Do you know what’s exciting?
Starting a blog.
I know; you may not think so. So did I, but it is. A blog gives you an exciting opportunity to share your passions and ideas. It’s like your little space where you can dictate what you want to say, do, and share on the World Wide Web. However, launching a successful blog requires more than just your passions – it needs a well-planned approach.
In today’s ever-expanding digital world, starting a blog is frightening. But with good blog planning, your blog can express your niche, attract your target audience, and possibly build a profitable side hustle. In this guide, I will walk you through the foundational steps to plan your blog effectively.
So, let’s throw caution to the wind and plan your blog
Define Your Purpose
For your blog to succeed, you need to define your purpose. Your purpose is the backbone of your blog. What are you trying to inform your audience about?
For example, are you trying to educate your audience about the beauty of growing their food? Can you give them gardening tips? Do you keep them up-to-date about gardening trends?
Why Purpose Matters
Your purpose defines the direction and content of your blog. Without it, you can become easily overwhelmed and lose focus. Clarify your intent during this planning phase.
-Is blogging for expressing personal endeavors or for professional growth?
-Do you want to educate your audience on your interest(s)?
-Are you selling a product and aiming to create a blog about that subject?
“Clarity about what matters provides clarity about what does not.” -Cal Newport
Identify Your Target Audience
A successful blog is built on a deep knowledge of its target audience. Writing content that solves a problem and addresses your audience’s needs will keep them coming back for more. The more they come, the more you become an authority that they trust.
Questions to Consider
-Do you want your readers to be fanatics, experts, or beginners?
-What age group are you targeting?
-What are their problems, and how can I solve them?
Tools to Use:
- Google Trends helps you with finding popular topics in your niche.
- AnswerThePublic uncovers questions that your audience is seeking.
Choose Your Niche Wisely
What’s a blog without a niche? A niche is the subject matter that is the focus of your blog content. It tells readers your focus and what makes you unique. Choosing a clear-cut niche will help prevent disorganization and make it easier for the right audience to find you.
How to Find Your Niche?
- Brainstorm Your Passions- Jot down all the topics you enjoy and have expertise in. What do you feel confident talking about?
- Evaluate Market Demand- Research your niche to identify low and high competition. Is the market oversaturated? What trends are people in this niche talking and engaging with?
- Consider Monetization Possibilities—Some niches, like tech or finance, offer income-earning potential. Do you want to try affiliate marketing? Are there sponsorship opportunities available?
Example: A niche like “beginner content creators over 35” combines passion, market demand, and affiliate marketing opportunities.
Research and Validate Your Ideas
How do you know if you have an excellent idea for a blog? You have to research and validate it. Researching and validating your idea allows you to dive deep into whether the audience is interested in your niche, what questions they need assistance with, and how you can stand out amongst other content in your chosen topic. You can risk no engagement and connection with your audience if you miss this crucial step in planning your blog.
- Analyze Competitors– Visit blogs that are successful and that you admire in your niche. Take Note:
-Articles that they write
-Subtopics that they cover
-Engagement on posts
- Conduct Keyword Research– Research keywords that your target audience is searching for.
-Use Google Keyword Planner
-Look up longer keywords like “best gardening tip for beginners.” (Remember: Searchers often use longer keywords to look for a topic.
Create a Content Strategy
Planning your content strategy can be difficult. It’s something I struggle with myself. I try to do everything at once, which is not possible. Creating a content strategy can help you organize your ideas and posts to become more successful.
A concrete content strategy allows you to gather your topic ideas, publish your posts, and outline the structure of your blog.
How to Create a Strategy:
Build a Topical Map
Example: Your main topic is gardening. The subtopics are fruit cultivation, organic pest control, and fertilization methods
Posting Schedule Plan
Example: Create a calendar that keeps you organized when posting. Start with one or two posts a week, and then go from there.
Speaking of content strategy, you might also be interested in our post on The Ultimate Guide to SEO for Beginner Content Creators.
Choose a Domain Name
Your domain name is the audience’s first glimpse of what your brand has to offer. Picking a domain name may seem easy, but it’s not. It took me forever to come up with Beginner Content, and I’m still nervous about it. Make sure you research and validate to see if that name is right for you.
Tips for Picking A Great Domain Handle:
- Make sure it reflects you and your niche.
- Simplicity always works best.
- Check domain registrars like Namecheap or GoDaddy for availability
Pro Tip: Purchase variations of your domain name to secure your branding.
Design a User-Friendly Layout
Designing a blog can be tricky. Does it have to be aesthetically pleasing? Sure. Most importantly, it needs to be user-friendly. When visitors navigate your site, they want it to be easy. Many visitors will click off your website if it’s unreadable and clunky. A good design is more than just looks—it’s about usability.
Best Practices For Layout:
- KISS (Keep It Super Simple)
- Use images that do not slow down your website.
- Don’t forget to add your About, Contact, Disclaimer, and Privacy Policy pages.
Author Tip: There’s nothing wrong with using a template for your blog. It makes things easier when you already have a foundation to start with. Blocksy or Kadence are great themes through WordPress.
Design Tip: If you want your website to be more custom, Canva has great custom graphics. They have both free and paid plans.
Have a Budget
Some beginners overlook the vital step in planning a blog: the budget. It’s fun to start getting ready to put your passion project out there, but you must take a step back to determine the costs. You can begin to do some blogs for free, but if you use more advanced tools, you may need to invest more money into your investment. A budget helps determine what you can financially sustain when beginning a blog.
Estimated Costs for New Website:
- Domain name: $10-$30/year
- Hosting: Free-$60/month
- Website Tools: Free-$150/year
***These numbers are estimates and will change based on your needs.***
Develop a Marketing Plan
The best blogs in the world are never heard of because they have no traction.
Why?
Marketing, of course.
A marketing plan ensures that your hard work will get noticed. It outlines how you will share your content, where your audience will see your project, and the methods to get them there. Promoting your blog will get you the traction you need to put your blog on the right path.
Promotion Strategies:
-Share posts on platforms your audience loves (e.g., Instagram for visual blogs).
-Build an email list to draw your audience to your website (Use tools like Mailchimp or ConvertKit).
Set Realistic Expectations
We all hate to hear this, but success takes time. It is easy to feel discouraged when you first start. I know I did. It took me three months to post ten articles. I had to set realistic expectations to keep pushing forward.
Your expectations must be achievable because you could easily fail if they are not. Your blog’s growth is a gradual process. There will be setbacks and comebacks. Creating realistic expectations helps us on the right path to success.
How to Manage Expectations:
Track Your Progress—Check your numbers. Analytic tools like Google Analytics give a good indication of where your blog needs to improve.
-Stay Flexible- Adapting is not so bad. Your strategy may need improvement. See what resonates with your audience, and lean in that direction.
“Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.” -Robert Collier
Wrapping Things Up
Planning is the lynchpin of a successful blog. Without it, we would be disorganized and out of focus. You will see your website grow by defining your blog’s purpose, researching your content, and setting realistic expectations. Remember, flexibility is key. There may always be a kink in your planning, but adjusting the plan helps you on your journey to learn what resonates with your audience.
Ready to take the next step? Start by creating your blog’s purpose!
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