How to build a successful blogging business — Do you want to start blogging soon? Building a blogging business can be one of the best decisions you could make. Aside from being a means you could communicate your thoughts and share information, a successful blog can transition into your main income stream.
Blogging is among the most popular businesses of the 21st century. It can be used to generate income and gives one the flexibility to work from anywhere in the world. In this article, we bring you the step-by-step procedure on how to build a successful blogging business. Let’s dive in.
How to Build a Successful Blogging Business
Below are proven steps on how to build a successful blogging business. Read on.
- Choose a blog name and Niche
- Register on a reputable blogging platform
- Select a blog hosting
- Design and customize how your blog will look
- Create valuable content
- Promote your blog to attract readers
1. Choose a blog name and Niche
The first step to building a successful blog is to choose a blog name. That’s going to be the first thing your potential readers are going to see when they visit your blog. Therefore, it should be catchy and represent the niche you’ll be writing about.
Choosing a name for your blog can be fun and quite intriguing. To choose the perfect name for your blog, we suggest you brainstorm. Get a paper and pen or open your notepad, and unleash down every single idea that comes to mind. Do this for at least 10 -15 minutes. From those ideas you jotted down, you can choose a name or combine names to get a unique and appealing name.
Below are tips to help you choose a name;
- Ensure it is a name that’s easy to remember to enable your readers/audience easily find your blog
- Make the name catchy
- Consider making the name short
- Choose a name that relates to you or the content you intend to blog on.
After choosing a list of potential names for your blog, the next step is to check if it is available and register it. It is pivotal to make sure your name is available and not already used by another website. We recommend you check if your domain name is available using “Bluehost”.
Next, choose a Niche. What is your blog going to be about? What purpose will it serve? And What area will your blog focus on? The above questions should help you define your blog Niche. To make it easier for your audience, ensure your blog has a particular purpose /area it is aimed at.
Tips on choosing a blog niche:
- Write down a list of what you are passionate about or what you enjoy talking/writing about.
- Conduct market research on profitable niches and make a list of them.
- Write down your hobbies and experiences you have had.
- Then choose a smaller niche with less competition. This will increase your chances of building a successful blogging business.
Note: Ensure you are interested in whatever niche you end up choosing. Yes, some people might say” pick a niche to earn money from.” But the bottom line is, if it will take you years before earning serious money from the blog, you are likely to lose interest in that niche before you even begin to earn!
2. Register on a reputable blogging platform
To begin your blog, you need a blogging platform. A blogging platform can be seen as software that helps you in publishing and manage your content online. There are several paid and free blogging platforms available such as Medium, Mix, WordPress.com, WordPress.org, etc.
However, if you are interested in building a successful blogging business, we recommend you use a paid blogging platform. This is because most free blogging platforms have numerous restrictions and can be quite difficult to monetize.
WordPress.org is a powerful and reliable blogging platform/website builder. The platform is home to a large percentage of websites globally. The platform allows you to take full control of your blog. You can integrate custom plugins, themes, tools, etc.
3. Set up your blog online by choosing a web host
The next step after choosing a blogging platform is to set up your blog hosting. There are numerous web hosting platforms, but we recommend Bluehost. Bluehost is among the most popular and reliable web hosting companies available. There offer vast features including a free domain (relieving you of the fees of purchasing a domain) when you register.
Meanwhile, to host your new blog, head over to Bluehost. Tap on the “Get Started” button displayed on your screen.
You’ll then be directed to a page where you would be presented with four plans to choose from.
Any of the plans will do when starting your blog, you can easily upgrade or change a plan going further. You can pick the “Basic” plan which contains all you need to get started as a beginner. However, I recommended you choose the “Choice plus plan”. The “Choice plus plan” is designed with a domain privacy feature. This protects your personal information from being published elsewhere.
Register your blog’s domain name
After choosing your plan, the next is to pick your domain name.
