So you’ve decided to start a blog and you’re hoping to become as famous as top bloggers like David Ajao and Nana Kofi Acquah. Or maybe you decided to build a blog to give your brand more exposure.
Whatever your reason for starting a blog, this free, step-by-guide guide on how to start a blog in Ghana will help you build the perfect blog.
What is a Blog?
A blog is simply a website that is regularly updated with new content. The main reason for owning a blog is to attract readers and generate online income. Through a blog, you can share your views, build a brand, get famous and make lots of money.
The Myth About Blogging
It is believed that blogging can help you generate a lot of passive income without you putting in too much effort. In fact, some top bloggers make it seem as if they live a care-free life and don’t spend much time working on their blogs.
As it turns out, this is only a myth. To generate thousands of dollars per month from your blog, you’ll have to spend hours researching, writing and editing your content. You will have to design and continuously update your blog.
Most top bloggers employ other people to do the hard work for them while they focus on other things. As a beginner, you may have to do everything yourself, but if you can afford to employ someone to handle the blog setup, article writing, and SEO process, then you can easily make money off blogging.
How to Start a Blog in Ghana
Below are the steps to take when building that perfect blog.
Choose a Niche
The first step to building a blog is to choose a niche. There are many major niches like health, tech, sports, and entertainment. However, these niches are all saturated with thousands of blogs competing against each other.
If you want to achieve success with blogging you’ll have to focus on micro-niches. Micro niches are specific niches that focus on a single topic in a broad subject. For example, niches that focus on only iPhone or Samsung are micro-niches of tech or phones.
In a macro niche like auto or cars, you can focus on RVs or Toyota cars only. This makes more sense as these niches are less saturated and your chances of success are higher, especially if you do things right.
Choose a Blog Name
Once you’ve chosen the niche you want to write on, you’ll have to choose a name for your new blog. The blog name you choose should reflect what you want to write about.
If you want to run a blog on iPhones, going for a blog name like “iPhone Addict” is much better than “Tech and Phones”.
Ensure that your blog name has your target keyword within it (in the case of an iPhone niche, your target keyword is “iPhone”).
Choose A Platform
There are two main blogging platforms; Blogger and WordPress. For serious bloggers who want to make real money from their websites, it is best to go for WordPress. WordPress makes things easier by providing you with access to plugins. Blogger, on the other hand, requires you to do everything manually.
Blogger is the best option for those who don’t have enough funds to pay for web hosting. If you decide to open your blog on the blogger site, you will still have to purchase a domain (using your blog name), but Google will act as your web host.
Get a Domain and Web Hosting
The next step is to purchase your domain and hosting. In this guide, your domain name is iPhoneaddict.com.
There are several blogging services where you can purchase a domain name. Some of them include godaddy.com and bluehost.com. There are other options that are cheaper than these, however, not all accept Ghana debit cards and some are nothing but scam sites.
What is WebHosting?
A web host is where your files are stored. When you upload content like images and plugins, the web host stores them so that your readers can view them. If you opt for a blogger blog, then Google will store your files.
Web hosts like Bluehost charge you to store your files. The web host you choose will also affect the speed of your site. The good news is that top web hosts like Bluehost and godaddy.com are 100% trusted.
Set Up A Theme
Once you’ve got your hosting and domain name, it is time to set up a theme that is befitting of the content you want to post on the blog.
Some themes are free, while others will cost you a small fee. Whichever one you go for, ensures that it fits your niche.
Write Content
Now that you’ve set up your blog, it is time for you to begin writing blog posts. But first, you should write your About Us, Contact Us, Disclaimer, and Privacy Policy pages.
Next, you can start writing content that relates to your niche.
To generate content for your site, you can check the blog of your competitors just to understand what they’re doing and to get an idea of how your blog content should look like.
Monetize Your Blog
Before you start blogging, you should have a monetization (way to make money) plan already. There are different ways to make money from a blog, so your content should flow in line with the monetization plan you choose.
You can monetize your blog with Ad companies like Google Adsense, Media.net, and Propeller Ads. Or you can opt for Affiliate marketing (that is referring your readers to purchase or use the products of other companies).
Another way bloggers make money is through sponsored posts but only bloggers who have gone far really enjoy this privilege
Promote Your Blog
If you know what you’re doing, it wouldn’t be too hard to promote your blog. Ensure that you use the right SEO practices when writing blog content so that they rank on search engines faster and get readers to your site. You can promote your blog on social media platforms and collaborate with other bloggers so as to get more exposure.
