Blogs have been incredibly popular in the last two decades and are not going anywhere. So if you are planning to start a blog, but feel intimidated by the competition, don’t worry – you can create a successful blog as a complete beginner.
We have gathered the best tips and advice to help you on your future blogging journey. You will learn how to get started and all the little tricks that should help you attract readers. Let’s begin!
The blogging platform
Finding the blogging platform should be the first step when creating a new blog. Luckily, most of the options are free and fully customizable. WordPress and Blogger are probably the most popular platforms at the moment, but you could also give Tumblr a go. According to the latest surveys, Tumblr has more monthly visitors than WordPress. You can select a free template if you don’t know how to customize a theme. These blogging platforms have all the basic options and then some more.
Choose your niche
Picking out the subject of your blog could be tricky. Make sure you love the topic and enjoy writing about it. Trust us – the readers will notice the difference. Your writing should be passionate and engaging. Avoid general topics, and try to focus on a specific niche. It will help future readers find your blog via search engines.
Clean design
Since you can customize your blog, remember to keep it simple. The visitors should be able to navigate through your posts easily. Therefore, avoid adding unnecessary elements that could confuse them. Also, enable your readers to follow your blog by placing the Follow button in a visible place. Additionally, if you want more comments, ensure that the comment box is easy to find.
Marketing
Once you launch your blog, you can’t just sit around and wait for the readers to discover it. Surely, some might find their way to your texts via search engines, but you need to rely heavily on marketing. There are so many ways to promote your blog. You could start by sharing your posts on social media. If you have more free time, connect with other bloggers in the same niche. You can start conversations in the comments and eventually collaborate. Speaking of collaborations, bloggers may also write guest articles on other platforms. Whatever you choose, remember to be consistent and not give up after a couple of days. Getting a word out there takes time, but it’s worth it.
Post regularly
If you are concerned about SEO, you should make a post every single day. Since that is impossible for most bloggers, aim to post regular updates, ideally two posts per week. Treat your blog as a diary and make time to create valuable content. Your titles should be catchy but also search engine friendly. Think about the keywords someone might use to learn more about the topic you cover in a post. Various scheduling tools available to bloggers can publish posts automatically too. You may go on a vacation and be away from your laptop for weeks, and the blog will still be updated.
The importance of spell checking
Spelling mistakes can significantly lower the SEO rating of your blog. Furthermore, you might lose readers because of errors and poor grammar. It is not enough to just type out a text and hit the publish button. Take some time to proofread your article. Fix the spelling mistakes and see if you can edit some parts to make them more readable.
Use photos
Photos and stunning images will not only make your blog posts easier to read – they will add a whole new dimension to your texts regardless of your niche. Users tend to scroll down quickly without actually reading a text, but once they see a beautiful image, chances are they will pause. Furthermore, a whole new audience could find your blog if you have an eye for photography.
Share your personal life
Add your personality to each blog post because that’s what makes you stand out from all the other bloggers. Your followers are there for you, so allow them to learn more about the author. Your page should have an About Me section, ideally with a photo. But it is okay if you don’t share personal images too.
Ignore negative comments
We all know this is easier said than done, but don’t let negative comments get to you. There will always be someone who either disagrees with you or leaves hurtful comments because they can. It doesn’t mean you should stop making content for your blog. Be a bigger person and respond to negativity with kindness. Or you can always delete the comment. With more visitors come more trolls and users who leave malicious messages. Continue working at the same pace regardless
