How to Start Your Blog Made Simple: What You Need to Know

Our kind has always desired to voice, “I am here, and I matter”. In contrast to Heidegger’s “thrown-ness” notion, which emphasises humans’ individual existences as being dropped into the world, something in us, something buried very deep, haunts us. Are we really nothing? Just a speck of dust in a gigantic and constantly expanding universe? Call it reverse psychology or an uprising of people against the ascribed role, but for thousands of years, we have longed to carry ourselves to the next generations. The Great Library of Alexandria, Pyramids, Pantheon, Taj Mahal, or Medusa of Caravaggio. They all have one shared ambition: To resist time like a massive cliff on the seashore. 

This instinct embedded in our souls reveals itself in other forms in the times of the Internet. Since we see everything in an omnipresent position through being online, the sky’s the limit to withstand the test of time. Would you like to produce YouTube videos from your hometown? Are you interested in scheduling TikTok videos to teach Greek? What about instructing how to make homemade Mozzarella step by step on Pinterest? Options are innumerable, but there is one ideal zone to do all these under one roof, launching a blog where you can illustrate everything about yourself in eclectic ways.

Although many people think blogs are yesterday’s news compared to social media venues, I have always thought there is something extraordinary and vigorous about blogging. Maybe because I have utilised them for many years or they gave me an independent room to write down what I want others to hear, still, all these years, I have never lost my curiosity in blogs. Not only mine but also the bloggers I closely follow to learn about other perspectives on approaching technologies, finances, and my pursuits. That’s why I wanted to share a brief “How to start a Blog” manual for you.

In contrast to other objects of the Internet’s Wonder Emporium, blogs are more straightforward to handle once you understand the main principles. There are a few pivotal points to initiate a thriving and inviting blog. Even if you are a complete beginner, hopefully, you can quickly start your blog following my guide. 

Finding Your Inner Voice

Truthfully, this is A101 in life! If we do not have a path with the full spirit, the upshot will give us that awkward sense of missing something! To make a successful blog, you must uncover your niche. What makes you happy? AI, travelling abroad, making crochet toys, baking cookies, Renaissance art, the Existentialist Philosophy approaches in early Western movies? I am sure everybody has a story to tell and a theme for blogging about. 

Perhaps, you may not even need to pick one. You can author on various subjects as well. For instance, most travelling pages also enclose recipes and Art nowadays. Just make a spartan draft of what you want to start with the target audience. Ask yourself which subjects you would feel better about penning. You can narrow down your interests and professions to find what you mainly want to write. A blogger might have multiple interests, yet readers can only relate to a couple of them at the same time. To begin with, one or two relevant topics can be ingenious. Then, you can highlight your themes in time according to their popularity. 

Choosing a Platform

Selecting a blogging platform to host your material is the foremost step in starting a blog. All you need to do is a quick Google search to locate considerable websites suitable for bloggers from all industries. Finding a platform with good bandwidth, uptime and customer support is paramount. Wix is one of the great options with its many templates and design choices.

The second step is picking a hosting platform. Thankfully, on some blogging platforms, hosting is also provided. Otherwise, you will need to find a different hosting platform. Some of the popular alternatives are BlueHost, HostGator, GoDaddy and DreamHost. On many platforms, there are free packages that will not cost any money for your blog start-ups. If you are a beginner, I recommend you go for the free packages to create your blog in minutes without spending a penny.  

Naming Your Blog

Just like a parent, you need a ring-the-bell blog name for your baby. A captivating name that clicks to the subjects you will be putting on paper is a fantastic way of welcoming more traffic to your blog. In this way, your blog can arise in search results in Google. Further, a catchy and unforgettable name is suitable for returning readers. 

Try finding a short and unique name, or simply use your full name, which is pretty prevalent and prestigious among bloggers. Once you determine your blog name, now it is time to select your domain name. Finding the exact domain as your blog name can be a bit of a scrabble. Even if you cannot, endeavouring to discover something alike is also okay. However, personally, I would prefer to find a blog name relevant to the domain in the first place.  

Customising Your Layout

So far, you have decided on the topic and found your name. Now, we need to set the aura. Constructing your blog according to your general theme and case is not only significant but also delightful. Is the article about astronomy? Then you can form a layout with galaxies and planets. Are we speaking of one focusing on bird watching? What about sprinkling some kaleidoscopic Kingfishers, Shrikes, Song Birds, or Falcons? Paint your page in the way you fancy. Please keep in mind that a blog design matching the vibe of your blog is integral to keeping the readers interested.

Thanks to the benefit of myriad options, you can encounter miscellaneous tutorials on how to construct a tune for your blog. Another great practice to magnify your blog is to add videos and photographs. According to the statistics, people like to see more updated visual materials on any online platform. You can also insert some music into the blog to complete the atmosphere.    

