Blogs are a way to release your creative juices and make money talking about what you love. Do you love to travel? Make your blog about travel. If you love to craft, create a craft blog, etc. The concept can be extravagant, or simple. It’s up to you and the time you allot yourself to dedicated blog work. Many of your favorite websites may have at one time been a blog concept.

What is a blog all about?

With a blog, you can give yourself a voice. Do you have an issue with the political climate we are currently experiencing? Do you have a passion for women’s issues? Do you think dogs are better than people? All of these ideas, as long as you have passion behind your point of view, can make great blogs. You have to decide what you would like your specialty to be before you begin.  Keep your passion for the specific topic at the top of your mind at all times to create the feeling

In reality, it takes about 15 minutes total to start a blog and then creating meaningful content is where the time hog comes in.

Choose a host and template.

One of the most crucial parts to creating a blog, is the idea that to get money out of it, you have to put a little money into it. Starting with HostGator.com is easy. You can host a website for only $5.95 a month. The template/theme of your blog is probably the most crucial decision you will make when creating your blog. Keep it simple, but stylish and easy to navigate. Readers should instantly know where to navigate to read what they want to know about. One suggestion is to read the explanation of the template or theme and choose something that goes with your content plan.  Essentially, choose a theme that matches your content choice.

Customize!

Even if you find a design or template that you think is unique to you and perfect for your blog, chances are there are at least one or two other bloggers out there who share the same template. This is where customization comes into play. You can move nearly everything around in most blog templates. Don’t be afraid to try something that may not be your go to. You may actually enjoy how it looks and choose to keep it.

Choose a name.

Be creative, but not overly complex. Choose something your readers will understand, but also connect with. Your name should also be memorable but not cheesy.  The name will have a large pull with what your audience thinks of your blog.

Create a community/ find a niche.

Search out like-minded people and invite them to read and comment.  You must become the knowledge expert on the topic you are writing about though, or people will choose to go elsewhere. Even if there are other blogs with similar topics, you can make it work if you show readers you know what you’re talking about. Your point of view is what people are actually looking for. Whether it be moms who also have 3 kids and can sympathize with you on the craziness of home-schooling or a fellow grad-student who also has a passion for symbolism in great works of literature. Having your own community or niche is essential to the growth and success of your blog.

Share what you know.

Talk about what you know through life experiences and knowledge that you have gained with your passion for the topic. Share both the good and the bad. People are going to come to your blog for an intimate look at your life. A blog is one place that is perfect for oversharing.

Write your first post. This should be something you enjoy doing. If you are miserable from the get-go blogging may not be the best way to go.

Talk about you.

We aren’t talking about just in your first blog post, although that is essential to draw readers in, fill out your about me page, create a contact page and fill out your side-bars and any other information that you want your readers to understand about you and your experience.

You will want to make sure all of your content is filled out. You can even do an extra post or two to have more content available for your readers.

Additionally, create SEO tags, meta descriptions and SEO titles for each page of your site.

Post-Launch

Continue to publish content that uses your knowledge and passion for your topic. Don’t forget to include photos, infographics and any other type of content that can push your ideas forward.  Also be sure to include content that is timeless (evergreen) so that despite your readership, someone can come in and get value from an article throughout the life of your blog.

Promotion

Engage with your clientele:

1. Start by talking to your friends.  Tell them about your blog and have them tell their friends and family.
2. Submit your blog to be indexed. To submit your blog URL to Google, sign in to your Google Account and go to the Submit URL option in Webmaster Tools. For extra credit, submit your site to Bing.
3. Comment on other people’s blogs in your niche. Be actively engaged in content created by others. Find guest bloggers.
4. Build your mailing list. Once you start your blog, collect email addresses from readers and build your audience list.  As your reader list grows, you will gain trust and when your readers learn to trust you they will be more willing to participate in your promotional offers.

Monetize

Monetizing your blog has to come at the right time. It should be done when our readership is high and people are engaged in your content.  There are many ways to monetize, staring with ads, and going through affiliate programs, and even selling your services. You can also create an e-book centered on content from your blog. There are so many options for monetizing.

All this and more can be done through the easy HostGator.com hosting service. Get started blogging now and learn how valuable your opinions and passions really are!