What is blogging?
A blog is a type of website that provides useful information. It is also the kind of website where people used to write all about their lives.
In the years 2000, blogging was mostly online journaling, talking about your daily life and struggles. Everyone could do it and some were building a big followers base. Then they could find ways to monetize their blog.
If they were lucky, they could partner up with some products to run ads on their blog or they could sell directly to their visitors as an affiliate.
You can still create an online diary, but you might not earn any money from it. The reason is simple: no one is going to look in Google to ask what you had for dinner last night. No one will search how did your date go with your long time crush.
The majority of people who want to know about other people’s lives follow them on Instagram, YouTube can also serve that purpose and some other social media platforms.
If bloggin is not about making an online diary anymore, what is it?
*May contain affiliate links. Clicking on the affiliate links will most likely result in the same price you would pay elsewhere or you may get a special offer using those links.
What is the Purpose of Blogging?
Blogging nowadays is building an informational website.
As you may think that sharing all your personal stories can be useful information, there are more effective ways to do it and reach tons of people.
Like I said earlier, the very first blogs were very personal.
People were talking about personal stuff and their visitors would leave them comments and they would be interacting like that. That was also before Facebook was a major player in the social media industry.
Now, people want relevant information when they land on a webpage, not only a story.
The main purpose of a blog is to give valuable information that answers their visitors’ search query. The better the information, the better traffic you will get from Google.
Blog’s purpose also changed when Google got better at understanding people’s research intent. Now, you get ranked in Google if you answer search queries, not only for creating content.
The blogs have changed to meet these new criterias.
There are still super interesting food blogs and travel blogs that are doing an amazing job at creating content that people want to read week after week.
They have created a new way to write their article so they could keep their ranking in Google.
Now it’s not about talking about you only.
It’s also about what’s in it for the reader.
How to Start a Blog?
Ok, so keep in mind that you are creating content for another human being. Don’t write things that you would have liked to know.
If nobody searches for what you write, you will not rank in Google and only the people you are giving your URL to will be able to find your blog
Find a way to create the content you think would be useful and merge it with a search query. That is the angle you are choosing.
You can then create super good articles that will answer the search query AND give more valuable information to the visitor.
There are 4 easy steps to start a blog:
1- Find a niche, topic you want to write about. Something where there are tons of products to promote.
2- Find about 50 topics in that niche you can write about
3- Choose your online platform to create your blog (WordPress, there is so much you can do with a WordPress website)
4- Start creating content and post it on your website.
Ok, ok, that’s the free method. The one you don’t need to choose a hosting service just yet.
If you want to make things official here they are:
The 10 Simple Steps to Create Your Website:
1- Find a niche or a specific topic you want to write about. Find something where people are known to buy. It will help you monetize later.
2- With Google autosuggest or a keyword tool, find 50 topics you can write about in your future articles.
3- Choose your domain name and buy it. I bought my domain with Google domain because there is an option for email forwarding that I like. Choose a name that represents your niche but where it would still be relevant if you go broader as time goes by.
4- Choose a hosting service. There are many great ones out there. You can choose one in your country or one in another country. Just do a little research to see how long they have been providing their hosting services and how good the support is. Then prices starts at about $3
5- Link your domain name to your hosting service.
6- Choose your website platform. WordPress is the platform that supports the most websites in the world right now. They have been around for a long time and you can do a lot with your WordPress website.
7- You may want to use a website builder like Elementor. It’s totally optional since you can build your website directly in WordPress.
8- Choose a theme for your website. Don’t overthink it. You can always change it later. GeneratedPress, if you choose WordPress, is simple and customizable.
9- Put up your About Me, your Affiliate disclosure and Privacy Policy pages. The about me page is important to build your credibility in your niche. Explain why you are qualified to talk about that topic.
10- Create content and post it on your website.
You may be interested in reading my article on how to create content here.
Simple. Each step may have its challenges depending on your level of comfort with technology. It’s OK, it’s a process.
What do you Need to Start Blogging?
There are a few things you need to get started with blogging:
-Ideally you have a computer, either a desktop or a laptop. It will be much easier to build your website using a computer.
-Internet connection: you can pay to have one at home or you can use free internet connection that may be available to you. You will need it to get access to your website.
-Time: Time to learn more about blogging. You will need time to do your topic research in Google and maybe use some keywords tools to target the right audience. Time to learn as much as possible about your niche. Time to create good articles to post on your website.
-The desire to learn about your topic and share the information with others. The more you learn about your niche, the easier it will be for you to find good topics to write about. Even better, it will take you less time to create your article since your research time will be shorter.
-Commitment: Make a promise to yourself that you will follow through with the process. It takes time to build a business. It takes time to see real results. Some may see results after 3 months, for others, it may take 1 year.
It depends on the time you have to put in your website in the first months. The more content you will create in the first 3 months, the better it is for Google to actually notice your website and start getting ranked.
What does it mean? It means that you want to create at least 10 pieces of content every month of the first 3 months.
In the end, your ultimate goal with your blog is to earn money from it…
Can You Make Money With a Blog?
Yes. There are a few ways you can monetize your blog:
-With ads
-With affiliate products/offers
-With merchandise.
-With a combination of these
Don’t overcomplicate it. There are some roadblocks to enter some of the affiliate programs. There are some number of visitors you need each month on your website before you can be accepted for ads.
This is why it is important to spend time creating good, valuable content for your visitors. It will pay down the road.
Then you want to choose your affiliate program wisely. Pick something that sells and is reputable with a low refund rate.
You can read more about choosing affiliate programs in this article I wrote.
Is Blogging Right for You?
As blogging seems to be simple, it may not suit everyone’s lifestyle and personality.
Why is that? Well, when you get started, it is time consuming. You have to learn how to set up your website, choose your hosting service, choose a niche and your domain name.
You want to make sure you can commit and try your best to create about 30 articles, of about 1,500 words each, in the first 3 months. That shows Google you are serious about your website and it will help you get traction and traffic.
The upside, you will be able to help many people with the information you will share.
Sounds good? Become a blogger.
In Conclusion
Are you ready to commit to your blog?
Blogging is fun. It provides valuable information to other people when done right.
It’s your online real estate.
It’s a great way to learn about building an online business.
It’s scalable! You can transform your website and sell your own info product, or your merch, or even start a membership website.
One bonus: You don’t have to do everything yourself. You can outsource most of the work.Talk about creating a passive income!
Cynthia
P.S: Join my Free Private Facebook Group to get support with your affiliate marketing business.