Problems with Starting a Blog and their Solutions
Even as competition increases, people still want to learn how to start a blog. The problem is getting traffic and views that will lead to opportunities.
Some of these opportunities are:
- Job hunting
- Establishing yourself as an expert
- Communicating about a hobby
- Starting a small business
- Making money as a professional blogger.
Traditionally, one would approach this through content marketing. A fancy word for blogging to get search traffic. That converts to subscribers or customers. That is getting increasingly difficult. Search Engine Optimization can not be your only way to get traffic. There is a better way through community building and outreach.
The point of this blog is to give you the advice you need to get started today. Explain the benefits for you and how to achieve them. You will be learning alongside a whole community of writers.
You don’t have to start your blog alone. My aim is to provide a safe space for you to learn and connect with others. Growing together and offering support.
To this end, I’ve created a newsletter called the Blogging Buds. Each week, we have a community spotlight so that we can share and discuss what we have written. There are future planned activities like a monthly blog challenge and a comment hour.
You will also receive updates on published articles from the blog.
So, what are these elusive benefits of starting a blog? They are numerous and surprising. I’m proud of the recognition and achievements that I’ve had over my career. I want to help you reach your goals and find blogging success.
Benefits of Starting a Blog
In the first section, we mentioned five motivations that you may have for starting a blog. Let’s tackle each of these in order from writing for views to writing for money. Either of these goals is worth the time that it takes to write.
Writing About a Hobby
Hobbies are something specific to every individual. Not everyone shares our interests. I’ve personally faced a lot of rejection over my love of mathematics. There are people out there who feel the way that I do. But, they are not necessarily people in my personal life. So, writing gives me an outlet to talk about my passion. Something that has led to co-authoring an article for the Forbes website.
Establishing Expertise
It isn’t uncommon for someone to want to write a blog to establish their expertise. That is often referred to as through leadership. It is a way to network with other people in your industry. Some people even go on to be influencers. It is a lucrative position if you can build your following and a blog is one way to do that. This can lead to opportunities like public speaking. Or publishing books about your experiences.
Professional Networking
A blog makes it easier to network with others by starting conversations. Outreach is key to building a community and a professional network. This has led to every job opportunity in my life. People get to know you through your writing. Their referrals give you a way to get in the door at a company and in front of hiring managers. Blogging facilitates the building of these relationships even though it does take time.
Starting a Small Business
Content marketing is one way to bring people to your website. In this method, you use your blog to get search engine traffic that leads to purchases. You can turn your hobby into profit if you are clever about it. I used to sell math cross stitch on Etsy. My blog was a way of promoting that work. Now, I offer all my patterns for free.
Professional Blogging
Some writers make money directly from blogging. There are several ways to do this. Like selling digital products, merch, or using affiliate links. Other methods are advertising like writing sponsored posts. Building trust with your audience is essential. As well as establishing expertise in your topic. Both of these will convince others that what you offer is trustworthy.
Summary
Search engine traffic isn’t enough to bring traffic and views to a blog. But, it isn’t obvious the best way to acquire them. You may feel that you are alone when you are starting your blog. That is why I’ve created the Blogging Buds. It is a community for writers who want to grow their audience. We do that through the blog on this website and community activities. There are several benefits to blogging. Like establishing your expertise or making money from your blog. The newsletter will give you the advice you need to accomplish your goals.
