How to Start a Blog in 2018

Free food, getting products before their launch, free travel, love, and appreciation from thousands of fans. Ah, the blogging world is beautiful, right?

Oh, are you tempted to join this world ’cause of one or all of the reasons above? If yes, then close this article right away because this ain’t the right place for you.

In 2018, every second person claims to be a ‘public figure’ on the social media. While a lot of creators are doing an insane job at creating fresh and engaging content. There are a lot other people in this field, who are just having fun, playing the game of ‘5 seconds of Insta Fame.’

“Blogging world is getting very saturated. “, is solely because people are just copy pasting what everyone else has been doing. However, if you create for the sake of creation, you will make your name here! A talent is always welcomed with open arms.

Here are my top 5 tips to follow, if you are starting your blog:-

1)WHY

Blogging can be very frustrating at times. There is payment lags, slow growth, hate and questions from your uncle-aunty, that you have to deal with from time to time. A lot of my own friends started a blog and quit in few months.

Before anything else, sit down and ask yourself this question, ” Why do I want to start a blog?”

My blogging journey began in the end of my second year of college. I just wanted to write and improve, it was important that an audience feedback was there, which can help me improve and cut on the errors. At that time, I had no idea that you can make money out of blogging. The fact that I experience a flow of joy inside me, whenever I create something, is what keeps me going in both bad and good times.

2) IDENTITY

Your reason is clear? Good. Now think of a name your blog. The market is filled with ‘glamorous girl’, ‘vogue fashion’, ‘trend drug’ and all the other cliched names. DO NOT look for names on the net but search within yourself. Remember, your blog name is your brand name.

Whenever, someone asks me to describe myself in one word, I say; free-spirited. ‘GYPSY’ is a synonym for free spirit. And, ‘PANDA’ is what my friends used to call me because all I did was sleep, eat and fall clumsily like a panda. Boom! ‘The Gypsy Panda’ was born.

Your name should be unique, so that i surfaces up in an already crowded space.

3) CONTENT

Content is the king.No matter what kind of hacks you hear about, that can be used to get a blog popular. Only your content will take you places. Decide. What do you want to blog about? Which is that one thing you can talk and think about the whole day? Is it Fashion, Travel, Sports, Gaming, Fitness, etc.

Think of ideas.What value can you offer to your viewers. Is your content entertaining, educating, or inspiring.

Research. How can you create that content. What tools do you need. Be it editing apps, a camera angle or inspo, the internet is a free space for all sorts of knowledge. When I started my blog, I had a clear idea that I wanted it to be a Lifestyle Blog. I did a lot of research before starting. And, YouTube tutorials is still my best friend.

I didn’t have a fancy equipment or a professional photographer. My initial fashion blog posts were shot in the backyard of my society building by my ‘vella’ friend. Also in all honesty, I had no money to buy fancy outfits. So, I recycled my old clothes and styled them, borrowed clothes from my Mom’s old closet and sourced outfits from brands on returnable basis. I shall talk more on how to do Fashion Blogging on a Budget, soon. Let your limitations bring out the best creative jugaadu in you!

4) WHERE

Now that everything is ready; You, your blog name and some content. The next question is, where to put them up?

If you are sure that you want to blog professionally in the future. I suggest that you get a domain and hosting done from the very start. For more information on this topic, CLICK HERE

It took me zero amount of money to start this blog. I set it up on WordPress’s free hosting with a little help from my friend, who taught me how to customize the blog the way I want.

People freak out a little over this technical stuff. I suggest; start simple, hassle-free and let the content make the noise.

5) MARKET

Now that everything is ready, it’s time to promote your blog on INSTAGRAM!

no.

Use all the tools available to you which can be used to market your content. Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter, Email chains, Whatsapp Broadcast, Word of Mouth, just about everything!

Be smart in terms of what lines or image you use to market a blog post. It should be attention grabbing. One good picture is better than hundred okay ones.

In my early days, I used to ask my friends to share my blog posts on their Facebook feeds. Probably, tried and tested all means to market the blog back then.

My last advice to you is to ENJOY! Creating is a beautiful experience. Go crazy with your ideas. Don’t copy someone else who looks cool and Don’t shy away from posting content that is different from the monotony. Just be consistent in your growth.

Remember that this is a community and you’ll have to engage with other fellow creators for mutual growth. Collaborations with two creative minds is something else, eh?

Speaking of collaborations. One question I get asked a lot is ‘how to get brand collabs?’ If you have just started, I suggest that you don’t stress over it too much. Create some credible work first, and the money and followers will follow you (hopefully!)

Bottom take, It is okay to make mistakes. If you aren’t that means you ain’t trying to improve. Good Luck, buddy!

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