Are you looking for some blogging tips for beginners? If yes, then you came to the right place.
Blogs are great platforms to express your thoughts and opinions. They also provide a space where you can connect with other bloggers and readers. Blogging has become very popular over the years. And now, anyone can start their own blog without having to spend thousands of dollars.
How would you describe blogging? Is it something you want to try or already do? If you don’t blog, why not?
Blogging has become very popular over the last decade. In fact, according to FirstSiteGuide.com, there are now more than 31.7 million bloggers in the U.S. And although their sites vary in size and scope, every blogger wants to build their audience and increase their readership.
Here are some basic tips to get started.
Why Is Failure Prevalent Among Bloggers?
In our experience, most people who try to make money off of blogs fail because they don’t understand how much work goes into making money from blogging. They think it’s just about posting content, sharing interesting stories, and getting traffic. But those aren’t enough. You need to put in the hard work to make sure your blog grows and becomes profitable.
You must take ownership over your blog. If you’ve ever tried to run a restaurant without owning the land where it sits, you’ll see why we are talking about this. When you own something, you’re responsible for its success. So it is with blogging. You need to invest time and energy into growing your blog. There’s no magic formula for success, but here are five steps you can follow to help you along the way.
1. Know Your Audience
Before you even begin thinking about creating content, you need to know exactly who you’re targeting. What does your ideal customer look like? Think about demographics such as age, gender, income level, location, etc. Once you figure out who you’re trying to reach, you can determine what type of content works best for them. For example, if you’re selling baby products online, you might find that women 18–24 may be interested in buying baby clothes while men 25+ may be interested in buying diapers. Then, you could write blog posts specifically geared toward each group.
2. Research Your Topic
Once you know who you’re writing for, you need to learn everything you can about the topic. Start by reading books, articles, and studies related to your niche. This will allow you to develop a strong understanding of the subject matter and provide you with plenty of ideas to include in your blog post. Also, read popular blogs in your industry and comment on their content. Commenting provides an opportunity to show that you actually care about the topic, and it helps you gain credibility in the eyes of readers.
3. Choose a Writing Style That Works Best for You
When you first start out, you may not be able to come up with great topics or unique ways to present information. In fact, some of your early posts may sound boring or repetitive. Don’t worry! Just keep at it. Eventually, you’ll get better at coming up with new ideas and finding different ways to say things. The key is practice.
4. Create Content Regularly
The more frequently you create content, the more likely it is that your audience will return. One of the reasons many bloggers fail is that they only post once every few weeks or months. While it’s important to have regular content, you also want to vary your approach so that you don’t become predictable. Try to mix up the types of posts you publish. Some days you might focus on long-form content, others on short-form content, and still other days you might do both.
5. Promote Your Posts
The last step in building a successful blog is promoting your content. It doesn’t matter how good your content is if nobody knows about it. To promote your blog, use social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Instagram, and YouTube. Make sure to share links to your blog posts on these sites where applicable.
You should also consider using email marketing tools to send emails directly to your subscribers, but you have to have an email list for this. Finally, ask friends and family members to spread the word about your blog.
Find Out About The Things That Resonate With Your Audience
A common mistake among bloggers is forgetting about their audience. They assume that because they’re writing for themselves, people will read their posts and find value in what they write. But the truth is, most blogs aren’t written for anyone except the author – and even then, they’re often written for no one at all.
If you want your blog content (and especially your blog posts) to perform well (i,e., generate traffic, leads, sales), it must resonate and compel readers to take action. When you think about it, blogging isn’t really all that different from any other form of marketing; you’re trying to communicate something to someone else. So why do some pieces of content perform better than others?
The answer lies in understanding your audience and how you can best connect with them. Your persona is the basis for every piece of content you create. Writing for yourself won’t necessarily resonate with your intended audience, and even if you try to speak to their pains, challenges, and needs, they’ll still bounce off if you don’t understand who they are.
You have to know your audience inside out. What are their problems? What are their goals? How can I help them achieve those things? This way, when you craft your next blog post, you’ll be able to address their pain points and show them how your product or service can solve their problem.
