Social media is largely changing the world and how we communicate with each other. It has never been a more opportune time to get our message out to the masses. While being on certain media platforms is important for this, it is also important that we have our own “platform”. The idea of having a platform can be confusing to many, but essentially it is your home-base, the space you own on the world-wide web. You can blog for other sites, but people will not find you so easily. Imagine you are looking for someone and you are told they have no street address but maybe they are staying at their Aunt Jane’s down the road. You may or may not find them there and there may be no way to contact them.
As a professional, or anyone who wants to get a message out, whether it be about medicine, policy, wellness, finance, etc., you should have your own place for people to find you. You may have an amazing message, but you cannot amplify it if the journalists knock on your door to interview you but find someone else living there.
In our current times, many people in their online endeavors are judged by our analytics: how many shares did that post get or how many monthly visitors did that site have, etc. We need to show we have our own audience for many reasons, such as publishing a book, being inviting to speak, getting our voice out in the media and many more. That only happens by time. You cannot start a blog today and expect by the end of the week that it will be flowing with readers. This is a long, arduous process and takes work.
How to get started on owning a blog:
- Buy your domain name. You should do this as early as possible. You may have a great idea for a domain name but when you go to purchase it, someone else already owns that name and space. This can happen even if you use your real name. While you ponder your personal brand and dream about the physical layout of how you like the blog to appear, just buy that domain. You can buy more than one and you can keep it as long as you like. There is typically an annual fee to retain that name.
- Decide who will host your site. While you own your space, you need someone to maintain it. It is like owning a car but needing some place to park it. There are many web hosts out there. If you see in the hyperlinked list, they all have certain features and advantages. Ask around and see who others use as well.
- Decide who will design your blog. Many hosts now have free templates that you can build your site yourself. Many of these look quite good. It may be something to try as you get started. However, it requires a considerable amount of time and learning to be able to do it. A web-designer will be able to do it much more quickly with no kinks in the functioning. For example, just using the widgets and ad-ins to get your sharing tools functioning can end up being a big frustration. If you don’t understand what I just said, get a web-designer.
- Link your blog to your social media channels. You should be sharing your work on social media to amplify your voice. When other people see what you have shared and like it, they will also help share. Also, this may help bring traffic back to your blog.
- Create good content. Content is key! People need to like to read what you are writing if you want them to keep coming back to your blog and to bring others. This doesn’t mean that you have to tone down your voice or avoid being controversial. Your content has to appeal to YOUR target audience, your personal brand. As you do this, you will develop your niche market and gain a group of loyal followers.
- Have five posts ready to publish once your blog is live. You don’t want people to find your blog and then discover you have nothing to offer them. You want to hook them so they want to keep returning for more and more.
- Share to be shared. Everyone wants to build their audience. Often, the best ways to help grow is to share other people’s work. Many people like to return the favor. You build your strong network this way. Other bloggers/writers want to feel that you are just as interested in what they are saying.
- Watch how others in your niche are doing it and try to figure out what makes them successful. It is important to know what others are saying in your “genre” and identify possible allies as well as competitors. You can learn much from either one.
- Consider guest blogging both on other sites and allowing guests onto your site. When you guest blog for others, you are instantly increasing your audience. However, you want to try to bring some of that audience back to your own blog. Wherever you blog, you should be allowed a link back to yours. When someone guest blogs on your post, you are allowing them to borrow your audience. You should allow a link back because that is what you would expect in a similar circumstance. Additionally, when you allow guests onto your blog, they often become some of your biggest supporters. Just be sure they share what they are writing first to be sure it is a match for your audience. And don’t be afraid of saying no. They may come back with a better one or they will know it is just not a match.
While starting a blog may seem overwhelming and intimidating, you can do it. To start out, it doesn’t need to be a costly adventure. Like the big companies, you need to keep your personal brand image in mind so you start out on the right track. But, there is nothing wrong if you don’t have a brand image in mind or know your niche market. Just get started and you will discover it along the journey! Help others and ask for help in return.
PHOTO CREDIT: Top Level Affiliate (http://www.toplevelaffiliate.com/3-easy-ways-make-money-blogging/)
Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2018 Linda Girgis, MD, FAAFP
