Starting out can be hard for an aspiring Blogger. And so, if this is your first time entering the digital content world, learn the things to know before starting a blog.
The difference between a Blogger who ‘wants’ to make it big and a Blogger who finally ‘does make it big’ is a huge one. Content creators who’re aware of the things to know before starting a new blog fall in the latter category.
In my current blog, I will list 22 extremely important things that every aspiring Blogger must know before starting out on their blogging journey. Staying mindful of certain rules and practices will help you stand out.
22 Important Things to Know Before Starting a New Blog
It is said that well begun is half done. And so knowing things before starting a new blog is better than regretting things you wish you knew before starting out.
Here are my 22 essential tips and things before starting your new blog.
1. Start blogging only if you sincerely ‘want’ to pursue it
If you want to start a blog just because it is in trend or perhaps your friends starting writing, then stop right now.
Unless your heart is in it, you won’t really commit to your blog. And so, why start when you don’t want to pull it off ? Either commit to blogging completely or don’t start.
2. Invest an enormous amount of time to finalise your blog’s niche
No matter how much you like writing random stuff, you will have to find a dedicated niche for your blog. This right here will be a turning point for you. A niche is a specialised area in writing around which your entire blog is centred.
Always ask these 19 important questions while choosing a blog niche. I highly insist that you spend a good amount of time looking for a niche that suits your writing.
3. Get mentally prepared about staying consistent once you start a blog
One of the most critical reasons why blogs don’t grow is because the blogger who starts out fails to remain consistent. You cannot write at leisure if you genuinely want to grow your blog.
You have to stick to deadlines and ensure that come what you will be very regular in rolling out blogs. This right here will lead your path from zero to a hundred in a short span of time.
4. Choose your native language to start blogging
I cannot stress enough the significance of choosing your native tongue as a Blogger. Hence, embrace your native language and start blogging in your mother tongue if that makes you comfortable.
By choosing English despite not having a grip over it, you are hurting yourself and your blogging acumen. Blogging in your mother tongue, on the other hand, has 23 major advantages.
5. Get familiar with Google’s concept of EAT before starting a new blog
As a Blogger you have got to be aware of Google’s extremely important update – EAT. Here, E stands for Expertise. A stands for Authority. T stands for Trustworthiness.
To simplify this for you, EAT expects content creators and Bloggers to prove their niche credibility to Google. Most bloggers don’t even know about EAT. But I highly insist that you know.
6. Create a content strategy first and then sign up for blogging
You cannot possibly grow your blog to the next level without having a proper content strategy in mind. Before you commit to blogging, choose a niche and construct a decent content strategy around it.
Map all the topics on a Google Sheet or Excel Sheet. Keep following these exact content strategies and set deadlines for yourself.
7. Stop wasting time on Facebook and understand Google
Let us get one thing straight – In order for you to make it big as a Blogger, you have got to stay visible on all search engines especially Google. Hence, the organic traffic has to be high on your blog.
So if you haven’t begun to take Google seriously, take it now. By ignoring Google completely and focusing only on social media platforms like Facebook, you are ruining the chances of your blog to grow higher, faster and swifter.
8. Opt for WordPress if you intend to grow your blog eventually
WordPress is hands down one of the most credible and growth oriented blogging platforms for individuals. The best part is that you can start a blog there for free.
As per a survey published by Netcraft, the total number of active websites is estimated at over 1.3 billion. Out of these, 455,000,000 sites are made on WordPress. Percentage wise, 35% of the internet is powered by WordPress.
Therefore, prioritise WordPress as a content management system. Sign up for your blog on WordPress itself. Do not allow the fear to learn it well to stop you from scaling your blog.
9. Stop hyping over social media following when it comes to your blog
Just because you have a decent following on social media does not mean that your blog will grow. In fact this is among the very common reasons why your blog won’t grow as expected.
Ideally, your blog should be so credible that each time a person visits your blog, she or he should fall in love with your writing and then follow you across social media. However, the opposite is never true.
10. Start building a community around like minded people on the web
The one factor that will help you stand out before starting a new blog is to invest time in building a community around it. In fact, if you have the dedication, invest a few months exclusively for building community.
Building a community on growth driven platforms like Quora, Reddit, and YouTube is a must for Bloggers. I built a Travel Blogging Community on Quora for my last venture. It currently comprises half a million plus members from around the world and is now the largest travel community there.
