Start your own blog- The best tips for beginners in 2022
You want to start your own blog, but don't really know how and where to start? Blogging is one of the best ways for businesses and individuals to generate more traffic for your website and thus boost your business. You don't need much to create a successful blog, but you should pay attention to a few things.
In this article we would like to clear up all questions related to blogging and help you to start your blog.
How to start your own blog:
01. Find a topic for your blog
Before diving into all the technical details, you should decide what topic you want to blog about. What would you like to write about? Most blogs deal with a specific topic and we recommend that you also focus on a niche.
For example, the Wix blog is about web design, website creation, blogging, logo design, marketing, business knowledge and more,
You can start a blog about any topic: for example a travel blog, a
books blog or a food blog etc. A narrowed topic area will help you
to find topics for your posts, decide on a design and close your
blog later promote.
• Pick a topic that really interests you because you will spend a lot of time researching and writing on that topic.
• If you're an expert in a field, then this is the perfect topic to add real value to your blog.
• Collect your ideas in a brainstorming session: What are your hobbies, what are you passionate about, which topics are you familiar with, etc.?
• Further narrow your interests to keep your blog specific.
• Knowing your audience well will help you narrow down your
topics, find the right blog design, and promote the blog.
• A topic with stable demand increases the chances that your blog will be read. You can take a look at Google Trends for this.
• Steady demand also increases the potential profitability of your blog.
02. Choose a blog platform
The blog platform is the technology behind your website, i.e. the
software on which you can start, design, write and then publish
your blog.
Alternatively, if you don't want to hire an expensive design agency, you have a wide range of website builders available that
are suitable for starting your own blog.
Most providers offer you various price packages including web hosting and your own domain. The costs for your own blog are relatively low with a website builder, with Wix you can start your blog for free and try it out. If you're serious about blogging, you can later upgrade to a premium plan starting at €14.50 a month and connect your own domain.
03. Find a hosting provider
If you want your blog to be found on the internet, you need a domain and web hosting.
Web hosting or hosting makes your blog available on the internet and stores it at a unique address on a server. If you decide to use a website builder, free hosting is already included in your price plan. With Wix, hosting also includes up to 500 MB of storage and up to 500 MB of bandwidth.
If hosting isn't included with your blog platform, you'll need to
find a separate web host and pay extra. When choosing a web host, you should consider factors such as uptime or operating time, bandwidth and customer
service.
Data security is also important, especially if you want to monetize your blog and collect personal data. All websites you create on Wix are protected by SSL and HTTPS certificate.
04. Choose the blog name and domain
Of course, if you want to start a blog, it needs a name and a domain, which ideally bears the name of your blog.A domain is your unique address with which you can be found on the Internet and consists of the name itself and the top-level domain, l.e. the ending or suffix.
In order to make the right choice here, it is important to define what you want your blog to convey: Should it be more formal and professional? Cute and romantic? Punky and fancy? Maybe you already have a name in mind? If not, you can follow these tips:
• Make it clear what your blog is about
• Connect the domain to your, company, or brand name (if you have one)
Short and memorable instead of long and cumbersome
• Simple names without numbers and umlauts to avoid typos
• Domains with a de top-level domain are best suited for German blogs
The choice of your blog name also depends on the topic of your blog. If your blog is a corporate blog, it makes sense to use the company name in the domain and in the name.
05. Design and create your blog
Now it's time to create and design your blog. Since the first impression counts on the Internet and is crucial for success, the layout and design of your blog are particularly important.
5.1. Choose a blog template
You can start with a blog template and customize it however you like. This is by far the most efficient way to start your blog, and a website builder lets you test different templates before committing to a design. Such templates also have the advantage
that they already offer you a beautiful and, above all, user-friendly layout.
There are templates for bloggers from all areas: food blogs, photography blogs and business blogs, everything is included.
• What fits your niche best?
• What mood do you want to convey?
• How many pictures do you want to integrate?
• Which color scheme suits you and your industry?
If you're not sure what to do, check out this article on blogger templates for inspiration.
5.2. What pages does your blog need
Since blogs contain many articles, you need subpages that sort your blog and help your readers find their way around. Most blogs are divided into different categories. For example, for a back blog. this could be "cake"; "Cookies"; be "yeast dough" etc.
