Top 5 Questions to Review Before You Start Professional Blogging

I have often been asked a lot of questions on where exactly to start, if you want to take up serious blogging. The basic thumb rule for blogging is – no rule at all! I have heard a lot of experiences, where people tend to get so excited about the idea of blogging that they actually tend to ignore the basics. They end up purchasing expensive domains, premium blog themes, researching about SEO and what not, without even having a basic plan of what their long-term goal for blogging is.

I might not be a rule-book person, and don’t really believe in following mindless marketing gimmicks to setup a blog. The mots important factor for me is self-belief. If you believe that you have a flair for writing or generating content, blogging is surely your cup of tea.

For all those budding bloggers, who are at a crossroads of sorts (on where to start and whether they are meant to take professional blogging forward or not), I have few simple questions for you. Just consider this as a self-evaluation, which will definitely assist you in your next course of action. If the response to all these 5 questions is affirmative, then brace yourself for the long journey of blogging. Sky is the limit!

1} Are you ready for a time-bound commitment?

Blogging requires sincere and consistent efforts and most importantly, your valuable time. No blog ever becomes a money-churning showstopper overnight. You have to consistently keep working on it, for quite a long timeframe, before it finally yields monetary benefits. You can definitely setup your personal time-bound goals for your blog and then work towards achieving them.

Always remember, there is no shortcut in blogging. You work hard – really hard, invest time (sometimes, even more than your corporate jobs) and then reap your results. It’s simple! You get what you deserve – nothing less, nothing more!

2} Are you a decent writer?

I have read innumerable posts stating that you do not have to be a writer to blog. But, take a pause and think about this. How would you respond to a blog post, with grammatical errors, no formatting, no context and without any lucid flow in paragraphs? You will most certainly, move to a different website on the same subject. Reason – readability.

I’m not saying that you need to be a great novelist, poet or Booker-prize level writer to start up a blog. But yes, decent writing, with correct grammar and punctuation is a MUST to take up serious blogging. No matter what marketing strategies you adopt, a blog’s success is always content-driven. You should be able to generate good-quality and readable content, as a basic requirement for the longevity of any blog.

3} Do you have a creative knack for basic design?

As a beginner, you don’t really have to worry about flashy designs and themes for your website. But, a fair idea about simple website aesthetics will really be helpful, as a beginner. Haphazard designs and random bright colours on the website can be an actual turn-off for any visitor. People would then tend to leave the website without even reading your content.

So, make sure that you have a good taste in subtle designing. A simple beginning is always the best!

4} Do you have substantial original content to back up your blog?

No matter what you research about SEO ranking and Google analytics, content always plays a pivotal role in setting up any blog or website. Please remember that – Google will keep changing its SEO algorithm. So, instead of finding random ways to con Google crawler to trace your website, you should always focus on quality content.

A substantial amount of good quality content will definitely build your audience and compel people to keep coming back to your blog again and again.

5} Are you active on social media?

It is a gospel truth in the world of blogging that website traffic is directly proportional to promotions on social media. So, if you are someone, who stays away from all social media platforms, then blog promotion will indeed be a tough task for you.

So, now is the time. Think rationally!

Once you decide that you qualify on the basis of these 5 important questions, the stage is all set. Welcome to the world of blogging.

A handy tip – You should start researching a bit about the blogging demographics in your area. That will make you aware of the exact blogging scenario, in terms of people involved, their academic background, monetisation opportunities etc.

Recently, I was a part of one such detailed survey on Austin Bloggers, powered by EasyWay Maid Services – #1 HouseKeeping and Cleaning Services in Austin. Take a look, to get a fair idea about the background and working style of professional bloggers in Austin – 2018 AUSTIN BLOGGER SURVEY RESULTS.

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