Blogs are sites that typically display information in list entries. These entries can be many things, such as opinions, news, photography, or videos. A blog is usually interactive, so readers can leave comments or messages on each entry. A blog can focus on a broad or narrow range of fields according to the author's choice. By having a blog to express yourself, you will be able to get a lot of fun, and after that, you can also earn money using it.
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Part 1 of 5: Setting Up the Basics
Step 1. Review popular blog genres
There are many categories of blogs, and by reviewing some of them, you will be able to sharpen your area of interest. Remember that in order to make money, you will need readers. Here are some examples of popular blog genres:
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Personal blog. A good personal blog will make readers feel like they know you. Readers can feel they are chatting with the author or knowing his daily life. If you can express yourself well, this genre is for you.
For example, try reading “Raditya Dika,” a personal blog that begins with the author's hilarious daily story as a student. Today, the author has published several books and starred in several films based on his own story
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Special Interest Blog. Blogs of this genre can provide tips and tricks about your favorite hobbies. It also includes topics that interest you most. This blog is for you if you have a unique view of your field of interest.
- An example is “Curly Nikki”, a blog written with the aim of helping women to love their natural hair.
- Another example is “Perez Hilton”, a celebrity blog that focuses on gossip about famous figures.
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Industry Blogs. This type of blog specializes in a particular industry. This blog is a good choice if you are already an expert in a field and want to share your knowledge. Since you have to keep up to date with the latest information about your chosen industry, make sure you feel comfortable to always research and understand the latest topics.
For example, visit “The Copybot,” a marketing blog written by Damien Farnworth, an article writer. In it, Mr. Farnworth explains how to write articles for online sites with helpful concrete examples
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Political Blogs. If you have meaningful political views that you want to share, or if you want to communicate political opinions in an interesting and entertaining way, a political blog is a great choice. In writing a political blog, you do not need to side with one particular side even though many other political blogs do.
- For example, “Politifact.com” (a Pulitzer-winning blog owned by the Tampa Bay Times) does fact checks for news stories. In it, there is a "truth meter" that describes the accuracy of a news story.
- Another example of a political blog is “Michelle Malkin,” a blog written by Michelle Malkin, a conservative scholar. Through his blog, the author describes his personal political opinion in an interesting way.
Step 2. Choose your topic
The best blogs focus on topics the authors are passionate about. You can choose any topic for your blog as long as you have enough to say about your interests to others. It's even better if you can find a niche that hasn't been exploited much. Here are some important things to keep in mind when choosing a blog topic:
- Who are your readers? In this world, there are millions of blogs available. It is very important to clearly know your target audience so that you can attract them to visit.
- What do your readers want? For example, if you have determined that your potential readers are stay-at-home moms, you should consider what their interests and needs are. Make sure you don't just assume; check out other blogs that have the same target audience and learn what they have.
- How well qualified are you? Good writing will give the impression of familiarity and depth about the material. Furthermore, good blogs will be written by people who are qualified to talk about their topic. If you can't imagine at least 25 articles on your topic, chances are, you're not familiar enough with the topic and won't be able to keep the blog going.
- How well is the continuity of a topic? Make sure you choose a topic that will be relevant for the long term. In addition, you should also be able to write new articles on a regular basis. Therefore, avoid topics that are too sharp as you will run out of material quickly.
- How much competition do you have to face? Do some research to find out what existing blogs are about your topic. Celebrity gossip, for example, is a very popular topic. However, there are many other highly competitive topics that can drown your blog.
- What is your uniqueness? To differentiate your blog from the rest, you have to do something different and interesting. Will you have an interactive focus? Would you stick to odd stories instead of celebrity gossip? For all the topics you choose, make sure you can write them creatively, interestingly, and consistently up-to-date.
Step 3. Visit some popular blogs
Your blog can be about anything, but once you've decided on an area of interest like “celebrity” or “childcare”, then you should visit some of the other popular blogs in that field to find out what they write and the site designs they create. use.
