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Starting Your Blog In 2018

By:  Elizabeth Neal |MyAmazingContent.com

Note:  The “writing” in this article may have affiliate links. By FTC Standards I am required to let you know that affiliate links are present. I may make a small amount of income on them when you use them. Thank-You for your support!

Blogging For Hobby or For Profit

Blogging can be overwhelming when starting a new blog. There is so much information on the internet in reference to blogging.  It can also be efun as well as a great way to make some extra money.

Before you decide to jump into the wonderful world of blogging, it is important to determine what the purpose your blog will be. One of the first things you should consider is the niche.

You could start a blog about your favorite hobby, sport or pet – some people even blog about their children. You could also create a business and sell items such as digital items, pdf’s, stock photos or create an educational blog.  Some experts blog with eBay items, Amazon items and Shopify and Etsy as well.

Choosing A Platform

The next decision is choosing which blog platform to use. If you’re new to blogging, then you may want to start with one of the many free platforms available like Blogger, Livejournal or Tumblr.  WordPress also has a FREE option, https://www.wordpress.org if you do not want your own domain name.

These are all free and provide you with the tools you need to create a great blog. The only other thing to consider before using a free blog platform like Blogger is that your blog’s web address will look like this (http://www.blogname.blogspot.com).

Choosing A Domain Name

However, you will eventually choose to get a domain name registered and go a with a paid website hosting package and your blog address will be (http://www.myblogname.com instead)!  NameCheap has affordable domain names and GoDaddy also has affordable domain names for getting started.

If you have some experience with how blogs work and want to host your blog on your own website then WordPress is a great option.

WordPress has two options for you.  WordPress.org which is the free version and WordPress.com which is the platform that is installed on your hosting site – a paid version. (We will talk more about this later.)

The hosting company I decided to go with is – INTERSERVER.  
InterServer is based in several countries and they provide excellent customer service!  You can get started for a price as low as $5.00 a month and pay on a monthly basis!  That is Awesome!  (If you go with GoDaddy – you can get your domain name for 0.01 that is ONE CENT!  There you go!

(InterServer offers to pay by the month option which is very affordable and they also run specials, for example, to sign up for $0.01 or $1.00 as an incentive to try them out.)

You will find that Interserver is very affordable and the support group is great!

After choosing my platform and my hosting company, I requested to have WordPress installed on my hosting package.

Take Time To Research

Once you have spent some time doing research on blogging niches and platforms you will have discovered your reason for blogging. One of the most important reasons is to make money or increase revenues for your existing business.

Here are a few tips for posting content on your blog:

1. First, ensure that you’re posting regularly to your blog. At the minimum, you should try to post a few times a week. This shows your visitors that you’re an active blogger, which will make them more prone to keep visiting your blog.

2. Strive to maintain a presence on your blog and be there when your readers have questions. Become a habit that your readers don’t want to go without. Making a connection with readers is important.  If you feel
like ending your blog, think of your regular readers and followers before making that decision.

1. An important part of having a blog is to voice your own opinions. Find a subject that you’re truly interested in, are knowledgeable about, and then put yourself out there. People like to hear the opinions, learn from others and keep with newsy type articles. Opinions usually get a reaction and reactions garner readers and comments.

4. The content of your blog should consist of high-quality work.  Before you post it, proofread your blog entry, to ensure that it is free from grammatical and typographical errors. You may also wish to have someone else read it, as a secondary proofreader and to ensure that the content is interesting to read.

How To Make Your Blog Stand Out From The Rest

Because there are millions of blogs on the Internet, it can be tough to make yours stand out from all the rest. Whether you’re starting a new blog or looking to make your existing blog more attractive, the key to building and maintaining a site that will capture the interest and attention of the blogging community is finding your niche.

Every great blog starts with a great idea, and you can’t build a long-lasting successful blog without one. If you can fill a unique need, in a way that no other blog does, you’ll be able to build a lasting relationship with your visitors and that will be the key to your success.

There are so many great sites for bloggers today, and competition for readers is very fierce. To make your blog stand out from the rest, you’ll need to offer them something that no other blog is currently offering, or you’ll need to do the same thing that an already popular blog does but in bigger and better way!

Research Other Blogs

One way to discover an ideal model for your blog is to look at other blogs that have successfully captured a big audience. Then determine if you can use some of their strategies to help you manifest your vision.

