9 essential things to do before starting a blog

Are you interested in starting a blog? STOP! These are the 9 things you need to do before you start a blog.

Are you interested in starting a blog?

Are you looking to be in control of your work and make decisions about when and how you work?

Are you looking for a job that pays well and allows you to work with your kids every day, or just to enjoy your hobbies?

Are you looking for a career that takes you to places you never imagined?

Blogs can accomplish all of this and more

Before you start...9 things you should do before starting a blogTo ensure that your blog is off to a great start.

How to find low competition keywords for SEO?

1. DECIDE WHAT YOU WANT TO BLOG ABOUT

Make wise choices. This will ensure that you continue to write about the subject for the next 10-20 years. There are so many amazing topics to blog about! There are so many amazing things you can blog about. Although it can be difficult to choose just three, these are the main points to keep in mind.

Passionate about something you love

What are you passionate about? Is it travel, cooking, golf, running or chess? Fashion, beauty, fashion? What do you see yourself writing about in the next 10 years?

You should know this:

What skills do you have? What are your friends saying you're really good at? What is it that everyone asks you about? Do you have a knack for putting together great outfits? Are you able to get your children to eat vegetables? How to cook on a budget? Being organized? Perhaps you have a skill or qualification that is unique to your field. Do you have a background in finance? Are you a nutritionist? A lawyer who is trained?

What other people want to know

Blogs that solve problems are the most successful. Your blog will be more successful if it solves a larger problem. You'll also find it easier to make money from your blog. There are many big problems to solve, including how to lose weight/go vegan/gluten-free, how you can save money/live on a budget, how do you look good, how do I get rich, how do I get organised at work/at my home, and how to get your kids to eat/sleep. You can make people do these things, or similar, and you will be a success!

It will be easier to create content and grow your blog if you have a clear vision of what you want to write about before you begin blogging.

2. RESEARCH BLOGS IN THAT NICHE

Once you have an idea of what topic you would like to blog about, it is time to research what other blogs are writing about the subject. This is especially important if your blog isn't already popular. This will give you an idea of what the blogging style is in your niche. What is the opinion of others? What are their writing styles? What other graphics/images/bulletpoints/headings should they add to their blog posts?

A blog is very different from writing a newspaper article, or a book. You need to quickly learn how blogs in your niche are written.

Also, you want to see what niches are already covered. What you can bring to the table. Are you able to offer a different perspective on your niche? Perhaps you are interested in starting a food blog. It is unlikely that you will get many followers if your blog is a general one about food.

You can be unique and different without being too random. There is no one who is writing a blog about goat meat, but that is likely for a good reason. You could write about healthy eating habits, how to make authentic, delicious international food with ingredients that you can find in your local grocery store, or even how to live on a gluten-free diet while you are a student.

Being a bit different and unique will make you more successful than if your blog follows the same pattern as everyone else. You can find out what is lacking and what you can do to fill it with your blog by doing research.

How can you find blogs within your niche? You can type in something like "travel blogs" or "food blogs" into Google to get some results. Once you've read a few, you'll be able to go on and search for more. You might also want to check top 10 lifestyle blogs USA/top 10 fashion blogs Australia/top 10 running blogs UK (or any other niche or country).

What should you look for in these blogs? Take a notebook or a new document to your computer and take notes about the following:

• Things you like (anything, including the layout, tone, photography, graphics, and topics).
• Things that you don't like (as in the above: What irritates? How could it have been done better?
• Ideas for blog posts that are good. Blog ideas are free from copyright. Write down any post that you feel is worth mentioning. You will need to use these ideas when you start to write posts for your blog.
• You can add anything else! Anything else!

What number of blogs should you be researching? This depends on how familiar your are with blogs within the chosen niche. This was exactly what I did before I started Productive Blogging. I read 6 blogs and then I went on to research 6 more. I knew enough about 6 blogs to do enough. You might consider doing 10 or 20 searches if you're new to the niche. Do at least 5-6!

A word of caution.Do not be discouraged. When you see blogs that are excellent in your niche, it's easy to feel discouraged. DO NOT! These bloggers have been blogging for years, and the first version of their blog was probably terrible. Do not let yourself get discouraged and think, "I can't do this." You can write an amazing blog that will be extremely successful. However, it will take time. It will look different from other blogs. But it is YOUR blog. Your blog is unique and you have something to share with the world.

Blog research can provide valuable insights and ideas that will help you choose the right niche. You might need to choose another niche if you feel bored by the second blog. You are on the right track if you find yourself completely absorbed in blogs and stay up late to finish them, then you're a winner!