- For example, the blog “Tom + Lorenzo: Fabulous & Opinionated” started as a small blog that summarizes and reviews each episode of the film Project Runway. That is, from the start, they already have a clear target audience and goals. Today, the blog has grown into a pop culture site with millions of readers and offers TV reviews, movies, fashion criticism, and celebrity news.
- An example of a successful personal blog is “Raditya Dika.” The author, Raditya Dika, has now published several books and has appeared in feature films thanks to his humorous and humorous writings.
- An example of a personal blog with a special interest is “The Naked Traveler” which documents the journey of the author, Trinity. With detailed descriptions, location photos, and light and humorous language style, readers will feel as if they are traveling with the author.
- A blog can also take a unique and distinctive field. For example, “Crusoe the Celebrity Dachshund” won the Bloggie prize in 2014. This blog is created in such a way that Crusoe the dachshund wrote himself. As a result, readers feel connected to the cute little Crusoe and love the idea that a dog can narrate his adventures.
Step 4. Choose a domain name and blog title
The domain name and blog title are the first two things readers see and will identify you. In addition to informing readers of what to expect from your blog, the title and domain name will also help position the blog in web searches – an important point for gaining visitors and profits.
- Make sure the blog title you choose matches its overall identity. For example, if you're writing a celebrity gossip blog, don't choose a very rigid title. On the other hand, if you're blogging about a business, don't choose a name that's too informal.
- Good keyword selection can also help. Web search engines do their job through search engine optimization (SEO), which ranks search results based on the number of keywords related to the search performed. However, don't get too hung up on SEO; your blog will feel generic because of it. The best thing you can do to attract readers is to develop a strong identity.
- For example, the domain name “haircare.com” will tell potential readers what the blog is about, but no new angles will appear to be offered (eg what types of hair care tips will be provided). On the other hand, the domain name “Frizzfighters.com” also indicates that the blog will be related to hair care, but with a name like that, readers will feel a strong sense of humor and brand identity (funky, focusing on a specific hair care issue).
- The choice of extension is equally important. An extension is the part that comes after a site's domain name, such as “.com”, “.net”, or “.org”. Today, although dozens of extensions are available for use, they are still the most familiar to English-speaking readers and, as such, will attract more readers to your site. Unless you're part of a nonprofit organization, don't use “.org”. The “.com” extension was the most voted, followed by “.net.”
Step 5. Choose blogging software
Currently, there are many blogging platforms, including Blogger and WordPress. Most experts would recommend WordPress because blogs that use it will find it relatively easier to make money using it.
- Wordpress.org is a popular choice because you don't need to know anything about coding to design a great blog. One in five sites on the internet today use WordPress. Note: WordPress.org is a blog hosting service, but you will need to register a domain name and set up a host first. WordPress.com has limited features and gives you a domain name with the extension “.wordpress.com” for free, but you won't be able to place ads or affiliate links on your blog on WordPress.com.
- Blogger is owned by Google and is a free web hosting site that requires you to have a Google account. The design is not as good as that of WordPress.
- Other options are SquareSpace and Wix, both of which are design platform sites that will also allow you to create a blog.
- Make sure you check whether your platform supports your own domain name or not. A good blogging platform will help you register a domain name and integrate it with your blog.
- Each blogging platform has its own blog creation guide.
Part 2 of 5: Designing and Creating a Blog
Step 1. Create a site design that reflects the image of your blog
It is very important to design a design that reflects the content and image of the blog. From fonts to colors, make sure every blog element is consistent with your blog's image.
- For example, cartoon images and balloon fonts would be fun to look at on a parenting blog, but would be confusing for a professional marketing blog.
- Consider hiring a professional designer, at least for the header and logo, as you will only have one chance to make a good first impression.
- Most blog hosts, including Blogger and WordPress, have “themes” you can install. These themes can sometimes be modified to give the blog a unique feel.
Step 2. Choose the elements to include on the blog
Most blogs have elements like “About” and “Archive” pages that allow readers to learn more about you as well as read older posts. Common features of a blog include:
- About
- Category
- Post
- Portfolio
- Contact
Step 3. Make your blog easy to navigate
Don't make your blog messy; make it easy for readers to find the content they are looking for. Put helpful elements like a search box and “popular posts” in the sidebar.