11. You are never to start a blog by copying someone else
If you think that by copying another blogger’s website design, niche and content strategy you will pace your growth and get ahead then you are completely mistaken.
A copy-pasted blog is no blog at all. It is fraud purely. And Google will see right through it. When that happens, you will sit at a place where your blog get can blacklist from Google and other search engines.
12. Invest time in becoming a Persuasive Blogger
As a Blogger, you have got to master the skill of Persuasive Writing. Your readers won’t love you if you lack conviction.
I insist that all of you start refining your language, upgrading knowledge and mastering your niche. A blogger who lacks conviction has really got to level up his/her game.
13. Decide your blog’s hosting before hand
A good hosting provider is as important for your blog as oxygen is to the human body. And hence you cannot take the hosting of your blog lightly. Decide it before hand.
If you’re on WordPress and using the free version, your blog is hosted there by default. But if you really want to grow your blog and keep it professional, you will have to switch to a better hosting provider like Bluehost and Hostgator.
14. Start learning SEO and prioritise it
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimisation. SEO essentially is the practice of shaping up your blog in such a way that more and more of your posts appear higher on search engines like Google.
Invest time in understanding completely the 200 factors for ranking on Google. Grasp them and implement them one by one.
By earning higher ranks, you will be able to drive a lot of traffic from search engines. And the visibility of your blog will be high. We at Blogging Elementary have mentored thousands of new Bloggers for learning SEO.
15. Understand the difference between niche blogging and micro blogging
Micro Blogging and Niche Blogging are two very different concepts. Both have their unique benefits but only if you know which one to use and when ?
As a beginner start with Niche blogging and dedicate yourself to it completely. Start investing time on Micro Blogging only when you have a large enough following with whom your credibility is established.
16. Plan your blog around personal experiences within your niche
The personalisation of blogs is a defining factor in driving its growth. Hence the absence of personalisation becomes one of the strong reasons why your blog isn’t growing fast enough.
Include everyday examples, your pictures, your learning – everything in your blog. Unless you open yourself up to the world, your blog will never be able to open up to growing amounts of traffic once you begin.
17. Spend dedicated time in learning concepts inside out
Once you enter the world of blogging, you should take it upon yourself to learn all the concepts that surround it. By understanding, learning and mastering these concepts, you will help in scaling your blog higher and higher.
Blogging isn’t just random writing. It includes hundreds of very interesting concepts. You as a Blogger should know all of them if you really want to make money from your blog.
18. Inculcate the skill of time management
One of the top skills needed in our age is time management. As an aspiring Blogger, you need this more than anyone else. Whether you are a homemaker or in a job or self employed – time management is a skill that you must learn.
Bloggers who know how to manage their time despite running on jam packed schedules grow fast and end up dominating their space. Be amongst such Bloggers.
19. Stop over expecting without over performing
If you are the kind of individual who wants a piece of everything without putting in the effort where it matters most, then it will be next to impossible for your blog to grow.
Before you stay active on social media trying to be a pseudo Influencer or launch your own brand or be all over TikTok, at least commit to that one thing that will actually take you higher. And that will be writing and publishing.
20. Before starting a blog develop patience
One indisputable quality that all Bloggers must imbibe is patience. Unless you are patient as an individual, you won’t ever be able to stay in the game. You won’t even be able to take challenges as they come.
Remember, success requires patience. And patience doesn’t just simply wait. It implies using your time constructively and making your way close to success.
21. Create a Website that is user friendly
It is important that the layout of every blog is extremely user friendly. Without a friendly interface, your readers will never understand where to go on your blog and where to consume content.
It is obvious that as a beginner, you might not be able to design your blog properly. And that is quite alright. However, over a period of time, learn to modify the design or take professional help.
22. Let go off your comfort zone today as an aspiring Blogger
One of the last things to know before starting a blog is to push yourself outside your comfort zone. Staying within the narrow limits of your comfort zone will harm you way more as a Blogger than any other factor.
Your blog’s growth will start only outside your comfort zone. Therefore, leave your comfort zone permanently. Take a giant leap of faith and commit to blogging.
I hope that my blog helps you get started with all the awareness you need to enter the world of digital content. Take your time, decide a niche, do brainstorming and then start a blog. And once you start a new blog, commit to it very sincerely.
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