#teachingisfun

I got lots of private messages on bogging. That’s why I decided to write a blog post including the most frequently asked questions.

How to start blogging

1) Create a website.

To have a blog, you need to have a website. You can create one by yourself and have a free Plan on WordPress, for example.

2) Choose a topic to write about.

You can write about anything! Of course, I mean legal stuff. Share your experience, thoughts, concerns, hopes, or even dreams with others! (Jolly et al., 2019) state that studies support that shared experiences are more enjoyable than solo ones.

3) Choose your audience.

The question is simple – who is your reader? When we write for everyone, we end up with no one. That’s why we should compose a buyer persona.

A buyer persona is a profile of a person that describes your customer. Your buyer persona outlines her/his challenges, what one is looking for, pain points, etc.

Is Instagram a blog?

I hate to disappoint you but no. I know that some influencers call Instagram a blog. However, Instagram is not a blog. Instagram is a social media platform where you can share images, videos, and posts. 

Let’s have a look at the definition of the noun “blog.” 

According to the Cambridge Dictionary, a blog is “a website on which one person or group puts new information regularly, often every day; weblog.” Wikipedia has got a similar definition: “is an informational website published on the World Wide Web consisting of discrete, often informal diary-style text entries (posts).” 

Thus Instagram is not a blog. 

What should I do before creating a blog on my website?

As I mentioned before, first of all, you should identify your reader. 

Then you should outline the goals of your website and blog after that. In addition, think about the layouts of the pages, your brand colors, which Plugins need, categories for your blog posts, etc. You can learn more in my blog post, “7 Things to Do Before Launching Your Website.”

How much should I invest in my blog?

You can start with a free Plan. As I have said, you can create a free website with a blog on WordPress, Wix, or another similar platform. 

With a free plan, your domain name will be www.yourdomainname.wordpress.com. If you want to get rid of the “wordpress.com” part,  you should buy a paid Plan with a domain name. 

I’ve been working with WordPress for ages, and I love it. For example, there are not expensive Plans on WordPress. This is the list of all Plans they offer:

• Free – 0€ per month
• Personal – 4€ per month
• Premium – 8€ per month
• Business – 25€ per month
• Commerce – 45€ per month
• Enterprise – starts at US$25,000 yearly.

I started with a Free Plan in 2008, and then I bought a Premium and then a Business. You can read about my journeys тут and here. 

Think of what you would like to have on your website. Maybe you want to have some cool plugins (software extensions that can be loaded on a program to improve its functionality). For example, if you want to have a plugin for SEO, you need to have a Business Plan at least. If you want to have a multilingual website, then you need to install a plugin that will allow you to do so. And so on.

AI and writing blog posts

I know that some people use AI for writing blog posts, yet, I do believe that people should write for people. You know your audience better. 

In addition, there are many disadvantages if your texts are written by AI. For example, plagiarism (you cannot be sure that the text is 100% plagiarism free). Another one is Google may slam your analytics. According to Google’s page “Google Search’s helpful content system and your website,” “helpful content system generates a signal used by our automated ranking systems to ensure better people see original, helpful content written by people, for people, in search results. This page explains more about how the system works and what you can do to assess and improve your content.” 

When you write a text, it is 100% original and has got your style and not the AI’s style. 

Also, let’s remember about a personal touch! 

What to write about

Once you know your niche and you have your buyer person written along with pain points, you clearly will see what to write about. 

For example, your buyer persona’s name is Michelle, and she wants to improve her English to get a better job in Germany. Probably, she would like to get ready for an interview, write a professional CV, learn new words regarding her new job position, etc. Michelle may also not have much time to learn English. Based on this info, possible topics could be:

• How to get ready for a job interview in English;
• Business culture in Germany (I actually wrote a blog post about it in English, German, and Spanish for an American online school – Verbal Bridges);
• How to write a professional CV;
• Business English for busy people;
• How to learn efficiency, etc. 

You may want to personalize these topics as they are just examples.

How often should I publish blog posts?

Personally, I recommend posting every week. But the key point is to be consistent. Even if you post every month, it is better to post every week and then stop for 6 months. 