- An “opening head” is a great element for informing new visitors. The opening header is the section at the head of the site that lists the most important content of the blog as well as a quick introduction to the most interesting sections for readers.
- Add a “next and before post” feature to the blog. One way to attract readers is to keep visitors visiting. By installing “next” and “before” buttons at the bottom of each post, visitors will be encouraged to read more.
Part 3 of 5: Starting a Blog
Step 1. Write a post that people want to read
A good blog will speak frankly and openly about an area you are passionate about. Be yourself and share your ideas with the world.
- Show a professional attitude. Even if your blog revolves around your personal life, make sure there are no spelling, spelling, or bad design mistakes.
- Make your blog useful. Center the content on the reader instead of yourself. This means that you have to think about what things readers can get from each post. Look for problems you can solve, questions you can answer, or stories you can tell. Thousands of words containing political quirks may be pleasant to you, but not necessarily readers will find it useful.
- Be yourself. Writing with complicated words is usually not suitable for a blog. Most readers want to visit blogs where they can feel like they are having a conversation with the author. Develop your own writing style and apply it consistently.
Step 2. Write a post that is easy to read
Faced with large amounts of unspaced text, 99% of readers will walk away. Break your writing into small parts to make it easier to read.
- For example, you can use a list format or divide the heading into several short paragraphs. If you have a very long post, try using subtitles and block quotes to break up the text.
- Other design elements such as highlighting key points and the use of italics to emphasize something can draw the reader to the important parts quickly.
- Keep in mind that most readers won't be willing to spend a lot of time reading articles on the internet. Make your post easy to understand even if it's just a cursory read.
Step 3. Create catchy post titles
You may have the best content in the world, but if your readers don't recognize it quickly, they're less likely to read it. The title is an important part because many readers will find your content through tools like Google Reader or content sites like Digg. Since potential readers will only see the title at the beginning, write a title that can communicate your post in an interesting and entertaining way.
- Create a title that is useful and has a sense of urgency so that potential visitors feel obliged to open your content.
- Take advantage of the reader's emotions. You can do this by asking questions or challenging expectations. Sites like UpWorthy have great titles, such as: “Most of These People Do The Right Thing, But The Last Man? I want to scream at him.” Titles like this describe a story and promise a surprise.
Step 4. Create a post catalog before publishing the blog
Don't tell everyone about your new blog if it only contains two posts. At the beginning, post 10 to 15 posts first, then prepare another 10 to 15 posts to be published within a certain time.
- Content quantity and consistency are two important things in attracting readers. If you don't have a lot of content when your readers visit, they won't visit again.
- You should also publish posts regularly. Writing a number of posts in advance and setting a schedule to publish them individually is a good way to ensure that your blog is always filled with the latest content.
Step 5. Make it easy for readers to subscribe to your blog posts
Most blog readers subscribe to using RSS feeds, a tool that provides updates every time you publish a new post. Put a link or icon on your blog to tell visitors how to subscribe.
Step 6. Be persistent and continue writing great content
Once you've mastered the basics, you should continue to develop and learn new things. It will take some time before you get a large number of regular readers; Therefore, be patient, persistent, and never stop writing.
Part 4 of 5: Marketing a Blog
Step 1. Leave relevant comments on other related articles to expose your blog to potential readers
By writing your name as well as a link to your blog when commenting, you will attract more visitors to your blog.
- Cultivate links to your blog by leaving comments on other blogs that have a “dofollow” feature, which means that search engines will see the link.
- Don't just promote your blog in the comments; this will make you look like spam. Provide interesting and meaningful comments. Remember that you are creating a first impression of yourself.
Step 2. Write a post on another blog
If you can write well and have something you want to say, you can be a guest writer on other blogs to help spread your name. Check out some popular blogs in your genre and see if they accept guest writers.
If you don't see information about guest writers, don't despair. Read the contents of the blog to find out if there was ever a guest writer on it or not. If so, then contact the owner of the blog, introduce yourself, and explain what you want to write about. If not, you can still contact the owner to offer to be a guest writer
Step 3. Cite important people in your blog
By mentioning several well-known personalities in your area or genre, you can achieve several things at once. First, your readers will see that you know important people in your field. Then, the character may also read your blog or even promote it to their followers.
