Are you interested in launching your own blog but feel unsure about how to start?
Don’t worry. You have company.
I will guide you through the complete blogging procedure in a systematic manner and clear all the doubts you might have related to blogging.
Come on in and let’s start with the fundamentals of blogging before exploring it in depth.
What is a Blog?
An online web journal known as a blog allows you to publish posts about any topics you wish. Blogging can be used for both leisure and commercial purposes. The content you create on your blog is called blog posts, which can be published in various formats like written content, audio files, images, videos, or a combination of these.
History of Blogging
The modern blog evolved in the 1990s when Justin Hall, a student at Swarthmore College, began maintaining an online journal for eleven years, starting in 1994. Another earliest example of a blog was Wearable Wireless Webcam, an online diary started by Jerry Pournelle in the same year. However, at that time, the term “blog” was yet to be coined, and people referred to such online journals as personal homepages. In 1997, the word “weblog” was coined by Jorn Barger, who owned the blog named “Robot Wisdom.” The short term “blog” was coined by Peter Merholz, who broke the term “weblog” and added the phrase “we blog” in the sidebar of his site Peterme.com. Blogs slowly started gaining popularity with the arrival of hosted blog tools for the first time in 1999. One of the earliest examples of blogs in 1999 was blogger.com, which was created by Evan Williams and Meg Hourihan of Pyra Labs. Google later purchased it in February 2003.
Why Should You Blog?
Over the past two decades, blogging has undergone a significant transformation. It has evolved from a mere hobby to a platform allowing individuals to connect with like-minded individuals and express their opinions. Apart from raising awareness among readers on various topics and enhancing creativity and writing skills, it enables bloggers to showcase their expertise in a niche. A blog can lead to real-world fame, and it creates a new stream of income for many. Quality content creation can make a blog profitable through affiliate marketing, display ads, and sponsored posts. Blogs play a vital role in the online presence of most businesses by enhancing customer engagement and fostering relationships. Addressing customer problems through focused content creation develops trust and loyalty. Besides, publishing fresh content regularly improves SEO, which can elevate the business’s ranking on SERPs and position them as industry leaders in their niche, leading to increased brand recognition.
Blogs Vs. Websites
Blogs and websites differ primarily in terms of their updating frequency. Blogs are frequently updated, with bloggers publishing new content every few weeks, days, or even hours. In contrast, websites are more static, with content not being updated as often. Blogs can be part of a website or standalone, and many business sites now have a separate blog section, which aids in their search engine rankings and attracts more followers. Website content focuses on specific information about a brand or business, such as products and services, contacts, and frequently asked questions, and typically adopts a formal tone. Blog content, on the other hand, is written conversationally and spans a range of topics, with categories and tags used to classify them. Moreover, blog posts tend to adopt an informal tone to establish a rapport with readers.
Benefits of Business Blogging
Business Blogs Help Educate Customers
Utilizing business blogging can effectively educate your audience about your niche market and create more interest towards your products and services. Your blog can also provide added value to your customers, but avoid using promotional content to sell your products or services. Instead, keep your blog solely for educational purposes aimed towards current and potential customers.
Business Blogs Help Address Commonly Asked Questions
As a business owner, you will inevitably encounter frequently asked questions regarding your enterprise. Rather than responding to each inquiry individually, consider composing a comprehensive blog post that addresses these concerns and encouraging people to read it. To identify popular queries in your industry, consult Google’s “People Also Ask” list or utilize the AnswerthePublic resource. Doing so will enable you to gain insight into the prevalent questions people search for online that pertain to your particular field.
Blogging Leads Search Engines to Frequently Index a Site
Updating your business blog regularly with fresh content is essential as it prompts search engines to index your site regularly, ultimately improving your online rankings. Moreover, providing new, quality content gives your existing customers a reason to revisit your site and potentially increase your site’s visibility.
Blogging Promotes Thought Leadership
Devoting time to conducting research for your blog content, presenting reliable information, and delving deeply into a particular subject enables you to distinguish yourself from other competitors. By expanding your knowledge and honing your skills within your specific marketplace, your audience will begin to pay closer attention to your perspectives and viewpoints, recognizing you as a pioneer in the industry. Consequently, this will foster reliability in your enterprise and bolster its credibility.
Blogging Helps Building Backlinks
Another benefit of business blogging is that it helps to generate backlinks from other websites. A good amount of inbound links can boost your site’s SEO by improving its authority and bringing in more traffic. When other sites link to your blog content, it signals search engines like Google about your site’s authoritativeness and boosts its online ranking.
Blogging Helps in Demand Generation
Creating demand is the first step to lead generation. By detailing the beneficial features of a product or service in their blog posts, businesses can pique audience interest and generate anticipation for its release. This will increase the likelihood of potential customers becoming leads.
13 Platforms for Blogging
WordPress
A content management system called WordPress is available for free and is open-source. It is the most widely used application on the internet, with 43% of the web utilizing it. Additionally, there are close to 60,000 plugins accessible to enhance and tailor your website, including options for building a blog with e-commerce features, forums, galleries, mailing lists, analytics, and much more. The price of this software is zero.
