Startup Blogging Guide: How to Create a Viral Blog For Your Startup!

Marketing a startup is not easy as we think, we will do this and that will happened. We will get this result using those techniques. Unfortunately, things never happen according to our assumptions. Finally shit happens that we never expect.

But, fortunately there are some great ways to keep taking startup growth always up. Blogging is one of them, and you can make it yours. That’s why I have created this blogging guide exclusively for startup folks like you.

Startup Blogging Guide:

In this post I will explain how to create a viral and traffic hunter blog for your startup. In Last one year, I have done this for 5+ startups, beside one (who couldn’t manage it) all are getting great results.

Why Blog For Your Startup?

Socially, blog of your startup is guest room of your main business website. If it is built properly, people who come here are very close to your business. So, it brings some extra potential rich audience and fan of your product or service.

In short, blog has a great potential to bring thousands of potential rich visitors, who can be your customers anytime.

Step By Step Guide To Create a Blog For Your Startup Blog.

In this guide you will learn it by doing. So, create a folder and name it “Your Startup Blog” e.g “Openthrive Blog” in your Google drive account. Create and open a new document, name it “Blogging Structure.” Or click here to download editable copy.

Note: I will use OpenThrive as sample startup throughout this blogging guide.

Write a Title Of Your Blog: Keep it sweet, simple and descriptive.

e.g; Openthrive Blog: Startup marketing, Growth Hacking and More.

Description: Describe it little bit more, keep it concise and attractive like elevator pitch of your startup.

e.g; Learn by doing how to grow your startup from scratch. Advance startup marketing, Growth Hacking and More… By the way let’s take your startup to the next level.

Who is This Blog For?

Define the users of your blog, it may or may not be completely different from business. Try to go far beyond your business. You can use various tools and techniques to get some data and insight to select potential rich audience.

e.g for OpenThrive: 

Everything exclusively for startup marketer, growth hackers, entrepreneurs and all other startup folks. Small business owners and brands who want to take their business to the next level.

Core Topics of Blog:

Select handpicked topics broad but closer to your business that would become categories of your blog. Don’t select to many or too less just pick anything between 5-10. Main topics for your blog keep you under a boundary to write more and more quality content.

OpenThrive Blog Topics.

1. Growth Hacking
2. Startup Marketing.
3. Social Media.
4. SEO.
5. Email Marketing.
6. Content Marketing.
7. Analytics.
8. Conversation Optimization.
9. Inbound Marketing for Startups…

Sub Topics.

Sub-topics further give you some extra space around the main topic of your blog. Break and find some more domain around your blogging topic.

OpenThrive Blog Sub-topics

How to grow Startups.
Startups investment.
Fund raising for startups.
Entrepreneurs and Entrepreneurship.
Tools and Resources for startups.

Blog Post Structure:

Introduction: 1-2 paragraph

Start with some catchy and magnetic line that drives users attention to read rest of the post.

Body: Paragraph depends on length of post, no limit until it’s irritating.

Everything about the topic, segment post into heading and sub headings. Use data, graphics and images to make your post more attractive.

Conclusion: Conclude the post in the last few lines.

Write a kickass closing note of the blog post. Technically, write summary of whole content in few lines. But most importantly, ask ready to do something, subscribe newsletter, leave comment etc.

Blog Content Creation:

Now create a spreadsheet in the same folder, name it “Content Seeding” and then go to spreadsheet and create 5 tabs: Or click here to download editable copy.

• Post Idea.
• Blog post Layout.
• SEO Guideline.
• Editorial Calender.
• Completed Post.

Marketing Plan for The Blog. #ContentMarketing

Now Create Another tab in the same Spreadsheet and name it “Blog Marketing”. It’s for one time use or maybe for futures references. Note down all possible ways to market your blog to get the most out of it. Use this to take references to spread your each and every blog post.

OK! Your blog is ready to launch. Let’s launch it on a separate website using subdomain or another directory.

Create The Startup Blog.

Blog.yourdomain.com or yourdomain.com/blog both are OK. There is no advantage or disadvantage of choosing any one. Maybe you should toss a coin to select on pal.

Select a blogging platform:

I recommend WordPress because it’s too handy and technically very easy to manage.

WordPress Blog Hosting:

People usually host it where your website is hosted, but according to me you should host it somewhere else. But it should be separate from website. In some cases, if website goes down or maybe something happens. Your another chapter as blog will be lived and vice versa.

Managed WordPress hosting is better for startups. Technically you don’t have to do anything except writing more and more content.

Cloudways, Wpengine, Pressidium etc are better place to host your blog. No extra budget? Host it on your website server or try some cheaper options as shared hosting services.

Install WordPress:

Now almost every hosting services comes with one click WordPress installation feature. Go and create the blog for your startup. After installation, you will be able to login into WordPress dashboard. That looks like this.

Use WordPress Theme to make it Beautiful:

Select a theme and customize it to look like your main website. Can’t do it, it’s OK. Just select a better design. StudioPress and mythemeshop create good quality themes. You can get one from them.

Install Useful WordPress plugins. 

WordPress has a great feature of using plugin. You can customize it for almost everything for a high quality blog.  Install some useful WordPress plugins to make it more functional.

Recommended Plugins

1. WordPress SEO
2. Jetpack
3. Contact form 7
4. Google Analytics
5. Subscribe opt-in
6. Social sharing

Technically and strategically your blog is ready to go. Now Its time to create as much content as you can, but never compromise with quality. The best way is, create an editorial calendar and fix publishing frequency.

Some important points in Startup Blogging Guide:

1. Host your blog on better hosting, seriously, that’s why I recommend wpengine or cloudways.
2. Don’t use too many plugins, less than 10 is great.
3. Check blog loading time, faster website is always like a girlfriend of Google.
4. Use opt-in form to collect email addresses of readers, to keep them updated.
5. Create relevant and action driving content.
6. Do consider search engine optimization SEO of your blog, every blog post and page.

Conclusion

Finally you have got your blog ready to rock and roll. Now don’t stop until you reach first 100 blog and then fix the target of 500 post. I can bet you will get results more than your expectations.

OK! if I could help you, don’t forget to add your comment. If not let me know how can o help you? If you have already a great blog please share how are you doing that.