- Don't just write down the name. Make sure you include the name of the character in an integrative and meaningful way. For example, if you're writing a post about moms who have blogs, mention a blogger whose writing catches your eye, or a blog you find interesting.
- Links, links and links! Put links to other blogs you like in the post. Many bloggers search for the source of their site visitors. Some will even revisit (and link to) your blog in their posts in return.
Step 4. Use social media
Today, if you're not on social media, you're missing out on potential readers. Post a link to your blog's latest article on Twitter and ask for a "retweet". Alternatively, you can post links to blog content on your Facebook page. However, don't just repeat the same content over and over again. Use social media to write quick attention-grabbing posts, then leverage blogs for longer, interactive content. Here are the social networks that are widely used:
- StumbleUpon
- Digg
Step 5. Create a prize distribution event
Prize distribution is a great way to attract visitors. Readers will always love to get something for free. In addition, the provision of products from certain companies will also have a promotional effect; therefore, contact some of the companies associated with your blog and ask if they are interested in supporting the giveaway event.
- You can also write to other bloggers who are sponsoring giveaways to ask for a company's contact information or two.
- Make it easy to follow the event. Ask readers to leave comments on a post with their name and contact information. Alternatively, you can ask them to post a link from your post on social media.
Step 6. Attract readers to your blog using direct marketing
Today, electronic newsletters may feel outdated, but in reality, they are still a great marketing tool. Contacting readers directly will have the strongest impact. Here are some other methods that can be used:
- Add a link to your email signature to invite people to visit.
- Send post link to multiple people. But don't just send it to everyone on your contact list; instead, send the link to people (or other blog owners) who are more likely to be genuinely interested in your content and can earn you new followers, especially if you offer to read or post content of their posts in return.
- Follow the blog carnival. Search the internet for these events or visit BlogCarnival.com.
- Join a LinkedIn group. If you're writing a more professional or industry-based blog, posting a link to a LinkedIn group post can attract a lot of readers.
Step 7. Optimization of your site for search engines
SEO is very important, but its use doesn't just consist of repeating key words. Write down words in the title that work well with SEO such as “How to…” or “Method for…” and so on. Repeat significant keywords in your post, but make sure you don't come across as spam.
Today, Google and most other search engines don't just operate with SEO. They want to prioritize quality content, which means you need to have content that is clear, well written, valuable, and includes sources you can trust
Step 8. Do video marketing
Creating videos for marketing is much easier than you might think. You can use a variety of software, such as Animoto, to create them.
Part 5 of 5: Making Money Blog
Step 1. Register to place ads on the blog
Advertising can be a great source of income for your blog. With pay per click advertising (Pay Per Click, PPC), you will be paid when visitors to your blog open a link from the ad. Usually, you need to have a high readership first for the ad owners to be interested in your blog. Here are some examples of programs and sites that will pay you to place ads:
- The AdSense program from Google is the most widely used PPC program because Google's search engine power works in it. Google will read your article and find “relevant ads” for it. Then, Google will post it in or after the article. Google will also use cookies from readers' web browsers to place ads related to sites they have recently visited.
- You can also sign up for pay-per-impressions (CPM) ads. This type of ad works similarly to PPC; the difference is, you will be paid based on the number of visitors who see the ad, even if the link is not opened. Usually, the units of CPM will start calculated per 1,000 views.
- If you don't have at least 10,000 unique visitors to your site each month, you won't make much money from advertising. That's why you need to have a high readership first through marketing and quality content.
Step 2. Sign up for affiliate marketing
Affiliate marketing is a very popular way to make money blogging because it leverages the trust your readers have in you. If every post on your blog is of high quality, your readers will trust the product recommendations you provide. After that, you can provide links or recommendations for relevant products and earn commissions from sales driven by your blog.
- Amazon Associates allows you to banner your site with reader-targeted products such as presses from parenting sites or painting materials for art sites. You will earn a small commission when people buy something from the links on your blog. For example, Amazon will pay commissions equal to 4-15% of the product price.