3. THINK ABOUT HOW YOUR BLOG WILL BE STRUCTURED

Although it may sound crazy, this will save you tons of headaches down the road. Many bloggers start by just writing whatever they want, and their posts end up being a mess of many different topics. Search engines and readers like structure and order. A full-blown content strategy is not necessary yet, although it would be beneficial. However, you should start thinking about how your main topic will be broken down into categories.

You might decide to start a lifestyle blog. It might be possible to break it down into four topics: fashion, kids, travel, food, and food.

You might also consider starting a blog about running. You might choose to focus on running gear, how to start running and nutrition.

My blog is divided into 6 categories: blog content, start a blog and grow it, how to monetise it, email marketing, productivity tips, and blog content.

Your blog will be easier to navigate and more focused if you have categoriesSEO is a great ideaSearch engine optimization is also possible.

When you start writing your blog, you should aim for a roughly equal amount of posts in each category. This will give your blog a balanced appearance and help you earn SEO brownie points.

4. BRAINSTORM BLOG POST IDEAS

This is very important. This is why. It will reveal 2 things: Are you able to come up with enough ideas to write a blog about this topic? Will you find it interesting to write about this topic? After spending half an hour brainstorming content ideas, you may only have three ideas. You might need to choose another topic. You may have chosen the right subject if you find yourself frantically jotting down ideas until you feel sick.

How do you go about doing it? Write the categories you want to create on a large piece paper. Write your ideas for blog posts under each category. Do not stress over perfect titles. When you start writing the post, that will be a later task. Just start jotting down your ideas. You should aim to have at least 10 ideas for each heading. You can always write more if your ideas are good.

You can choose from 5 categories and get 10 ideas each. That's enough blog ideas for the year!

5. THINK ABOUT HOW YOU BLOG WILL MAKE MONEY

It doesn't make sense to have a brilliant idea for a blog and then find out that it isn't making any money. Unless you aren't interested in making money with your blog, then skip this section and move on to point 6.

There are five ways to make money with a blog.

• AdvertisementsThese are classic ads, just like the ones you see in newspapers and magazines. These adverts are easy to set up and can be placed on any new blog. To make money with ads, you need to get a lot of page views. You should not use them if your blog is selling products or services. These are the best.
• Affiliate linksThese are text links that you insert into your post from companies like Amazon and ShareaSale, who have affiliate programs. These are links that have been created specifically for you and are tracked by the company. A small commission will be paid to you if a reader clicks on the link and purchases a product from the company. These links can be very useful on blogs where you frequently recommend products, especially if they are expensive. These are also possible to be used on a brand new blog. Page views are not important here. It's all about trust and how your audience trusts.
• Sponsored postsThis is when a company representing a brand contacts you and asks you to feature their product in your blog. You can also contact them with a pitch. You could offer to review their product, participate in a DIY project or give them a free product. This has the downside that PRs and brands prefer to work with established bloggers who have high traffic and engage on social media. However, if you are a specialist in a particular niche or offer unique expertise or perspective, you might be able make more money with sponsored posts.
• ProductsThis is where you create a product to sell via your blog. You could create an ebook, a course, or even a physical item. There are many opportunities for success, especially with ebooks or courses. It does take time to create quality products and bring something new and/or better into the marketplace. It's not enough to simply copy what's already available. It takes time to earn the trust of your audience.
• ServicesSimilar to selling products, but instead creating an ebook or course, you're selling a service that is related to your blog. You could be a nutritionist, and your blog contains healthy recipes and nutritional tips. Your blog is a giant advertisement to help you attract the right person to book a consultation. If you have a specific expertise, such as a personal trainer, photographer, or accountant, this works well. You may need to work on your blog for some time if you don't have the expertise. Then people will be more likely to trust you and give you their money. It is possible that you will be able to sell your services once you have established yourself as a virtual assistant, social media manager, or website designer.

6. DECIDE IF YOUR BLOG WILL BE HOSTED OR SELF-HOSTED

Bloggers are often confused by confusing terminology. Hosted vs. self-hosted is just one example.

A hosted blog can be described as:RENTING A HOMEA long lease with a relaxed landlord. You can do whatever you want, but there are restrictions. The landlord is the owner of your blog and can take it down at any time. Squarespace, Wix and Blogger are all available as hosted options.

Hosted blogs tend to be cheaper than self-hosted ones, though there may be hidden costs later on. They also come with a lower level of technical support (though this distinction is no longer so important. I mean, anyone can set up not one, but two blogs that are self-hosted - I'm not a technical wizard!). Hosted blogs can be seen as less professional.

On the other hand, a self-hosted blog is similar toOWNING A HOME. As long as you have the technical ability, you can do anything. You own your blog. You are the only one who can take your blog.

