From digital marketing to Youtube vlogging, it seems everyone is trying their luck in the digital world. If you also aspire to be a successful blogger then this article will be a good read for you.
Starting a blog is not very difficult.
Purchase a domain name, a hosting and you are almost ready to go.
Start writing anything you want. There’s no pressure to be politically correct and you can be as creative as possible.
However, managing a successful blog is a difficult task. It demands your time and patience.
I remember, my first blog was an utter failure. So, was my second one. It forced me to evaluate my blogging mistakes.
So, here I am discussing 15 Lessons I Wish I knew Before Writing My First Blog.
If you’re starting a new blog, check these blogging lessons that I learned the hard way.
Lesson 1. I Wish I Knew, Blogging Is Not Everyone’s Cup of Tea.
Sorry!
My attempt is not to demotivate you but in reality, blogging is not something that anyone can handle easily.
A successful blog requires years of hard work, dedication, unconditional passion, and great content.
Even a talented writer may not have the patience to wait for their blog to create a good reach.
At the same time, an average writer with good research, hard work, attractive content, and marketing skills can establish a successful blog.
Lesson 2. I Wish I Had Ask the Question, ‘Why?’
There can’t be a better decision-maker than the question- why?
Is Blogging your passion or job?
Ask this question before you kick off your career as a blogger. Listing out the reasons why you want to be a blogger and why not will help you in making a prudent decision.
Most bloggers find themselves lost and pointless when they lose their direction. They start a blog with a pre-decided goal and gradually get tangled up in other distractions and forget the original goal in the meantime.
The blogger has to take a train back to find themselves motivated and keep the good work going.
When you adopt blogging as a passion then the chances of getting success are high. If you want to be a blogger just to make money, think twice.
Lesson 3. Not Everything Is Free! I Wish I Knew That.
Blogging may seem to be a completely free affair but it isn’t.
There are platforms like WordPress and Blogger which allow users to set up a blog for free. However, these free blogs are limited in their functionalities.
Bloggers often require premium tools to increase their reach. No doubt these tools come with a hefty price tag.
So, consult a friend or someone who has an idea of setting up a successful blog.
Lesson 4. I Wish I Knew That Blogging Platform and Hosting Are Important.
Blogging platform is equally important as the content it serves.
As a blogger, you may find it difficult to choose the right platform as there are hundreds of content management systems available on the internet. But if you focus mainly on blogging then WordPress could be an appropriate choice.
It is also important to choose an appropriate theme for the blog which can gel up with the contents and is attractive too.
You can start with a free theme and upgrade later once your blog starts earning some revenue. We use a free customized version of GeneratePress and never faced a problem. It is fast and SEO friendly.
Hosting platform is also important as it determines the site speed. We use Vultr Cloud Servers. You can start a basic cloud compute server for just $2.5/month and the performance is better than any shared hosting.
Lesson 5. I Wish I Knew, Blog Needs to Be Niche-Specific.
Do you have any idea of what your blog is going to talk about?
To start a blog you need to pick a niche in which you have sufficient knowledge. Your niche is the identity of your blog. It will attract people who have an interest in that particular field.
Pick a trending niche, which will be in demand for a long time. Choose something in which you may never lose interest. If you want to know the most trending niches of 2020 then you may read this article.
Your niche can be related to your hobbies or career that you want to pursue. Even you may pick up any trending niche.
What is our niche?
At blogindigo, our main focus is on good writing practices.
Lesson 6. I Wish I Knew That Blogging Needs Promotion.
Blogging may be very frustrating in the beginning when you don’t get views even after publishing a couple of blog posts.
The same happened to us. It took us almost six months before we started getting some reasonable traffic.
One reason was our weak promotion activity. Don’t make this mistake. Promote your blog to get some response.
There is nothing wrong with legitimate promotion. However, don’t fall prey to blackhat techniques as several SEO agencies claim to rank your site within a few weeks.
Promotion is a must for reaching out to more audiences. Use social media, emails, and guest blogging.
Guest blogging is undoubtedly the most effective way of promoting your website but it is also the most difficult one. So, in the beginning, you can ask your friends to allow you to post on their websites.
It will give you some exposure. However, you need a strong networking skill to get success as a guest blogger.
There are several other methods of promoting your blog. But you are required to pay attention to the quality of your content. Promotion is worthless if the quality of your content is not up to the mark.
Lesson 7. I Wish I Knew That I Was Average.
To be honest there are thousands of bloggers who are working on the same niche as yours. So, ask yourself:
Why do you expect the readers to read your posts and not others?
When two similar products are sold in the market, their sales and popularity affect each other. And here, we are talking about thousands of similar blogs like yours. The key to making a breakthrough here is uniqueness.
Do something that makes you different from others.
