Manhattan Beach California USA
Beginner bloggers!
I wrote this post specifically for you.
How do you know?
I clearly broke one of my tried and true blogging rules to achieve maximum organic reach with this post.
Look at the title. Notice how I used 15 steps to follow. Isn’t that number a wee bit high for me? Perhaps it is overwhelming but the people – and Google – have spoken.
Anyway, this journey feels intimidating for all newbies at the beginning.
Who do you trust?
What does a blogger even do?
I want to help you cut through beginner blogger confusion by laying out practical steps to follow at the outset.
Stick to these tips.
Hit the ground running.
1: Buy Your Domain and Hosting
Invest in your domain and hosting.
Own your online real estate.
Beginner bloggers need to capitalize on the sugary sweet benefits of ownership.
Owning your blog means:
- setting the rules
- calling the shots
- building a genuine brand
- monetizing how you wish
Buy your domain and hosting to be in control from day one.
2: Choose One Niche
Choose one niche because the world trusts specialists not generalists.
You and I know that a jack of all trades masters none.
Imagine a doctor who holds down four part time jobs. Would you trust him to diagnose your malady accurately? I don’t think so. He divides his creative energies between too many professional endeavors.
Cover one niche inside-out to develop topical authority as a beginner.
Blogging From Paradise Dot Com took off quickly in part because I only shared blogging tips here.
Tackling this niche from multiple angles built my credibility as a blogging tips mentor.
You need all the help that you can get as a beginner blogger.
Specialize to curry favor with Google and readers.
Do one thing to do it well.
3: Follow Guidance from One Pro Mentor
Trust guidance from one prime blogging mentor.
Follow their system until you succeed.
Choosing multiple mentors confuses you. One blogger says one thing. Another blogger says another thing. Blogging crosscurrents mess with your mind.
Stick to guidance from one full-time blogger. Follow his or her school of thought.
Do what your mentor guides you to do.
Succeed by following one teacher.
4: Invest in Premium Resources
Successful bloggers invest money in:
- courses
- eBooks
- coaching
- consulting
Do as successful bloggers do.
Begin your blogging career intelligently.
buying premium resources is like paying your blogging tuition. Wise students invest money to access the highest quality guidance available. Free content may partially hit the mark but premium resources drill down to get into the blogging nitty gritty.
I recall purchasing an eBook from a blogger who became a best-selling author. His premium guidance put me on the right track. He could not cover the topic as thoroughly through a 1200 word blog post. His 10,000 word eBook baby-stepped me from problem to solution seamlessly without missing any steps.
5: Publish Long Form Blog Posts
Write 1200 word posts to drive organic traffic through:
- X
Detailed content keeps readers onsite.
Arrest attention spans as a new blogger by offering readers thorough resources.
Lower your bounce rate.
Drive search traffic.
Gain exposure on social media.
List practical tips to solve common problems from your niche.
Format posts for easing reading and scanning. Use headers, paragraphs, bullet point lists, bold fonts and italic fonts for effective formatting.
Step readers from problem to solution.
Add as many details as possible to make readers happy.
6: Research Thoroughly
Nobody knows what they’re doing as a beginner blogger.
Perform due diligence to get the facts, Jack.
Query Google and YouTube to find accurate information. Take notes. Expand on these notes to publish long form content.
Do the research leg work to publish trustworthy content.
Follow top blogs from your niche to keep current on industry trends.
7: Publish Practical Content Offsite
Publish practical content to:
- X
- X Communities
- Facebook Groups
- LinkedIn Groups
- BlueSky
- Threads
Solve reader problems.
Send users from these networks to your blog with:
- text-based content
- short form videos
- live broadcasts
- images
Nobody knows about your new blog in the beginning.
Bridge the gap between your blog and the outside world.
Become prolific on social media.
Be a social creator.
Remember; social is the adjective and media is the noun.
Media is the social driver. Media is the fuel that makes social media go.
8: Focus on Quality over Quantity
Publish a lesser volume of high quality, in-depth content to your blog and social media.
