Points to Consider Before Starting to Publish on a Blog
16 COMMENTSOne can start a blog and just start posting content without looking back, but the equation “content equals traffic” doesn’t work in the modern era of social media. With millions of blogs being launched each year, one needs to stand out among the crowd and make an impact. A lot depends on how the blog gets started, because in the start, the foundation of the blog is laid down and without a firm foundation, the blog cannot stand erect.
A lot of planning and hard work should be done behind the scenes and a lot of things should be worked out beforehand, because it will enable the blog to grow fast.
Choose Your Niche
Before blogging, one needs to decide which niche they are blogging on. The blog is centered around a niche and one should choose a niche which he is more comfortable with, so that he doesn’t end up quitting blogging.
Set Your Goals
Setting goals is very important for productivity. How does one want your blog to grow? Where do you see your blog in 1 year? These are some of the questions that you should ask to yourself. Goals should not be very unrealistic. They should be ambitious yet achievable.
Plan
Now you have set your goals, but how do you plan to implement it? The planning is really important, because goals without a plan will not work. Your plan of action could be massive guest posting or social media sharing or anything different. If you’re thinking of becoming a regular blogger, you can collect some posts before starting publishing content on your blog. To stand out, think different, think out of the box.
Web Design
Web Design is really important for a new blog. It is the only way to make a first impression. Web designs can be minimilistic, but they should be elegant and impressive (According to a famous quote “Beauty lies in simplicity”). There are many factors that affect the web design. They are as follows:
Logo
Logo represents a brand and so it should represent what the blog actually stands for. A good logo improves brand image. Thus, a logo should be able to portray the theme of the blog and still be able to attract attention.
Website Theme
The theme should be captivating. It should bind the reader to the site. The most important job is to grow interest among readers. This is essential to build a quality readership at the very start as it speeds up the overall growth of the blog.
Blogs which are yet to be started use “Coming Soon” pages which show a glimpse of what should be expected from the blog. It is like the trailer of a movie, it teases the reader and is an instant attention grabber. This technique is very effective and can increase the interest among the readers. Instead of a Coming Soon Page, an introduction is very apt. The introduction should cover the main theme of the blog and it’s mission. It would be able to give the Big Picture.
Get the word out
How would people get to know about a new blog?. Promote your website, let other people know. Write a post on another influential blog and bring traffic to your blog. Add a newsletter, so that the readers can sign up and are constantly updated with the latest happenings.
Starting with a big reader base eases out the process of blogging and it helps in getting better results in a small period of time.
What were the first few things that you did before you started publishing on a blog.?
About the author
Gautam Hans is a freelance blogger and the owner of the Blog Godown where he shares Blog Tips and Social Media Marketing Tips. Check out his Wordpress and Social Media Marketing services. You can follow him on Twitter: @virtuosoblogger Facebook: gautamhans
| This entry was posted by Gautam on February 18, 2010 at 11:03 am, and is filed under blogging, blogging tips. Follow any responses to this post through RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site. |
about 1 year ago
Great post Gautam.
My first blog wasn’t planned out and it did not do so well. I am slowly working on it as a side project.
But my current site, I spent several months planning it out, researching, and learning the niche. I choose a niche that I loved and am addicted to. So its easy to write content weekly.
Now I am working a custom logo for the site,
As for my original plan. It has changed several times over the last few months. Plans should never be set in stone.
.-= element321´s last blog ..MMO – Making Money Online Social Network =-.
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March 3, 2010 - 1:59 am
Plans should be flexible, because you may never that the state of blog-o-sphere changes and what not.
But planning does ease out on the workload you have to carry
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about 1 year ago
I think another key point to consider is the time factor, blogging and building a solid blog network takes a considerable amount of time. If your only looking to short term it you better have the best content in the world.
.-= Extreme John´s last blog ..A Day in the Life of.. Episode 4 [video] =-.
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February 20, 2010 - 2:53 am
Even if you have the best content ever and didn’t market your work, your site could be dead for quite a while.
.-= element321´s last blog ..MMO – Making Money Online Social Network =-.
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March 3, 2010 - 2:02 am
You are right, marketing is important and without marketing it is dead
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about 1 year ago
I am completely impressed with the article I have just read. I wish the author can continue to provide so much practical information and unforgettable experience to readers. There is not much to say except great work you done.
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about 1 year ago
I have all the thing except logo ??
Do u know any software to create a LOGO ?
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March 3, 2010 - 2:04 am
I think if you have a decent knowledge, you can try adope photoshop or the gimp. These softwares can assist you in making a logo, but you stilll need tutorials to make one.
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about 1 year ago
These are all good points. Keep in mind, though, that the goals may change as you move along (especially if you are a first-time blogger).
When I picked up blogging (3 years ago, more or less) my initial goal was to have a central place (without having to set up my own website) where I could post stories about the kids, intended for friends and relatives.
Over time, that evolved into a forum for my writing — short stories, poetry, etc. — and that actually led directly to the writing of my first book, I Laid an Egg on Aunt Ruth’s Head.
The book is doing very well, but it has caused me to set up a web site (www.AuntRuthGrammar.com) that I am trying to keep going, while writing other books (3 projects in progress, one nearly finished) at the same time.
Anyway, it has almost come full circle. Besides the web site, I’m blogging about family stuff again. I’m going to keep most of my actual “writing” writing off the net so that I don’t have to worry about publishers being unhappy that stuff is already out there. But that’s the way it goes.
I guess my point is that you need to be willing to let the blog evolve / change if you find it leading you in certain directions.
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March 3, 2010 - 2:06 am
evolution is part and parcel of blogging and goals need to be set but they also need to modified depending on the situation.
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about 1 year ago
This is a great post and excellent introduction to those who want to start their own blog.
Without a proper plan, I don’t think many will succeed at keeping their blog fresh and interesting.
.-= Dennis´s last blog ..Login With Multiple Accounts On Same Website Simultaneously =-.
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about 1 year ago
This is a fantastic post! I completely agree with the quote “Beauty lies in simplicity”. I think in the age of information, simplicity is the key to great designs. In my opinion, design should directing the attention to the information, not design itself.
Mags´s last [type] ..How to Remove Date From Meta Descriptions in WordPress
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about 10 months ago
Great tips for people starting a blog and for those that already have one to double check to make sure they’ve covered the basis as well.
Chelsea Thomas´s last [type] ..Don’t Forget To Put Some Thought Into Your Title
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