10 Things To Be Aware of When Creating a Blog

So you are thinking of starting a blog? Before you rush ahead and begin writing, first we recommend to do some research. Running a blog takes much more energy than you would originally think, and there are numerous things to be aware of when creating a blog.

A common misconception for many blog owners, and that is, just because you create content, does not mean that your blog will be found and people will want to read it.

Instead, there are a number of simple tips and tricks that must be followed. Helping you to create an enjoyable, readable and fun blog that can be found and returned to time and time again.

Keep reading to discover our top tips of things to be aware of when creating a blog. 

How to create a blog? 

Whether you are creating a blog to document your latest hobbies and interests or a business blog to write and review products for companies, there are a number of things to be aware of when creating a blog. 

Not all bright lights and freebies, keep reading our 10 things to be aware of when it comes to how to create a blog and be prepared for the highs and lows that will follow.

women-writing-content-to-add-to-website-blog

#1 Discover the purpose of the blog

One of the first things that you need to be aware of when creating your blog, whether for business or pleasure and that is what is its purpose? What are you hoping your blog will achieve? All content should have a purpose, but what will be the purpose of your blog? Is it to entertain, educate or is it for your benefit as a public journal? If you are planning to communicate and educate like minded individuals, take a look around and see if there is a blogger out there offering a similar service. Try to be as unique and true to yourself as possible. You will be spending a lot of time blogging, so writing on a subject that you are passionate about is key. 

#2 Target audience

Before you begin to design, create and start writing content to post onto your blog, the second of top things to be aware of when creating a blog and that is, what is your target audience? Who are you hoping to reach, but also who will be interested in the content that you are writing. Not everyone who stumbles across your blog will be interested in what you have to say. Truthfully, it will only be a small percentage. Take the time to work out who you are actually writing for and craft your content accurately.

You also need to consider what kind of content you target audience prefers – do they like reading long, insightful article or short snappy tips? Would they prefer the use of infographics or short form videos embedded in the blog to help the digest the information quicker? The benefit of using different forms of content means you can repurpose them across social media and reach more people too!

By being aware of who your audience are, you can ensure that you are targeting and featuring the correct keywords that they themselves will search to discover your blog. This is referred to in the digital marketing world as keywords. By adding keywords and optimising your blog. This you can do through optimising images, internal linking and building backlinks to your site, you can increase your chances of being discovered by your receptive audience.

#3 Create a content calendar

Perhaps you are a spontaneous blogger who likes to write about topics and emerging trends as they emerge? Or would you prefer to research, draft and create content months ahead of publishing to ensure that it is to the highest standard? Regardless of your writing style, we recommend creating even a loose content calendar. A useful addition to your blog, a content calendar can give you some guidelines and basic understanding of upcoming blogs that are topical and relevant to the time of year. 

A calendar can also help you to keep track of when blogs are going live and make sure that you are posting frequently and in a uniformed manner. When your blog begins to take off and you grow a supportive readership, these readers will appreciate the familiarity of you posting blogs at the same time daily or weekly. Blogging is hard work, but the formation of a content calendar can remove some unnecessary headache when it comes to the posting of blogs.

#4 Frequency of your posting

A nice follow up to the creation of a content calendar and as previously touched upon on things to be aware of when creating a blog, and that is the frequency of how often you will post. 

When it comes to the success of your blog, first you need to be honest and ask yourself, how often can you post online? If you can only find the time to write two blogs a month, creating a blog to generate extra income is unachievable. While a blogger who can turn out two to three blogs a week is more likely to grow and develop a successful blog over time. 

#5 Blog Content

When it comes to how to create a blog another top tip for things to consider and that is the type of content that you are intending on posting. Before you can consider the content, first you need to think about the nature of your blog. Are you planning on educating and informing your audiences? If so, then the creation of informative and well researched content, backed up with infographics and sources is key. If you are looking to entertain your audience, then consider video content. 

Working out which type of blog content is best suited for your site will take trial and error and expect mistakes to be made in the beginning. This is part of the blog creation process. 

