How to Start a Blog

Blogging is a great way to share your thoughts, ideas, and creativity with others. It can often bring new visitors to your website, which can develop into new leads and business. In addition, when you share your expertise on your areas of knowledge you can become an influencer for your readers. No matter your reason for wishing to start a blog, there are certain rules to follow if you want to be successful.

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Know the purpose of your blog

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If you start a blog because you wish to create an online diary, you will have a very different site from that of an entrepreneur desiring to expand his client list. And those blogs will have a different look and feel from that of an author wanting to increase his readership. Tailor your blog posts around your purpose.

A personal blog won’t require any knowledge of keywords. One is just keeping their friends and family updated on an event or life experience. It’s easy! For instance, someone might document a three-week whirlwind backpacking trip through Europe with lots of photos and stories. If this is your goal, simply write from your heart.

Now, if you have a small business, you’ll need to learn and follow the various rules for SEO and readability so that customers will find you. Using these guidelines, your blog articles will attract new people to your site. They will find you because they are looking for answers to their basic questions.

When you can identify your purpose, you can begin to create the blog that will help you achieve your goals. Know your audience so you can write to them.

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Start off right

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If you’re an entrepreneur seeking new leads, your strategy might appear to be a little counterintuitive. Your purpose is to promote yourself, so shouldn’t you use your blog to sell? No. If you write with the intention of selling, no one will be interested in reading your articles as they will sound like ads.

The best approach is to work to help your readers without any thought to selling your services. Consider what questions they might have about the field you are in and answer those questions to the best of your ability. People will respond well to you when you are generous about sharing your knowledge.

Feel free to expand the area of information for your blog. For instance, if you’re selling indoor plants, you might blog about different varieties, basic care for plants, interior design ideas that would include greenery, as well as which plant might go in which rooms in a home. In addition, you could share online resources as well as books that your readers might find helpful.

If done well, your blog will show your passion for the subjects you write about, and your readers will be hooked.

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Blog routinely for success

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If you blog sporadically, you won’t see results. It’s best to create a schedule and write consistently. Try to write once a week. Twice would be even better.

When you start a blog, I’d recommend creating a number of articles ahead of time so you don’t run into a problem. Schedule them out for publication. It might be tempting to just post them all at once, with the logic that it will appear to be a thriving blog. However, from what I can tell, search engines are looking for consistency and won’t respond well to a data dump in the form of a slew of articles posted on the same day. Spread them out.

Creating a popular blog is never going to be an overnight process. Give it time.

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Do a little research

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You may know your topic inside and out, but it’s always good to brush up on what your competition is saying. Take time to do some research and expand your knowledge base. Of course, you never want to copy the words of a fellow blogger. That would be plagiarism. However, ideas are free for all to use. Put your own spin on it.

If you stumble upon a new concept, make sure to fully explore the datum for accuracy. In general, I consider that if three sources report the same thing, it’s probably valid. However, there is a caveat I discovered with this theory: If other bloggers are copying one source, they all could be mistaken. You can spot this pretty easily though, as the wording sounds rehashed. Look for unique takes on the subject.

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It might seem daunting to start a blog, but it doesn’t have to be a difficult process. If you have fun with it and enjoy writing articles, your readers will gravitate to your site and read what you have to say. Write for pleasure, even if your goal is business. Focus on helping others and you will gain a readership.