Is it still possible to build a successful blog in 2018?
The answer is most definitely yes. However, it’s not 2008 anymore, and competition in the blogosphere is fierce. That means that you will have to bring your A game if you want to get ahead!
In this article, I’ll share 11 tips that will help you get started the right way!
- Start with picking a name
You need the right name for your blog if you want to get ahead of your competition. Sit down and brainstorm various options. Which names sound like something that would immediately grab the attention of your target audience?
Also, I really recommend you to read Hello, My Name Is Awesome: How to Create Brand Names That Stick by Alexandra Watkins. It will help you avoid most common mistakes that people make when trying to come up with a brand name!
- Choose a promising niche
Many people who start their WordPress blogs are doomed to failure from the day one. Sounds harsh, you say? Well, yes… But that’s the truth. If you pick the wrong niche, no amount of business savvy is going to help you. But what makes for a great niche?
Well, think about something like gambling. It addresses a part of human nature. And there are already plenty of established businesses related to it. That means that there is a real demand for it. I’m not saying you should go into gambling (although if you want to, check out VegasHero.co – WordPress Affiliate themes & plugins), but you should look for niches that have those same qualities to them.
- Choose a reliable hosting
Most people underestimate the importance of hosting. They just go with the first hosting provider they come across and hope that it works out well. That’s a mistake that can cost you a lot down the road.
For example, if one of your posts goes viral, but your host can’t handle the traffic, what then? You would lose an incredible opportunity to grow your blog and business!
That’s why it’s important to pick a hosting that is reliable. I recommend hostinger.com because it’s both extremely affordable and very reliable.
- Build your own site
Building your site might sound daunting, but in this day and age, it doesn’t have to be. There are plenty of free and premium WordPress themes out there, as well as a ton of plugins that will allow you to add anything you want to your website (for example, SmartSlider3 will allow you to add a fancy WordPress slider to your website). You don’t even have to hire a web developer or a web designer!
- Create social media accounts (FB Twitter)
It’s extremely important to have a solid social media presence. I suggest you start by establishing your Facebook page and Twitter profile. Once those have grown a bit, you can add other things, like Instagram or Pinterest.
- Setup your newsletter and build your email list
Email marketing is the most effective form of online marketing there is. Did you know that when done right, the return on investment for it could go as high as a whopping $38 for each $1 spent? Email is the marketing channel that converts the best, hands down, and building your email list should be your #1 priority! I recommend you to do it with ConvertKit because it was created by bloggers, for bloggers.
- Make sure people can contact you easily
Blogging is all about building relationships with your readers. But how can you build relationships when you are impossible to reach? Make sure that you provide your readers with an easy way to get in touch. The simplest way to do that is by adding a contact form to your website. Don’t know how to build it yourself? Use CaptainForm plugin.
- Try to sell goods
Creating a product and then asking people to give you money for it can be really scary. However, if you have no sales, you have no business, you need to get something out there. Create a product, get Stripe, and then use Stripe Payment plugin to add “Buy Now” buttons to your website. Then, make your pitch, and hope for the best!
- Set up knowledge base and prepare FAQ
As your website grows, you will notice that you are spending more and more time on answering customer questions, and that most of those questions are repetitive. One way to solve this is to create a knowledge database so that people could look for answers themselves before reaching out to you. Install WordPress KnowledgeBase Theme, set it up, and add the frequently asked questions. You will be surprised by how much time this will save you!
- Create content to get traffic
You have probably heard that content is king. And it is true that if you want to succeed with blogging, you’ll need to produce solid content on the regular basis. But what is solid content? It’s content that is genuinely helpful to your readers. Whatever niche you are in, do your best to understand the problems that people in it are facing, and offer the solutions in your content.
- Optimize SEO
SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is extremely important. You want people to be able to find you on Google, don’t you? Well, that’s what SEO is for. I recommend you to install Yoast plugin and pay close attention to its analysis. Also, if you are completely new to SEO, read SEO basics: How to optimize a blog post? Implement the advice there and you’ll be ahead of the most newbie bloggers!
Conclusion
There’s something that you should know about blogging: getting started is easy.
Yes, I know, it doesn’t seem that easy when you are actually doing it, but really, it’s the least difficult part. What’s the most difficult part? It’s not giving up when things get hard. And they will get hard.
So make the decision now that you won’t give up. Often that is what separates the winners from the losers in the blogging game.