Aside from content categories, the most important subpages on a blog include a "Contact" page, an "About me" page and an online shop, as well as mandatory information in the imprint and the data protection declaration.
Your blog categories and "About Me" page should be linked in the navigation menu in the header or by rank. However, you can link information about contact, imprint and the data protection declaration in the footer.
5.3. Index your blog
In order for your blog to be found on search engines when readers search for one of your topics, you need to index it. The best way to do this is to submit your sitemap to Google Search Console.
5.4. Create a blog logo
You can create a logo that will give your blog even more personality and increase your brand awareness. When choosing logo colors, fonts, and icons, make sure they match the overall look of your blog design.
The best place for your logo is in the top left corner or top center of your website and each of your subpages. You can then link the logo to your homepage on the subpages so that it also serves as a navigation tool for your readers.
06. Write your first blog post
Now that your blog is technically up and running, you can start the main work and write your first blog article.Not sure if you have what it takes to be a blogger? In this article,we share how you can become a blogger and what 7 essentials are needed for success.
6.1 Conduct keyword research
In order for your posts to be found and read, you should deal with the topic of SEO in detail. Part of this is researching keywords or keywords directly related to your topic that people are searching for on the internet. By including these terms in your articles, you increase the likelihood that your blog will show up on search results pages for these searches.
We recommend using the following tools for your keyword research: Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush or Ahrefs.
6.2 Outline the main points
In the course of your keyword research, you will also find out what other blogs are writing about your topic. You can use this information to structure your own article and decide which sections to include and the format of your post. Be sure to bring something new and interesting to the market that other blogs aren't already writing about.
Great blog formats are, for example: instructions, recommendations, comments, reviews or testimonials.
6.3 Think of a title
An appealing title often decides whether your post will be read or not. It often makes sense to finalize the title at the end if you know exactly what your blog post is about.
Put yourself in the shoes of your readers and think about what kind of title you would find interesting in their place and what makes them want to read.
• Make the title clear and direct
Mention the value your article adds
• Address the emotions of your readers
• Arouse the curiosity of your readers
• Use humor, alliteration, or wordplay where appropriate
6.4 Write engaging content
The quality of your writing is the most important thing if you want to start a successful blog. Therefore, each section of an article headline, subheading, body text, introduction and conclusion should make sense and add value.
• Your introduction is about grabbing the attention of your readers and persuading them to read on.
• In continuous text, you share your knowledge and expertise on the topic of your choice with your audience.
• Be careful to avoid superfluous content and filler that doesn't contribute to your topic. Instead, every word and sentence should have a meaning. If not, you can delete it.
• You can adapt the tone of your article to your target audience, but of course this also depends on your own style.
• In the conclusion you have the opportunity to summarize the main points of the article and your own opinion. This is not a must, but makes sense for long articles.
Be aware that writing a blog post can take several hours. Don't rush it and take your time to write your first draft.
6.5 Add visual elements
Images, statistics and graphics can be used to reinforce the overall impression of your article. Therefore, any photos, screenshots, illustrations, etc. that you add should be both functional and beautiful, and should highlight the most important main points of your post.
If you don't have your own images, you can also use royalty-free stock photos from the internet. Nice images are available from Pexels and Unsplash, but some images require a paid license.
6.6 Optimize your post for SEO
Before you publish your finished post, there are a few small but important steps you can take to optimize your article for SEO. We recommend that you don't neglect these steps as they can significantly increase your blog's conversions.
• Check your keywords
• Add internal links
• Integrate CTAS
• Use alt text
• Use meta tags
• Choose your URL
6.7 Edit and publish your first post
The last step is to edit your post and give it to friends, colleagues or family members to proofread. Of course, you should also read your article several times to make sure that all the important elements are included. Sometimes content needs to breathe a little. Take enough time and distance to read your post with a fresh head.
If you are happy with the result, you can upload your article to your blog and click 'Publish'.
07. Create an editorial calendar
In order to start a successful blog, publishing new posts regularly is an important part of your strategy. An editorial calendar can help you plan your posts for the long term. Because the fact that your blog constantly offers new content is not only important for your readers, but also influences the overall ranking of your website in search engines.
