10 Tips to Start a Blog in 2023
Writing an article in 2023 can be difficult because there are so many other options, such as short videos, available on the internet. Recently, I am reflecting on what to write on this blog. On top of that, some of you asked me for advice on how to write a blog article too. In this post, I will share my views on how to start creating content for your blog.
Here are 10 tips if you just started on your blogging journey:
1. Come out with ideas!
The very first step of creating blog content is idea creation. You need to know what you want to write. You may think this is easy, but honestly, it’s not. It’s not easy to come up with ideas constantly. There are times when you hit a roadblock. I suggest that you write down all the ideas when they hit you. I use Notion to keep a record of them. When I do not know what to write, I can look through the list and write an article.
2. Figure out your audience
Once you have an idea of what you want to write about, the next step is to figure out your audience. Who are you addressing this piece of article to? What do you want your reader to do after they read the article?
For example, you want to share a recipe. Ask yourself - are you writing for a person who is not good at cooking? Or, are you writing for a housewife? Then, you can better script your content.
3. Research
You have to spend time researching. You want to be as accurate as possible. You want to seem like a trustworthy person too. Sometimes, it’s helpful to share the relevant links with the readers.
4. Add Value
Value can be anything. You can provide laughter. Or provide tips on how to save time and money. You can even share a product review telling your audience if a product is worth getting or not. Anything works! You want your users to leave your site with something.
5. Be yourself
If you are writing for your own blog, just be yourself. (If you are writing for a company, you might need to create content accordingly to the brand guideline.) All of us are unique. We might share related experiences. However, how we experience a circumstance will differ from one another. Tell your story in your way. Your content needs to be authentic if you want people to read them.
6. Keep it simple.
Keep your content simple. In order to keep your readers engaged, sometimes, it’s better to keep your content easy to understand. You can write your content in point forms, add headers, and bold the key points.
On top of that, you may want to keep the design of your website as clean as possible. There isn’t a need to have widgets all over your site. Remove anything that you don’t need or add value.
Readers will thank you for it!
7. Comment Section
You might want to consider if you want to have a comment section. Some platforms allow you to turn the comment sections on or off for each article. There are pros and cons to having a comment section for the blog. Having a comment section is great as you can read your readers’ comments and engage with them. However, having a comment section attracts a lot of spam as well. So, think about it.
8. Ignore negativity
Human brains are wired to negativity. Such is life. Do whatever you can to cancel those thoughts. You can’t please everyone! Remember you did not create the content for the naysayers. Move on to create another masterpiece.
9. Just do.
Instead of waiting or daydreaming, why not just write something that you are passionate about and post it? Give yourself permission to give it a shot.
10. Commit
Once you start the ball rolling, producing content gets easier. You can choose to do it for fun or not. Nonetheless, commit to it.
Here are some of the frequently asked questions:
A. Do I need to focus on one topic?
It depends on you. If you want to be a thought leader for a specific area of expertise, you might want to concentrate on a topic. However, I prefer to write on a few topics that I am passionate about because I would like to show a few sides of myself. Hence, it is very much dependent on your goals and intention.
B. Where can I find stock images?
There are many platforms that provide stock images. I am currently using Unsplash.
C. Is blogging time-consuming?
Frankly speaking, you need to put in both time and effort if you want to blog, even if you are blogging for your personal interest. On average, I spend 2 days on 2 to 3 blog articles, which include creating the graphics and layout of the content. Now I am spending more time creating comics, as I would like to showcase my personality.
D. Can I use my blog to earn money?
Yes, you may. There are many bloggers who managed to do that. So far, I have collaborated with some brands as well. I am very thankful for these opportunities.
E. Are you seeing results?
Yes, of course. Other than having better traffic for my blog, I receive opportunities too. I am incredibly grateful for all of these! I shall be honest and state that I received these opportunities maybe 2 years after I started this blog. It takes time to see results. You have to be consistent with your blogging too.
Ready to blog?
Now that you have read through the 10 tips, I hope you will feel more confident in your journey. You can always start small by posting 1 article fortnightly. Give it a try! Share with me your result.
x, Esther
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