Amateur blogging. It sounds easy. But, it’s not as easy as it sounds.
With that being said, successful blogging as an amateur isn’t easy — but it’s not impossible either.
If you’re ready to give it a try, this article will help you get started. Keep reading for information about what makes a blog successful, tips for building your first post, and more!
What Is Amateur Blogging?
Amateur blogging is simply blogging for fun with no intention of making money out of it.
Amateur bloggers usually do it as a hobby or out of a passion for writing. But there are many professional bloggers who started out as amateur bloggers.
Successful bloggers have deadlines to meet, like any other profession.
Why You Should Blog As An Amateur
5 reasons Why You Should Blog As An Amateur
1. Get Feedback: Blogging gives you the opportunity to get feedback from readers. Plus, it’s a great way to get constructive criticism from people who can help you become a better writer.
2. Build Your Portfolio: Blogging can help you build a portfolio of your work.
3. Connect With Other Writers: Blogging can help you connect with other writers. You can share ideas, get advice, and even collaborate on projects.
4. Learn New Skills: Blogging can help you learn new skills.
Whether you’re interested in writing for business or personal reasons, blogging will help you expand your understanding of the world.
If you’re looking to build your writing skills, but don’t want to pursue traditional courses, blogging is a great option.
Read also: How to monetize a blog
How To Start Blogging As An Amateur
1. Choose a Topic: Pick a topic that you’re passionate about and that you know a lot about.
2. Choose a Platform: The best blogging platforms are WordPress, Blogger, and Tumblr. The easiest to use is WordPress.
3. Set Up Your Blog: Once you’ve chosen a platform, it’s time to set up your blog.
4. Write Your Posts: Now that your blog is set up, it’s time to start writing.
5. Promote Your Blog: Once you’ve written some posts, it’s time to start promoting your blog.
As with any type of blogging, you’ll want to start by identifying your interests and passions.
Start by browsing popular blogs in your niche and look for topics they’ve covered that you can expand on.
Next, research how to start a blog, and your particular niche’s best practices. You can find quality information on these topics by searching YouTube and other blogs in your niche.
Once you’ve identified a few topics you want to cover, you’ll want to begin drafting your posts.
If you have a pen and paper, that’s ideal – but you can also use software like Microsoft Word or Blogger.
How To Start a Blog With Bluehost
Bluehost allows you to save more money, and, thus, make more money. They are cheap.
Bluehost gives you a FREE blog domain.
So I recommend you start your blog on Bluehost hosting WordPress hosting platform. Simply follow the following steps:
Step#1: Click Get Started Now
Step #2: Choose your plan
I do recommend that novice bloggers start with the basic plan. Click “Select” to choose your plan.
Step #3. Type in your domain name
Then click “next” to initiate the registration process.
Only use the right box if you have recently paid to register a domain.
Step #4: Enter your billing details
Step #5: Choose your hosting package and options
All Bluehost account plans offer a free custom domain name, easy WordPress installation, web hosting, and custom email addresses
Uncheck the boxes next to the package extras except for “Domain Privacy & Protection”.
While not strictly necessary, domain privacy keeps your personal information – name, address, phone, email, hidden from the public database of registered domain owners.
Step #6. Create your Bluehost account and password
Then you will be taken to an installation helper.
Click “Skip this step” on the next few pages to be taken directly to the dashboard.
Step #7: Install the WordPress blogging platform
The system will now install WordPress automatically.
Once the installation is complete, click the “Log in to WordPress” button on the top right to log in to the administrator area of your blog.
In case you are not already logged in, go to Bluehost.com and click “Login” on the top right to bring up the login screen.
If you have misplaced your password you can reset it by clicking the “Forgot Password” link.
When you log in, you will be redirected to your BlueHost Portal. From the portal, you can click the blue “WordPress” button to be logged in automatically to your WordPress blog.
Step #7: Change the design of your blog
In WordPress, blog layouts are known as “Themes”.
What is a blog theme?
Themes control the whole design of your WordPress blog. To change your theme you are going to click on the “Appearance” tab on the left menu.
You will come across several free WordPress themes installed on your blog by default. These themes include Twenty Seventeen, Twenty-Sixteen, Twenty eighteen, and many others.
For our example, let’s use the “Twenty twenty-two” WordPress theme.
In order to activate the theme on your blog, hover over the theme and click the “Activate” button. Then you are good to go!
You have changed the entire design of your blog with just one click!
To install a new WordPress theme, click on the “Appearance” tab on the left menu and then click “Add New Theme”.
This is the WordPress theme search screen.
However, you can change your entire design at any time simply by activating a new WordPress theme.
To find a theme you like, I suggest you click on the “Popular” tab and start browsing.
When you find one that you like click the blue “Install” button.
Once the theme is installed click “Activate” to activate the theme on your blog.
Step #8: How to write your first blog post & publish it
Since your blog is up and running. It’s time to actually start blogging. Let’s create your first piece of content.
Go to the left menu and click on “Posts”.
There’s a default post on every new WordPress blog but you don’t need it. To delete it click “Trash” just under the post.