Be consistent to slowly increase the quantity of these quality updates.
Quality content magnetizes itself to organic traffic. Low quality content dies a quick online death.
Readers want detailed solutions to solve their problems. Be that type of solution provider. Leave out no steps. Stop rushing around. Do quality work to establish a positive blogging reputation as a newbie.
9: Ask for Help on How to Do it Yourself
Ask for help on how to blog DIY style.
Doing it yourself means doing the detailed work necessary to gain:
- skills
- credibility
- exposure
New bloggers often fear asking for help for the fear of looking:
- stupid
- needy
- desperate
Being infected by the shame virus manifest as pride, every one struggles, fails and quits.
Nudge your ego to the side.
Ask for help on how to blog successfully.
Let an experienced pro points out errors to share corrections.
Be humble enough to ask for help.
Be ambitious enough to do the blogging work.
10: Monetize Slowly
Monetize slowly to focus on what matters.
Opening income streams establishes receiving channels.
Money flows from detailed, targeted content published consistently to your blog and offsite sources.
Readers buy your stuff based on trusting your content more than any other factor.
My courses and eBooks sell in part because customers trust my:
- blog posts
- X updates
- Facebook updates
- LinkedIn updates
Possible Income Streams for Beginners
- engage in affiliate marketing
- write and sell practical eBooks
Creating online courses, embedding advertisements and selling sponsored content seem to be advanced strategies based on gaining substantial experience combined with driving a heavy volume of targeted traffic.
Worry little about making money.
Concentrate on building credibility by publishing detailed, targeted content.
11: Engage in Genuine Blogger Outreach
Help bloggers from your niche.
Promote bloggers on X, Facebook and LinkedIn.
Drop backlinks to respected blogs.
Ask for nothing in return. Expect nothing to come out of your generosity.
Earn trust.
Make friends.
Express a genuine interest in bloggers.
Build strong relationships.
New bloggers have zero connections.
Get connected by being generous.
Be authentic.
Be consistent.
Blogging friends amplify your new blogger reach by teaching you how to succeed through their example. Some may even promote your highest quality content (If you have practiced significantly to communicate effectively).
12: Treat Blogging Seriously by Committing to it
Commit fully to blogging to treat it seriously.
Invest a few hours to blog daily. Whether you publish updates to social media or write your next post, being consistent distances you from the sporadic blogging herd.
Blog for fun, freedom and the love of helping people. Choose these drivers to wade through beginner blogger obstacles.
13: Network with Pro Bloggers
Network with pro bloggers.
Learn through osmosis.
Resist the temptation to network with struggling beginner bloggers. New bloggers teach you how to struggle, fail and quit based on their inexperience, lack of clarity and dearth of posture.
I mean to condemn no newbie. I admire your courage. I respect your journey.
But succeeding as a beginner depends on pointing on failing blogging strategies.
Surrounding yourself with unclear new bloggers is one such strategy.
14: Think Long Term
Think beyond today.
Create a vision for your blog.
Imagine where you intend to be next year.
Think long term to hurdle over common beginner blogger errors.
Imagine your future success to be the new blogger who does what it takes to get there.
Set aside a few moments. Find a quiet space. Visualize your blogging goals.
Think for the long haul.
Be patient.
Be consistent.
Increase your confidence.
Relax.
Blogging is a marathon not a sprint.
15: Practice Emotional Hygiene
Meditate.
Observe your mind.
Practice emotional hygiene to:
- face
- feel
- look past
typical new blogger fears.
One common fear is worrying that people will:
- find your blog before it is “ready”
- criticize you
- spam your blog
You need exposure to succeed but unconsciously make mistakes to severely limit exposure based on this sneaky unconscious fear.
Meditating allows fears to arise from the unconscious for you to face, feel and forgive. From there, you follow successful strategies with increased confidence to boost organic traffic as a beginner.
Conclusion
Remember to have fun.
Be gentle with yourself.
Fears arise when people do anything new.
Take it all in stride to move forward.
Develop your beginner blogger confidence one baby step at a time.
Blogging Resources