Focus on Topics That People Are Actually Searching For
If you look at search engine data, you’ll see that certain keywords tend to attract more searches than others. For example, “how to” might rank higher than “what is” depending on the query.
That means if you’re looking for answers to questions like “What is SEO?,” you’d probably benefit more by focusing on “How to” rather than “What is,” although “What is” can still be valuable content because it still builds authority on your topic.
This is a very simplified perspective for beginners, however.
Create content that helps people solve problems: People are always looking for solutions to problems. And since your blog is essentially a solution to a problem, you need to make sure that your content addresses real issues that your audience faces.
Use images and videos: Images and video are powerful tools that can add credibility to your content and increase engagement. Studies show that people spend almost twice as much time reading text-heavy articles with pictures than they do reading text-only articles. But, this also depends on the context of the article. Adding an image just for the sake of having an image without focusing on the right context will not help much, if at all.
Use infographics: Infographics are visual representations of information. They’re easy to consume and digest, so they’re perfect for sharing across multiple platforms.
Include call-to-actions: Call-to-action buttons are important components of any website. The purpose of a CTA button is to prompt visitors to take specific actions. A simple CTA button can include a link, a phone number, or a form.
Add testimonials: Testimonials are great ways to build trust and authority around your brand. If you’ve worked hard to establish your reputation in your industry, adding testimonials from satisfied customers will only strengthen your position.
Add case studies: Case studies are examples of what works and what doesn’t work. They provide proof that your products and services actually deliver results.
Write for humans, not search engines: Search engines are good at finding relevant content, but they aren’t very good at determining whether that content is written for human consumption or just for robots. Humans read words differently than computers do. You should write your content so that it’s easily understood by humans.
Make Sure That You Also Cover Your Competitor’s Topics
People who are interested in the same thing as you are are already visiting your site. So why would they come back if you don’t offer something new? Make sure that every article you publish includes unique value that no one else offers.
Make sure you’re offering value: If you want to get noticed, you need to offer value. Your readers won’t return unless they feel that they’re getting something worthwhile from your posts.
Be consistent: Consistency is key. It shows that you care about your business and that you’re committed to providing quality content.
Don’t forget to promote: Promoting your content means making sure that other bloggers know about it. This could be done through social media, email marketing, guest posting, etc.
Find Topics That Are Easy to Rank For
If you have a topic that you think is going to help lots of people, then it might be worth investing some time into creating an authoritative resource page on your site. These pages usually contain valuable information that isn’t available anywhere else online.
When you create these types of pages, you’ll also be able to use them to attract high-quality traffic.
The best way to create high quality content is to start with a clear goal in mind. What do you want to accomplish with this post? Do you want to inform, entertain, persuade, inspire, or educate? Once you’ve determined your goals, you can begin writing.
You may find it helpful to break down each piece of content into smaller chunks. For example, you could first outline the main points of your post and then go back later to fill in more details.
You should also make sure that you’re using the right keywords when you’re writing. Keywords are the words that people type into search engines when looking for certain things. By choosing the right ones, you increase the chances that people will click on your links.
Once you’ve finished writing, you’ll probably want to edit your content before publishing it. There are many different editing tools out there, including Grammarly and Hemingway App.
By creating pages that target these easy-to-rank topics, it’s possible to gain an edge on your competitors.
Pay Attention to Search Intent
Google wants to give its users the most relevant results for any given query. That means that if you want to rank highly on Google, you need your content to match what people are searching for.
So how do you determine what people are actually searching for? Well, you can always ask them! But you can also take advantage of the data that Google has collected over the years.
For example, if someone searches for “best WordPress themes,” Google knows that this person is likely looking for free WordPress themes. So if you have a blog about WordPress, you can use this knowledge to your advantage.
What, exactly, is search intent? This refers to the why – reasoning behind a query. You want to figure out the following attributes when it comes to search intent:
The format of the content – Does the SERP include a dominant content format? This can include things like guides, news articles, op-eds, and product reviews.
The type of content – Does the SERP contain a dominant content type? This would include things like landing pages, blog posts, and videos.
