Whatever is the reason that your want to create a blog, there is one thumb rule that you have to follow. Today in this post I will explain that ice breaking principle to launch a successful blog in recorded time. Ready?
Let’s start from fundamental nuts and bolts of blogging.
Many case studies and surveys have proved internet is fastest growing industry ever on the earth. Although, blog is very popular term here, but in the most cases even smart people misunderstand this. 99% bloggers explain it just as a source of their income. Some say its lead generation machine for their business and so on.
Actually that is on of the functions of the blog. What is a blog practically, should you start your career in blogging, why, what, and where should start a blog without taking any chance to give up.
Before You Start a Blog Let’s Meet The Blog
I don’t know how much you know about blogging, but I would highly recommend to read this post before going ahead with blog and blogging. Honestly, this is my personal experience, I suffered years with blogging and got nothing except I was ready to give up.
But after lots of ups and downs during first three years I discovered some major mistakes that I could never mind to repeat. The worst mistake was I never understood the basic nuts and bolts of blog and blogging things.
Right after knowing the blogging fundamentals and avoiding other blogging mistakes, I could see some unexpected results now. In this section and onward let’s have closer look of blog and blogging stuffs before you start a blog.
Yes! this is completely different from normal blogging tips and tricks: Buy a domain, Get Hosting, Install WordPress, Write Article, do this, do that, Wait for months and year to see the first result.
OK! A Quick Data Of Blogs and Blogging
By the way, let’s take the conversation further: According to a data by Pingdom, tumblr has 87.8+ million blogs, there are 59.4+ million WordPress blogs and the number is growing exponentially everyday. When you search on Google, most SERP results are blog.
Google prefers fresh and the most relevant content where blogs win, so Google prefer blogs over static websites.
Apart from Google blogs are getting billions of traffics from other traffic channels, so by potential it has huge opportunity. But the point is: Is potential and opportunity of blogging is enough for your to start a your own blog as career? So, let’s know it little more:
What is a blog ?
Wikipedia says: “A blog (a truncation of the expression web log) is a discussion or informational site published on the World Wide Web and consisting of discrete entries (“posts”) typically displayed in reverse chronological order (the most recent post appears first).”
Oxford explains: “A personal website or web page on which an individual records opinions, links to other sites, etc. on a regular basis.”
If you observe the definition more closely, it says the basic of blogging is delivering more and more content consistently and regular basis. SEO and all other things are not a part of the definitions, right? The only thing is content creation on regular basis. Now if everybody will start creating content regularly, then how will you win?
Then quality of content, SEO and all other marketing funda come into the play. Although I will discuss about this (SEO and Blog Marketing) later, for now just remember: If you want to create and start a blog, the most important thing to remember is that you are going to plant to tree in Shara desert where you will have to water every day on regular basis as content.
Later on you can transform this into a garden to attract more and more people, but for now just focus on thriving the seed into a plant, i.e content creation.
I know you understand the importance of more useful contents on regular basis, but the fact is we just know it.
OK! that is enough to know the blog by definition, let’s jump into why are you going to start a blog.
Why Should I Blogging?
Blogging is easiest way to say something to the rest of the world, isn’t so? Now blogging become profession, everyday more and more people start, and most of them are starting to make money online.
If you think you are going to start a blog to make money, then my honest suggestion is be please don’t go ahead to waste your time and resources. Because within few weeks you will realise Oh no, I can’t make money, I should delete blogging from my mind.
Do you want to know the real Why should you start a blog? Again if you ask yourself the reason why do you want to start a blog? I bet your heart will reply again, yes for money. That is natural, even I think in most of the time :P, but that should not be actual reason. Want to discover the ideal reason that you should know before start a successful blog?
Let’s start with more possible reasons of blogging:
Take a blank paper and pencil and pen down: I am blogging because-
- A blog can make money for me. (Most attracting point?)
- It can raise my voice, because it has highest potential to become viral if I could do it properly.
- It can Boom my existing online business.
- Through a blog I can gather millions of single mind people.
- Blog can be my safest place for my valuable words with my credit, which are publically available too.
That is too generic, right? Let’s be more specific!