It may be your writing style, use of visuals, or features. If you think it is correct then repeat it until it starts making a difference, both in terms of reader engagement and uniqueness.
Lesson 8. Payment? I Wish I Had Some Patience!
One of the most common mistakes made by beginners is expecting monetary benefits from their blog.
If you are looking for some quick success then blogging is probably not for you. I beg pardon if I could not estimate your extraordinary marketing skills.
Don’t start a blog just to make money. Start it only if you are passionate about it.
Once you hit the right audience, the money will follow automatically. But it may take months or in some cases, years.
Be patient and keep up the good work.
Lesson 9. I Wish I Knew the Power of Social Media.
It is hard to believe how thousands of products become trending within minutes. Social media plays a crucial role in making things trending and people aware of it.
Social media might have lost its glory in recent days but if used properly it can drive huge traffic to your blogs.
People read almost everything posted on social media, even if it doesn’t interest them. Bloggers can easily exploit this opportunity by posting on trending topics on their social profiles.
A five-line long post won’t be enough for the enthusiastic audience and they will be compelled to visit your blog for more information.
Lesson 10. I Wish I Didn’t Involve in Religious Controversies.
When you post anything in the public domain then it may get applause or criticism depending on the nature and understanding of the visitors.
In the case of blogging, it is better to express your views prudently. If you write something that is against the socio-political trends of the country then it may open Pandora’s Box for you.
Netizens can get unbelievably serious about topics related to politics and religions. So, keep yourself away from such controversy. It may even cost you your blog if your opinions don’t suit them.
Lesson 11. I Wish I Was Consistent With Posts
Even if you are not doing it for monetary benefits, keep posting as consistently as possible. Some blogs publish multiple articles regularly. It might be difficult for solopreneurs but you should at least publish an article every week.
Consistency in posting is an indicator of an active blog. It will help in boosting your reach and engagement of the audience.
When a blogger shares his views and knowledge on a topic it might turn up really helpful for the audience. Moreover, if you address the concerns of your readers then it would be great for reader retention.
An active blog simultaneously motivates the writer to express his thoughts and encourages visitors to return.
Lesson 12. I Wish I Didn’t Compromise With the Quality
You should not compromise the quality of your articles as your readers don’t want to waste their time reading a poor quality post.
The primary focus should be to write something that makes the readers engaged. There is always more to the first draft than you think.
Before publishing your ideas, refine them in the best possible way by allowing time to go percolate and ideate.
Some research will also help to understand the topic better. There is no right time to know when something’s complete. But if you have done your part, it should be alright.
Like any other form of art, writing also demands patience and skill.
The more you enhance your craft, the better you will be at it.
Rewriting gives you a chance to include words and phrases that will help with SEO. Instead of using them forcefully, you can find a natural way to put them into your blogs.
Rewriting also helps in gaining confidence to publish your work.
Write, proofread, and post when you’re satisfied.
Lesson 13. I Wish I Used Images Carefully
Blogs are a lot more fun to read if they have relevant images. You can put your point forward by adding the GIFs, memes that are contextual to your article.
You never know what a reader might connect with. Plus, it also makes the process of reading longer blogs a lot easier.
So, don’t be afraid to experiment with images. It will enrich your content.
No doubt, adding such images and videos to your blog makes it attractive. But you should be aware of their sources.
Seek written approval from the administrator or the owner of the post if you are using pictures from social media.
Check the usage rights carefully if you are using stock images. Using a copyrighted image without permission may lead you to a nasty situation.
There are several websites that offer free stock images. One of my favorite sites is pexels.com. They have a huge catalog of free images. The featured image used in this post is also from them.
Lesson 14. I Wish I Kept Myself Updated With Current Trends
As a blogger you have to keep yourself updated with current trends, SEOs, Google Algo updates, blogger’s outreach and be ready to exploit it to the blog’s advantage.
A successful blogger should also know how to filter out the rumor and facts. What matters most is the credibility of your writing. So, you should research thoroughly before writing any content.
Good content will earn you the first-mover advantage.
Lesson 15. I Wish I Used the Title Correctly
Your article title is the gateway to your blog. It is the first thing that catches the attention of the readers. A reader initially glances through your title and will only read the complete article if he finds it attractive.
The title you use for your article says a lot about the content following it. It shouldn’t be too small or too big which may make it tough for the audience to comprehend.
Make it appealing enough to force the readers to read the blog till the end.
Conclusion
Every blogger faces difficulties and finds remedies to cope with them. Here I have selected some of the most important ones that can help any aspirant blogger.
Your words have the chance to make an impact on the people who read them. So, if you’re going to blog, take it seriously and keep at it!
Like every profession, blogging will require you to analyze your mistakes and perfect them.
There’s a place for every blog. But make sure yours is as unique and specific to you as possible. Millions of blogs will come and go but yours will cut if it’s creative, and well written!