Writing is a healthy habit that raises our intellectual standards and makes us feel satisfied. The majority of people aspire to possess the talent of writing with flair. Are you one of these talented people who understand the power of content and can make words work magic? Why not bring in cash by publishing content to a blog utilizing your writing abilities? This may be worth even more than the satisfaction you already receive as a writer. Blogging is now a part of every business’s marketing plan, and it is working out very well. Since bloggers are popular, writing for a blog or creating your own blog is an extraordinary way for you to bring in cash through online opportunities. In this article, we will look at the steps to start a blog in India.
How to Start Blogging in India?
Blogging is one of the most popular careers for people in India who value independence. Blogging in India is developing at a fast speed and is at last being viewed as a mainstream career. Numerous young Indians are considering blogging as a business, with some earning more than executive-level employees’ annual salaries. It would be foolish not to want to join the ever-expanding blogging bandwagon, given the bright prospects for the field. Is it true or not that you are a novice who is considering how to begin writing for a blog in India for quite a while? Want to learn more about blogging and how to get started? Keep calm. We have your back. You will gain a thorough understanding of how to begin blogging in India by reading this post. You will also know more about the best ways to make money from it.
A blog is no good if it doesn’t reach its target audience. Once you have started a blog, consider hiring an experienced digital marketing services provider to promote it online.
How Much Can You Earn as a Blogger in India?
The pay scale for bloggers varies. Your income is influenced by numerous factors. They can be the topics you write on, the crowd you have, the traffic you get, the organization that you write for, and so on. AmbitionBox says that an Indian blogger makes $3600 PA on average, with salaries ranging from $1200 PA to $7200 PA. In order to gain their audience’s trust and eventually increase their income, a blogger needs to keep coming up with fresh ideas and providing value to their readers.
Steps to Start a Blog in India
Before you begin, there is one thing you must be certain of. All you really want is enthusiasm and persistence to turn into a decent blogger. Additionally, you can launch a successful blog on virtually any subject in this day and age. Let us look at the steps to start blogging.
Find Your Niche
One of the most important steps in blogging is choosing a topic or subject. Always choose a subject matter that interests you and piques your interest so that you can write about it. Don’t just pick a niche thinking that blogging about it will make you a lot of money. Simply put, this is not a strategy that can last. Before selecting a niche, consider the following.
- What do you enjoy discussing most?
- Are you knowledgeable enough to blog about it on a regular basis?
- Can you improvise and add value to that subject?
- Can you keep your blog in line with current trends and topics?
If you can answer these questions, you can start blogging about that subject. If you’re trying to figure out how to get started in India, start with something you’re most interested in. A travel blog, a fashion blog, a news blog, or any other type of blog could be your niche.
Select an Appropriate Name for Your Blog
There are a couple of factors which you really want to consider when you are picking your blog name.
- What will the topic of your blog be?
- Who is your target audience?
- What is your blog going to discuss?
- Are you going to build your brand around the blog name?
- Will you also find the same usernames on social media?
Choose a Platform for Blogging
Before you can start blogging, one of the most important decisions is where to build the blog. There are various platforms, which can make you feel confused.
- WordPress is one of the most widely used blogging platforms. It also has a lot of plugins and add-ons, making it one of the biggest blogging platforms in the world. Your blog can also come in a wide variety of designs and layouts.
- Blogger is an additional blogging platform. After WordPress, it is the second most popular platform.
- Tumblr combines the business of blogging with the interactive fun of social media. Additionally, using it is very simple.
Many bloggers, particularly those in the travel, food, fashion, and lifestyle fields, begin their blogging careers by creating Instagram profiles. It’s one of the simplest ways to get started and see how things go. Whenever you have constructed your initial follower base, you can move to a detailed blog.
Also Read: 7 Actionable Reasons To Start Your eCommerce Store’s Blog in 2023(That Drives Traffic)
Choose a Web Host
Although you can start a blog for free on WordPress, Blogger, Tumblr, and other similar platforms, there are disadvantages. You can’t completely monetize free blogs. Also, you won’t be able to upload all of the images and videos you want to share with your readers. This is because the majority of these free blogs are limited. You won’t actually own your blog if you have a free blog. They are free to delete it because it is hosted on a different website.
A self-hosted blog allows you to be the real owner of your blog. Any name you like can be used for your blog. It could be “bloggingtime.com” or “yournameblogging.com.” You can also end it with a.com,.co.in,.in,.net, or.org suffix or virtually any other web suffix. Although.net or.org suffices, the most preferred domain extension is.com. Now, before you think that self-hosting and the desired domain name will break the bank, think again. It will only cost you ₹250 monthly. You can also only use your domain name to redirect traffic to your free blog by registering it for ₹500 per year. You can select from a number of web hosting service providers. Some names to keep in mind are:
GoDaddy is one of the most famous domain registrars in the business. It comes with numerous hosting choices. There is a reason why it is the most popular provider of web hosting services for millions of users. GoDaddy makes buying domain names, setting up a host, and building a website easier. It also provides dedicated and virtual servers. With GoDaddy, hosting becomes a breeze and you can avoid any unnecessary complications. You can select any of the below 3 plans.
- Economy Plan – $1.00 per month
- Deluxe Plan – $4.99 per month
- Ultimate Plan – $5.99 per month
Dreamhost is one more famous name in the hosting industry with 400,000 active clients. It offers India’s best and most affordable hosting. Dreamhost is a safe option because it offers a 97-day money-back guarantee. You have a choice between two of its packs.
