Long time no see, folks! Here I am back on the blogosphere to share contents for you! I was recently busy building our community and managing my business and it seemed that I did not give much attention to my website. Thus, let me start again by answering one particular question I usually get from friends and followers: How can I start blogging?
Most people view bloggers as posh, chic, or people in the spotlight. Little did they know it takes us a lot of effort to build our brand and make it visually appealing. Talk about lying on the ground under the heat of the sun at 12nn!
Photos by Mafil Lumingkit
First, let’s talk about purpose.
The reason I want to tackle this first is because we don’t want you to start without any purpose. In order to make something meaningful, we must attach purpose to it. For example, most students go to school because they feel they are required to do so and it is the social norm rather than going there because it is instilled to them that they will learn something that will benefit them in the long run. Same with creating content. To get you started, try to ask yourself these questions:
- Why do I want to create content through blogging?
- Can I connect it with my long-term goals?
- Does it promote productivity, or does it sway me away from my ultimate goals?
I have experienced meeting some content creator who are doing it full-time. Blogging has been their way to sustain their daily lives. For someone like me who does this on my spare time, I do it because it will help me build my brand and building my brand means attracting more markets to things I advocate and believe in. Just to share, I would like to be successful on the community and business I build not for my own benefit because I believe in order to help others, you, yourself must be embodying it by being an improved version of you.
Successful people are always looking for opportunities to help others. Unsuccessful people are always asking, ‘What’s in it for me?’ – Brian Tracy
By virtue of exchange, one man’s prosperity is beneficial to all others. – Frederic Bastiat
And yes, I’d love to be free from all the worries of the so-called “realities of life” in order to learn more and give more.
If you can’t find your purpose, it’s okay.
I started mine without a purpose. Most people know me as an opportunity-getter. If you’re like that, try to explore the world of creating content. However, if I didn’t start, perhaps, you are not reading this article right now! By trying new things and starting it, it has been a way for me to know what my real path and purpose are.
Therefore, if you are unsure of the answers to the questions above, you just have to start!
Do you know the Lean Startup Methodology? You can do it in your personal brand in creating content, too! In business, the first step is whether your product presents something beneficial to consumers. Same with blogging, your content should be something people would look forward to because it gives value to them. Then you execute it, tweak if needed, and continue building it.
Photo source:
http://designthinkingbarcelona.com/post/53265373589/product-design-with-the-lean-startup
What is your niche?
As mentioned in the lean startup approach, if you plan on reaching people and helping them out, you should find your niche. Your niche should not just be the thing you are passionate about, but something that would present solutions to other people, too. In my case, you, my dear readers, are not reading this just for fun. You read this because you think you are going to get some information and learning from my content. Thus, you have to narrow down your focus to the people you’d like to target.
Beauty bloggers give product reviews for consumers to enhance their decision-making process. Travel bloggers provide step-by-step procedures to get to a specific destination. Foodies give worthy reviews of restaurants so people would make their dining experience worthwhile. What do you want to contribute? You must also have a grasp on this particular question.
I am a foodie, too!
Check out this article from Entrepreneur on the 7 Steps to Defining Your Niche Market: https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/240163
Creating a Website
Creating a website could be free, and could be not. I started mine with the help of my programmer boyfriend. However, you don’t need to have a programmer boyfriend to start! (I laughed at this, hahaha!) What he actually did is just sent me a YouTube link and asked me to watch the tutorial on the step-by-step procedure.
- Choose a domain name. This will be the identity of your website. In my case, it’s justjezze.com/ Make it catchy and should be related to the content you are posting. Since mine is a personal website, I indicated my name there. Check this article from https://fitsmallbusiness.com/domain-name-ideas/ to get you started with your domain name.
