Top 10 Steps To Starting Your Own Blog
You should start your own blog because it’s a great way to get your voice heard, connect with other people who share your interests, and build a community around what you love. Blogging in Kenya is a field that is growing rapidly and it will continue to grow. This guide will give you steps to starting your own blog
Blogging gives you the opportunity to share things that are important to you in a way that is accessible, engaging, and personal. You don’t have to be a professional writer to start a blog. In fact, it can be really rewarding just to share your thoughts and experiences with others. Even if no one else reads them at the beginning, starting your own blog is a great way to add some extra value into the world and connect with like-minded people in an online space where everyone feels safe expressing themselves.
Everyone wants a piece, but only few get it. If you know what to say and do, you can be at the top of the food chain, making big bucks from your skills. Online blogging has proven to be a great way to build your online business without necessarily putting in years of hard work. In this article, I’ll show you how bloggers take over the world by using the strategies that worked for me. But first, here are some great steps towards starting your own blog.
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Decide Your Niche
So you’re ready to start your own blog? That’s exciting. Before you put pen to paper, your first step is going to be deciding on a topic or niche. This will ultimately decide what you write about and who it is that reads your blog. It’s also the most important step since it will set the theme for everything else that you do.
You’re new to blogging, and you’ve got a lot of questions. Where do I start? What should my blog be about? How can I make money from this?
The first step is to decide on your blogging niche. Your niche is the area of interest that you’ll focus on in your blog posts. It’s what makes your blog unique from others, and it’s how you’ll attract readers who are interested in the same things as you.
You might have come here because you’re looking for some help choosing a niche for your first blog. That’s great! Here are some tips to get started:
1) Choose something that interests YOU. If you’re not passionate about what you want to write about and share with others, chances are no one else will be either.
2) Make sure the subject is popular enough that there’s an audience out there ready for it, but not so popular that everyone else has already done it before. Find out if there are other blogs in your niche already, and if so, how many people read them regularly? Are there any statistics available for these sites like Alexa rankings? If so, which ones do better than others?
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Choose a Blog Name and Domain Name
Choosing a blog name and domain name are the next steps you’ll take when starting your own blog.
The name of your blog is the most important thing you’ll do when you start blogging. It should be short and catchy, but still descriptive of your content. If you’re unsure about what to name your blog, try brainstorming some ideas with friends or family members. You can also ask other bloggers for help.
When choosing a domain name, try to keep in mind that you’ll want it to be easy for people to remember and also easy for search engines to find.
If possible, avoid using hyphens and numbers in your domain name. It will make it hard for people who aren’t familiar with the language or culture of your blog to find it. You can also use underscores instead of spaces if that makes things easier for you!
After choosing a name, it’s time to find out what domain name you want to use for your blog. A domain name is like the address for your website. It’s what people type in when they want to get to your site. You can buy one directly from an ISP or go through services like Hostpinnacle where they’ll let people register domains at a lower cost than the actual ISPs do themselves.
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Pick your Hosting Provider
You might be tempted to start your blog on a free platform like Tumblr or WordPress.com, but you’ll want to avoid these options as it will not give you full ownership of your blog. You need to start by getting a good web hosting company. This is the most important step because it will determine how fast your site loads, how stable it is, and how much traffic it can handle.
These companies specialize in providing reliable hosting solutions for WordPress sites, so they know what they’re doing when it comes to powering blogs. They also offer optimized plans specifically designed for blogs with well-optimized code and fast load times.
If you’re still not sure where to go from here, here’s a list of my favorite web hosting companies:
Read>>>What Exactly is the difference between a website and a blog?
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Choose Your Blogging Platform
Choosing your blogging platform is the next step in starting your own blog. You can choose between the options of using a dedicated blogging platform or using WordPress.
Dedicated platforms are made specifically for creating blogs, whereas WordPress is a general content management system (CMS) that can be used to create anything, including websites and blogs.
WordPress is the most popular content management system in the world, with a market share of over 60%. That’s because it has a lot of advantages over other CMSs. Here are some of them:
1. WordPress is open source, which means that anyone can contribute to its development. This makes it easier to keep up with new developments in web technology, because there’s always an army of developers working on making sure WordPress stays up-to-date.
