Technology
A beginner’s guide to blogging
This guide will show you how to start a blog from scratch. You’ll learn how to choose a blogging platform, pick a domain name, and design your blog.
Everyone has stories to tell, and what better way to share them than through blog posts? Blogging is by no means difficult, and you don’t need a degree in writing to start! Even better is the fact that there are several free tools and tips online that can help up your game when you’re just starting, this article being a good example! Now enough beating around the bush and let’s get to it!
The tools
Before moving on to content, let’s first have a look at your arsenal of tools. Honestly, you don’t even need that much.
Most writing tools are already free, such as WordPress and Google Docs, though if you want something a little fancier, you could even invest in Microsoft Word.
As for proofreading, you simply need to run your documents through Grammarly, yet another free website! With so many free tools at the ready, you’re already off to a good start.
The content
Alright, so you’re bursting with ideas to share, but hold your horses, friend! Just because you have plenty to write, it doesn’t mean you can just write it all out in one go and hit ‘post’. No, there’s a clear distinction between high-quality and near-unreadable posts, so below are a few things to keep in mind before submitting your final product:
Be sure to check for grammar and syntax mistakes
Even if your article is jam-packed with useful information, none of that will matter if your readers can’t even understand what you’re trying to convey. Even if your readers somehow manage to gather all that they need, you can be sure that they will be deterred from reading your other articles. Thankfully, this can be easily solved with the help of Grammarly.
Try to include graphics whenever possible
Nobody likes having to face a wall of text, so to make things easier for your readers, consider including graphics whenever needed. Not only will graphics break the monotony, but they also serve as visual examples that help make your points even clearer. Just be sure to only include relevant images so that they don’t end up becoming distractions instead.
Make sure not to go off-topic
When a reader clicks on your article, they are hoping to get something out of it. With that said, the last thing you want is to disappoint them because you went off-topic. Yes, it can be easy to get carried away with creative writing, but remember, your readers’ interests need to be prioritized if you want them to stay.
Break off into paragraphs whenever clumps of sentences get too long.
Sounds easy enough, but knowing when to break off into another paragraph can be a challenge for some. Just remind yourself to occasionally look at what you’ve written… and if the lines extend to over ten rows, then maybe it’s about time you started a new paragraph.
Though these may seem like common sense, the number of people who end up ignoring these points far surpasses those who don’t. With that in mind, try not to be part of the former group.
Getting noticed on the web
Alright, you’ve got your dream blog up and running. Now what? Well, you need an audience, of course! Though easier said than done, there are a few ways to get noticed.
Unless you write extremely exceptional blogs, your best bet will be to either pay advertisers to advertise your articles, or share them around on your own through social media. You can leave links to your work with little snippets attached to them on Facebook, Twitter, and even Instagram. If you’re using this approach, then be sure to include hashtags (e.g., #blogger #goodstuff) since they make you easier to find on the search bar.
If you’re still struggling to get views in the end, however, then maybe consider searching up the top blogs on the internet. Have a look at what they’re writing about, and consider talking about similar topics, just to get your reader base up and running first.
Conclusion
It is important to remember that a good blog doesn’t only need good content, but also good structure. Use these basic guidelines as best as you can, and with any luck, you’ll be able to end up engaging your readers and standing out among the competition. Best of luck!