Although they can be more costly to set up, self-hosted blogs are still very affordable. They cost less than $5 per month. These blogs are slightly more technical. They are not more technical. There is plenty of support. They are perceived as more professional and are therefore easier to make money. WordPress.org is the most popular hosted option.

It is up to you to decide whether you choose to host or self-host your website. However, if you are looking for the best long-term solution, I strongly recommend that you self-host. It is technically possible to make changes at a later time, but it can be tricky.

This is a great resource for encouragement. I know many bloggers who are both hosted and self-hosted. Many of the bloggers I know who are hosted are thinking about going self-hosted, or wish they had. No self-hosted blogger I know wants to do the opposite. There is not one. That should tell you something.

7. DECIDE ON HOSTING

You think you know blogging terminology. But it just keeps getting more complicated. If you choose to self-host your blog, you will need to purchase hosting. You might find this crazy!

This is the second time. Let's take the car analogy. Your blog address (URL) -www.yourblogname.comIt is your car. It's yours. You own it. To put it in, you will need a garage. This is your hosting. Names like Bluehost, Siteground, or GoDaddy are hosts. They will store your blog, and give you additional features such as an email address for the blog, security features, backups, or space to test.

WordPress is also required. It's like a car engine - it's what makes it run.

Although it sounds complicated, it really isn't. All you have to do is buy your domain, purchase your hosting package, and install WordPress. This part is easy and takes only 30 minutes.I will show you Here's how to set your WordPress blog up.

Although you are encouraged to research blog hosting options, the choices are overwhelming. It is best to trust a recommendation.

My top recommendation is to chooseSiteGround* to be your blog host. SiteGround hosts both my blogs and they have been great. SiteGround offers excellent customer service with virtually no downtime and superior security. Plus, they offer faster blog loading times and faster load times.

Please note that I am an affiliate of SiteGround. If you purchase hosting through one of my links, I will receive a small commission but you won’t be charged any more. I appreciate your support. It allows me to create many free resources, like this one. (

8. DECIDE ON A DOMAIN NAME (URL)

This can be done when you create your blog, or separately.

You may decide to register your domain name first before you can start your blog. This is what happened to me when I started this blog. It was by chance that I discovered this.Productiveblogging.comIt was also available as a blog title and it seemed just too perfect. It was my responsibility to grab it before anyone else did. But I was not ready to launch my blog, and I didn’t want to spend a lot of money on hosting for months that weren’t used. So I registered my domain separately. It cost $15. It cost $15. With productiveblogging.com I registeredHoverIn just 5 minutes. Amazing!

How do you choose the right domain name? There are generally four options:

• Your name, e.g. ebgargano.com This works well if your name is unique and easy to spell. This is not a good idea if your surname or name is John Smith. This is a great option if you offer professional services, or if you hope to soon be well-known in your field. You can find out more.
• A type of name that says "does what the tin says" You might also like my food blogEasypeasyFoodie.comOr, visit this blogProductiveblogging.com. This helps you instantly recognize and understand what your blog is about. It can also be very useful for SEO (put easy before the name of a dish I made and I often appear on page one of search engines results).
• Combination of the two - such as EbCooks.com and SallysBloggingTips.com. It can be very effective in making your blog clear and personalizing it. However, it can sometimes look a bit amateurish.
• Another similar site, but it doesn't quite do what it says on its tin. You can use randomdribblings to blog about mummy issues or sandandsnow.com as a travel blog. These are especially popular for food blogs, such as lavenderandlovage and rocketandsquash.

Here are some things to remember: Your blog name should be easy to spell and pronounce. Make sure you write it down. Make sure the blog name isn't already exists. Run it through the checker.siteground.com*) and it isn't a high-end domain name. (Some blog names that are particularly great sell for a premium. One of my first ideas for this blog, PurposefulBlogging.com was going to run me $200. Ask trusted friends for their opinions - they will be honest.

I recommend that you choose the.com ending. Endings like.biz and.tv look a little too spammy. If you really want a name but it's not available in.com, then you can try.net and.co. However, I would keep looking until I found the right.com.

You should also ensure that no two names are identical or the name of the same business. It's easy to verify. Simply type the name and not the domain to check. Google is the best place to find Productive Blogging (not productiveblogging.com). You are fine if you don't find a business using that name. Keep in mind, however, that trademarked names cannot be used within your blog URL/name. For example, your blog cannot be called amazongirl.com or facebookexpert.com.

9. Check out the SOCIAL MEDIA NAMES.

Before you click 'buy' on the perfect name, make sure you check that you can find good social media names to use for your blog name. This is a quick search in the search boxes on Twitter, Facebook Pages and Instagram. It's well worth it. Grab them while they're still available. You don't need to do anything for them at the moment and can make FB and Instagram private until you are ready. But you will be glad you did.

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