Thanks to the wonders of the Internet, you can now have a lot of means and platforms
to express your opinions, and one of these platforms is through blogging. There are a
lot of bloggers nowadays, and they have different motivations for why they start their
blogs.
Some started blogging out of the desire to express themselves and their interest, while
others do it for business marketing purposes. Blogging is an excellent way for these
two. Thus, if you have the motivation to write a blog, it will do you good if you prepare
for it. For a bit of help, here are some essential things that you need to know before you
start your blog. So take a read!
The Tools of the Trade
Just like any profession, a blog writer, or even a content writer, needs to have the right
tools. To get you started, here are some tools that you, as a blogger or writer should
have in your possession:
Misc Tools
There are many more rules to follow when you want to start a successful blog. And
because of that reason, you need more tools. One particular tool that is very useful is an
app for character count.
Most of the time, titles, meta-tags, taglines all have specific character requirements.
Going over or under these requirements can mean a disaster for a piece. Other tools
you need when starting a blog are tools for checking a site’s metrics, traffic, readability,
and title checkers.
Word Processor
You won’t be able to start writing if you don’t have something to write with. Word
processors help you get the job done. Popular examples of these apps are Microsoft
Word, Open Office, and Google Docs.
Grammar Checker
One of the rules in blog writing is that every post should ideally be free of any grammar
errors. If an article or content is full of grammatical errors, a lot of people would shy
away from reading that particular piece. Grammarly is one of the best and popular
grammar checkers that most content writers and bloggers use for their articles.
Plagiarism Checker
Another big rule that every aspiring blogger should follow is that every content they put
out should be 100% original. With that said, they need a good plagiarism checker such
as Copyscape. Programs such as Copyscape have sophisticated algorithms that enable
them to cross-check thousands of articles online with your content.
Basic HTML and SEO is Important
Since there are a lot of blogging platforms where you can write your blog, newbie
bloggers may not bat an eye any more about HTML. Even without a code, these
platforms enable you to customize the themes and designs of your blog.
However, it’s still essential that you know the basics of HTML if you want to be serious
about blogging. Learning about HTML is critical for those bloggers who are into online
business marketing.
Aside from the HTML basics, it will also do you good if you learn about search engine
optimization or SEO. If garnering traffic to your blog is your main thing, SEO will be a
big help for that. There are a lot of sites on the internet where you can read articles and
video tutorials about SEO
Time and Effort
In all endeavors, you need to have time and effort to achieve success, and this is
especially true when it comes to blogging. Thus, before you start a blog, you need to
ask yourself if you have the passion and commitment to it.
Blogging is not a no-sweat process. You need to pour out some effort to expand your
blog’s reach, and it takes time before you achieve that. You need to know that
publishing your first post will not quickly garner readers or traffic, and quitting because
of that is not the right attitude for a blogger.
Choosing a Niche
One of the most important things to consider when you start a blog is to identify and
choose a particular niche that your blog will cover. You need to see to it that you choose
a niche that’s unique and relevant for you to gain followers.
After you have chosen your niche, you should stick to it as far as possible. Being
consistent with the topics that you’ll write is one of the ways to draw a particular group
of blog followers. If you have a large following, there’s a high probability that you’ll
generate profits from your blog.
Blogging is more than just writing
Blogging has its beneficial uses. For instance, you can express your opinions and
interests through it, and blogging can also be a big help to market and promote a
product, service, or brand. Thus, it’s no wonder why many people turn to create blogs
nowadays.
But starting a blog requires you to know its basics. Contrary to what many people think,
blogging isn’t a spur of the moment thing you do. It takes time, the right preparations,
knowledge, and a bit of luck to get to the top. Hopefully, the tips mentioned above will
make it easier for you to get started.
