In today’s ever-changing world the amount of information or content published via blogs is the millions on a daily basis, according to Worldometers.info. Once upon a time, blogging was considered a form of journaling or documenting personal thoughts on a homepage. Nowadays, blogging comes in a variety of formats and different types of readers subscribe to them regularly.
Believe it or not blogging has not been around long and has really taken off in the mid-2000s. In an analysis by WebdesignerDepot explains a short history of blogging and how it is one of the many personas people use it to get information to their audiences or customers.
So to really leverage the capabilities or opportunities for blogging you have to choose a topic you are most passionate about and can never run out of ideas. Once you have established a big idea for the blog you can gradually built an identity for yourself and eventually offer solutions to your targeted group of readers.
Whether you are part of a company, startup, business, enterprise, or any other offering information that is meaningful and engaging goes a long way. This infographic emphasizes the steps to start a blog. It outlines a seven-step process to proceed with starting your very own blog. They are as follows:
• Choose the topic and domain for the blog
• Choose a website platform and a web host
• Install WordPress
• Select a theme
• Create awesome and original content
• On Page SEO Elements for ranking content
• Content promotion to build an audience and traffic
When selecting a topic you want to be broad at the onset and then gradually narrow the focus. The simple reason is you will have more story angles and a variety of stories to blog about whereas starting too specific or local might not get the necessary exposure you seek.
One of the most difficult things to do is choosing a name for your blog. You want to be original and at the same time have key words within it. Why? You want to be discoverable on search engines like Google and you will have to stick with a name for the length of the blog’s life. As a hint to narrowing down name is that is easy to remember and contains no more than a few words.
Naturally, the blogging platform that has become the clear front-runner is WordPress and a good percentage of websites online have built large sections on top of it. It is the most popular online blogging platform for the following reasons: customizable, easy-to-use, and a selection of responsive themes to choose from.
And with regards to selecting a hosting plan select an annual package and upgrade when you start to experience significant website traffic. Make sure that the provider has excellent technical and customer support when running into problems. You have to subsidize part of the website, so do not get stuck with company that makes you lose business.
Once you have explored the ins and outs of WordPress along with enabling the tools start thinking what kind of content do you want to share with others. If you are out of ideas, do some basic searches on Google to see what is trending. Look at competitors in the same field to see what is sort of the style, format, and voice they promote their services online.
All of this process includes planning and adjusting content by the amount of traffic that visits your blog. Utilize the analytics and see what works. To build a good content promotion rhythm use the following:
• Create a social media following
• Use hashtags
• Get on forums
• Email established experts and bloggers
• Build a mailing list
The above list is a tentative way to build your content strategy and where to target your services or products. Everything is about professionalism and etiquette, so learn to know the rules for each individual network online. There is a culture and you must learn to recognize how users interact in those online spaces.
Tips or Tricks for Effective Blogging and Stats About WordPress
Once you have bypassed setup and mapping your editorial calendar to publish posts respond within a very reasonable timeframe. Today everything is about perception and ability to respond to comments from users whether it is a general inquiry or criticism. Be mindful of going viral for the wrong reasons because this ultimately makes or breaks the business.
Still overwhelmed by blogging? It is a complicated process but breaking down the content into stages will enable you to work efficiently. Think of it as opening your own business and this requires investing in a business that generates profits. A complete and comprehensive post by Neil Patel outlines a start to finish guide on how to launch your blog the right way.
As to why WordPress was recommended to setup your blog the next infographic summarizes some incredible metrics:
WordPress is used by approximately 60 percent of all websites. The average traffic for this platform alone is 14.7 billion monthly page views and 5.5 million comments posted on a monthly basis. So what are you waiting for? Go create a blog that serves an audience and actively engage with the different communities available on the different channels.
Takeaways and Conclusions
Blogging has become a mainstream practice and an extension of any website to visit for all kinds of information. Whether it is for the latest news, trends, developments, or new technologies there is an abundance of blogs out there.
You might have pondered the fact, with millions of blogs published daily, how can I compete? Take care of the basics like polishing the basics of great writing, grammar, punctuation, spelling, and fact checking.
Do not invent or falsify information because this will not just tarnish your brand but drive customers away. Put into practice all of the resources provided here and tap into your passion to really make your content that much more interesting.
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