The angle of your content – What’s the angle of the content that’s currently dominant on that SERP? Is it freshly updated content? Or does this content target a particular audience such as beginners?
By identifying the attributes above, it’s easy to figure out what user intent you should be targeting with your content by analyzing the search results for the query you want to rank for.
Make Sure That You Use Data to Backup Your Claims
You want to make sure that you use data as evidence. If you’re trying to make an argument, rather than writing a tutorial, it makes sense to ensure that you provide supporting facts.
Let’s say you’re writing your next blog post about how businesses should consider using Instagram as part of their digital strategy.
When you’re making that case to potential clients, what do you think is more persuasive?
“It seems like more people use Instagram nowadays.”
“Instagram’s user base grew much faster than Facebook did over the same period.”
“In the U.S., Instagram will grow 15.2% this year, compared with just 3.1% for the entire social network industry.”
If you want to convince someone else, you’ll need to present some proof. And if you’re doing it online, you might even want to include some hard numbers from a substantial study by a big-name organization.
Ensure That You Have Your Technical SEO Issues Fixed
Your website is only as good as its weakest link. If your site isn’t performing well, then you’re not going to get the traffic you deserve. That’s why it’s important to make sure that your technical infrastructure is strong. Here are three areas where you may want to focus your attention:
Page speed
This is something that we talk about quite often. We know that page load times matter, especially when it comes to mobile devices.
We recommend that you aim for a maximum of 1-2 seconds. Anything less than that could result in lower conversion rates.
Back in 2010, Google’s Maile Ohye is on record stating that internally, they like seeing page load times of under half a second.
And this was back in 2010.
The faster, the better. Especially now.
Mobile friendliness
As mentioned earlier, mobile friendliness is key. If your website doesn’t look great on mobile devices, then you’re missing out on a huge chunk of traffic.
So make sure that you test your site on different browsers and platforms. That way, you can see which ones perform best.
Backup frequency
As with any other aspect of running a business, you should always keep backups of your files. But there’s also another reason to regularly backup your website.
If you lose access to your website for any reason, then you don’t have to worry about losing everything. Instead, you can simply restore your website from a previous version.
And if you’re worried about security, you can even set up automatic backups.
These are just a few examples of the ways in which you can improve the performance of your website.
Serve Your Larger Company Goals With Your Blog Posts
You want to write about topics that are relevant to your audience. If you’re writing about what you do every day, chances are people won’t care. They already know everything there is to know about your work. Instead, focus on topics that aren’t covered well enough online.
1. Write about topics that don’t directly relate to your business.
Even better, write about topics that don‘t even belong to your industry. Writing about things like sports, politics, pop culture, and personal life can help you build a following that’s interested in more than just your products or services.
2. Don’t forget to include yourself.
If you’re talking about yourself, make sure your name appears somewhere in the post. This could be in the headline, the introduction, or anywhere else. Include yourself in the story. Show how you fit into the topic.
3. Write about topics that others haven’t written about yet.
When you find a topic that no one has written about, write about it. There’s nothing wrong with being different, and having unique content is critical for building trust among readers.
4. Keep your tone consistent.
Your voice matters. It’s an easy mistake to make because you’re writing for yourself. But the truth is, you need to write for everyone who reads your content. You need to speak their language. So make sure that you use the same tone throughout your entire piece.
5. Be authentic.
People will notice if you try too hard to sound professional. People will notice if you don’t take the time to research the topic before you start writing. And they’ll definitely notice if you’re trying to sound smart by using big words.
6. Make sure your writing is clear.
It’s tempting to go overboard with all those fancy words. But while this might impress some people, it doesn’t matter much to anyone else. The only thing that really matters is whether or not your writing makes sense.
7. Use simple sentences.
It’s okay to break up long paragraphs with short ones. But when you do, make sure that each sentence is as short as possible. Longer sentences tend to get boring quickly.
8. Avoid jargon.
Jargon is a sign of someone who isn’t familiar with the subject. When you use technical terms, explain them first. Then use them again.
