Why you should start a blog
Before starting with the detailed explanation of my experiences in the world of the Web, which have allowed me to achieve success with the configurehow.com website, I would like to dedicate a small introductory paragraph to what, in my opinion, are the valid reasons that should push you to start a blog.
Yes, because if you want to create a successful blog you need one right motivation, since an economic investment is necessary. No, you certainly can't expect to start a blog at no cost and be successful overnight.
In fact, there must be an intent behind the creation of a blog: opening a website just for fun will not get you anywhere. Consequently, if you have a passion for writing, if you are fascinated by the world of the Web and you have in mind an editorial project in which you believe and in which you want to invest time and money, the blog is the right tool. Thanks to this you will be able to have a direct communication channel with those who follow you and you can use the written form of the articles to talk about your passions and / or your knowledge. In this way, even hoping for a little luck, you will be able to be successful and you will also be able to do a job that you like and of which you are proud.
Putting aside for a moment the goal of starting a blog as a personal project, you must take into account the fact that opening a blog is a right strategy even for companies that sell products and / or services. A blog related to the company's main topic is a very powerful marketing tool. The reason is given by the fact that in this way the company will be able to acquire new customers and strengthen the relationship with existing ones.
How to choose the structure of a blog
Once you have clarified what are the reasons that should push you to open a blog, we can move on to the more technical part of this guide. Creating a blog, if you aspire to success, involves the execution of several fundamental steps.
The first step to create a blog concerns the choice of the platform. This is a key choice because this will characterize the structure of your blog. It is a bit like saying: “to build a house you have to start from the foundations”.
In this regard, the most frequently used platform for creating a blog is WordPress. If you have never heard of it, know that it is a CMS (Content Management System, in your language). In simple words, it is a self-installing and self-configuring software that forms the backbone of a website. The use of WordPress (or another CMS) is in my opinion a must if you intend to create a dynamic blog where constant maintenance and updating of articles is required: editorial standards are constantly evolving.
If on the other hand you want to create a static blog, then I advise you to turn to the use of the Jekyll tool. However, keep in mind that only WordPress is a content creation platform that can also be used by those without programming skills. Going more specifically, in fact WordPress is a free content management system that, in addition to being known for its ease of use, is appreciated for its wide range of customization possibilities.
Always talking about the structure of the blog, to create a blog you need professional hosting and a domain name. With this in mind, I therefore recommend that you invest in the structure and choose a paid hosting. It is the best choice because the technical quality of your blog will depend on the hosting.
How to choose a blog name
Now let's talk about another very important topic: the domain name of the blog. I can imagine this may seem like a minor topic to you, but it isn't. The name of the blog, and consequently also of the domain name, is a matter not to be underestimated since it will henceforth determine the virtual identity of your blog.
How to choose it? Well, first of all you have to make a choice regarding the strategy to use: personal branding o business branding? I'll explain. Following a personal branding strategy means that the blog will focus on you and that you can therefore use your name and surname as a domain name, or a nickname (for example www.configurehow.com). If, on the other hand, you are willing to implement a strategy that is not necessarily based on your person, then in this case we are talking about business branding. In this case you can choose a creative domain name that represents your business idea.
Once you have chosen the hosting, you must then buy the domain name you have chosen: your aim is therefore to obtain a top-level domain. In this regard, if you need more advice about it, read my guide entitled how to buy a web domain.
What topics to talk about in a blog
A blog does not write itself: the writing of articles could represent a full-time job and it is precisely for this reason that it is necessary to establish a editorial line. Before you start writing articles, ask yourself some fundamental questions to understand what topics you should be talking about.
If you want to have any chance of being successful, what you definitely need to do is write articles on topics you know, topics you care about or topics you follow. Spreading your knowledge is the first step: by dealing with topics for which it is possible to verify your knowledge, your figure could be considered of greater authority and the climb to success could lead you to become a real communicator.
Defining the topic to talk about also touches a broader topic: the target and the respective language of the articles. Just to give you a concrete example, on configurehow.com there are topics concerning the information and the guides that I create explain step by step how to implement a specific technological or IT procedure. The target of people who read configurehow.com are mainly all those who are not experts in this field and therefore need help. Precisely for this reason, the language in which my articles are written is deliberately a simple language and the tutorial must be smooth to read, as well as easy to understand.
To identify the topics to talk about in your blog, ask yourself the right questions: "What are my skills?", "What topics am I most knowledgeable about?", "How could I give added value to the people I want to reach through my articles?". These are just a few examples of the questions you should ask yourself.
How to make money with a blog
You've followed all my tips on how to start a successful blog, and now that your blog is up and running, you would like to profit from it. Sure, it's possible, but it's not all that easy. As for the earnings of a blog, a clear separation must be made between active earnings e passive earnings.
For passive earnings I refer to the implementation of banner ads on your website through monetization platforms such as Google Adsense. It is in fact a Google tool that will allow you to insert advertising banners in theme with the type of topics on the site. If you want to know more about it, I suggest you go to the official Google Adsense website and register.
As for indirect earnings, there are different types, but the most widespread is undoubtedly the Amazon.co.uk affiliation. This is a program that will allow you to earn a percentage on the items purchased on Amazon through the affiliate link you share.
Finally, among the most profitable indirect earnings are the training courses. This type of income is aimed at those who have years of experience on a particular topic and want to share it with their audience, in exchange for the ticket price.
How to create a successful blog
