What is a
Blog?
The first blog appeared in 1994 and was more of a
personal homepage shared online. It started as a journal that people used to
share daily life experiences and things they were doing every day. From this,
people saw an excellent medium of communication and passing information online.
Thus the beginning of blogging and blogs. From this understanding, a blog can
be defined as an informational website or online journal that offers its
audience information with the latest articles and posts appearing firsts. In
this platform, many writers share their perspectives on a broad range of
subjects depending on the blog’s purpose.
Why start
blogging?
There are several reasons why you could start
blogging. For starters, you can have a blog for your business. Blogging for
projects and ventures has become a popular way of keeping the target audience
or consumer base in touch with new developments. This also helps your brand get
a higher ranking in Google Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs), thus increasing
your visibility. Since a business relies on customers, a business blog plays an
essential role in grabbing the attention of potential customers. It also makes
the business searchable and competitive. On the other hand, you can start a
personal blog that has a straightforward purpose – to share personal views and
information.
Things to
Do Before Starting a Blog
1. Decide
what the blog is about
You need to choose wisely what your blog’s
content will be based on for the long-term- probably ten or twenty years. The the good thing is there are several interesting topics to blog about in the
ever-evolving modern world. Additionally, since your blog needs a content
management system (CMS), you need to figure if your current CMS has the
capabilities of hosting a blog. If not choose the best CMS.
2. Research
similar blogs in that niche
Now that you have decided what the blog will be
about, you need to do your research extensively on blogs that have similar
content. This will give you an idea of what the audience likes. Additionally,
you get an idea of what to include in your blog post in terms of bullet points,
images, graphics, quotes, etc.
3. Brainstorm
structuring ideas
The structure of the blog is essential for
attracting a keeping your audience. It is important to have order and design,
for example, having clear categories to make the site easier to navigate.
4. Brainstorm
blog post ideas
Having several blog post ideas on a topic of your
choice is essential. You need to choose to brainstorm on the subjects you like
writing. If you find that you can get more than three ideas on a particular
subject, it’s better to pick another topic.
5. Brainstorm
money-making ideas
If you have a great idea for a blog, you should
consider making a profit from it. Creating a blog requires time, effort, and
money. Unless you don’t want to make money from your blog, you can use it as a
side hustle. The common ways to make money from blogging include advertising,
affiliate links, sponsored posts, products, and services.
Overview
If you plan to start a blog, you need to
understand how you will manage the blog and work on the blog content. The blog
content is the glue that keeps readers engaged and satisfied. With the tips
above, you can run and grow your blog with ease.
