The internet certainly has so many uses and people accesses it every single day and you do not need much to be a successful blogger. Before you get started, you`ll need some blogger tools so as to get your blog out there.
You can use it to sell your products, share your talent like singing and there’s even a chance that you’ll get discovered and sign a contract deal.
Connect with people from all over the world, watch your favorite shows or listen to your favorite band, and so much more.
It can easily be accessed through a smartphone, tablet, computer, or laptop. The internet also has content about absolutely anything. With just a simple click you will be able to answer your questions.
It truly is an amazing place. One of the popular ways to post content is through blogging.
Blogging is a way of posting about anything from your daily life, food or cooking, reviews, sports, or news. It is said to act like your own diary.
For example, you can post pictures a recent trip you had and put some details on it or you can even blow off some steam by posting a rant.
The possibilities of what you can post are endless!
Why should you start to blog?
Ever wondered why blogging has become so popular? Well here are a few reasons why:
#1 To Express Yourself
Just like what I mentioned above, you will have the liberty to post about absolutely anything that you want when you have your own blog.
If you like to write poetry, you can simply post it on your blog and people will be able to read it.
You can also get feedback from other people, which can be a big help to develop yourself.
#2 To Make Money
Doing what you love at the comfort of your own home and being able to make money from it is certainly a big win.
There are a lot of ways that you can earn money from blogging. One way is to sell your products or services.
Another way to earn money through blogging is to sell ad space.
You can earn money when people visit your site and click the ad and sometimes just scrolling through it.
All you need to do is find more ways to earn money from blogging.
#3 To Advertise Yourself or your Business
By blogging, you will be able to reach a lot of people without paying a big amount.
If you have some kind of talent and want to showcase it, blogging about it is an excellent way for you to get discovered.
Most big companies nowadays have their own blog page as well to post about their products.
#4 To Connect With People
Blogs acts like a social media platform. You can leave comments on posts and reply to them.
Blogging can help you build a relationship with people from anywhere in the world who has the same interests as you.
How to start blogging
If you are interested to start your own blog, then it is apparent that you follow a few steps. Below are some of the main steps to follow:
#1: Decide on Your Niche Topic
Thinking about what to write about can sometimes get difficult. Narrowing it to one topic will definitely make it much easier to come up with content. Decide on a topic that you honestly enjoy and know about.
If you write about what you like, the message will come across to your readers. Finding a niche is explained in detail here.
Don’t just write for the sake of having content and don’t choose a topic just because it is popular.
Make sure it’s something that you are really interested in so it would not be hard to learn more about it.
#2: Choose a Blogging Platform
There are a lot of free blog platforms available today. Some of the most popular ones are Tumblr, Weebly, Blogger, and Joomla.
As great as those are, the best site to start a blog would have to be WordPress. Below, I will be discussing more about these blog platforms.
Tumblr
This is a bit more of a modern version to blog. It has an aspect of a social media like how it allows you to follow their posts and share or in Tumblr term “reblog”.
Most of all, Tumblr is easy, fun, and free to use. However, it still has its limits. This platform does not have the flexibility that most websites have
Weebly
This is pretty easy to use especially for those who are just starting. You can simply drag and drop selections to design your page.
As tempting as it may sound, Weebly has a few downsides. The features on this website are very limited and it’s impossible for you to add more.
Blogger
This is perfect for people who are not that tech-savvy. This platform was made by Google and will enable you to create your blog easily. Not to mention that it’s free. Blogger has a few negative qualities.
One is that you can’t easily customize your website because there are already pre-made themes that you can choose from. It also has limited features, which are considered pretty basic.
Joomla
This platform is very similar to WordPress.org. You will need to have your own domain first before you can start developing your blog.
Joomla is very flexible and you will be able to use different features and extensions to improve your page.
Although the support you can get from them are pretty limited and there aren’t a lot of users.
WordPress
There are two platforms of WordPress. The first is WordPress.org and the second is WordPress.com. They have quite a lot of differences so you shouldn’t confuse them.
WordPress.com is easy to use. Building your website is free of charge but you will not be getting your own domain, there will be advertisements placed on your page, and the features will be limited.
You can opt to purchase their other services as well if you want to get more control over your website.
WordPress.org is considered to be the most popular blog platform to date. It has the most powerful features and is the most flexible as well.
There are thousands of free plugins that you can use to build your website. WordPress.org is also considered to be the best blog platform for SEO.