Start thinking like you are building something that is going to change the way a group people are solving a certain problem. I said problem not problems. Then come up with the unique and extremely to the point solution of that problem. Now, think I going to start a blog because:
I have a great solution of a problem that x number of people want to get solved. And I and only I can solve it now, because all other solutions out there are not perfect, but the way I am going to do is the best, easy and the real solution.
Ideally if you start with this fundamental reason, that I took 3 years to understand, will help you more than any biggest reason you could have. As you start with a crystal clear reason, it will not only cover all other reasons but also build a stronger and clear path of success in blogging for you.
Now whenever, you feel no growth you will come up with better solutions that will keep you focussing on the real reason of not getting traction instead of frustration of not making money from your blog.
So, If you have a blog or going to create one you should have a clear vision. First of all you need to know why you are going to blog, then go ahead whatever you want to do.
Now, take a blank paper sheet or any note taking app that you use, start with you have a solution, narrow them into categories and sub categories. That categories and sub-categories eventually will become the niche and the topic of your blog.
Ultimately your reason of blogging will decide everything, the purpose and what should you blog? So, let’s jump to the next step, what should you blog?
What Should I Blog?
This is ultra personal choice, what should you blog about? I have nothing as a real suggestion here. It’s all about your personal interest, your knowledge and vision for blogging. But as I said, if you know why are you going to blog? It will automatically help you define the categories and sub-categories and then niche and the topic of your blog.
So, pick the topics based on solution of the problems in previous step. Then start digging the most important problem you should solve. You can find the urgency and demand by a quick marketing research. There are so many ways to do this, here are few ways that can help you.
- Ask direct question to the people who are facing the problem.
- Create a quick Facebook and twitter poll.
- Watch and analyse your existing competitors website
- Conduct a keyword research (Advance- Will update soon how you can do this in the next post)
- Use Google trends data
- And keep searching what is hot in your niche: TV, News etc.
Where I should blog?
If you want to start today right now, you can start with your already existing setup Facebook Note or even 140 character twitter is pretty much helpful to start asap. My point is just kick start now!
OK! if you want to start as real blogger, right? Even then you don’t need to spend time and money to start with a professional blogging setup. Become a blogger first then start becoming the professional blogger by creating your own profession blog. So, you can start it today by using any one of the following free choices.
Free Blogging Platforms:
Completely free for lifetime, gives you a room far more than you will ever need to start your blogging journey. If you want more than that they also have premium plan that will give you more space to grow. But for now I would highly recommend to go with free plan.
Make your hand dirty with blogging then when you will feel it’s time to go professional, you can seamlessly transfer everything to your fresh new professional blog anytime in future.
Best Part I like: Gives 3 GB wordpress.com space, easy migration to professional blog later in future.
Yet another clean and easy to start blogging form just now. It is easier than WordPress to start. Wherever you start today, you can migrate to your own professional blog in future anytime. It’s easy, clean and ready to start.
Best Part I Like: No limit and you can use your own domain for free.
Again, if you want to start as soon as possible don’t waste your time and money in setting up a professional blog, take advantage of existing systems those were built to start like this. When you will become a blogger practically then you can start with setting up your own professional blog.
I had created my first blog on WordPress.com then soon after few months migrated to self hosted WordPress.org. I have wasted months and even years to test every popular blogging platform. But at the end of 2 years ups and down, I finally decided to use self hosted WordPress blog, then I found it’s the No. 1 choice to start and grow a professional blog.
If want full control with more flexibility use self hosted wordpress. For this you will have to buy a separate web host for you blog. Again, if you don’t have extra money for this please stick with free version, test and cultivate your blogging habits there and then finally move to your own professionally design blog.
If you have done with above or want to create now, click here to create WordPress blog.
Conclusion:
Blogging is just about making more awesome and useful resources for hungry readers, thirsty searcher and active social media users. Start with a vision first, select a better place of blogging, create useful quality contents regularly then become a professional blogger and make money through blogging.
Hope you have understood the importance of knowing the exact answer of “Why should you start a blog?” The fact is the best answer of this question not only make everything thing easier, but also will help you keep focusing on real path to success in blogging.
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