Blogging has become ever more popular in recent years. Everyone seems to have a blog about something.

Blogging has become ever more popular in recent years. Everyone seems to have a blog about something.

Having a blog can connect you with new people and strengthen the connection you have with followers you’ve already gained.

It can also potentially make you money depending on what it is your blog is about.

Getting started with blogging can be a daunting experience, especially if you’re not quite sure where to start.

So here’s some things to take into consideration when starting your blog:

1. Good Content – Create unique relevant content that explains what it is your brand or business is about. Know what you’re talking about by researching and linking back to anywhere you may have gotten your info or facts. Don’t copy other bloggers posts and claim them as your own. Google punish duplicate content which will effect your own ranking on google. Check for spelling errors, use easy to read fonts (NEVER Comic sans!) and make sure the content isn’t long winded. People like to skim and scan through articles. Be clear and concise.
2. Find A Platform –  Personally, I would recommend WordPress. WordPress is one of the best and more popular content management systems around. Everyone seems to be using WordPress! Some of the bigger companies that use it are Tech Crunch, BBC America and Beyonce as well as thousands of other brands and businesses. The reason why so many people choose WordPress is for a number of reasons. One being that it’s easy to use. Another being that it’s completely free. Although you will need to pay for hosting and your domain name with WordPress.org. It’s customizable, offering thousands of plugins, premium as well as free themes to suit all needs. To find out more and see which ones right for you, check our article on The Difference Between WordPress.com V WordPress.org.
3. Design – The design and layout of a blog is also very important. Bad design can reflect poorly on good content. You want people to be able to find their way around your blog with ease otherwise they’re going to look elsewhere. A clean and clear blog keeps viewers engaged for longer. Also, a blog full of adverts looks messy and unattractive. Both WordPress.com and WordPress.org offer many free and premium themes to give you that clean and clear blog you should be aiming for.
4. Google Analytics – Measure interactions on your blog regularly. Google analytics is a free tool that allows you to do just that and more. You can analyse demographics, what devices people use to view your content, what pages a person has landed and left on etc. Having this knowledge is valuable to your blog and enables you to see what’s working and what’s not.
5. Connect – Connect your Social media accounts to your blog. You can do this by adding social media buttons on your blog that link back to your Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc. You can also connect people to your blog by promoting it on your social media accounts. Another way of connecting is to collect email addresses, with peoples permission of course, for your newsletter. Again you can include this information on your blog. Don’t be afraid to reach out to other bloggers either. It’s essentially like networking which can be of huge benefit to your blog. Some bloggers ask other bloggers to guest post for their site which is a good way of helping along a fellow blogger and the favour may also be returned. Apart from that you might even gain more inspiration by connecting with other bloggers. Connecting with people can lead to better relationships, better traffic and even turn viewers into customers.
6. Be patient – Be patient with your blog. At first the growth and reach of your blog can be slow. These things normally don’t just happen over night. Work hard and consistently and you’ll eventually see positive results.

If you’ve tried all of the above and still can’t get your head around blogging or simply just don’t have an eye for design, then contact us here at Spoogle.

We offer one-to-ones to help get you started and set up with your blog in no time.

Is there any there any other tips you’d include for beginner bloggers?

Let us know in the comments below.