In these ten things to know before starting a blog in 2023 blog post, I begin by acknowledging you’re embarking on a new journey. You want to start a blog. You’ll launch it for your reasons. Take heed of the advice I’ll present in this blog post. It can save you months down the road, and although mistakes are unavoidable, it’s also true you can overcome every obstacle.
You can join the list of successful bloggers who began with a dream and now enjoy their definition of success. For this reason, I start analyzing your reasons for blogging.
# 1 Your reasons to blog
Maybe you’re dipping your toes into a world of possibilities that blogging can provide. Perhaps you’re ready to perform a jump from an amateur blogger to a professional one. Or you want to be a better provider for your family and loved ones. No matter your reasons, blogging obeys the laws of business.
There are 31.7 million active bloggers in the US alone, and 92% of marketing people rely on blog posts as part of their marketing strategy. Why is this so? Because it works, simple as that.
In your goals, you may want to differentiate yourself from other bloggers in your niche, which is why the next section is about choosing a place on the internet.
# 2 Your niche
First, what is a niche? It’s a section of a larger market that has its peculiarities. As an example, you can find that the larger market is fishing. Inside this fishing market, you can discover sweetwater fishing and saltwater fishing.
You have two choices:
Choice # 1 is to follow your passions
The way to do this is to analyze what you like, your hobbies, the subjects you want to read, previous work experiences, and what you want to learn or master. One advantage of following your passions is that you’ll always find the time to do the work if your schedule becomes crowded. Or you’ll come up with better ideas and experiences about your writing. If a niche is your passion and profitable, you’ll have unlimited energy to work on it.
Choice # 2 is to follow the money
Many subjects may seem boring for many of the population, but they’re some of the most profitable niches. So if you find yourself following the money, a trick is to focus on the process of writing, marketing, or entrepreneurship. This way, you’ll always find pleasant surprises as you work on your niche.
Both ways are winner strategies, although your experience of working day-to-day may vary according to what you’ve chosen. Both approaches are Ok. It all depends on your goals and interests.
# 3 Your domain name
Once you’ve decided on the niche you want to work on, you’ll need a domain name. A domain name is www.yourblogname.com, And you can obtain it in two ways:
1. By buying it through a domain name registrar such as Godaddy.com or namecheap.com
2. Use the included domain name in your Webhosting plan
My advice is to go with a .com (even though these types of domains are getting scarce), and if you like a domain name, you can go for a .Net domain name. As you come up with domain names, I recommend you check the domain name registrar’s website to see if the domain is available.
# 4 Your Webhosting provider
Have you ever wondered how websites reach you as you browse the web? They live on servers (not on your personal computer), and many types of servers exist. You have dedicated servers, you can also find shared servers, and you can find specialized hosting packages (such as the ones that make WordPress run better and faster)
Quality Webhosting is a crucial investment in your blog. If you can afford it, you should purchase the best option. Why is this so? Because you want to provide your visitors with a best-in-class experience. In Search Engine Optimization circles, you’ll encounter speed as a ranking factor. So, if you want traffic from search engines, this is a must.
Take a look at one of the best options around (Affiliate link)
# 5 Your email list software
How will you monetize your website? You have many options at your disposal. An email list is one of the best ways to monetize your blog. Many marketers affirm that if there is something they wish they had started doing sooner is to have an email list.
Email list software, also known as autoresponder software, is one of the best ways to automate the processes of onboarding, continuous service, and selling. For example, imagine you have a team of sales reps who assist your audience. The result is precisely the equivalent of hiring an email list software.
If that wasn’t enough, the average Return on Investment (ROI) of email marketing is $36 for each dollar you invest.
Take a look at one of the best email software options around (Affiliate link)
# 6 Analyze your competition
It’s time to open a text file or a spreadsheet. Analyzing your competition is a crucial aspect of running your blog. First, you can get ideas about your content, and it’s always helpful to know their ranking keywords.
You’ll use this information later to define your marketing mix and SWOT analysis. Remember that you shouldn’t copy what others in your field are doing. You’re just taking inspiration from individuals and companies already doing what you’re planning to do. So where can you find your competition?
- Through search engine keywords
- Through social networks
# 7 How you’ll monetize your blog
I’ve previously mentioned that you can monetize your blog website through an email list. You may be wondering about the specifics. You can create products of your own such as eBooks and courses. “But I don’t have a product.” Worry not, you have other options at your disposal, and some of these options, such as affiliate marketing, can even be more profitable than having a product of your own.
Affiliate marketing is also known as performance marketing. It’s an arrangement where a seller pays a commission to you for generated sales.
# 8 Your Marketing Mix
The concept of the four Ps of marketing (product, price, place, promotion) has been around since the ’50s. It’s useful as a framework for understanding the environment of your blog. You can use this mix to analyze your blog and the products you’re launching. Innovations and differentiations in these Ps can provide you with your desired outcomes.
Product: What are you selling? What are its characteristics and benefits? A product is a key to dictating price and placement.
Price: How much will customers pay for a product? Will you price it by analyzing costs, or will you sell through value? (Among other price strategies)
Place: Usually, there’s a distinction between offline and online. In this case, you’ll be offering your blog online exclusively (unless you have an innovative idea if your audience is local)
Promotion: If you have a blog, will you reach your customer through PPC Ads, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), and social media? Maybe you’ll offer discount coupons or other arrangements.
# 9 SWOT Analysis
At the beginning of your blogging journey, the “organization” or “brand” will probably be just you and nobody else. Making this distinction is essential because it’s helpful to make a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis at the very beginning.
You’ll see marketing is not only advertising and the latest Search Engine Optimization hack. At its core level, it’s rooted in business wisdom. Next, I’ll show you examples of a Swot Analysis. Feel free to perform this exercise by yourself. It will clear your mind, and you can create better plans and be more effective.
Strengths: I believe I have domain knowledge and experience, money to outsource content and pay for advertising, and technical know-how expertise.
Weaknesses: Time availability and blogging experience are limited.
Opportunities: Niche has many profitable, low-competition keywords; content on competitor’s websites is not of the highest quality.
Threats: Google algorithm updates, less organic reach on social networks.
#10 The best use of your time
Today, everybody seems to be busy, and you’re no exception. You have things to do, visiting places and seeing people. So, where do you get the time to blog? You can begin by allotting a specific amount of time daily, incrementing these periods as you succeed.
You can use software to check how you spend your time. For example, maybe you’re a bit too active on social networks, or you enjoy chit-chatting.
You would be surprised how just a little goes a long way. Whether you’re a part-time or a full-time blogger, good use of your time never gets old.
Final words
After these considerations, you can begin your blogging journey. Knowing what you can expect along the way is the perfect reason to prepare. Now you’ve found your reasons to blog and have a clear idea of the niche you want to write or vlog. You understand the benefits of choosing the right domain name, Webhosting, and email marketing provider. You’ve begun to analyze the competition. You understand the marketing mix and SWOT analysis. Finally, you know you can explore how you spend your time, and you’re ready to make changes to increase the time you dedicate to your blogging pursuits.