To begin writing a new post, click the “Add New” link.
You can make adjustments to the picture size on the next screen. When you are ready click “Insert into post” to add the picture.
Once you have finished your post just click the “Publish” button on the top right side of the screen to publish the new post.
5 Important Pages For a Successful Blog
The first impression that your audience will have of your blog is the homepage.
Therefore, make sure it’s easy for them to find what they’re looking for. Here are five important pages you should include on your blog:
The about page
While you can use the blog homepage to showcase some of the content on your site, the about page is more about setting the stage for your visitors.
It’s the first place you can tell your readers who you are as a person and what your blog is about.
For example, if you’re currently involved with a corporate blog, you could detail the difference between a corporate blog and a personal blog and how you decided to start yours.
Your target audience – Who are your readers? What do they want? What do they need? Then what is their current situation?
Your niche – What is your blog about? What events in the world can your blog cover?
Your expertise – What are your specialties in blogging? What topics do you cover best? What can you provide better than others?
The contact page
You can easily do this through the contact page.
You can include all your email addresses, social handles, and website -all with one click.
Then you can also have the contact page markup specific emails with different colors to differentiate them.
A contact page is also a good idea for any future collaborations or agreements with brands or sponsors.
Some blogs have multiple contact pages.
Some bloggers find it easier to read from one place, so they stick to it. That is fine too.
The privacy policy page
This is another important page you must include on your blog. This page should detail how you handle your user data, including how and why you collect data.
It should also detail how you will and will not use the data you collect. Data breaches are more frequent nowadays and are also more severe.
Therefore, it’s good to include a privacy policy page on your blog.
Here are some best practices when it comes to designing the privacy policy page:
- Clearly state the purpose of the page
- Explain how you will use the data you collect from your visitors Describe what your security measures are
- Explain how you will delete or get rid of the data once it’s no longer needed
The terms of use page
It’s important to inform your readers about the Terms of Use of your blog.
This includes the conditions under which they have the right to post and publish content on your blog.
The terms of use page should include an explanation of how content on your blog is accepted and published.
It should also detail which rules and regulations you abide by. Including terms of use, the page is highly recommended because it will give your readers peace of mind.
It’s better to be safe than sorry. If someone is posting content that could be considered libelous or impolite, you want to be sure you’re aware of it.
The disclaimer page
The disclaimer page should detail the legal disclaimer of your blog.
This should be included on every page of your blog to avoid any future trouble arising from your content.
This page should be designed to be read by your readers. It should include pertinent information about your blog and the disclaimer.
How To Do Keyword Research
Knowing how to do keyword research properly can help you maximize your online visibility and reach more potential customers.
Once you’ve identified the topics, you can start researching the most popular keywords related to them.
When you’ve identified the most popular keywords related to your topics, you can start creating content that targets those keywords.
Finally, you can use the keywords you’ve identified to create targeted ads. You can use Google AdWords or other ad networks to create ads that are targeted to the keywords you’ve identified. This will help you reach more potential customers who are searching for terms related to your business.
Keyword research can be a bit of a challenging task.
How To Write an SEO-Optimized Blog Post
1. Choose what to write: Consider what your readers would be interested in reading about and then narrow down your topic to something specific.
2. Research: Once you’ve chosen a topic, it’s time to do some research.
3. Outline: Once you’ve done your research, it’s time to create an outline. This will help you organize your thoughts and make sure you don’t forget any important points.
4. Write: Now it’s time to start writing. Start with an introduction that will draw readers in and then move on to the body of your post. Make sure to include relevant facts and quotes to back up your points.
5. Edit: Once you’ve finished writing, it’s time to edit.
6. Publish: Once you’ve edited your post, it’s time to publish it. Make sure to include a catchy title and a featured image to draw readers in.
A short and to-the-point blog post is just as effective as a long-drawn-out one. Break up your posts with subheadings and images if possible.
How To Optimize Pictures
Posting pictures on your blog is a great way to grab a reader’s attention, but if you don’t optimize them correctly, they may cost you lots of page views.
You don’t want a large, pixelated image taking up a large amount of space on your page and scaring readers away.
The image above the fold (the first thing people see when they open the page) should match the topic of the post as closely as possible.
This will keep readers engaged and make them more likely to stay on your blog longer.
How To Promote Your Amateur Blog
Here are some tips to help you promote your amateur blog.
1. Participate in Online Communities: Look for forums, Facebook groups, and other online communities related to your niche and start engaging with other members. Share your blog posts and be sure to provide helpful advice and feedback.
3. Guest Post: Guest posting is a great way to get your blog noticed. Reach out to other bloggers in your niche and ask if they’d be interested in having you write a guest post for their blog.
Once you’ve identified the topics you want to cover, you’ll want to begin drafting your posts.
Once you’ve got your first few posts written, you can start researching how to get more readers to your site and convert them into leads.
While these are two of the most important things when promoting your blog, you’ll also want to consider other factors.
You’ll want to take advantage of your blog’s keywords and include them in your posts.
