How To Start A Blog In 2021
Starting a blog in 2021 with no idea where to start? Get started with these five easy steps I wish I knew when I started blogging 5 years ago.
These aren’t your ordinary “start a blog” steps. The steps I’m sharing with you are crafted to put you ahead of the game. Follow these steps if you want to create a successful blog equipped to the handle content creation world. Let’s begin.
1. Define your why
Before you get started creating a blog ask yourself a few questions.
Why are you starting a blog?
What purpose do I expect this to achieve?
Can this be better said using a different platform?
There are no right or wrong answers. Your answers to these questions however will guide you in the next few steps of the blog creation process. Once you’ve worked out your reason go ahead and write it down in a notebook dedicated to your blog and ideas. With this answer you’ll be able to shape your blog into what you’d ultimately like it to be.
This reason will keep you on track with subcategories you may create in the future.
2. Pick a niche
In the blogging world finding a niche is incredibly important. By choosing your niche you will develop a brand voice and authority on the specific topics you discuss on your blog.
A niche is a specialization in a topic.
Having a clear voice within a niche help visitors find your blog and helps you create consistent content in line with you blog plan.
Related: Have Writer’s Block? Here are 5 Ways To Start Writing Again
Popular blog niches in Jamaica
As you can imagine blogging in Jamaica is a bit different from blogging in the US. With no brands particularly jumping at the chance to partner with you your strategy for developing a successful blog must be different. That’s where niches come in. Focusing on the right niche can mean better alignment with major brands and potential sponsorship/partnership.
One of the most popular niches in Jamaica right now is travel. Locals and tourist alike are searching the web for the next great vacation spot or excursion. Bloggers like www.Simplylocal.life and www.adventuresfromelle.com excel in this niche.
But many of the globally popular niches can work in Jamaica as well. The power of blogging is being able to write from anywhere and reach people anywhere in the world. Here are some of the most best performing niches that exist:
- Food
- Fashion
- Lifestyle
- Personal finance
- Travel
- Blogging
When it comes to niches the more unique your topic is, it’s the better your chances are of standing out on a search engine.
Related: Jamaican Food Bloggers you Should Know
3. Think of a name
Now that you have your why and picked a niche you’ll need to think of a name. Try to use a name with a keyword that describes your potential blog content.
A keyword is a popularly searched for word relating to a subject/topic.
This name must be easy to remember and easy to spell. While uniqueness is encouraged try to use the conventional spelling of words. Remember this is a site you’ll want visitors to find so keep it simple and to the point.
Blog name examples
Jamaican Travel Blog
Caribbean Lifestyle Blog
Personal Finance Blog
www.goodyonabudget.wordpress.com
The name you decide on will be your blogs name as well as you domain name so choose wisely.
4. Buy web hosting or start blogging for free
There are two ways you can launch a blog. You can create a blog on a free platform or you can buy web hosting services.
Starting blogging in Jamaica for free
You can start your blog for free with several free platforms. Sites like WordPress, Weebly,Wix, blogger all offer free plans perfect for any beginner. Simply sign up to any of these sites with the blog domain name you have chosen, choose a website template/theme and get started! No money needed.
Buying web hosting to host your blog
While blogging on a free platform is a great start it has limitations. If you have clear ideas about creating a blog and have done all the research you may want to start with a paid blog. This means you’ll register with a web hosting company (I recommend Siteground) and pay the annual web hosting fee upfront to secure your own space on the World Wide Web.
With web hosting you can build your website from scratch with custom website builders or you can use WordPress application with readily available website templates/themes that make it easier.
Perks of going self -hosted/ buying web hosting
- More website storage – for pictures and text
- Wider audience reach
- Greater monthly visitor capacity – up to 100.000
- Better search engine ranking
- Advertising earning potential
- More plugin options… etc
5. Start writing
Whether you decide to launch a free blog or a self-hosted one the key to success in blogging is creating great content. Start writing what you dreamt of writing and hit that publish. Try to maintain a schedule of days you’ll be publishing a post. This will increase your search engine rankings.
For more information about blogging you can come back to this post from time to time. I’ll be updating it with more information on how to get started blogging and how you can create a successful money earning blog.
If you have any questions about the blogging process feel free to leave me a comment below. I’d be happy to answer them. There’s a lot more I have to share with you so subscribe to stay updated.
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TheQuietGirl (Anissa)
Great tips! I took me a while to find a niche for my blog, it was all over the place at the start. From experimenting different topics, I understand what does well for me now and I stick to it. It’s nice to see another Jamaican blogger as well 😊. Great post!
Headphonesthoughts
All of this tips are so true when starting a blog. It’s least good to know who is your audience and why are you blogging.
Candi
Yes knowing your audience is also a great tip to add.