Starting a blog in 2024 and growing your audience

As a means of establishing a loyal following over an extended period of time, businesses of all types begin blogging. On the other hand, the opposite is also occurring, with an increasing number of bloggers beginning companies as an extension of their own blog. It is also logically sound.

Building a customer base for a new company’s products is one of the most difficult hurdles that new firms must overcome. On the other hand, new bloggers sometimes operate in reverse order: they begin by establishing a following by constantly publishing high-quality material, and then they investigate various methods by which they might monetize their visitors.

One of the most challenging aspects of blogging is locating the time and ideas necessary to maintain a continuous posting routine. The beginning, on the other hand, is not overly complicated.

If you are curious about the reason why we are beginning our tutorial on how to start a blog with the topic of monetization, the reason is because in order to make this a lucrative endeavour, you need to think more like an entrepreneur than just a blogger.

1. Determine how you may generate income from your blog

In the event that you are interested in making money through blogging, you should begin with the financial aspect first, and then go on to the content aspect. This may appear to be paradoxical. Before you publish your first blog article, you should already have a sound monetization plan in place since it will dictate the sorts of material you produce and how you will grow over the long run. To begin, you should consider your new blog to be a business rather than a creative outlet. This is the best way to approach it.

Depending on the type of blog that you choose to launch, there are a variety of methods that you may generate income from your own blog. When a tiny company idea is combined with a blog, for instance, a sustainable method of expansion may be created with minimal expense other than the investment of time and effort.

2. Determine a specific topic that your blog will focus on: So, what exactly is going to be your “thing”?

There is an abundance of material available on the internet. You may differentiate yourself from the competition in two ways: by selecting a specific niche to concentrate on and by producing material that has something about it that readers can’t readily find somewhere else. Although it may appear to be difficult to stand out, there are two methods to compete.

When selecting a niche, it is essential to select one that is two inches broad yet one mile deep. This will guarantee that you are able to continuously publish material without running out of ideas, and it will also have an impact on the name of your blog, which we will discuss in a later section.

Also, you will need to make sure that the audience that your selected specialty draws is compatible with the monetization method that you have chosen for your blog. What kinds of goods or services would customers in this demographic be interested in purchasing?

This may be accomplished in a few different ways:

• Your new blog should be centred on a particular area, such as New York City.
• You should centre the topic of your blog on a particular subset of a bigger category (for example, you should focus on vegan recipes rather than just recipes).
• You should write your blog entries in a different manner or voice (for example, by using humour).

One way to compete is to provide high-quality content, such as in-depth postings on a subject that no one else is prepared to cover.

3. Select a blogging platform and a template for your blog

It is necessary to begin the process of setting up your blog hosting and content management system before you begin writing your first article for your blog. A great number of people who are considering starting their own blog find themselves in this predicament if they are unsure of which platform, they should put their time and money into.

When it comes to blogging platforms, the option typically comes down to either self-hosted or hosted offerings:

Hosting oneself

More customisation choices are often available with these platforms; however, you will be responsible for hosting the website yourself and will be required to pay a separate monthly charge to a hosting firm. The initial setup of a web hosting plan is required, in addition to the cost of the plan itself. A good shared hosting provider is a great way to initiate this. 

The host

When you use a hosted site, you will be able to set up your own blog more quickly. Shopify, for instance, incorporates hosting into each and every one of its programmes. On the other hand, in contrast to Shopify, many hosted websites, such as Blogger or Wix, will restrict the customisation choices available.

You will want to select a platform that satisfies the following considerations:

• Is simple to operate
• It does not require any knowledge of HTML or coding
• And will be able to develop with you

As you progress through your blogging adventure, you will eventually reach a point when you may feel the need to modify the appearance and functionality of your website. This will occur as your brand develops, your traffic increases, and you have more content to organise.

When it comes to optimising the performance of your website, maintaining backups of your website, promoting your new blog, and simplifying duties, you will also want to make sure that your blogging platform has a robust ecosystem of plug-ins and applications. These may make a world of difference

4. Decide on a blog and a domain name for it

In exchange for your registration for a hosting package, certain companies, such as Bluehost, will provide you with a free domain name. In addition, Bluehost provides a 30-day money-back guarantee in the event that you are dissatisfied with the service.

During the process of searching for a domain name, it is a good idea to give some thought to the name that you will give to your website. If you are not attempting to construct a personal blog or a portfolio website, I would advise you to refrain from utilising your own name as the custom domain for your website. You may still be the face of the blog even if your personal name is not included in the URL, and it is a lot simpler to develop a brand that is memorable when you come up with a creative name that matches the message you want to convey.

Conclusion

Now that you have this information, we hope that you, as a blogger, are aware of all that you need to know while you are starting a blog and the reasons why it is beneficial for you. If you have any inquiries concerning this topic, kindly share them in the comments section that can be found below.