Remember the early days of blogging when everyone was writing about anything and everything? Blogging was so much easier back then, and no one would have guessed that blogging could become a marketing or branding tool. The first blogs were personal diaries that people used to write in to share their opinions, get feedback, or just jot down fun things about their hobbies.
Over the years, the concept of blogging has changed dramatically, and due to the advancement of new technologies, online platforms like Blogger, Xanga, LiveJournal and Open Diary have paved the way for bloggers to share their thoughts online with the world, all at their fingertips. Due to the above, it has come at no surprise that people around the world still celebrate Blogger Day annually on 5th August .
In this digital era, it’s easier than ever to start a blog and share your knowledge/thoughts with others. There are an abundance of top notch platforms to get started, such as Wix for example, that offer a plethora of features that were unheard of 20 years ago. By using this kind of platform, you can create a blog for free and even turn your blog into a profitable business as well as use it to engage, inspire, and educate your readers.
Does Blogging Still Hold Value?
Some say blogging is dead, but nothing could be further from the truth. The concept of blogging has evolved into something bigger than anyone expected, and as of today it’s now used as a successful tool for businesses. In a recent survey, it was shown that 73% of B2B companies reported having a content marketing strategy. Blogging is integral to content marketing, allowing enterprises to engage their audiences, build trust, and increase sales.
Blogging also brings many SEO and keyword ranking benefits for online businesses. By creating an online blog on your site and sharing relevant insightful information and keywords related to your niche, can lead to a major increase in organic traffic to your site as well as an increase in your Search Engine Results Pages Rankings (SERP’s). You need to constantly take time to optimize your blog content, update internal and external links and target industry related keywords, in order to maintain your SERP rankings.
Apart from SEO and web traffic benefits of blogging. Blogging also brings many other benefits to businesses such as, helping drive brand awareness, improving the online brand reputation (ORM) by providing insightful information to your audience, the building of strong strategic partnerships with other brands and developing an increase in lead generation. These are just some of the vast amount of benefits a blog can bring for businesses.
For example, if your business is selling handmade jewelry, in that case, you could start a blog to share the stories that inspire your work, describe different jewelry-making techniques, and write about current jewelry trends. It’s an opportunity to write about what you’re passionate about and drive engagement.
Another idea is to share your favorite blog posts of 2023 or feature other artisans you admire. This type of content can open up new opportunities for collaboration and help you build meaningful connections.
Starting a Blog Is Easier Than You Might Think
Starting and running a blog doesn’t have to be difficult. It does require some effort and commitment, but your efforts will pay off the more effort you put into it.
If you decide you want to create a blog for your site, then the first thing you should ask yourself is whether you want to have a blog on your website or on a separate domain. In either case, you can use a free platform like Wix to get things up and running.
The next step you should be thinking about is to determine for what purpose you are creating your blog and to choose a niche that you are knowledgeable about, so you can provide insightful and engaging information to individuals who share the same interest. It goes without saying that the more interesting your blog posts are, the higher your chances are of your posts gaining more traffic. Make sure to use the right terminology, keywords and lingo for your specific niche to help improve your overall site authority.
For example, if your niche is in the field of marketing, tech, sports, or arts and crafts. You will be able to monetize your blog or use it to promote your business, if you implement the right strategy. Many bloggers make money by selling eBooks, affiliate marketing, online courses, subscriptions, or professional services, and you can do it too.
You will also need to choose a blog and domain name that fits your niche and style. Think out of the box and try to be as creative and witty as possible. Meanwhile, look for a blogging platform offering customizable templates. Ideally, select one with a drag-and-drop editor, like we mentioned above, which eliminates the need for coding.
Once these steps are completed, set up your blog and craft a content strategy. Think about what type of content you want to publish, who your target audience is, and how often you’ll update the blog.
For inspiration, check out influencer bloggers like Neil Patel, Gary Vaynerchuk, Andrew Sullivan, Tim Ferriss, and Adrienne Sondag. For instance, entrepreneur Tim Ferriss shares productivity hacks on his blog. He also published five books, including The 4-Hour Workweek, a New York Times bestseller.
Go One Step Further and Monetize Your Blog
We’ve all heard of successful bloggers who make six figures. For example, penny stock trader Tim Sykes says he earns over $1 million per month. He uses his blog to share expert insights and sell DVD courses for aspiring traders.
Former teacher Melyssa Griffin, stay-at-home mom Sarah Titus and digital marketer Pat Flynn (site shown in picture below), all make good money with their blogs. However, their success didn’t come overnight.
It’s one thing to blog as a hobby, and another thing to do it as a full-time job. The latter scenario requires in-depth knowledge of marketing principles, paid advertising, and search engine optimization.
If you go this route, you’ll first need to build steady traffic and establish your expertise. There are some tools, for instance, such as Ahrefs and SEMrush that can assist you with implementing basic SEO techniques into your blog, and help increase organic traffic to your blog by implementing the right keywords, localization tips, audiences, competitors analysis of your niche etc. After researching and optimizing your site, you can then start to monetize your blog through ads, product roundups, affiliate marketing, or sponsored content if you want to expand your blog distribution. Just make sure to always stick to your strategy and vision of what you want your blog to be.
Let Your Journey Begin
As a new blogger, you may feel like your work is not good enough or doesn’t make a difference. Stop chasing perfection and remember that everyone has to start somewhere. You need to do it for yourself and no one else. You will learn at your own pace and just remember to enjoy the journey.
Neil Patel and other influential bloggers have perfected their craft over many years. You can’t expect to get massive amounts of traffic and build a loyal readership from day one. Start by creating a well designed blog and publishing interesting content consistently, find your own voice, and keep improving your writing skills. Commit to weekly optimization, track the results, and make changes as needed. Think of it as “me” time and always remember to have fun with it!