2. It has a huge developer community and a ton of plugins and themes available for free on WordPress’ marketplace. This means that if you want to customize your site beyond what comes out of the box, you can do so without having to pay extra fees or hire someone else to do it for you.
3. It’s easy to use and intuitive for non-technical users. The interface is clean and uncluttered, making it easy to find everything from posts to pages without getting lost in endless menus or drop-down boxes like other CMSs tend toward doing (Movable Type).
4.WordPress is also highly customizable, so you can create the exact site you want and make it your own. You can also easily switch themes and change the look of your site whenever you want.
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Choose A Theme that Is Appealing To Your Blog
Choosing a theme for your blog can be tough. You want something that will grab the attention of your readers, but you also want it to look professional and well-designed—and you don’t want to spend hours coding it yourself.
Themes are like clothes: they come in all shapes, sizes and colors, and they’re only as good as the body they’re put on. Some themes work better for certain types of blogs than others, so it’s important to choose one that fits your style.
Here are some things to keep in mind when choosing a theme:
* Does it have a responsive design? Your site should look great no matter what device someone is using to view it!
* Is it easy to update? You’ll probably be tweaking the styling or adding new content every once in awhile, so make sure the theme lets you do this easily.
* Does it come with built-in SEO features? The more targeted keywords your site has in its code, the easier it will be for search engines like Google to rank you highly in their results pages!
A good place to start is by looking at the kind of content you want your blog to feature. If you’re writing about fitness and wellness, for example, then a theme that has an emphasis on green elements might be more appealing than one with orange accents. If you’re writing about finance and investments, then perhaps something that uses lots of black-and-white imagery would be more fitting for your brand.
Once you’ve decided on the type of look and feel that works best for your content, it’s time to think about design elements like color schemes and typography choices. You’ll want at least two different options in order to give yourself some flexibility in terms of creating posts—if one option doesn’t work well with your content, then there will always be another option available!
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Start Creating Awesome Content!
Blogging is all about creating content. Whether you’re writing about your own personal experiences or sharing insights on a topic of interest, you have to start with some words on a page.
I remember when I was starting my first blog, I spent days trying to come up with a name for the thing! It had been such a long process that by the time I finally came up with something—and was ready to finally start writing content—I felt like I had already put so much energy into this endeavor that I didn’t have any left over for actually getting started on what I set out to do in the first place.
So don’t let yourself get caught up in all the minutiae of branding! Just focus on creating awesome content that speaks directly to your audience.
There are so many different ways to start writing, but here are a few tips to get the ball rolling:
– Start by making a list of topics that you’re passionate about. If you’re not sure what’s going to make you want to write all day long, start by listing out all of the things that make you happy and make your heart sing.
– Once you have an idea of what you want to write about, try writing some drafts! This is a great way to make sure that your ideas are solid and won’t change as soon as they’re on paper.
– Then, when it’s time for the big launch—publish! Send out an email blast announcing your new blog and share it with your friends on social media—you’ll be amazed at how many people will come back for more once they know what’s going down in the world of blogging.
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Grow Your Audience
The best way to achieve success in the blogging world is to be consistent. If you want people to notice your blog, you need to show up every day, and make sure they can tell that you’re there.
But what if you’ve come into blogging as a hobby, or just as a way to pass the time? What if it’s not something you want to seriously pursue? Well, then I’d say consistency isn’t very important! Just write when you want to write and don’t worry about how many views or comments it gets.
But if you DO want to make a go of it… well, then consistency is essential. Think of your blog like a workout routine: If you work out three days a week for two weeks straight without missing a session, then miss one day during week three and try to start up again at week four—that’s not going to do much for your health! You need consistency with both exercise and blogging in order for either one to really pay off for you in terms of results.
There are so many ways to grow your audience. The key is to start small, and then build from there.
If you have a small-to-medium-sized following, try pitching guest posts to other blogs. This can help you grow your audience in a way that feels natural and organic, because it’s on another site where people are already reading.
