Having talked to many freelance writers, authors, and bloggers- I understand most of them feel starting a blog is a hell lot of task. Further, they find it taxing to carry out their Blog settings.However, I completely differ with them. I have already talked about the process of starting a self-hosted blog on WordPress. Believe me, the entire process doesn’t take any longer than 15 minutes. There are things, however, more significant and cumbersome than starting a blog in the world of Blogging. Here, I am talking about the preparations that are needed before a successful blog is to be launched. The checklist to start your own Blog is as given below:
Domain Name
The primary component of any Blog is its domain name. We all know that a blog name has to be unique, catchy and easy to remember. Regardless of the creative aspects, it has to be related to the genre of your writing. Having said that, I am not going to, further, emphasize the importance of any of these elements. Instead, I am going to ask you the examples of the domain names that have fascinated you. Do you remember any such domains? Well, I do and they are the ones that have always garnered my attention:
https://www.themuse.com/ ( A career website)
http://www.bankersadda.com/ (“Adda” refers to a place and this Indian blog is for the students aspiring to go into banking services)
http://www.bruisedpassports.com/ ( A travel blog- It’s amazing how the couple duo has a story to relate to their blog’s name)
If you’re thinking why I am talking about these fascinating domain names, it is because I want you to think one for your Blog. Remember, the decision you make regarding your Blog’s name is irrevocable. It is, therefore, wisdom to seek some suggestions on the same.
Writing Niche
What is your forte when it comes to writing?
Can you describe the nature of your writings: minimalist or outlandish?
Do you know about the most trending and traffic driven categories of Blogging?
Are there enough sub-categories that you may easily create in a chosen category?
With all honesty, if you don’t have a definite answer to any of the questions given above- it’s time to re-think. And, it’s time to gather more information in the given areas. The area of your writing has to be the one that has a lot of demand and readership. No one would really be interested in reading horror stories on your Blog. On the other hand, a high quality and self-improvement Blog would never fall short of traffic. Further, can you think of a vast number of topics for writing blog posts in the given category? This is important so as to continue updating your Blog with voluminous content. Additionally, is diversification or expansion possible on your platform?
Writing Gigs
If you’re a freelance writer or an author, there might be many unpublished works lying with you already. You might want to start a blog to expose your writings to the readers in the digital world. Well, it’s absolutely a brilliant idea! And, there’s nothing that should stop you. However, if you’re a beginner and possess a lot of knowledge and writing talent, it is advisable to first make an impressive collection of your articles or blog posts. This will not only help you in frequently updating your Blog with new posts but will also help you experiment with your skills. You will be in a position to gauge your strengths in the chosen categories.
Source of Revenue Generation
Your blog could just be a platform to demonstrate your skills. It could even be your portfolio that showcases your freelance writing gigs. Or, is it that you are planning to work on a proper business plan? It is important to think about revenue generation right from this stage. You need to figure out what products/services you will be selling through your Blog. And, if there will be no product or a service, how will you generate enough money out of Blogging so as to make it a viable business model? Before taking a leap forward, you may want to learn more about Google Ad-sense and affiliate marketing. Additionally, determining the SEO and digital marketing costs is favorable for your Blogging aspirations.
Read Also: Why start your own Blog and Make Money Online?
Target Audience
It might not be something out of the box but this has to be addressed. You need to determine the geographical location, gender, and age-group of your target audience. To model, the Blogging Hacks primarily caters to women in the age group of 25-40 across the globe.
Final words: The Blogging Hacks was started with an aim of driving change and leading transformation in the lives of women. What is the objective of your Blog? If you know it, it’s time to do it. Happy blogging folks!