A website as awesome as this, it would take a lot of effort to learn all of its features. I assure you thought that it will all be worth it. Although it is free, you would need to have your own domain to use it.
Make sure to study and research about these websites so that you can choose the best platform for you.
If you need more help on how to choose a blogging platform, you can check this link.
#3: Find a Host
Having a host for your website will enable your blog to be viewed by people from anywhere.
There a quite a number of hosting sites today which includes (but not limited to)HostGator, BlueHost, eHost, and Fasthosts Ignite.
To find out more about hosting sites and more detailed information about them, you can check out the online guide. There is enough info out there about hosting so don`t be confused, pick what suits your needs.
#4: Decide on your Domain Name
Having your own domain can definitely help bring your blog to success. You can simply put your first and last name as your domain or the name of your business.
Also, consider choosing one that is easy to remember. Just cross your fingers that the one you want is still available.
You can either buy a domain on GoDaddy, Namecheap, or 1&1. To view more details about these websites, check this link.
#5: Design and Post Content on Your Website
Once you have created your site with the help of a host and a domain, you can now start designing your website on your chosen blog platform.
Each of the platforms that I mentioned earlier has its own features and instructions so make sure to study and experiment with them well.
Different Blogger Tools for Beginners
If you have already created your own blog and you are struggling a little bit to make it the best that it can be.
You may have to get help from awesome blogger tools. Below, I will be listing some of the essential ones.
Gmail
You would need to have a permanent email where you can connect all your accounts and Gmail is the perfect one. It is free and easy to use.
Google Keyword Planner
This tool will let you view different rankings of keywords. This will enable you to choose the right words to use on your blogs so that it can rank up in Google.
The easier your website can be found, the more you can earn.
Wealthy Affiliate
This is my go-to for everything I need to learn, this is where I got started online and I`m still a member.
They have all the training from keyword research to content writing, domain questions, affiliate marketing, or website management they have the answers.
Yoast SEO Plug-in
The best way to earn traffic on your blog is by incorporating SEO or Search Engine Optimization.
This is a WordPress plugin that is perfect for beginners especially for those who have little knowledge of SEO.
My Hours
If you need a little bit of help on managing your time, or you are just curious as to how much time you allot to a certain task, then this application will do wonders for you.
Google Calendar blog
If you want a little more organization about your schedule and need reminders for certain events and tasks, then the Google calendar will be a great tool for you.
This can send you reminders on your smartphone and email.
Tailwind
You want to share your post on social media and Tailwind is a must have, it will boost your traffic and make sharing content very easy.
If you are serious about blogging, Tailwind is a must-have. Click here to get a 1-month free trial of Tailwind.
Sprout Social
Sprout Social is a social media management tool. It will help you have a schedule of your posts to be shared on different social media platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
This can be great so you can organize all of your posts at a time and not worry about it too much.
MailChimp
Aside, from social media management, it is important to manage your emails as well.
This will be the place where your audience can reach out to you after all. You can use this to send out emails to people whenever you have a new post.
Keyword Tool
Before you create any post, you need a keyword tool to find low competition keywords that will rank high in the search engines, Jaaxy is my go-to keyword tool as it helps me write posts that rank high in the search engines.
You can try Jaaxy here. and get 30 searches free with no strings attached, this is a must-have blogger tool if you want your sites to rank.
Google Analytics
Being informed of the trend that is going on your website can really be a big help for you to come up with content.
You will know who is visiting your blog like their age and which country they live in, you will know which post is receiving the most amount of traffic, and you will get to know what they usually do when they’re on your website.
Tracking your performance should really be a priority so you will know on what you can improve on and what content to post next time.
There are still a lot more blogger tools out there. Some are free to use and some you will need to pay for.
If you want an in-depth guide to more different blogging tools, all you need to do is check online.
Conclusion
Starting your own blog can be a roller coaster ride. It can be fun but not entirely easy.
You have to invest a lot of your time to make you blog a success. You have to do as much research as possible to create your blog.
Make sure that you decide on the theme of what you want to post about. This can be great to attract a steady audience.
Having your own blog definitely has its perks. You can express yourself and do what you enjoy.
You can make money from it, and you will get to showcase your creativity. Sounds fun as it may seem, it is not going to be simple.
Make sure to follow the necessary steps and start off with free blog platforms. Once you have created your blog, you will surely need a help from different blogger tools.
There are so many available tools that can help you with SEO, social media management, email marketing, and analytics which are your utmost priority to help your blog become successful.
Do not be afraid to explore your options to ensure the best for your blog.