Guest Post by Maria Rainier
Before you even think about selecting a platform or host for your new blog, stop to consider a few things first. For example, you’ll want to be certain of your blog title, have a list of possible URL choices at the ready (if you’re going the self-hosted route), understand your audience, and have a firm grasp on what it is that you want to offer readers. Do you want to create a niche blog or something everyone can relate to? Are you writing personally or commercially? Do you have experience writing blog posts or articles, and have you come up with some sample content that can be easily expanded upon? There’s certainly a lot to think about, but it’s helpful to have an idea of what you want to do before you jump into a new blog. It’s smart to take reader feedback into consideration and make small changes accordingly, but until you have some of that feedback, you’ll need to create some structure yourself.
Choosing a Blog Topic or Niche
It’s pretty easy to write a guest post on any topic, but if you’re required to write more than one article about an unfamiliar topic, it can become a daunting task. So make sure that you choose to write about something you know well. In addition to this, it should be something you enjoy and want to bring to others. Think about what you want to give (or sell to) readers – advice, facts, opinions, perspective, products, ideas, or something completely different? What do your readers need from you and how can you give it to them? When you answer these questions and are able to provide readers with what they want, you’ll be prepared to run a successful blog.
Choosing a Blog Title and URL
If you know you’ll be using a hosted platform, you can ignore the URL part, but all blogs need a good title. This is the first thing readers see, other than the layout and design of your page, so it should be interesting and informative. Your blog name should be easy to remember and should sound and look good. That last part is usually easy to take care of with some thoughtful design, but the memorable and aural qualities of your title may be more difficult to tweak. Alliteration is always a good memory tool, so you could try something like “Paranormal Parsnips” – preferably something with more substance, but humor can help attract readers too. It’s also important to make sure that your main keywords, if you have any, are included in the title. This will help direct the right readers to your blog.
If you’re going to need a domain name for your blog, things could get much trickier. Ideally, you’d like your blog title and domain name to match, but it’s tough to find a URL that’s workable and not already in use. You may have to get creative, so brainstorm to come up with several different titles. Remember that you can always come up with a subtitle to help explain what your blog is about, so you don’t have to be wordy with your main title. No matter what you decide, make sure that you create a blog you’ll want to write for.
Image via Flickr
This is a guest post by Maria Rainier who is a freelance writer and blog junkie. She is currently a resident blogger at First in Education, researching areas of online degree programs. In her spare time, she enjoys square-foot gardening, swimming, and avoiding her laptop. You can also guest blog on TechPP.
Raju PP is the founder-editor of Technically Personal. He holds an Engineering degree in Electronics & Communication, and has previously worked as a Technical Specialist in Banking Software domain.
