Almost every student has the ambition of becoming a successful blogger, however, having a passion for writing is the fundamental basic to getting off on the right foot. Blogs are a great platform for those who like to publicly discuss topics close to their heart or have an interest in voicing their opinions and giving advice to others. Many choose to blog as a hobby; however, some individuals have the dream of making a living out of blogging as soon as they leave university. Sound appealing?
By following this guide, you’ll be well on your way to becoming a successful blogger:
Invest in a hosting platform
First and foremost, you’ll need to invest in a hosting platform to get your blog up and running. It can be hard to choose the best host as there are so many available, but how do you know which one is right for you?
Many newbies start off with WordPress, which is one of the world’s most popular blogging sites. This free hosting platform allows you to build your own website in a number of minutes; however, there are limitations as to what you can achieve when using just the free features. If you are seriously thinking of making blogging your profession, it would be an idea to invest in a package that will ultimately establish your brand and set you up for a large following. Such packages allow for a significant number of visitors, higher performance, increased storage, and faster speed. Onyx.io, for example, has a package which allows blogs to receive 20,000 visitors per month, with a 5GB storage and a daily backup feature; as well as providing the added benefit of accessing your dashboard on-the-go.
Decide on the subject matter of your blog
In order for your blog to be successful, you need to choose a niche that’s different and will be of interest to a wide following; however, you’ll also need to be an expert on the subject matter. It’s always best to create your blog around something you’re interested in, or your lack of enthusiasm will soon show within your content. Choose a niche that will provide answers to solutions, whether it be through in-depth discussions, question and answer sessions or focusing on current news that fits in with your niche.
Choose a great design
Your blog needs to be noticed, therefore, the design and name of your blog are crucial for gaining wide interest. In terms of design, you can choose from a selection of themes that will make your website appear professional and eye-catching. The theme should be in keeping with your niche, so the audience knows what to expect, but themes are easily customisable so you can put your own stamp on the design and create something unique. In most cases, you can change your theme whenever you wish without losing any of your existing content or images.
Make your content interesting
Once you have your blog up and running, you need to plan intriguing content that will leave the user eager to know what’s coming next. Come up with several titles under your niche umbrella and work out what exactly you’re going to include in each of the blogs. Think about where you’ll source high-quality images and whether you wish to include comments at the bottom of each post to trigger discussion amongst users.