Think about your resources. 

Remember that blogging is not a sprint; it is a marathon.

Where to look for inspiration

One of my favorite quotes is:

Write. Just do it. Then again. Then some more. And more. Do not wait for inspiration; if you do enough of it often enough, inspiration will eventually come.

Nancy Kress

Secondly, find some groups where people look for, e.g., English teachers. Read their posts carefully. 

Similarly, follow your competitors online. Read what they write, and write something better. 

Furthermore, talk to your clients. Ask them what they would like to read.

Can I make money blogging?

YES! There are some ways to make money.

Affiliate links

Affiliate links are special links that you include in your blog posts. Once a person clicks on them, they lead to an affiliate partner. Those links have got affiliate’s IDs or usernames to authorize tracking.

Advertising program

For instance, WordPress has got an advertising program. There will be ads from external ad networks, for example, from Google, Facebook, AOL, etc., on your website. Learn more about it.

Advertising via other providers

You can advertise using third-party’s ads—for example, Google AdSense, OpenX, Lijit, BuySellAds, etc. In addition, you can sell ad space on your blog/site. Learn more. 

Donations 

You can set up a donation campaign. Many bloggers ask for a cup of coffee or gather money for something. You can add a PayPal button to your blog.

Premium Content

You can make subscriptions to share your premium content. People pay you to view it. You can do it weekly/monthly/yearly. As you wish. 

Sponsored posts

You can write sponsored blog posts. For example, advertising some products or services. 

Guest posts

A guest post is a blog post for another person that another person pays you for doing that. 

Writing for others

You can write for other people. This is what I do. For example, I have a project with an online language school – Verbal Bridges. I write blog posts for them in English, German, and Spanish. 

Being a ghostwriter 

A ghostwriter is a person who writes blog posts (or other texts) for someone. Let’s call that someone Jane Doe. You write for Jane Doe on a regular basis. Jane Doe pays you. As you are a ghostwriter, your name is not published. Instead, your blog posts are under the name of Jane Doe.

There is a great blog post in English – 10 reasons why your blog is not making money. 

Why is blogging important

Having a blog on your website is extremely important. 

Nowadays, everyone is online. When you need an answer to a question, you google. When you are looking for some services, you google. Your potential clients do the same. There are many benefits to having a blog, and you can benefit significantly from it. 

• Tell the world who you are

Show your expertise and how people can benefit from working with you, share your best cases, and get feedback from your clients.

• Increase your brand’s visibility

You’ll increase your brand’s visibility and recognition as it is a crucial base to get clients. Brand awareness means that people can remember and recognize your business.

• Know your audience

The analytics of your blog will give you better clarity on your audience. You can look (in real-time): at several visitors, impressions, “unique visitors,” locations of your visitors, demographics, which type of content they like more, the best time to publish your blog posts, etc.

• Blog followers vs. social media followers

Your blog is a great source to gather emails for your email list. Building your business on your blog is better than on social media, as your blog belongs to you. Your social media accounts do not belong to you; they belong to Meta Platforms, for example.

• Build up your email list

Also, your blog is a great source to gather emails for your email list. Remember to add a subscribe button. In addition, you may ask the viewers to subscribe to your email list on your blog, i.e., when you upload a new post, they will get an email with it. Moreover, if you are not my subscriber yet, you are welcome to subscribe to my blog.

• Freebies

Upload pdf/Word files so your readers can download/print them easily in exchange for emails.

• Publish your long-reads

WordPress does not specify a maximum number of words for blog posts. You can write as much as you would like to. Whereas on social media, you cannot post that many words. Read more on the benefits of having a blog тут.

More questions?

If you have some questions, it’s a good idea to ask then the  experienced and successful ones with blogging.

Besides if you have any questions, please feel free to ask me.

Book a free 20-minute consultation with me.

Використані джерела:

Skrypkina, T. (2023, February 23). 8 benefits of having a blog. #teachingisfun. Retrieved April 20, 2023, from https://teachingisfun.net/benefits-of-blogging/ 

Wikimedia Foundation. (2023, April 11). Blog. Wikipedia. Retrieved April 20, 2023, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blog