Mitrobe StaffAre you thinking of starting a professional blog in Nigeria? Here is a definitive guide I have put together to get you started the right way.
Sometimes it seems like almost everyone has a blog these days. And with about 42,000,000 WordPress blogs on the Internet, it’s easy to find what you’re looking for on the web, in a blog post.
Here are five steps to get you started with your blog:
- Choose a blog topic;
- Choose a free or paid blog;
- Select a domain name;
- Select the host of your site;
- Install WordPress.
- Your blog
Types of blogs
There are many different types of blogs, but most blogs can be divided into two main categories: niche blogs and general or multidisciplinary blogs. While niche blogs are dedicated to only one main topic, public blogs are dedicated to different topics.
A popular type of multi-themed blog is a lifestyle blog. In this blog, you will find a wide range of materials on common topics of life, such as career, technology, decor, health, and fitness.
People crave quality content and will search for blogs that meet their needs. Having a niche blog is great for people because you can provide them with consistent and relevant content.
You will also be able to keep your readers if you make content in a niche. For example, if you end up writing a blog post about health that has gone viral, people will be waiting for health-related content when they return to you.
Having a niche can help you plan, gain credibility, and grow your audience, making it easy to generate blog revenue.
Step 1: How to choose a blog topic
If you have made up your mind to start a blog in Nigeria, you can already know what you want to blog about. But if you don’t have a hint, your first task is to think about what you love: your hobbies and hobbies. It’s essential to enjoy the theme of your blog.
It may take some time before the blog can generate revenue. You may need to work on your blog. Your blog life can take years or even decades. So you have to ask yourself, can I write about my niche for ten years in a row?
Next, you need to determine if there is a demand. Are people ready to pay for products or information on your chosen topic? If you are determined to make money on your blog, it is crucial.
As a bonus, it is useful if you are already a member of this community. But if that’s what you’re passionate about, you should have no problems creating your community!
Google Trends
The best way to uncover your audience is interested in your topic is to use the free Google Trends tool. (Http://trends.google.com/trends/?geo=US).
This enables you to see two essential data:
- Are people looking for your niche?
- Is your niche a growing or declining interest?
Here’s what you need to do:
Think of the top terms for your niche.
Go to Google Trends.
Connect your term (s).
Google Trends doesn’t tell you exactly how many people are looking for terms in your niche right now, and it just gives you a general idea. Therefore, you should do a little keyword research. Necessarily, keyword research will tell you exactly how many people search for terms (“keywords”) in your niche every month.
Step 2: Choose a free or paid blog
If you are setting up a blog to earn revenue, you should pay for the blog. Paying for a blog means that you acquire your domain name and open a hosting account.
If you only need a personal blog, you can choose a free method using a service such as blogger.com. The downside is that you can wake up one morning, and your blog will be closed. This is happening.
Besides, free blogs usually advertise on your site. This will distract your readers from your suggestions. And many have many restrictions on what you can and cannot do on “your” website.
Since our goal is to make money or so to speak, monetize, we look more into the paid method and create a blog using the free open-source software WordPress.
Why use WordPress? The statistics speak for themselves:
- WordPress supports 26.4% of the internet and is on the rise.
- It is the most used CMS (content management system), with 59.4% of the market.
- Five hundred sites are created daily on WordPress.
Step 3: Choosing a domain name
You will be required to buy a domain name for your new blog. This is also called your URL or web address.
It can be your name on dot com or something that describes your business. If you are not quite sure about the topic of your blog, do not block it with your domain name.
A domain name will cost you about $ 10-15 a year. Some are more expensive, and some are cheaper.
To simplify things, we recommend that you buy your domain name from your site hosting company.
Additional tips for choosing the best domain name:
- You can do this as quickly as possible to make it easier for people to remember and type.
- If possible, use – com, but now there are dozens of options that can help you find the name you like.
- Avoid using hyphens in your domain name. It looks spammy and confusing to type on your mobile phone.
- The numbers in your domain name will make typing difficult.
- Do not include a business name, such as WordPress or Instagram or Google, in your name. They will make you change it.
Step 4: Choose your site hosting
There are various hosting services that you can use. Different hosting companies may offer different rates.
Next, you will be prompted for a domain name. Be sure to check if you need to register for a new domain or have already registered your domain elsewhere. If you register for a unique URL, the first pair you try may already be busy.
There are still great domain names. When you log in to an available domain, you will see that it is possible. They will then be added to your cart.
You will then be prompted to add versions of your net and org domain.
You will also see a “Domain Privacy Protection” checkbox that prevents your login information from being public. This allows you to maintain the privacy of your email address, phone number, and street address. Instead, people will see information about the hosting company.
Next, you will need to enter the username and password that you will use to manage your hosting account.
Enter your billing information. Select the additional services you want to purchase. Finally, click on the Agreement. The work is done.
Step 5: Install WordPress
The next step is to install WordPress, the world’s most popular blogging platform, so you can start writing.
Typically, virtually all WordPress (VP) hosting is installed automatically, and you need to install the appropriate theme of the site and plugins.
Enter your blog name, admin name, name, and email address.
In the Blog Name box, enter a name for your site. This is what will appear in the title as your site name. Don’t worry, and you can edit it later!
Enter the desired username as the administrator’s name.
Your name.
For admin email, enter the email address to which you want to send the admin password. Make sure it’s a working email address.
Go through the Terms of Service, then click “Install.”
I wish you the best of luck.
Have any further concerns about blogging, check out my first well explanatory blogging guide that I put together to help Nigerian bloggers and other Africans who want to start a blog that matters.
OFONIMEH JOHNSON
Mitrobe Staff
mitrobe