You just need to input the name you picked in the first step and click on next to ascertain if it is available. If the name is already used by another website or you still haven’t chosen a name, you can skip the step by clicking on “I’ll create my domain later” located at the bottom of the page.
Meanwhile, if you already bought a domain name from another website, you have to connect it to your Bluehost account. Hence, instead of clicking on “register a new domain name”, you should choose the second option located in the right corner of your screen “use a domain you own”. You will then be required to log into your domain provider account manager page. When you have successfully logged in, follow the instructs given to connect your domain to your Bluehost server. Next, create your Bluehost account by filling in your account details. This includes your name and current email address.
4. Design and customize how your blog will look
After going through the crucial steps of setting up your blog, the next step is to design your blog. Customize the blog appealingly. Ensure it is well-organized and clean. It should also be simple, that way your readers can easily navigate the blog.
To do this, you need to select a blog theme. A theme is simply a folder of files that would help you define how your blog will look like. Blog themes usually contain colors, page layout, templates, Font styling, etc.
For your theme, you can choose from a variety of paid and free themes. As a beginner, you can begin with a free theme before upgrading to a paid theme that you can afford. To choose a free theme, simply log into your WordPress Dashboard and tap on Appearance. On the “Appearance” drop-down page, click on Themes. You would be presented with several options to choose from. Ensure to select one that makes your blog mobile friendly and easy to navigate.
5. Create valuable content
One of the most important steps on how to build a successful blogging business is by creating valuable content. Most people do not read blog posts because of how the blog looks or is designed (even though it helps sometimes), but because of how valuable the blog posts are.
To ensure your blog is successful, you should regularly update it with well-written and detailed content. Before writing a blog post, ensure to understand the searcher’s intent. Make thorough research and write extensively on the topic. You should ensure that your content answers the questions of your potential readers, this will help bring you readers and help your blog rank on search engines.
Also, aside from creating high-quality blog posts, ensure to make your content SEO-optimized. This will increase the chances of your blog appearing on top search engines like Google, Bing, etc.
6. Promote your blog to attract readers
The next step on how to build a successful blogging business is to promote your blog. By promoting your blog, you tend to attract readers and gain relevance and traffic. There are several ways to promote your blog. including;
- Sharing your blog posts on social media platforms such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Twitter, YouTube, etc.
- Grow your blog readers using an email newsletter
- Guest posting on other blogs and platforms like LinkedIn, Medium, Quora, etc
- Join forums where you can share your blog post links
That’s it! Above is a comprehensive and simplified guide on how to build a successful blogging business.
Top Blog Niches You Should Consider
Are you still stuck on the perfect niche to blog about? Below is a list of the top blog niches you should consider.
- Lifestyle
- Food
- Beauty and fashion
- Health and Fitness
- Parenting
- Travel
- Lifestyle and Craft
- Education
- Scholarships
- Make money online
- Personal finance, etc.
Conclusion
There you have it! Follow the above step-by-step guide on how to build a successful blogging business to get started. Building a successful blogging business all boils down to how determined, consistent, and patient you are to develop your new blog. If you want your blogging business to be profitable and successful, you need to put in the work and energy. Good luck!
Frequently Asked Questions
What's a Blog?
A blog is simply an online journal or informational website that is updated with new content regularly. It can be managed by an individual or group of people. Blog posts are usually written in a conversational tone to provide answers to people’s queries, provide information about products /services, etc.
Are there free blogging sites?
Yes, there are free blogging sites such as Wix, Blogger, Medium, Tumblr, etc.
Is blogging profitable?
Yes, blogging is profitable. With hard work and consistency, your blog can bring a lot of money.
References
https://www.ryrob.com/how-start-blog/
https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/blog-strategy-guide
https://www.theminimalists.com/blog/
https://gatheringdreams.com/how-to-start-a-successful-blog/
https://neilpatel.com/how-to-start-a-blog/
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