Regardless of your intentions of your blog, be sure to focus on quality over quantity. Make sure that all content is well written and to the highest standards. Be sure to create well written and factual content, backed up by relevant and trusted sources.

#6 Consider creating a marketing campaign

Our sixth top tip for things to be aware of when creating a blog and what makes a blog successful, and that is the addition of a marketing campaign. For many blogs, simply creating quality content is not enough to get found and discovered. Instead, by marketing your blog, you can be discovered by a larger and more engaged audience. 

By how do you create a marketing campaign? First, you need to think of how you will integrate your blog and post and distribute such content across other channels. These can include social media and email marketing. Be sure to distribute it across social media channels that are used by your audience. Make sure that all your media channels speak the same message and are in correlation with one another. We also recommend doing some research to discover when your audience is most active, this you will also discover first hand over time.  Or through analytics available on the social media platforms.

how-to-create-an-optimised-blog

#7 Optimise your blog

You have created great content that you are confident that your audience will love, the next step is to optimise both your content and your blog. Another top thing to be aware of when starting a blog, and that is to optimise a blog not just for the search engines, but also for the reader.

In line with the 2021 user experience algorithm update announced by Google, the user experience of the site and the content will be reviewed to help determine the position of your blog within the SERPs. When creating any content, consider not just how the search engines will review the content, but whether you are offering value to the user? 

This you can do by making sure that all content asks and answers questions that the readers will be searching for, while making sure that they remain engaged on the site. To get them to the site? We recommend using relevant keywords to appear higher within the search results, bringing your content to the top of the page. 

#8 Be yourself

When creating a blog, you can be excused from getting too involved, keen to witness success and see the readership figures consistently creep up. Instead of getting too caught up in the popularity of your site, make sure to focus on being yourself.

A key top tip for things to be aware of when creating a blog and that is to keep your blog about you. Try to bring your personality across in your writing and develop your own unique writing style. This uniqueness will be fresh and appreciated by your readers. Along with value and appreciation amongst your audience, you can help to build a brand, a brand that people will keep returning to.

#9 Be prepared to learn new skills

Our ninth top tip of things to be aware of when creating a blog and that is to be prepared to learn new skills. These new skills are essential in not just remaining relevant, but in running your blog to the best of your ability.

These new skills that you might require to develop and touch up on overtime can vary. From a basic search engine optimisation understanding, learning about email marketing to technical site skills. These news skills can be used not just to optimise your site, but to fix and repair any issues that might develop over time.

It is also recommended that you consider keeping up with the latest advances made by Google. These advances or changes are referred to as algorithms. By keeping up with algorithm updates, you can ensure that you are creating quality, high ranking content at all times. 

#10 Start small

Our tenth top tip of things to be aware of when creating a blog and that is to start small. We have covered all the key parts that you should be aware of when creating a blog and our recommended tips to get ahead and be successful, but sometimes the key to success is to start small. 

Instead of rushing ahead and planning to create a large site that you unrealistically you will never be able to maintain, instead stay realistic and run a smaller site.

By running a smaller site first, you create a site to the best of your ability and make sure that it is in the best health possible. If successful, your blog can develop and grow organically over time.

You might also find through months of blogging, that this lifestyle is not for you. Something that you will discover first hand for yourself over time.

We recommend starting small and watching your blog grow naturally on its own in front of your eyes. The sign that you have created a successful blog.

Summary

If you have always dreamed of creating and running your own blog, then why delay anymore? Instead of holding off for a moment longer, put your pen to paper and start thinking up which exciting topic that you hope to write about. 

Will it be your hobby or a general lifestyle and family blog to share your family’s latest adventures in a humorous and enlightening tone?

Regardless of the purpose and audience of your blog, by following our 10 top things to be aware of when running a blog, you can create a successful and inspiring blog that readers will return to weekly for the latest instalment. 

A daunting and challenging experience, we would love to hear from you and discover whether you have taken these terrifying steps and created a blog for yourself? Comment below and share your experience of creating a blog for yourself.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *