When should I start a blog and what do I need to do to build credibility.
Before we go into any tips we are going to discuss the time to start a blog then I will give you advice to help you build credibility.
Procrastinating can work for and against you depending on the situation.However In the case of starting a blog I doubt that it would to pro long getting started .
Check out the stats below
2 million blog post are written
per day (google)
12 million people blog via social media networks (Facebook posts, etc.) 6.7 million people blog on blogging sites
Time is the essence but it waits for no man boy or girl.
Maybe you are new to this like I once was and as such have a fear of not knowing enough and as a result you are a bit reluctant to start.
First lets look at why people blog
• To share
• To inspire
• To communicate
• To connect
There tons of ways and reasons why people blog .It all depends on your personal goals who you want to reach and the message you want to promote.
Whilst it is known that bloggers write on a 6 -7 grade level on the flip side there is a demographic audience willing to read and listen to your story .
Now ,Other than a few nasty comments on the occasion, spamming there is no one critiquing your post putting pressure on you or demonizing you . Mind you you do have to write engaging content other wise you will lose readers and subscribers.
More over Blogging is universal it is for all races creeds genders nationalities .
People like
- Darren Rowse
- Jeff Bulla
- Neil Patel
- Seth Godin
write on a basic level but still have had major success.
With that being said I think that you have to get your blog set up and running .If On the other hand you are not a big writing fan you might want to choose little micro bit sized content or videos and use
• Passion
• Drive
• Consistency
• Dedication
• Strategy
• Making mistakes
As stepping stones.
No one on social media knows everything there is to know about blogging .
Anyone person that has become a successful did so over a period of time .
“The secret of getting ahead is getting started” Mark Twain.
As you see There is no secret .
There it is no hacks , degrees ,tricks needed .
(There are people setting up blogs as we speak)
Pro-blogger just launched international start a blog day class of 2019
Today My advice to you is to get started as soon as possible.Now you might think and feel as if you aren’t ready and if that is the case there is nothing I can do or say .
Again this is my opinion so I do not want you to think feel take action unless you want to.
My duty is to guide and help alleviate the fears so that you can make the transition smoothly.
After being back roughly over a year I have had challenges but the satisfaction I get posting having people engaging liking my content inspires me to do more.
Again these are my thoughts and feelings Your outlook might be totally different from mines .
The reason that I am sharing my opinion on this matter is to enlighten you so that you have a points in references to use when you are ready to start your blog.
The ocean is deep wide and there are millions of bloggers across the globe indians Aussies Bermudians Americans and more.
It just amazes me to see and listen to what other bloggers have to say because their perspective is unique .
When the indians write a post you can hear the dialect which makes reading their post that much more interesting . As is the same with my fellow Aussies .
Truth be told I do not notice a difference in the quality in the content even with the language barriers . So the playing field is level.
Yes There are people more advanced in some areas than others but that is about it.
You will be surprised as to what you can achieve once you get going .But it is up to you .
No one can force you to sign up for hosting and start publishing.
If you are fully committed you can and will make progress.
I launched my first blog around 2014 but quit a few months later despite having been successful as in ranking on the first 2 pages of google .
After my short hiatus I knew that If I wanted to be successful on line then I needed start publishing and distributing content again .
There is no turning back for me.
My Short term plan is to hire 1 or 2 writers to publish content weekly.
Before I share 19 of my personal tips I want to speak speak about credibility as I promised.
Building credibility on a blog is not a complex situation .Being honest showing up consistently is a great way to help build the trust factor.
Far too often bloggers want to spam people visiting their sites or write too many promotional post.
The way to gain trust is to share valuable information in the market .
There is a time and place to advertise and promote links on your site but not during the early stages.
Give your website visitors a chance to convert to fans and subscribers before you go for the sale.
Plus It is much harder to gain followers than it is to lose them.
Picture yourself visiting a new website having to deal with promotion codes adverts and products.
To me that would be a complete turn off .I would make a round about turn.I would not subject myself to that kind of treatment.
Take some time to think about what I am saying.
As I promised now is the time to jump into my 25 tips
What should I write about on my first blog post
Once you have an idea start writing.Planning is good as long as as you execute on the plan and deliver on promise.
Do I need to hire a ghost writer
You need to hit the ground running that is what is needed. Publish your content and share it. You know your skills and abilities like no other.
I do not have enough knowledge about my topic to blog
It is not how much you know but more so what you do. There are people in the world with a higher IQ than mines .However Does that equate to success …no it doesn’t.
Share what you know make sure it is based on logic.You can use statistics to back you if need be.
The competition is fierce
Yes there are millions of blogs online which is not an issue as strange as it sounds.
The trick is not to be competive.The key is to enjoy every inch of the process .The more fun the less stress .
Information consumption
You aren’t going to be able to make an impact on the world watching sitcoms or listening to podcast all day .After while you get addicted to consuming information . Over come that beast and spread your message to the world.
I do not know about website design
With a simple plugin like word press you do not need coding or web design skills .All you need to do is sig up and install the plugins you need .
Tools
Your mind ,good attitude is the most powerful tool you have . Website design seo boosters etc are important too but not as important as the discipline.
How often should I update my site
You should check it periodically .I mean it needs constant attention but it is not an everyday thing. You can always run speed test on your site to diagnose problems.Pick a schedule that is suitable for you.
So I would say update your site annually semi annually if need be.
Remember to run site test in-between time.
My fear of writing
I do not have a degree in journalism however I do not feel disadvantaged.I overcame my fear of writing by writing and making mistakes.
Enjoy the process and give yourself a grace period.
My next fear I hate editing
You and I are in the same boat.Thanks to wordpress built in editor tool all you have to do is scroll .Problem solved !
The more you participate in the act of blogging the better you will get ..I did not have a clue when I started .
Nothing to be nervous about here .
Now let’s get into some more tips Let me share a few statistics before I proceedTrust is the key word here. Nothing fancy or unusual at all.
Provide accurate information and you are in.
The majority of the traffic that you will be picking up comes from google.Here again all that is needed is a website that is optimized .Even if your site is not optimized you can get traffic however you stand to gain more when it is optimized.
I wrote a post a few months back covering a similar topic and the numbers were slightly different none the less the numbers are estimates (round figures) the (source impact )
See you even get link juice if you which can help your rankings.
The number of new bloggers is expected to reach 37.1 million
On top of that a whopping 47 percent viewed 3 -5 pieces of content before talking to a sales representative .
Let me dive into the next set of tips as I promised
Do I have to be perfect
There are not any perfect writers.If you find one let me know.Perfection is an illusion Furthermore you do not have to be perfect to be perfect all you have to do is provide value.
Should I talk about my journey ?
Yes talk about your journey.Talk about the highs and lows . People want to listen and learn .
I am shy
Even if you are shy you will get over it .I mean it is not like you are recording a video You are only writing blog post .No do not share private (sensitive information)
The people might not take me seriously
Do not worry about others. Drill down on your topic and keep pumping value.Sooner or later you will rise to prominence.You get what you put in . Work your craft.
What happens if someone asks “how long have I been blogging?”
Be truthful because It is easy for people to search and find out what ever they want about you.Makes no sense lying and losing credibility. you do not want or need that .
Be forth coming
Put your cards on the table.Do not hold back on information.I am not insinuating that you spill all your beans in one post.Chop them up in segments so that your audience can get their dosages over a short period of time.
Ask for help
You know how we are as humans.Sometimes we feel as if we know it all .There is no shame in asking questions .If you do not know and need answers then by all means get clarification.
Trust your ability
Your ability is unique .You have strengths weaknesses and give yourself time to adapt.
Should I learn copywriting
copyediting is a good skill set to have.In fact good copywriting skills can help boost interest in a post and arouse readers .It is asset but not a mandatory requirement .
Summary
Confidence carries you along way no matter what you are doing in life.
You have to trust and know that you will survive the learning curve. So stick to the game plan .
Play the game long and you will find yourself amongst the few that are building huge audiences .
Remember there are more bloggers like you and I navigating learning the process every time we study and write.
I will for ever be a student of lifes lessons.
Did you find anything useful in today’s post ?Feel free to send me an email of join me on Facebook.
Email jamelhassell@hotmail.com
Face book Jamel Hassell
If you want consultation you can Direct message me on Facebook
My twitter handle is @chicagoleakers
The journey has been wonderful and thank you for joining me.
It is my hope that you leave here more equipped and ready to tackle the challenges that you face.
Once again thank you.
By the way If you want to make suggestions for the next series of blog post make some noise in the comment section.
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