You’ll also want to optimize your posts for social media and create content that’s helpful and interesting.
Advantages of Amateur Blogging
1. Low Cost: One of the biggest advantages of amateur blogging is the low cost. You don’t need to invest in expensive software or hosting services to get started.
2. Work with Others: Work with like-minded people. Join blogging communities and share your thoughts and experiences with blogging.
3. Make Money: If you’re willing to put in the effort, you can make money from your blog. You can monetize your blog by selling advertising space, selling products, or offering services.
Low barrier to entry – While it can be a little more work than simply writing articles and submitting them to online publications, blogging is a relatively low barrier to entry.
Unlike other forms of publishing that often require a great deal of experience and training, blogging as an amateur can be done by almost anyone.
Low risk – Despite being relatively low-risk, blogging presents a low risk of failure due to the low investment required and the low skill required.
Disadvantages Of Amateur Blogging
Here are three disadvantages of amateur blogging that you should be aware of.
Amateur blogging can be time-consuming. If you’re not careful, you can easily find yourself spending hours each day on your blog, which can be detrimental to other areas of your life.
Second, amateur blogging can be difficult to monetize.
It can be risky. If you’re not careful, you can easily find yourself in hot water with the law.
1. Low reward – While there are low barriers to entry and low risks associated with blogging, there aren’t many ways to monetize your blog other than through ads.
2. Low participation – While almost anyone can blog, most people aren’t bloggers – so your readers may be few and far between.
3. Low leverage – Because blogging isn’t a well-established form of media, you don’t have as many options for promotion or reaching a large audience as you would with other forms of media.
Tips For Amateur Bloggers
Tip #1: Start simple
Even though blogging can be done by almost anyone, it’s important to remember that you aren’t a professional writer.
Tip #2: Focus on quality
Be willing to revise your writing and edit your work.
Even though blogging isn’t a well-established form of media, it’s worth the extra effort to make sure your work is of high quality.
Tip #3: Expand your audience
Once you’ve built some readership to your posts, you can start to expand your audience.
Tip #4: Take advantage of the internet
While guest posting and linking out to other blogs are great ways to expand your audience, you can also take other more direct approaches.
Tip #5: Make your blog a destination
Once you’ve created some content, you can make your blog a destination.
Tip #5: Build your brand
Once you’ve established a readership, you can start to build your brand by promoting events or connecting with other bloggers.
Tip #6: Keep your posts short
While it’s important to include keywords in your posts, it’s also important to keep them short.
Tip #6: Take advantage of social media
Once you’ve built a readership, you can start to take advantage of social media to promote your posts and further promote your brand.
Terrible Amateur Blogging Mistakes To Avoid
When it comes to blogging, you need to show your audience exactly what they’ll get by reading your site.
To do this, you need to write in a way that’s compelling for readers.
It can be easy to focus on the details at first, but you’ll have a much easier time once you learn how to avoid common errors as soon as possible.
Mistake 1: Not adding photos to your blog
Definitely one of the first things that people look for when reading a blog is visual content.
If you don’t have any, you’re doing yourself a huge disservice. You could have the best content in the world, but if no one can see it, it’s not going to matter.
Make sure you add plenty of images to your posts. You’ll make your content much easier to understand, and it’ll also be much more engaging for readers.
Mistake 2: Not using video in your blog
They’re a great way to supplement your articles, they’re much better for SEO, and they can also be extremely helpful for educating your readers.
If you’re not using them, you’re missing out.
Mistake 3: Not having a clear purpose
You need to write with a purpose. What is it that you’re trying to accomplish by writing? Why should they care?
You’re supposed to have all of this in mind when you start writing. If you don’t, your blog will be very generic and will have a hard time standing out from the crowd.
Mistake 4: Not knowing your audience
When you write, you need to make sure that you know who you’re writing for. You should be writing for your readers, not for yourself.
It’s important to keep in mind that not just anyone will be reading your blog.
Mistake 5: Using the same formatting for every article
When you’re writing, you need to make sure that you’re using different formats. You don’t want to use the same formatting for every article.
You want to make sure that you change the formatting and the style of your articles each time. That way, you’ll have a fresh take on your topics.
Mistake 6: Not taking comments into account
If you don’t, then you’re going to have a very difficult time growing your audience.
While you can’t always respond to each comment, you can definitely take them into account.
Mistake 7: Not understanding SEO
When it comes to SEO, you need to make sure that you fully understand what you’re doing.
You’re not supposed to just think about the rules for a day or two and then assume that you know what you’re doing.
Mistake 8: Lack of interactivity
You want to make sure that you’re constantly engaging your readers and encouraging them to share their thoughts with you.
Mistake 9: Too much text in your blog post
You need to make sure that you’re keeping your articles short and sweet. Too much detail is only going to slow readers down.
If you want to succeed, then you’ll need to avoid these mistakes and use them to your advantage.
Conclusion
Successful blogging as an amateur isn’t easy — but it’s not impossible either.
If you’re ready to give it a try, this article will help you get started. Keep reading for information about what makes a blog successful, tips for building your first post, and more!