The Right Topics

Before sitting at the table to pen your first blog post, close your eyes and remember the very foremost moment, you decided to start a blog. What was your stimulation? If it was an “I can write about Coding”, then list relevant blog topics regarding Coding that you can be worthwhile for. As I mentioned above, you are not limited to a single subject, yet it can be wise to come up with one initially. So your readers will have a sentiment about your style. You can start familiarising yourself in a catchy way for an acceptable ground zero.

A flourishing blog is consistent and engaging. If you are not frequently producing new blog posts, your readers may bypass you. Give them something to return for. For example, instead of writing a lengthy article about Nikos Kazantzakis, you can choose to split the text into two for the next few days. Also, in the case you are not writing about interesting topics, it will be harder for you to build a dependable audience. Do some research and see what parallel blogs remark and the latest trendy subjects. It is also warm and genuine to direct a question to your readers about what they would like to see on your blog. 

Creating the First Post

The juncture has finally come, and time to release all the muses! I relate to how stressful it can be to write for the first time. I have been there! Just calm down and try to contact your vibrant spirit to assemble this blog in the first place. Starting with a subject you are familiar with is always a good idea. You can also browse some other blogs and social platforms to discover your own voice.  

Besides the aid of Calliope, in the complex pattern of Google rankings, keyword research is a crucial must. People will find out about your blog by scanning the Internet for a pertinent topic. Getting organic traffic is extremely important for the conquest of your blog. Keep in mind that “Here I am waiting for you” is not an option anymore for this immense ecosystem. Somehow, it would help if you found the lodestars to improve the click-throughs. Your readers must be able to locate your blog on a search engine. 

To step forward among others, come up with a catchy blog title that will grab readers’ attention and then explore for the most trafficked keywords using software specialised in online ranking data, search volume and cost per click. Once you list your focus keywords, try to place them in your article without scratching the harmony. Therefore, searchers will end on your paper finally. This is one of the finest ways to fetch attention for your work.

Once the text is inspected for grammatical errors and ready to upload, I highly recommend adding HD high-resolution photos to free up space on the screen. Scrolling a blog post with no images can get tedious compared to one with pictures. Plus, it also looks more aesthetically attractive. 

Scaling-up

Promoting your blog is vital if you seek a path to boost your audience. The good news is there are many routes to advertise your blog. You can choose to try using social media to megaphone via influencers or open a social media account dedicated to your blog. Investing in paid ads is not a bad idea and can be more affordable than you think. This is entirely optional whether blogging is only a hobby for you or not. However, investing in paid ads might be brilliant if you consider blogging your career and want to evolve it to stream income. Facebook Ads are a superb way to acquire your target audience, whereas other mainstream digital marketing media are Google Ads, YouTube Ads, Bing Ads, Amazon Ads, Instagram Ads, and TikTok Ads. 

Making Some Money

When you finally shape your blog with a devoted audience, you can start looking into earning cash from it. According to a recent survey, around 60% of bloggers make money from their blogs. It is natural when you think of the tremendous effort you are putting into the table, and there is nothing wrong with having some extra banknotes in return. There are a plethora of alternatives to transform your blog into a bankroller. Since they are not enigmatic systems, you may find it mesmerising once you get how it features.

Bloggers can run their blogs’ ads operating widespread options like Google Adsense, Mediavine, and Adthrive. Other choices are affiliate programs and cooperation with trademarks. If you have elevated amounts of traffic on your blog and host a stable quantity of readers on a daily basis, retailers can get in touch with you to advertise their products by teaming up. What about offering digital products or workshops such as training, writing and coaching? The opportunities are endless when it comes to making a pile through your blog. The key here is “your audience”. After assembling ongoing readers observing you and looking forward to hearing from you, they will come back for more to keep your traffic going. 

Final Thoughts 

I know you are impatient to have thousands of readers overnight. But please remember that Rome was not built in a day either. This is a long and challenging road, even for those acquainted with writing columns in known newspapers. Because the algorithm and how the click-through rates work can get pretty mysterious. The most competent methodology is optimising your blog in light of the suggestions above and lying back. Then, the best teacher, the time, will reveal whether your blog gets what it merits or not. 

From my point of view, there is nothing more enchanting than using your own blog to voice your opinion. Here is a magnetic spot where I can state my ideas on many overrated concepts, my concerns about new Tulip Manias, and my forecasts regarding cutting-edge technology. I don’t feel limited but entirely independent. My blog is my canvas to express the inner me. Through this article, we are two people who will probably never meet face to face, yet we now share a couple of minutes together. I find it “Magical” in the full sense of the word.