Wow….are you overloaded yet? I know this course is a lot of information packed into 5 days, and that is why it is called a Crash Course!
Home > Day 4 – Start A Money Making Blog
By now, hopefully you have done the following. If not, take a step back and get these done first:
Today we are going to talk about writing. After all, isn’t that what you do on a blog?
Writing your blog can be fun and rewarding if you chose a niche that interests you. I love to write about things that interest me, and I’m sure it comes across in my writing.
I want you to keep in mind that it may not be necessary to write in “The King’s English”…meaning a lot of writing these days is done in a style which allows your personality to shine through. Most readers want to feel a connection to you and having your own writing style will deepen that connection.
Your writing style is something that will define itself over time. Don’t worry too much about being perfect from the start, because believe me, it won’t happen. It takes time and practice to get really good at something, so the quickest way to get there is to simply get started now.
Assignment #1 – Write your About Me page and your first blog post
Your About Me page should be an easy one. Everyone loves talking (writing) about themselves. Tell everyone who you are and why you are writing this blog. If you have a particular background which qualifies you to be an expert on a subject, the place to toot your own horn is here. Make sure you explain why you are doing this blog and also makes you unique.
Your first blog post should be something you will remember…I wish I remember what my first post was, but I wish I did. Give it some thought… When you have a concept just run with it. Make sure to tell a story in your post. Don’t just throw up cold hard facts, instructions, or other information that is completely impersonal.
You will build an audience by letting your personality shine through. Facts can be found anywhere, but presenting the information in an entertaining or informative way is harder to find. As a blogger your challenge is always to look at something from your readers’ perspective. What would they like to know? How can I deliver information or value? If you do well at this, your following will grow quickly. If you do a poor job at this, you will always struggle.
As with any content on your site, it doesn’t have to be perfect the first time it is published. It is very easy in WordPress to go back and revise posts or pages when you come up with new ideas. In fact, making changes and updates is looked upon favorably by Google and most readers.
Are you stuck on idea for your first post? Ask the group to help. Post in the group with the hashtag #firstpost Tell the group a little bit about your site and niche and you’ll be amazed with the great ideas that you will hear.
And, if you haven’t joined the group….you are missing out. Do it now, before going any further.
You are getting closer to being up and running with your new blog, but you are not there yet. An important step that we need to cover now is building your social media profiles.
Social media accounts play an important role in creating exposure for you and your blog content. In fact, some sponsors are paying for posts on your social media accounts if you can get a good following.
Here are some of the important networks for bloggers:
- Facebook Page – This is different than your personal account, but you need to start it by logging in through your personal profile.
- Pinterest – Pinterest is a wonderful source of traffic to your blog if you use it correctly. It is necessary to create a business page here.
- Twitter – Brands love Twitter and you should start using it too!
- Instagram – Instagram is one of the largest social networks and a favorite of brands
- Google+ – Very important for SEO purposes
Assignment #2 – Create the following social media accounts:
Facebook Page, Pinterest Business Page, Twitter, Instagram, and Google+.
For Twitter and Instagram it may be easiest to use your personal accounts that you already have setup instead of starting from scratch. If this is case, make sure you update your profile to link to your blog domain name. It is also a good idea to do some new posts that tell everyone about your new blog and link them to your site. Your friends and family will most likely be your first readers and many will happily share your content to their friends.
You can also start new accounts for Twitter and Instagram if you choose.
For the Facebook page, try to use the same as your site name. If that is not available, then pick something as close as possible. When that page is setup, share it in your personal profile and invite your friends and family to “like” your page. Again tell everyone about your new blog and many will be interested in following you over there.
The same goes for Pinterest. Try to create a username as close as possible to your blog name.
For most of the social profiles, you will need to upload some cover graphics and/or a profile picture. This is really easy, so just upload a quality photo for now on each. You can customize these later as soon as you have time.
After you are done creating these accounts, your homework is done for today…..woohoo!!
Tomorrow’s email, Day 5 of the Start A Money Making Blog crash course, will talk about making money with your blog.
Keep going, you are almost there!!
Heather & Pete Reese