Remember, you’ll also need to add a unique flair to your project in order to set it apart from your competition.

Many people agree that the most popular blogs in today’s marketplace are the ones that have the most personality. Another important thing to consider is how you can give your blog a unique and attractive feel by adding your own personality to your blog’s design and content.

Once you have a great idea for your blog and have pinpointed a special niche that you’re well equipped to fill, and have infused the site with your own personality, the next step is getting the word out to consumers who would be interested in hearing what you have to say.

It can be a little overwhelming at first but organize your information in a way that you can make decisions. A good way is to make list. Use the process of elimination method.

So as you can see in the long run, a great idea just isn’t enough to make your blog a huge success. You’ll also need a smart and realistic marketing plan in order to draw readers to your site and if you find them with great content that will keep them coming back!

How to Become A Great Blogger

The idea of blogging intimidates many people. There is no reason to feel intimidated because blogging is a skill that anyone can develop with a little bit of time, effort and creativity.

When you’re starting to blog, it is important that you stay motivated. You’re not going to get a lot of readers your first day, and even your first week, and that’s okay. Just keep writing what you’re passionate about, and the readers will come to you.

Below are some tips to help you get started blogging:

1. When you’re planning to start up your own blog, think carefully about what you want to write about. Don’t just write about what you think others will want to hear. Write about what you like and what interests you most. By writing what you love, your blog posts will pop with exciting, interesting information!

1. It’s also important not to go too broad with your posts. If you have different skills, try using them on a specific topic. Creating broad blog posts in an uncontrollable way can make your brand dissolve. Even if you have readers that are interested in various topics, you’re making it harder for people to recognize your single brand.
2. Since blogs are written on a more personal level, you should avoid writing in formal tones. This will make it easier for the reader to relate to you on a personal level. This will keep your readers coming back later on to read more of the blogs you write.
3. Create an email update list for your blog. On your site, offer a place for people to sign up for these updates and they will be sent out every time you create a new post. Those who are truly interested in following your blog will like the idea of being notified when new content is posted.
4. When writing blog posts, it is crucial to choose great titles. Try to add some keywords in your title, but keep it brief. With a little thought and creativity, you can come up with short, catchy, interesting titles that will draw readers in. Add a couple of meaningful keywords and you’ll have readers in no time!
5. Make sure that your blog posts are organized well in order to make scanning easier. Make use of lists, header tags, and more. Keep in mind that the average reader is not going to want to read sentences and paragraphs that are long. Therefore, you should make them as short and to the point.
   

   Put This Advice To Work

Now that you’re more aware and informed about online blogging, do not hesitate to put these insights to work for you immediately. Blogging can be enjoyable and a big boost to your business, if you take the time to do it with sincerity and knowledge.

Start today and reap the benefits that are possible with the insights provided here.

Improving Your Blog

When it comes to blogging, it’s important to share your passions with others. Whether you’re traveling and want to keep in touch with those at home or simply want to share some tips and tricks with others – blogging is a great way to do this.

Headlines are what your readers tend to read first. They act like bait. If your bait is good, they will “bite” into the blog post too. However, if your headline is dull, repetitive, commonplace, predictable, or just not intriguing at all, your readers may decide to skip the entire thing.

As I have mentioned before, an important part of having a blog is to voice your own opinions. Find a subject that you’re truly interested in, are knowledgeable about, and then put yourself out there.

Remember To Comment On Other Blogs

People like to hear the opinions of others. Opinions usually get a reaction and reactions garner readers and comments.

You need to post regularly if you want readers to visit your blog repeatedly. Posting new items frequently keep your readers’ interest so that they’ll keep coming back. The best blogs have regular content posted to them at least once every day.

If you can’t imagine maintaining that pace, then pre-write several weeks’ worth of content. This content can be used when you do not have time to develop content or are having difficulty coming up with content.

Remember to keep it simple!

I hope you find this site interesting and of value. But, most importantly,
I hope that the content in this site helps you achieve the blogging goals
you are aiming for.

If you can use even half of the information in this article to help achieve your goals, please do me a big favor and share it with others!

Our mission is to help each other and forming good habits is a start!

Please take a second to tweet, share on Facebook, Linkedin, Pinterest and any other social media site you are active on. Include the blog post link in
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Share this post with a friend, team, or groups who are
struggling with starting a blog!

Wishing You Online Success!

Blog Commenting and 30 Commenting Tactics