Blog Setup Checklist
Have you read the Instant Blog Profits e-book? Think you know everything you need to know about setting up your blog and executing your plan for success?
Before you get carried away, run through this checklist and make sure that you’ve dealt with each point.
Step 1. The Planning Stage
Before you do anything, you need to come up with a plan. This means:
- Coming up with a brand and website name
- Pick a brand name that is descriptive but unique
- Deciding on your niche. Popular examples:
- Fitness
- Finance
- Making money online
- Business
- Relationships
- Games
- Music
- Film
Whatever you decide, just make sure that the subject you pick is something that is:
- Profitable
- Interesting to you
- Popular
- But not saturated
You can also come up with your own niches by going for broader subjects or by combining multiple topics into a single, new niche.
Step 2. Setting Up
Now you have your business model in mind, itís time to start constructing your blog.
- Choose a CMS or blogging platform. Popular choices are:
- WordPress
- BlogSpot
- Live Journal
- Tumblr
- Joomla
- Drupal
The best option is to download WordPress for your SELF- HOSTED site and then to install it on a server. Use BLUEHOST to set up your server space and URL.
Now:
- Choose a unique theme, a paid or custom theme is better
- Change the color scheme to be something that echoes your branding and adheres to color theory
- Pick a custom font
- Outsource if you need help doing this. Freelancing sites include:
- Freelancer
- UpWork
- Elance
Step 3. Adding Content
The most important thing for any blog is the content. Make sure you add high quality content and that you add it regularly. You can’t expect to get a full time job from blogging unless you’re willing to work full time at it.
- Think of topics that are unique and havenít been covered before and that are inherently interesting.
- Use keyword research tools to get ideas for the kind of things people are looking for in your niche and that are likely to be successful from an SEO perspective therefore.
- Read the sites of competitors for inspiration and ideas
- Read news sites and particularly those with separate categories for finance, business, health etc.
- Look around forums for inspiration
- Remember you can also create curated content which is content you’ve gathered and collected into one place.
Step 4. Socializing Your Blog
Next you need to add a social element to your blog. This is very important because it lets you share your content and gives it the potential to go viral.
- Think of your target audience as you write the blog.
- Share to Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn as you post.
- Be everywhere – have a social media account on all of the major social networks.
- Add social sharing buttons to your website to allow visitors to share your content as they wish.
- Add Disqus to your website. This is a plugin that provides support for blog comments and is very feature rich, effective and popular.
- Respond to comments and e-mails. Consider every visitor a potential fan and don’t underestimate the value of that.
- Encourage conversation within your posts – ask for opinions and elicit discussion.
Step 5. Add an Opt-In Form
This is a form that you will use to collect e-mail addresses whenever someone visits. This allows you to market to them again in future and is a very powerful tool.
Use:
- GetResponse
- MailChimp
- Or Aweber
As your autoresponder.
You can also use ‘SumoMe’ for pop-up windows that will let you collect e-mail addresses.
Step 6. Monetize
Finally, make sure your site is monetized.
- Using PPC such as AdSense actually isnít the most effective way to earn money as you lose visitors every time someone clicks on an ad.
- Instead you should sell a digital product.
- Or you can use affiliate marketing. This means you get commission on sales, which is commonly up to 60%.
ClickBank and JVZoo are places where you can find these products.