- Choose a platform. If you go for free blogging, you will attach the branding of the platform along with your website. For example, instead of justjezze.com it will become justjezze.wordpress.com. It has its pros and cons but there’s no excuse for you to get started since you can avail it for free. By the way, I’ve met bloggers who are already popular and monetizes their website well but they used the free platforms. It would also depend if you are creating a website for a business, or just personal purposes, Some popular platforms include:
- Make your first post! You know, you just have to start. Enjoy the process of designing themes, adding widgets, sharing your post to people! There is no step-by-step process in creating your contents because it would be a lot of fun if you try and explore it on your own. You better start with the following pages:
- Homepage
- About
- Contact Me
- Commit to it! You started it, there’s no turning back or your efforts might be wasted. Since this is just a simple procedure to those who are beginners, I do not want to explain the nitty-gritty of it because that will confuse you. This is like the Level 1 of blogging. Once you develop the habits on posting, being consistent with your content, that’s the time we are going to move to Level 2. Like you, I still have a lot to learn! If you are torn to working full-time and having this as a hobby, time management is the key. Moreover, being committed to it means:
- Scheduling a time to make content
- Specifying a regular publishing schedule
- Be intentional in engaging
In my Facebook Page, I indicated specific times for my posts. Readers know when to expect a certain content and at the same time organizes me on what to post.
So, do You Need a Facebook Page?
If you plan to take your blogging to the next level, it would be better to create a Facebook Page since PR people check your social media platforms if they plan to invite you in events. Moreover, it would reach a wider range of people because almost everyone’s in Facebook. To tell you a story, I started building mine when I met a co-blogger who asked if I have a Facebook Page and I said I don’t. Then he encouraged me to make one and after a few months of building it, I was able to reach new markets and growing number of followers.
For some, they don’t create a website. They build a Facebook Page.
This is a good strategy, too! In the course of doing my business and meeting new partners, some of them doesn’t even have an existing website. Facebook allows us to build communities and thus writing posts in there already enables you to reach people you intend to share the information with. Again, it will also depend on the content. Some create vlogs on Facebook (aside from YouTube). Let me share you this article by CopyBlogger on the benefits of creating a Facebook Page: https://www.copyblogger.com/start-facebook-page/
Let’s get started!
Are You Ready?
Creating content is not easy, but it is simple. Perfectionists have no room for this, because this involves getting started and not delaying your content. One week of not posting creates a huge impact to the overall performance of your website, and your brand. That is why we always need to go back to the reason you are doing this. If you have a concrete, clear vision on your blogging goal, then you will do whatever it takes to reach that.
Just to share with you, as a starting blogger, this 2019, I envision to:
- Have 3000 likes/followers on Instagram and Facebook. (So far, Instagram on 1,800+ and Facebook is at 1,300. Facebook grows faster than Instagram). It’s not about the number, don’t get me wrong. However, numbers are predictors on the number of people you reach. Do not buy followers/likes, but use strategies to boost it, too!
- Have at least 10 speaking engagements this 2019. I talk about self-development, time management, personal branding, and the like to schools, adults, and so on. It seems that I am already near though it’s just the end of this quarter because I already got 4 speaking engagements + 1 TV guesting! Thus, if you are serious about creating content, these things will bring you to places and experiences. I am sure like me you can do it, too!
For my next posts, if it will be demanded by you, dear friends and readers, I could share with you the ways on how I purchased my website from domain to hosting (I used Namecheap and WordPress). Feel free to ask me on the comments anything you would like to know more!
And hey, here’s a video why I started b/vlogging.
And to step up our branding, I am inviting you to come to our event this Saturday on Building Your Personal Brand!
Click on the photo to RSVP! https://www.facebook.com/events/850179358666707/
See you there!
Link(s):
- 7 Steps to Defining Your Niche Market – https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/240163
- Kristian Guevara, full-stack developer – https://xtianguevara.com/
- 25 Insightful Domain Name Ideas & Helpful Tips – https://fitsmallbusiness.com/domain-name-ideas/
- 5 Great Reasons to Start Your Facebook Page Right Now – https://www.copyblogger.com/start-facebook-page/
- 3 Time Management Strategies on Productivity and Hitting that Goal – http://justjezze.com/time-management-strategies/
- Connect with me on my social media sites!
- Facebook: Just Jezze
- Instagram: instagram.com/jzzyy
- YouTube: yt.vu/+justjezze
- LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jezreelmg
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