We recommend that you come up with at least 10 ideas that you can then use to fill your calendar. You don't need a new tool to run a successful editorial calendar, we simply use a list in Excel or Google Sheets. Our calendar includes the columns: publication date, blog title, the most important keywords, the article status and comments.
How often should you blog?
This is a common question from people who want to start one. As a rule of thumb, the more you blog, the more traffic you will get to your website.
How often you blog ultimately depends on your goals. If your main goal is to increase your brand awareness, you can start with 1-2 new posts per week. On the other hand, if you are more concerned with increasing your traffic, you can ideally write 3-4 new posts per week.
It is better to set small and achievable goals for your editorial calendar at the beginning to motivate yourself. You can update your calendar at any time and set bigger goals.
How long should a blog article be
The optimal length of an article depends on the topic, the nature of your post, and how deep you want to delve into your subject matter.
The general rule is quality over quantity! Do not try to drag out a topic unnecessarily, otherwise your readers will lose interest in reading. Similar articles from other bloggers are also a good guide here, and you can use their average length as a guide.
08. Promote your blog
Now that you have everything you need to start your blog, it's time to start promoting your blog and turning it into a potential source of income.
Improving your SEO is already an important step in attracting readers and driving traffic to your blog. Here are some more creative ways to promote and promote your blog.
On our blog, we share 30 unique and recommended tips to help you get your blog popular. Here is a short summary.
Share your posts on social media: Social media is a great place to post your content and get people to see your blog. Whether it's Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or Linkedin, social media gives you the opportunity to reach the masses.
Create a blog newsletter: By sending out weekly email newsletters, you can make your readers aware of new content and thus bring them back to your blog. This will also help you build a loyal following. To get your first subscribers, we recommend adding a Subscribe CTA button to your site's navigation bar or footer, and also to your blog posts themselves.
Write guest posts for other websites: Writing and publishing on other websites and blogs is a perfect way to build your reputation
as a writer and expert in your niche or field.
Connect with an existing community: People with similar interests often get together in Facebook groups, forums, and Linkedin groups. When you find an online community relevant to your blogging niche, you should consider connecting with the members of that group and sharing your articles with the group.
Participate in question and discussion forums: Sites like Quora and Reddit give you the opportunity to contribute your blog to discussion threads. You can use your posts to answer questions asked or respond to a comment. It is important to note that you should come across as helpful and informative rather than promotional.
Invest in paid ads: Of course, you can also advertise your blog with the help of paid ads and thus reach even more people in a targeted manner. You can do this on the one hand by advertising the posts that you share on social media or by placing ads via Google Ads.
Try different formats: The topics you cover in your blog posts can very likely be adapted for other formats as well. For example, you could turn your post into a video and upload it to YouTube, or record a podcast episode. In this way, you can also reach those interested parties who would rather watch videos and podcasts than read them.
09. Earn money with your blog
Yes, you can make money as a blogger. If your goal is to start a blog that attracts a large readership, then you probably want to make money from blogging in the long run. Here are some strategies you can use to do this:
affiliate marketing
• Advertise on the blog
• Offer paid subscriptions
• Post sponsored content
• Sale of e-books and merchandise
• Offering advice and consulting
blogging tools
Last but not least, we want to introduce you to some blogging tools that can make your life as a blogger easier.
• The Google Keyword Planner gives you data about the best keywords for your blog topic.
• With Google Analytics you get insights into your blog performance and can improve it.
• The Google Search Console gives you an overview of how many clicks and page visitors your blog gets.
• On Pexels you can find free images for your blog.
• With the help of Duden-Mentor, you can check your content for spelling and grammatical errors.
• With Google Trends you can find out which topics are relevant in Germany and around the world.
• Project management tools like Asana are great tools to help you plan your articles for your blog.
Start Blog Conclusion
As you have seen, it only takes 9 simple steps to start a blog and become self-employed:
First find a topic you want to write about. After that you can choose a blog platform and hosting provider and give your blog a name and a domain.
When it comes time to design your blog, we recommend starting with a template. After you've written your first blog post, you can plan more articles with an editorial calendar. Don't forget to promote your blog to make money from it.
It takes a lot of time, research, patience and perseverance to have long-term success with your blog. But once your blog is up and running, you will surely enjoy it.
We hope that this article was helpful to you and that you were able to clarify any questions you may have about starting a blog.
