20 Starting A Blog Tips For Legit Bloggers (Updated)

Anyone Can Start A Blog, But Not Everyone Can Maintain A Blog.

Entering into the world of blogging has never been easier. From free blogging platforms to high-end technically supported platforms, today you can simply choose the option that suits your needs and begin writing and publishing on the web within hours. But to sustain and succeed in the world of blogging you need more than just a blogging platform: you actually need the right mindset and the correct strategy.

To be honest, a lot people are surprised about how I got so far in blogging. Yes, I have had my own ups and downs in this occupation, but I have managed to survive and thrive for all these years. I learned a lot of things the hard way: I received no professional guidance and most tips on the web were either too vague or too brief. But after years of being a professional blogger, I do know how things ought to be done.

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Yes, You Can!

If you are new to blogging, let me tell you one thing: you can succeed! Yes, if you do the right things in the right way, there is nothing that can stop you from becoming successful in this profession. Get rid of those thoughts and conversations that discourage you from seriously pursuing this career. I have been through that: but it didn’t stop me and it shouldn’t stop you.

In this post, I have compiled 20 basic starting a blog tips, that can genuinely make you stand-out in the world of blogging. So, if you are ready, buckle your seat belt and let’s start a fantastic blogging ride keeping these crucial 20 tips for starting a blog in mind.

1. Give A Test Run On A Free Hosted Blog

Blogging may look like something everyone can do, but the fact is not everyone does it. So to really know the basics of blogging, first give a test run on a free blog. If you are asking yourself ‘how do I blog’, then this is the way to start.

There are dozens of free sites that you can start off with including WordPress.com and Blogger from Google. Try to create some content for a while and develop some taste for it. If you can pass through this phase, you may be up for making a really decent blog in the long run. With WordPress hosted blogs however, you can easily backup all your data and start-off with your own hosted blog which is why I recommend it.

2. Pick The Subject For The Site Based On Your Expertise Or Interest

No single human in the world can possibly be an expert on everything. But if you are passionate about some specific subject or even an expert on it and you want to speak out to the public, then blogging is the tool for you. Blogging can open the door for anyone to talk about his/her expertise on any subject matter within the universe (or perhaps even beyond it, if multiverses exist). So, choose a subject matter that interests you: it doesn’t matter if it’s space or if it’s food. Whatever pleases you, just blog on it!

3. Pick A Suitable Brand Name/Domain

There are already billions of used domains on the internet. But, this doesn’t mean that you won’t find one that’s suitable for you. For choosing a brand name, try to link up your goals with your personality. If you already have a brand name in mind, first check its availability. As far as possible, try to create a brand name that is unique.

If you are using too much time on selecting a name for your blog, I would give you two important tips on starting a blog: use the handy naming tools available on the internet and don’t limit your choices to specific domain extensions. A great way to pick a suitable brand name is by using a website like Namemesh.

4. Prepare Basic Financial Resources For Website Development

"A dream will only remain a dream, unless you can finance it."

While a self-financed blog may look like an easy thing to maintain on the outside, it does take some financing to run and operate it year after year. To run a website well, first you need to plan well in advance about the features that you want on your blog and then calculate the costs to run it effectively.

Keep into account what you need to pay for the extra help that you'll need to get from experts as well. Also, research comprehensively on the web regarding the right prices and reviews before making your decision.

5. Take A Reliable And Secure Hosting Package

Most basic blogs can easily be started with the most basic hosting packages. However, you'll also want to be with a host who regularly backs up your blog and protects your blog from virus and malware. Keeping in mind that cost saving should be your priority in the beginning, opt for a host that won’t restrict your access in any way.

As you progress further, you'll want to add a few handy plugins and features and no host should interrupt you in any way. Also consider a host with good reviews and customer service. Don’t forget to take inputs and tips on how to start a blog from your web hosts as you go in that route.

6. Learn The Basics Of A Blog Platform: Preferably WordPress

WordPress, Drupal and Joomla are the most commonly used blog platforms in the world. Among the three, WordPress is by far the most popular, with tons of free and open-source features. In order to move on with blogging, the basic knowledge of these Content Management Systems (CMS) is very crucial: not just for the present but also for the future.

There are plenty of free tutorial sites that readily provide information on the basics of your preferred blog platform and how to start a blog for beginners with the platform. However, as a satisfied WordPress user for years, I always suggest new bloggers to choose the same.

7. Don’t Delay In Taking Professional Help Wherever It's Necessary

While learning on your own is the best way, a lot of bloggers often end up spending much more energy than necessary on the inner technicalities. However, based on my personal experience, I will say that your blogging will get more efficient by taking help whenever it’s necessary and convenient. Whether it’s about the graphics or certain theme changes in WordPress, if you can’t sort it out, contact the professionals without delay.

You can even hire freelancers from websites like Upwork, Fiverr or Freelancer who will easily do your work at affordable prices.

8. Create A Content Strategy

If you really want your blog to work and thrive, you really need to start by planning the content strategy. Decide how frequently can you write and how much work do you need to put into the writing. I usually advise people to write at least 10 articles before launching their blog. In this regard, you may follow these tips to starting a blog:

So starting with a working content strategy can also let you track your progress with your goals.

9. Learn SEO Techniques

As the power of search engines in the every day increases, it’s in your best interests to know how you can be more visible there. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the tool with which you can easily attract inbound traffic, by simple modifications within your blog. SEO ensures that your blog’s visibility reaches the right audience and your blog gets the right benefits.

