It’s 2019 and quality content is still king, which is why blogging is still as valuable as ever today. More companies and large brands are turning to blogging to boost the marketing of their products and services. Many individuals, who started blogging as a side hustle, eventually built their own businesses from publishing content on the internet.

Having your own blog is beneficial besides it being a profitable venture you can embark on. Blogs serve as a creative outlet, perfect if you love writing and its craft. It is also a platform that you can use to talk about topics that you’re passionate about and let these reach a wider scope. You even have the potential to provide solutions and value in another person’s life.

The possibilities are endless when it comes to blogging! And if your interest is getting piqued, you may be asking yourself, “How do I start a blog?”

Blogging is more than just typing in words and sentences, and then publishing them online. There are actually processes behind the craft that can help you build a side hustle blog that is successful. Whether your goal is to earn money from blogging or spread the word about a topic or cause, you can create a system that can let you achieve that.

Brainstorm Your Blog Niche

When it comes to topics, anything goes when it comes to blogging. So, why is determining a blog niche important?

Having a niche is going to give your blog the focus and consistency it needs. It’s the focal point from which your design, theme, and even content plan is going to spring from. It will help you map out the path your blog will take.

A blog niche will help you attract the right audience and readers because whatever the topic is, there will be people who will share the same interests as you do. The key is finding this group of people.

So, before you even start with the technical aspects, ask yourself why. Why are you writing this topic? Why is it important to you? Why are you interested in it or passionate about it? Will you be motivated enough to continue to write about it once you’ve launched your blog?

Build Your Lean Marketing Funnel

Once you’ve decided on the niche, you’ll have to then figure out who your target audience is. The population of Internet users is huge and you don’t have to cast your net that wide. Ryan Robinson said it best, “Remember, when you write to everyone. You’re writing to no one.”

Put yourself in the shoes of a potential reader of your side hustle blog. Get a clear understanding of who they are and what their needs are, and that will help narrow down the crowd. Address their pain points, empathize with them, and help them find solutions to their concerns.

It isn’t enough to attract your readers’ attention. You have to reel them in, make them stick around, and eventually convert them to customers and loyal fans. This can be done with targeting and posts tailored to your audience.

Develop Your Content Cluster

It may be tempting to start blogging as a side hustle and launch your blog as soon as you set your mind to it. But there is value in taking the time to develop a content strategy first. What types of posts will you be publishing? Will you focus on shorter articles or long-form media? How about lists, infographics, photo essays?

So, before you share your blog to the world, start writing first! Brainstorming on what specific topics you’ll be writing in your niche is made easier now because of online tools like ContentWonk and CoSchedule. Take photos, create the graphics and videos that you need, or tap the help of someone who can do it for you.

Create quality content that can you can post for at least 3 months. By that time, you would have enough data to evaluate which posts are gaining traction, which you can use to tweak your strategy where you see fit.

Publish and Promote Your Content

Once you’re satisfied with the content you’ve prepared, it’s time to choose which platform you’ll be hosting your blog. If you have your own website, then it’ll be best to create a page dedicated to the posts. Otherwise, utilize blogging platforms such as WordPress until you can get a domain of your own.

Come up with an editorial calendar and commit to a publishing schedule. Consistency is key and is one of the foundations of building a strong blog following. Create a pattern so your readers know when they can expect from you.

In line with this, you also need to create a plan for promoting your blog on social media. Repurpose your blog post into short posts and tweets that you can easily share to your followers. You can also go beyond social media and head to forums and other online communities that are related to your niche. What’s the use of having great content if it won’t be read by your audience, right?

Monetize your blog

You’ve built a solid audience, your blog’s reach is growing wider and wider. You’re probably thinking of ways on how to make money from bin logging. One of the first steps is to make sure that all the elements of your post are optimized for conversions, such as using an attractive headline, headers and embedded images. Make use of scroll pop-ups and backlinks, as well.

You can also start with affiliate marketing and partner with companies and brands that are in the same niche as your blog. Just make sure that you do your research when it comes to choosing the best affiliate programs for your blog.

For instance, you may want to avoid Clickbank for reasons stated in the post. And if you personally don’t like Clickbank, then move on to the kind platform to try out.

Going beyond your blog itself, you can use blog posts to create eBooks about certain topics in your niche. You can then use these as freebies in a sales funnel to gain more clients or sell them to gain additional profit.

Starting a blog may seem like a tedious process, and while it does take time, doing these steps can help build you one that produces quality content that will eventually be profitable too. We’ve hopefully answered your concerns on how to start a blog, so what’s there left to do? Go out there and start your blog now!

Related posts:

5 Things You Hadn’t Considered About Setting Up Your First WordPress Blog

5 Trust Indicators And How To Use Them To Grow Your Blog

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