Have you been thinking about how to start a blog for business but aren’t sure where to start?
Or maybe you think you don’t have anything good enough to write about.
Well, I’m here to tell you that you are good enough, you are knowledgeable, and you need to share that knowledge with the world!
In this post I’m going to walk you through the basics of how to start a blog.
How to Start a Blog for Business
There are a few steps that you will need to complete before you start writing your blog:
- Choose your blogging platform– I prefer WordPress because it is fully customizable, but you might want to use Squarespace, Medium or LinkedIn Published Posts to keep things simple.
- Choose a domain name and get hosting with Bluehost or Siteground (I am an affiliate for both, which means there is no extra cost to you, but I get a small fee if you use my link)
- Design your blog (again, WordPress is easy because you can simply choose a theme, configure, and away you go)
- Think about who your ideal reader is, what problems they have, and what knowledge you will share with them to help solve their problems.
In order to help walk you through the blogging process, we’re going to break down the previous 4 to-do’s in more detail.
Choose your blogging platform
WordPress is one of the most popular blogging platforms because you can integrate a blog into your business website which helps bring more traffic to your website, and gets your product and services seen by more people.
Benefits of WordPress:
- Other than your website hosting and any additional domains, it’s free to use.
- It’s fairly easy to set up. I’ve found that when I purchase my hosting through Bluehost, that it’s quite easy to then setup WordPress.
- It is a secure system and has various safety plugins to reduce spam, etc.
- It is fully customizable based on what you need for your business.
Note: There are two WordPress options, so make sure to get the correct one. I use WordPress.org which means I use my own hosting and you can customize your website. WordPress.com is simply a blogging platform, so you have less control over customization.
Other options for blogging platforms:
- Squarespace which is used more often and although I don’t use it, hear about it more and more.
- Medium is a space for blogs, so although you won’t have your own website, you can write articles and might have people stumble upon your writing since people are already visiting the site.
- LinkedIn Published Posts is a great option if you are trying to reach business professionals. I would use this option to complement your WordPress website and blog.
- Wix or Weebly offers a website similar to WordPress, though I have less experience using these platforms, so am not sure about how they rank on Google, but know people sometimes find these easier to set up and maintain.
Choose a domain name and get hosting
When I first started my website, I chose the URL www.socialmediamarketingtipscanada.com which is waaaayyyy too long and hard to remember. I know use www.thesociallaunch.com which is much easier to remember and use and is easier for email purposes.
Remember to choose a domain name that:
- is easy to remember
- makes sense for your business
- reflects what your business is/ does
If you are a Canadian business but offer services or products worldwide, consider getting both the .com URL and .ca URL in case someone enters incorrectly.
Website hosting is basically how you ‘rent space on the internet’. I use Bluehost or Siteground (I am an affiliate for both, which means there is no extra cost to you, but I get a small fee if you use my link) and have good experiences with both.
Design your blog
If you’re just starting your business you might not have a clearly defined brand yet, but if you do, try matching your website and blog to your branding.
If you already have a logo designed, try matching the colours and overall theme to your new blog.
Stuck on a colour scheme? Use www.coolors.co to quickly find a colour scheme you love
If you don’t have a brand clearly defined yet, don’t let this hold you back! Nothing will ever be perfect, so it’s better to get started now, learn the process, start writing, and worry about making things perfect later.
Think of your ideal reader
Before you start writing randomly, really sit down and think about your ideal reader, what their pain points are and how you are going to help them.
If you’ve already developed a customer avatar, this will help you through this process, but if not, think about your existing customers, and any questions they often ask. Anything that a customer asks you is potentially a great topic for a blog post.
Things to consider before you start writing:
- what pain points does your ideal reader have?
- what can you teach/ empower/ your readers to do/ learn/ understand through your blog posts?
- how can you add your own personality to your posts so that they stand out from all the other blogs?
Don’t let the thinking process keep you from the actual doing process. Once you start writing, your own style will appear and will likely evolve over time.
Once you start writing your blog
Schedule time to write
To keep a consistent blog, consider creating a schedule so you make time to write. Whether it’s monthly, twice a month, or weekly, have a set day and time set aside to write will help keep your blog consistent.
It also helps to create a schedule of topics so that you know each week what you’re writing about. If you sit down to write and also have to think of the topic, you might get frustrated and give up before you even write anything.
Share your posts
If you want people to read your blog, you need to make sure you share it! Share onto your various social media platforms, and schedule it so it gets shared more than once.
You can also create graphics, videos and animated graphics to help share your blog in different ways. For more ideas of how to share your content more than once read How to Creatively Re-Share Your Own Content on Social Media.
Ask for feedback
If you aren’t sure if people like your posts, ask for feedback. Ask people on social media what they think. Ask a question at the end of your blog and ask people to share in the comments.
When you’re starting a new blog for your business, it can take awhile before it really takes off and you notice increased website traffic. Don’t let this stop you! If you are passionate about what you’re writing about, truly want to help people, and stay consistent, you will start noticing more and more people reading your content!
If you want to have a blog but aren’t that excited about actually writing, read How to Create a Blog Post Without Writing.
Do you have a blog for your business? Share with me in the comments!