10. Integrate With Multiple Social Channels

Social media is the primary tool of internet consumption for most users across the world. Social media websites like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest can help you keep in constant touch with your existing audiences. Meanwhile, it also helps to grow your reach among potential clients.

With WordPress, you can even allow the direct posting of your new blog updates automatically to the social media. In fact, social media advertising is a really effective way of improving your audience reach.

When it comes to social channels take the following blog starting tips:

11. Decide Your Audience Base And Their Preference

Before you write your publish your first blog post, keep in mind these two crucial tips to start a blog:

You need to research on what could be the typical characteristics of your audience and why would they want to read your blog. Usually, the most successful blogs happen to be the ones, where the ideas for the writer and the reader resonate together. Among your biggest goals should be to provide value to the audience.

12. Maintain Your Starting Momentum And Discipline

Usually, the ones who are new to the blogging world tend to be very energetic and enthusiastic in maintaining their blog. However, over time a lot of people lose their enthusiasm and eventually new posts stop appearing. As per my observation, those who manage to maintain their enthusiasm tend to be the most successful bloggers in the future. Minimize distractions and procrastinations while you are writing.

For blogging regularly, you do require considerable discipline and that can only come from setting up routines and schedules.

13. Learn From The Most Successful Sites

Whether your blog’s subject matter is already used in other blogs or whether it’s unique, there's plenty you can do by learning from other sites. While you don’t necessarily need to copy things from the competition, you can learn about ‘how they're doing it right’. Also aim to make your website better by offering something that they haven’t been able to offer.

You need to make a thorough observation of their SEO strategy, social media presence, design layout, etc. and as far as possible exceed it.

14. Be Ambitious But Don’t Set Unrealistic Expectations

I've seen a lot of people come into the world of blogging with high expectations, only to abandon it after a few months disappointed. The harsh reality is that only a few bloggers can make their living through blogging and that's only after years of dedication. It’s extremely rare that any blog will become an overnight success.

Barring a few exceptions, it took several years for many of the most successful blogs to be in the profitable position that they're in. I always advise new bloggers to never treat blogging as a potential moneymaking enterprise from day 1. Instead, their targets should be to climb up the website rankings, SEO rankings and create quality content regularly. In the world of blogging look for success one step at a time!

15. Learn Some Graphics And Multimedia Skills

Today, blogging is more than just about writing words. Adding graphics or even videos to the content can realistically help your blog stand out from the rest, These days, graphics also serve as an important component of the SEO strategy. In fact, most successful blogs often invest a significant amount of resources on their graphics.

16. Link Up With Other Blogs And Affiliates

The world of blogging thrives on a strong network of cooperation between blogs and websites, that mutually promote each other. Only with reliable content can your blog be referred to by other blogs and websites. So whenever you find something worthy of your reference, or your audience’s interests, it’s always a good way to add links to your blog.

Meanwhile, appearing in other famous blogs will also ensure that your blog gets the visibility from readers that it deserves. If needed, personally contact other bloggers as well. Aside from that make relevant affiliate links, so that you can also be able to monetize or even promote your blog more effectively.

17. Work On Simplifying And Perfecting Your Writing

Let me tell you a blogging secret: simple words are the most effective words. Yes, if you want to reach to the wider audience and want readers to grasp what you are saying, ‘simply simplify’. You may use uncommon words where necessary, but make an honest effort for users to understand the meaning.

Don’t emphasize on using long sentences and giant paragraphs. Put white spaces between lines where you can and don’t make grammatical errors. Proofread your blog article several times. So unless your blog is targeted exclusively towards literature experts or specific industry niche using technical terms, simple words will be your friend in the world of blogging.

18. Monetize The Right Way

While increased revenues may be tempting to many bloggers, never monetize your blog at the cost of reduced user experience. Marketing with specific offers around the left and right spaces on a page and in between the articles can be a good idea. Also making call-to-action (CTA) with relevant offers for readers in strategic places in the blog is also a good way to go.

But, covering an entire page with advertisements or carrying unrelated affiliate ads might not make your readers too happy. Despite the temptations, putting content covering ads certainly doesn’t fall in my list of tips. Applying unethical shortcuts may give you temporary benefits, but it can cost your blog dearly in the end.

19. Make Good Use Of Analytics

Analytical tools are really good instruments for understanding the actual performance of your website. So whether you want to know about the number of people visiting your website or the website rankings, analytics will be of great help to you. Inbuilt WordPress analytics tools and Google Analytics plugins even come free of cost.

Meanwhile, if you want a more in-depth review and want to compare your performance with the competition you should consider using tools from websites like Alexa and SimilarWeb.

20. Invest In The Right Tools

If you're serious about starting a blogging career, it'll be wise to put your money on the right tools. From devices like a modern laptop (a MacBook or a modern Windows 10 supporting device) to the required softwares (Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Premiere, etc.), money spent on these important tools won’t be wasted. Depending upon the vision you've set for your blog, choose the right tools to get the best from it.

Final Thoughts On My List Of Starting A Blog Tips

Blogging is indeed a really adventurous journey that requires a lot of self-motivation. But if it's done the right way, you really can be successful. These tips have worked for me and hundreds of others. So, leave your doubts behind and get blogging!

Feel free to get in touch with me if you have questions or suggestions. I really hope that these 20 tips will help you take those crucial early steps in the world of blogging. Happy Blogging.