This blog post is an introduction to blogging for those interested in starting a blog. This post will look at everything about blogging, who can blog, why you should start a blog, the benefits of blogging, and the different types of blogs that are available for you to choose from. I decided to write this post while I was replying to emails I received from a few of our subscribers who wanted to know more about blogging. I figured that I should write a post about it so you might also benefit from the information since blogging is something that everyone and anyone can get involved in. You included.
There has been a steady growth in the number of bloggers in Kenya in the past few years which is largely attributed to the growth in the ICT sector. Blogging is a very engaging, interesting and fun way to make money online.
So read on and find out how you can join other Kenyans –such as myself in the Blogosphere.
How I discovered blogging
I discovered blogging back in early 2016 while I was looking for something worthwhile to keep me busy and away from all the negative and useless unproductive habits that I had back then –you can read the whole story on how and why I started blogging here. Just like you, I had very little information about blogging, but I held on and started teaching myself how to become a blogger.
As I continued working on my blog, my journey into the Blogosphere started to gain momentum and I realized that blogs are much more than just a search engine marketing tool. Blogs, a shortened name for Web Log, are very powerful outlets for creativity, they influence people all around the globe, they are a source of entertainment, they act as a communication medium, and they educate, spread ideas, connect people, report news, help foster friendships and sway political opinion.
Starting a blog has completely changed how I live my life – and for the better since blogs have a lot of benefits such as generating an income. Anyway, we will delve into detail the benefits of blogging later in the post. Right now let’s find out what the hell is a blog and why is blogging so popular.
What is a blog, who is a blogger and why is blogging so popular?
The word blog is derived from the term “Web Log” which means an online journal or diary. Blogs are dynamic websites that are characterized by articles that are listed in chronological order with the most recent post appearing at the top. Almost all blogs I have come across live up to this basic structure, blogs are very versatile, this means you can blog about anything and everything you want. But if your intention is to monetize your blog, later on, your blog will need to have a FOCUS.
The popularity of blogs and blogging can be attributed to the fact that they are very easy to start and they can be used for a wide variety of functions. Practically everyone and anyone can start a blog, and tune it to serve whatever purpose they want; be it promoting your business or just simply sharing ideas and opinions.
So who is a blogger?
A blogger is simply a person who creates and manages a blog and its contents. With the right information and direction, anyone can become a blogger. If you want to become one, then I would urge you to subscribe to this blog and you will be receiving information that is custom made for you to make your journey into the Blogosphere very easy.
Types of blogs
There exist 7 different types of blogs in the Blogosphere, with each of them having their own pros and cons, the type of blog you choose to start will wholly depend on the intention of your blog.
Below is a brief description of the most popular types of blogs in the Blogosphere.
1. Personal Blogs – Just as the name suggests, this type of blog is very personal, and it is the most popular and recommended blog of choice for blogosphere newbies. They are very easy and quick to set up through blogging platforms such as Blogger and Wordpress.
2. Business Blogs – Unlike personal blogs, business bloggers operate blogs that are aimed at promoting their businesses or the company the blogger works for. In essence, business blogs market and promote businesses.
3. Professional blogs – These are blogs that have been monetized i.e their sole purpose is to make money through blogging. Professional bloggers monetize their blogs via monetization strategies like selling advertisement spaces, creating and selling digital products or selling other people’s products for a commission. This is an advanced level of blogging that requires some skills and knowledge to operate.
4. Niche blogs – These are blogs that are focused on one specific topic i.e a niche. Examples of niche blogs are blogs about food, pet care, cars or anything specific that you are passionate about. Niche blogs have the potential of being turned into a professional blog –one that makes you money.
5. Reverse blogs – Also known as a guest host blog, is a rare but not uncommon type of blog where the public are the ones contributing the content and a team of moderators promote slow topics, moderate posts and encourage fair-play among the contributors.
6. Affiliate blogs – These are blogs that generate commissions through affiliate marketing. An affiliate blogger writes reviews about other people’s products and then get a commission if visitors make a purchase through their blog.
7. Media blogs – A media blog is a blog that focuses on one specific type of media like videos and pictures. This type of blog is very popular among gamers, YouTubers and photographers.
What are the benefits of blogging?
- Blogging has drastically changed how I and other bloggers live our lives – for the better. Want to improve your personal and professional life? Well, then read on because these are the benefits that you are going to get once you start blogging.
- Blogging allows you to express yourself and share your passions with other people around the world who are interested in the things you are interested in. Whether its business, cooking, politics, photography, design or anything else for that matter.
- Blogging also helps you to make a difference, for example, you can use your blog to create awareness or support towards a cause you are passionate about like diseases such as breast cancer and thoracic endometriosis.
- You will also improve your writing skills in the process since most bloggers write blog posts on a regular basis. The more blog posts and articles you write, the better your writing skills will get and the feedback from your readers will help you become a better writer.
- Once you start blogging, you will definitely learn ways of how to make money blogging and the different money making strategies that are at your disposal. A lot of bloggers start out with one blog but gain experience along the way and get ideas for starting other niche blogs that diversify a blogger’s income-generating capabilities.
- Through blogging, you will be able to share your knowledge with other people who are interested in your field of expertise; you could also use your knowledge and expertise to monetize your blog by offering educational services and products at a price.
- You can also use your blog to market your business and put your business out there and watch the customers start rolling in.
- You can use your blog as a platform to showcase your expertise in a certain field, blog posts and articles that are timely, accurate and informative will eventually get the attention they deserve therefore earning yourself recognition as an expert in your field.
- Finally, one of the best benefits of blogging is that it helps in getting you organized. Running a blog involves a lot of activities, so in order to adapt, you will have to up your productivity and organization game to keep up with blogging activities such as the publishing of articles, setting up ads, responding to subscriber queries among others. Who wouldn’t want to be more organized?
Now that you are all caught up on what blogging and what blogging entails, you can start your blog today in less than 15 minutes and get to enjoy all the benefits that come with blogging. Free blogging platforms such as Wordpress and Blogger have made the process very easy and simple. However, if you feel overwhelmed by the whole process and you still want a blog, feel free to contact me here and I will set up an awesome one for you (at a very small fee) in no time.
Remember, blogs sio za siasa pekee, as you have learnt from the post, you can blog about anything and everything. So put all your fears, doubts and worries aside and let’s get to blogging!
No comments:
Post a Comment