Blogging nowadays has emerged from a simple online diary to a money generating channel for bloggers worldwide. It started out as a hobby for many, but now has been attracting former non-bloggers to explore the potentials of generating a prosperous income from this not so explored money making media.
Rookie bloggers have increased from hundreds to thousands and is continuously increasing every minute of the day. Some of these newbie bloggers have been exceptionally excelling in their craft, and some are still “in the dark” and is still on the stage of finding a niche that would work for them.
I am not a newbie blogger, in fact, I have already created several blogs way back in the past even before my online colleagues started their own blogs. But rookie or not I can still never deny the fact that I have been “in the dark” several times in my blogging career.
I was able to make money from my previous blogs, but those blogs have been neglected and has been hanging around the web space like “space junks”. Why did I allow it to happen? It happened because I was in a hurry to monetize it. Greedy am I right? I have realized it too.
This is the common mistake newbie bloggers commit. Yes we all want to make money from our blogs, but we should always remember that this will never happen overnight.
It is advisable to plan before getting into blogging. Blogging is like any endeavor, without the proper knowledge, success is something far from achieving.
These are some of the basic things to do before creating a blog.
• Scout for a perfect layout for your blog. Learning basic HTML and CSS tricks is also a plus. As a newbie, I was easily distracted by numerous FREE blog layouts available for download anytime in the internet. Back then I was changing my blog’s layout every week. I never thought it was a bad idea, but the truth is, it is. Your readers may love your new layout but, it does not necessarily mean your traffic will increase because of your layout. Readers go for your content. For beginners, a basic 2 or 3 column blog layout is advisable. It is much more manageable than going for attractive plug-ins your not yet familiar with.
• Find a niche you love and is good at. I suggest you list down topics of interests and check the ones you are good at. If you ended up with 5 interests but wants to start with a single blog for easy monitoring, designate. Write about politics on Mondays, gadgets on Tuesdays, baking on Wednesdays and so on. Blogging has evolved through the years. Multiple niches in one blog are now a common thing. You just need to properly arrange everything in your blog for reading convenience.
• Market your blog. MArketing is everything. Readers won’t bump into your blog instantly. You are the one responsible for attracting readers to visit your blog. How? One is advertising. But I only advise advertising to blog owners who have the extra dough and to those who have already written a generous amount of information in their blogs. In the first place, who would visit a blog with 3 entries? None, unless your Justin Bieber or Miley Cyrus right? Participating in traffic exchange sites is also advisable. It’s free and you get the chance to meet bloggers whom you can get ideas to innovate and friends that could advice you on how to make more out of your blog. Then again, good content will bring you more traffic and will keep readers coming back.
• Be patient. Blogging is a profitable source of income nowadays, but again, this doesn’t happen overnight. Avoid posting “ad space available” widgets on your blog. Before aiming to make money from your blogs, aim to get traffic. Would you advertise on a blog who doesn’t have credibility or a descent traffic amount per day? Of course not right? Focus on building traffic. Advertisers will come to you when your blog has made a name for itself.
Like what I have said in my blog launch post, Understanding that success is not an easy thing to achieve is the first step in succeeding. Work hard, be creative. Sucess comes to those who deserve it. Make your blog deserving.
