Have you started your blog yet or are you still thinking about it? Sometimes you just need a little nudge to get going. A nudge, or maybe some inspiration? There are many bloggers who offer just that! Before I started my own blog I spent hours researching information about blogging, from setting up a blog, to making money on a blog, and everything in between.
In this post, I’ll give you an overview of setting up a blog and making money from it, in a general way. There are so many different options to consider.
Let’s go over this information step by step.
GOALS
One of the first things to consider is why you want to start a blog. Do you have a particular topic or will you blog be more of a broad lifestyle type? Many bloggers will tell you to find a niche but with a blog saturation, you can pretty much surmise that most topics have been blogged about. So what you need to do is create a blog that helps others use your information in their own lives.
Some bloggers promote their business. Others use the blog to make money through affiliate marketing. Determine your reason(s) for starting a blog. This will help you stay on track.
CALENDAR
Create an editorial calendar to keep track of your blog posts so that you remember to post regularly. This is a great strategy. Your followers will come to expect posts from you and you should keep up with their expectations.
SHARING BLOG POSTS
Blog posts shared on social media channels can funnel visitors to your blog. Create accounts for your blog on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. If you use videos, and I recommend that you do, create a YouTube account. If you have a logo for a business, be sure to use it on your social channels. And vice versa. Be sure to use social icons on your blog so that visitors can share your posts.
LEARN FROM OTHER BLOGGERS
There are Facebook and Pinterest groups in which bloggers share advice. Some groups will even share your posts in return for your share of their posts. These groups are sometimes called tribes.
COMMUNITY OF READERS
Create a following for your blog. Show your readers that you care about them. Make sure you reply to all comments in a timely manner. Build on the connections with your readers.
NEWSLETTER
Right off the bat you need to create an email list. There are many email newsletter options out there, some free. I’m using MailChimp with my WordPress site and it works automatically once set up. Each time I publish a new post, my subscribers receive an email that lets them know I’ve published something new and give them the links.
EDITORIAL CONTENT
As I said in my opening to this article, your posts should be helpful so that people want to read more about what you’ve written. For example, let’s say you had a leaking toilet and you replaced it on your own. If you write about your experience, and share photos, someone else might find that information very helpful and they will check out the rest of your blog to see if they should sign up for your newsletter. That is why it is important to have great content.
Photos count as part of your editorial content. Take lots of photos and share them!
Well, there you have it! An overview of starting a blog without all the details. The details are very important though so please check out my other blog posts. Let me know if you have any questions and I will try to answer as best I can. Have a sweet day!