If you’ve been blogging for a while and have a large following, consider launching a podcast or video series. You can even create an email list through MailChimp or ConvertKit. This will allow your followers to get updates from you whenever they want them—and they’ll be more likely to stay engaged with your content!
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Monetize Your Blog
One of the most common questions i get is, “How can I monetize my blog?”
The answer is that there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Every blog and blogger is unique, so you’ll need to tailor your monetization strategy to fit your needs.
But here are some things to keep in mind:
1. Make sure you’re getting the most out of your traffic by working with an SEO expert who can help you optimize your blog for search engines. This will help bring more traffic and potential customers to your site.
2. You should also be advertising on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter—and even Instagram! These platforms can reach people who might not otherwise come across your blog, but they also allow you to build relationships with those who do visit often enough that they’ll feel comfortable buying from you directly once they’ve gotten to know you better through these interactions (and if they aren’t already familiar with what you offer).
3. If selling products directly isn’t for everyone—or if it just doesn’t work for this particular blog—you could always consider selling advertising space instead! You can find advertisers who are looking for exposure on blogs similar to yours.
Monetization opportunities for bloggers
Now, let’s talk about the different kinds of monetization opportunities out there:
1. Affiliate marketing: This is when you promote products or services on your blog and receive a commission if someone buys through your link.
2. Advertising: You can sell ad space on your blog or have ads appear when someone visits it.
3. Sponsored content: You create content for brands that pay you to feature their products or services in the post!
4. Selling ebooks/apps/services: You can sell ebooks, apps, or other digital products through your site—even if it’s just an informational guide!
5. Selling physical products: If your readers are interested in buying physical items like clothing or jewelry based on what they find on your site (you can even do this with Jumia or Amazon affiliate links), then this option might be right up their alley!
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Build an Email List
If you’re reading this, you’re probably wondering why you should build an email list.
Well, let me tell you.
The first reason is that it’s free! But the second reason is that it can be one of the most powerful tools in your business arsenal. When someone signs up for your mailing list, they’re telling you that they like what you have to say and want to hear more—and they’re also giving you permission to market to them directly.
This kind of permission is hugely valuable because it means that when you send out a marketing email, it won’t come off as spammy or annoying. It will feel like an invitation from someone who knows them personally.
Building an email list is a great way to reach new customers and share your products with them. You can build your list by offering discounts or freebies, or by hosting giveaways where people enter by signing up for your email list.
If you’re just starting out, it can be helpful to use a service like MailChimp, which will provide you with a landing page and email templates that you can use to send promotions out to new subscribers.
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Network with Other Bloggers in Your Niche
If you plan to blog for a living, networking with other bloggers in your niche is an important part of success.
You can build relationships with people who are in the same industry as you, but they don’t have to be in the same niche. The more connections you have, the more people will see your content and share it.
When it comes to blogging, there are two types of relationships: business and personal. Business relationships are those that involve money and business partnerships. Personal relationships are just that—personal! They’re made up of friends and family members who support your efforts (and vice versa). Personal relationships can also lead to business ones down the road if you network frequently enough with people in your niche or industry.
If you’re looking for an opportunity to network, blogging is a great place to start. There are plenty of other bloggers out there just like you, who are trying to grow their audience and make money doing what they love.
If you’re new to blogging, or just starting out in your niche, consider reaching out to some of the more established blogs in your industry. The best way to do this is through email, social media and LinkedIn groups are both great places to find like-minded individuals. You can also reach out directly via email or contact form on their website.
The benefits of networking with other bloggers are many: they will know everything about your industry because they likely spend more time reading about it than anyone else! They can offer advice on how best to grow your blog’s traffic and make money doing what you love; they will be able to refer clients or readership when needed; and most importantly, they’ll become friends!
Conclusion
If you’re already convinced that blogging is a good idea, keep in mind that it’s going to take time and effort. The payoff for your time will be the ability to communicate with an audience, connect with other bloggers, and establish yourself as an expert in your industry. Whether or not you can handle all of these things at once remains to be seen; but if you have decided to give blogging a try, then go ahead and do it.