a little about you, and let me know if this article benefits you.

Drop me a line on Facebook if you have any questions. What would it be if I could write about one thing to help with your Blogging? Leave your ideas Below!

Much Success with your Blogging

FAQ: Is Blogging still relevant in 2020?

Think about it this way. Blogging is over 15 years old, and over 1 billion blogs are on the Internet.

However, many micro-niches have not been developed. Plus, many blogs are dormant and not actively updated.

There are plenty of opportunities to start a blog and make money. The significant advantage you have is YOU!

Other blogs do not have you. 🙂 This is why you start a blog in a niche you are interested in. Doing this allows you to build your blog the way you want and pick up new readers who will come to appreciate what you have to offer.