- Amazon is a gigantic industry, but it would be great if you could contact small companies and even individuals who create products or services related to your blog. For example, if you have a popular recipe blog, you can contact the nearest restaurant and offer services for affiliate marketing. You will earn commissions from their sales which are encouraged by your blog readers, and in return, they will get free promotional media.
- You can also try affiliate programs on buying and selling sites like Lazada and Blibli.com.
- Affiliate aggregator services like VigLink will insert monetized affiliate links into your posts. The service provides a lower commission percentage, but the convenience it offers will be worth it.
Step 3. Write a sponsored post
If you already have a high number of visitors, you will be able to attract companies to pay you to write sponsored posts. You can look for sponsors in a sponsorship marketplace like themidgame or, perhaps, the company will contact you directly.
- Be careful with sponsors who want you to write articles to increase their own page rank. This will violate Google policies and interfere with your income from AdSense.
- You can also check sites like Blogsvertise, Social Spark, and Review Me for a list of paid or sponsored posts.
- Don't let sponsored posts dominate your blog. Remember that readers come to visit your blog with the primary purpose of reading your content.
- Make sure you only write sponsored posts that will benefit your readers. Don't make your blog look like an extension of a company.
Step 4. Work with a brand or company
By working directly with a company to carry out a promotional campaign, you will be able to increase the number of readers and revenue for your blog. Many companies, especially publishing companies, will gladly pay you to participate in events such as Twitter parties, blog-based book tours, and giveaways.
- For example, if you have a popular blog that covers romance novels, contact several publishers of novels in that genre and ask if they would be willing to pay you to review their books or hold other promotional events such as author interviews.
- You can also register with a third-party liaison agent. The Indonesian Book Blog, for example, is a network of influential book reviewers with connections to many publishers.
Step 5. Collect data for the company
This type of income comes from providing marketing data to companies that partner with your blog. This way, you don't have to sell goods or services; You simply ask blog visitors to provide contact information so that your partners can contact them.
For example, if you have a popular home care blog, you could build a partnership with a home supply store. If your visitor agrees and is willing to be contacted by the store, you can be paid by your partner to provide the reader's contact data
Step 6. Use your blog as a portfolio
You can use your blog to generate freelance income by posting your work on it. Don't use your blog just to sell products; Also put up a “portfolio” page so readers can see your skills.
- For example, if you have a photography blog, create a portfolio of your best photos and promote yourself as a freelance photographer. Readers will clearly know what they are getting by by looking at your passion and expertise.
- Blogs can also be helpful if you already have a full-time job. For example, as a lawyer, writing blog articles about legal tips and information will show readers that you know your field. In addition, readers will also be able to see your personality-an important point that is often sought by prospective clients.
Step 7. Create paid content
Once you have a loyal following and you can show that you can be trusted, add “paid content” to your blog. For example, you could host an online seminar or write an e-book and charge visitors for downloading it.
- Paid seminars, consulting services, and providing input are the types of goods and services that you can offer after the reputation of your blog has been properly nurtured.
- You can also use service sites such as Tees.co.id to create commercial products with your brand. For example, The Blogess produces new stuff every week which is usually based on previously created posts.
- Consider building a membership. You can provide exclusive content that readers can only see if they pay a monthly rate. However, don't charge too much. For this, sites like WordPress have many tools that allow you to create a membership form for your blog.
- Try to create “bonus content”. For example, if you publish audio periodicals on your blog, you can make standard episodes available for free, but for longer versions (or additional content), you can charge a fee for visitors who want to access them. Dan Savage's "Savage Lovecast" runs on this model, with standard episodes available for free and longer "magnum episodes" available for a fee.
- Many bloggers channel the essence of their blog into book form. Raditya Dika's blog “Kambing Jantan”, for example, has been published in book form. Another example is Trinity, which publishes “The Naked Traveler” from its popular travel blog.
- Remember that the things of value from your blog will always be marketable to readers. However, don't let your blog be dominated by paid content because it will make your blog's value decrease in the eyes of visitors.