Medium
Medium provides a platform for both established writers and newcomers to publish and distribute content. Writers can publish from their individual profile pages, either under their own name or under a brand. The platform includes a story submission system and customizable options for expressing one’s ideas. To help readers locate and revisit content, users can also add a custom domain name to their writing space. Additionally, writers can make money by becoming a member of the Partner Program, which allows them to include their stories as part of exclusive content available only to paying members, or by allowing free access to their work. The platform itself is free, but the Partner Program costs $5 a month.
Ghost
In April 2013, Ghost was established following a prosperous Kickstarter campaign aimed at developing a fresh platform for proficient publishing. Equipped with state-of-the-art tools, this platform facilitates website building, content publishing, newsletter dissemination, and provision of paid membership subscriptions. It also encompasses a marketplace featuring both free and high-grade themes, personalized integrations, and expert customer support. There are native signup forms to convert anonymous viewers into registered members, engagement analytics to provide in-depth data, and the ability to link your Stripe account for delivering premium content to your audience. The service is free, with hosting plans beginning at $25 monthly.
LinkedIn is recognized as the biggest professional network worldwide, and it serves as an ideal platform for crafting blogs. Exhibiting your proficiency through blog creation is an efficient way of keeping your profile active. To begin writing a blog on LinkedIn, select the “Write an article” icon on your homepage, and include your text and images before posting and promoting. There is no cost for this service, but premium accounts commence at $29.99 per month.
Squarespace
Squarespace provides a convenient way to create a versatile website suitable for blogs and other purposes. It features designer templates with high-quality images, and support for Getty Images, Unsplash, and Google Amp. By using Squarespace Email Campaigns and linking social media accounts, users can draw more traffic to their blogs. Additionally, commenting can be enabled through Squarespace or Disqus. The service is available starting at $14 per month.
Wix
Wix provides a website building platform that allows users to create their own site using over 500 customizable templates, catering to specific business requirements. The platform offers a range of options including over 200 blog templates and the ability to create a website using a blank canvas. Additionally, users can utilize a variety of advanced SEO tools, set up automatic emails and promote their website on social media. It also allows you to invite followers to become members and partake in discussions. The platform also offers monetization options such as subscriptions, display ads, paid events and ecommerce features. The platform is free to use, with premium plans starting at $16 per month.
CMS Hub
HubSpot’s CMS Hub enables the launch of a blog by providing a content platform. Users have the option to choose pre-built website themes offered by HubSpot or opt for custom development. Using the SEO recommendations home screen, one can improve their website and take necessary actions without any hassle. Furthermore, with the help of CRM data, one can track visitors and create personalized digital experiences. When it comes to adaptive testing, HubSpot allows to choose up to five page variations and it will serve the most efficient option. The price for the plans begins at $23 per month.
Craft CMS
Craft CMS is a versatile and easy-to-use content management system that enables users to create personalized digital experiences. It offers a wide selection of both built-in and plugin-based field types, enabling users to select the most suitable option. Additionally, users can manage multiple websites from a single installation, and update their content effortlessly with Craft’s built-in management tools, such as an image editor, collaboration tools, and localization capabilities. Moreover, integrating with commonly used payment gateways, CRMs, and fulfillment services is seamless. The basic version is free, while the Pro version costs $299 per project.
Weebly
Using Weebly, you can effortlessly build and manage your blog. Simply employ drag and drop features to create your posts, control comments, and schedule upcoming content. Respond to comments and form submissions instantly, reply to customer inquiries, and stay connected with your followers no matter where you are. Increase your website traffic with built-in social media marketing, effective SEO tools, and AdWords credit. The service is free, with premium plans beginning at $6 per month.
Write.as
Write.as is a contemporary, minimalist, and uncluttered tool for blogging. The composing feature is designed precisely to provide only essential writing tools and continuously save while you type. The website is devoid of comments, spam, likes, or anything that modifies your content, leaving you with only your words in a personalized digital environment. Write.as prioritizes your privacy by not collecting any personal information, permitting you to express yourself freely. You can choose to publish under any name, including anonymously, and the platform is free of cost. However, if you want additional features, the Pro plan begins at $6 per month.
Blogger
Google’s content management system is called Blogger. You can either select from a range of customization templates with background images or create a unique design. Obtain a blogspot.com domain or purchase a tailored domain. Connect with Google Analytics directly. Use AdSense to exhibit pertinent, customized ads and earn money. There is no cost associated with this service.
Tumblr
Tumblr is a platform for micro-blogging that enables the sharing of media content through various means such as text, images, GIFs, videos, live broadcasts, and audio. It allows users to enjoy free custom domains and a plethora of themes (both free and premium). Best of all, there is no cost involved.
Contently
is an enterprise content marketing platform. Contently provides expert content strategies to tell you the content topics, formats, channels, and voice and tone your audience craves. It can make intelligent content recommendations, align your teams, and
create better content faster
. Access its talent network of 160,000+ writers, filmmakers, designers, and editors from Wired, The New York Times, Popular Science, and more. Contently’s high cost puts it out of the reach of most small businesses, but it may be an ideal solution for brands with larger budgets in need of editorial support.