9. Proofread.
There’s no excuse for spelling mistakes or grammatical errors. If you’ve been working on your writing for a while, you should have caught most of these problems. But if you still miss something, then you’re doing it wrong.
10. Create a schedule.
Writing is hard. That means that you’re going to have days where you feel like you can’t write anything at all. So make sure that your schedule allows you to write regularly.
11. Find inspiration.
Sometimes, you just need to step away from your computer and let your mind wander. When you do, you may come across ideas that inspire you to write.
12. Have fun!
Don’t worry about making money off your blog. Just enjoy yourself. If you love what you’re doing, it will show through in your posts.
13. Share your work.
Sharing your work helps other bloggers learn from your experience. Plus, it gives you feedback on your own writing skills.
Remember, the point is to have fun and learn how to blog! People – in general – learn best by doing, so don’t be afraid to get your feet wet.
Make Sure That You Attract Amplifiers With Your Content
If you want to attract more traffic to your site, you need to create content that attracts amplifiers. An amplifier is someone who shares your content on social media.
They help spread the word about your website.
1. Start small.
You don’t need to build a huge audience right out of the gate. Instead, focus on growing your following slowly over time.
2. Focus on quality.
Quality content always wins. Don’t worry about quantity until you know that you’re producing high-quality stuff.
3. Ask questions.
The best way to grow your audience is to ask questions. By asking questions, you give people the opportunity to share their knowledge with you.
4. Give back.
People appreciate being given something in return for sharing their knowledge. So whenever you ask a question, offer to answer one in return.
5. Be consistent.
Consistency is key. You won’t gain any new followers unless you keep posting consistently.
6. Keep an eye on analytics.
Analytics are essential tools for measuring the success of your efforts. Analytics allow you to see which types of posts perform well. This lets you tailor future posts to specific audiences.
7. Track your progress.
Track your progress every day. It’s easy to lose sight of your goals when you’re busy creating content. But tracking your progress keeps you focused on the bigger picture.
Create Actionable Steps For Your Readers
When you create your post, you want to include actionable steps that your readers can follow. This means that you want to ensure that your post is useful and is not just “fluff,” written for the sake of SEO.
This could be how-to type instructions as you provide more deep tips on how someone can implement a strategy, or it could come in the form of tips and tricks to make things easier.
The idea behind this is to set your content apart and make it useful for people who are searching for a topic, rather than just regurgitated information.
The more unique value-adds you can add to your content in this regard, the better.
If You Mention Someone In Your Post, Reach Out To Them
As mentioned above, if you’re linking to another person’s content, you should reach out to them and let them know.
It doesn’t matter whether they’ve already shared your content or not. The important thing is that you acknowledge their contribution and thank them for it.
This shows that you respect their work and that you care enough to say thanks.
Keep in mind that there might be some etiquette involved here. For example, if you mention someone else’s content on Twitter, it’s polite to retweet their tweet.
But if you mention them on Facebook, then you should comment on their page.
Also, if you mention them on Instagram, you should tag them in your photo.
If you do all these things, you’ll show that you’re grateful for what they’ve done and that you respect their work.
And that will go a long way towards building trust between you and your audience.
In addition, you also build that all-important trust and authority throughout your social media ecosystem.
Create an Email List of Your Subscribers
An email list is one of the most powerful tools available to you.
Email lists are great because they help you stay connected with your audience. They also allow you to send personalized messages to your subscribers.
You can use email marketing software such as MailChimp, Constant Contact, AWeber, etc., to manage your email list.
These services are free to sign up for, so you shouldn’t worry about spending money at first. Although you will want to leave room for upgrading as you expand your list.
Once you get started, you’ll find that managing your email list becomes second nature.
Blogging Can Be Challenging But Rewarding
When you blog, you’re putting a piece of yourself online. When you write, you’re pouring your soul into your work. At least, that’s how it’s supposed to be.
Assuming that you’re not using AI generated content.
That’s why blogging can be one of the most challenging and rewarding things you can do – both for your hobby and yourself.
This is because you can also make a profit (through affiliates) and you get challenged by learning about new topics (especially if you create blogs around niches you’re not an expert in yet).
When do you plan on starting your new blog?
