We live in an age of bloggers, where more people than not have a website or have signed up for social media platforms, expressing their hobbies and passions, hoping to build a following and, potentially, a career. Although blogging is now a viable profession, and there are many successful blogger (or even vloggers) out there, trying to be successful in such a fast-paced, competitive business can be both tiresome and tough. To be a blogger, you cannot simply build a website or sign up to Twitter and Instagram. Instead, you have to be methodical, and you have to act like this is business, not pleasure (although, it should be both). If you’re hoping to turn blogging into a business, here are 4 tips on how to do so.
Decide on Your Niche
Usually, bloggers will have a selected niche and theme. This is both for aesthetic reasons and continuity, as people will typically follow people for insight on certain things. Popular niches include lifestyle, cooking, fitness, beauty, fashion and travel, and if you look at the huge successes in each category, you’ll notice that although their niches are different, they are similar in many ways. They are organized, meticulous, relevant and consistent. All photos are taken, edited and posted with their niche and follower-base in mind, and all content is tailored to their audience, offering them the information they want.
Standing out in any niche you select is hard. However, it is possible. Think outside the box, and try to invent a new approach to something tired and overused. Rather than be a fashion and beauty blogger, put a spin on it. For example, if you’re interested in Japanese culture, exploring the kawaii fashion movement could work for you.
See also: Better Your Blog: Finding Your Niche
Create a Website and Relevant Social Media Profiles
You have many websites and social media stars to compete with, so you need to create a website that’s perfect, and social media profiles that’ll make you stand out. Both are hard to do, and it’ll take time and possibly money to do correctly. However, if you’re serious about this business venture and you build a name for yourself, then it’s worth the cost.
Website
Your website must incorporate whatever niche and appeal to the demographic you’re targeting. If you’re a tech-blogger interested in posting reviews and insights on the latest gadgets, then ensure your website’s theme will best represent a blog that’ll be content heavy. However, if you’re a beauty blogger who will rely on photos more than content, selecting a theme that processes and posts high-quality images will be more important. Although there is no one size fits all, there are a few ground rules when it comes to creating a website:
- No ‘spammy’ content.
- No over cluttered pages.
- Quick loading times.
- Easy navigation.
- Minimalistic layout.
- SEO (Search Engine Optimization).
- Engaging and original content
See also: Better Your Blog: Blog Design
Social Media Profiles
An original social media profile is difficult to create. Other than the Tweets, posts or images you post, everything else is similar to everyone else. You need to ensure that each post you make then, is optimized to the fullest. Find similar bloggers and follow them; interact with people online through the comments section, invite your friends and family to share and most importantly, put relevant hashtags on your Instagram at the end of each of your posts. As long as you’re constant in your postings, then your social media followers will increase at a constant rate. Social media, though, takes time, so be prepared for a long burn to become recognized.
See also: Better Your Blog: Social Media
Upgrade Your Hardware
Being a blogger means you’ll use your phone, camera and laptop or desktop computer more than most. If your blogging relies on a high volume of photos and content, then you may have to upgrade your computer’s memory, so your laptop or desktop keeps running at an efficient fast-pace without slowing down from too little space. For more information on this matter, visit offtek.co.uk.
Network and Connect
You cannot be a lone blogger. Instead, you need to connect with individuals who have similar tastes and hobbies to you. Although you may not be able to connect with some of the great bloggers in your niche, you can find people who have some traction in the industry. Message bloggers, email companies and ask to sponsor their products – whatever you do, network and become recognized.