- Starter – $2.95 /month
- DreamPress – $19.95 /month
- VPS – $15 /month
Hostinger charges the least amount of money for hosting websites that are listed in India. Additionally, it operates in seven distinct international locations. In spite of the fact that it gives probably the least expensive web hosting services, Hostinger’s features are comparable to the absolute best hosting providers. You can choose between one of the below two plans.
- Premium – $2.49 /month
- Business – $3.69 /month
- Cloud Startup – $8.99 /month
WordPress manages WP Engine, which was one of the first hosting service providers. It handles the majority of technical tasks, giving you more time to concentrate on the content. It has over 500,000 customers worldwide and focuses solely on WordPress.
You have a choice between the below plans.
- Startup Plan – $35 /month
- Growth Plan – $115 /month
- Scale Plan – $290 /month
Write and Publish Your First Post
If you’ve just started a personal blog, this is a great time to introduce yourself, talk about your experiences, and share your goals for blogging. This is a chance to go beyond the information on your “About” page to help your audience connect with you and learn more about who you are. In the event that you’ve begun a specialty blog, you better start from the very beginning. Write about a core subject that you are good at in your niche. Keep in mind that your initial blog post is crucial, but that’s not all. Don’t try to be perfect; It will merely cause anxiety and inaction. Begin and try to become better with time. Some ideas for writing your first blog post are as follows:
- Learn about competitors’ content ideas
- Write a pillar post
- Find questions (topics) from the target audience in Quora
Drive Traffic to Your Blog
Now that we have gone over the initial steps of how to start a blog in India, the next thing that needs to be addressed right away is increasing traffic and developing a following. A fruitful blog isn’t simply made from good writing. It also needs a marketing strategy that is just as effective. It’s important to get traffic to your blog and make sure it reaches the right people. This is the way you can go about it,
Mark Your Presence
Comment on different websites and blogs and remain active on social media platforms and groups. This can significantly assist in increasing blog traffic.
Promote Your Blog
Without proper marketing and promotion, all of your great content will be wasted. Promoting your blog on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram should always be a priority. To draw attention to your blog, always include links to it.
Optimize for SEO
Make sure your blog is optimized for search engines. You can accomplish this by incorporating common search terms into your writing. As a result, more people will likely read your blog posts because it will appear at the top of search engine result pages. You can utilize Google Analytics or some other traffic measurement tool to screen this traffic.
Do Guest Blogging
These are articles you can compose for some blog/sites other than your own. These guest posts will help you get noticed by readers who are newer to your blog by including a link back to it. Additionally, it will increase your chances of being found by search engines. Writing guest blogs is an extraordinary method for taking advantage of more current crowds.
Make Money from Your Blog
Now that your blog meets all of the requirements for success, you can concentrate on monetizing it. The days when blogging was just a hobby are long gone. Blogging is a good way to make some real money. You can earn money from your blog in a variety of ways. Here are a few examples:
Do Influencer Marketing
The idea of influencer marketing is taking over in India. Influencer marketing is when brands associate with well known bloggers to promote their products and services through unique articles, videos, surveys and social media posts with their online followers. Expanding net usage in India and a consistent ascent in digital spending have fuelled the development of influencer marketing in India.
Become a Freelancer
If your blog on a specific subject gets well known, numerous sites and offline magazines or papers approach you to write for them and they pay you for it. You can make money with your skills and expertise by freelancing. You can write for fashion lifestyle websites, for instance, if you have a successful fashion blog. You’ll get paid for something you did for free all along in this way. You can include a unique landing page on your blog with a catchy title like “Hire me” to get clients to notice you.
Advertise on Your Blog
This is a surefire way to make money from a blog. You can begin placing ads on your blog as soon as it is receiving a respectable amount of traffic. You can pick which ad will be shown on your blog and set a cost for these ads. In direct ads, advertisers will contact you directly, saving you money on hiring a middleman. Every time a reader clicks on an advertisement, you will receive a commission. You have the option of charging these advertisers weekly or monthly. Google AdSense, BuySellAds, TribalFusion, and BlogAds are a few of the promoting networks you can use to monetize your blog.
Affiliate Marketing
Earn money by recommending products through affiliate marketing. It is another common and lucrative way to make money with your blog. Promoting a brand’s goods and services and receiving compensation for each successful sale is known as affiliate marketing. You can undoubtedly earn a passive income by adding affiliate links to different items and services in your blog entries that are relevant to your specialty and resonate with your crowd. This marketing strategy is also amazing because it works with any blogging platform, including WordPress, BlogSpot, Wix, and others.
Sponsored Reviews
You can get paid to write product reviews. Numerous organizations are searching for bloggers who can write a review for their products and share it on social media. You can connect with these retailers and select your preferred business by using websites like SponsoredReviews and PayPerPost. You can also directly contact brands to inquire about sponsorship opportunities for blog reviews.
Online Coaching
Assuming you have great traffic on your blog, you can begin offering online courses. You can make self-guided teaching materials, like videos or templates that can be downloaded, so that your students can work through the material at their own pace. As individuals progress, you can decide whether they are keen on additional topics to cover. Another way to make more money is to give live video coaching and get paid for your time. You can include opportunities for communication with your students via email or within your blog itself, regardless of whether your offer focuses on an online course or on-demand coaching.
Paid Services
You can offer paid services to your guests, depending upon your range of abilities, such as SEO, content writing, logo creation, and so on. You only need to create a page on your blog and list all of your services. Place the link to your page in prominent places and in the navigation bar to maximize visibility. You can set up a variety of payment options, such as having the money transferred directly to your bank account, or you can use a payment gateway and ask customers to use it to pay you.
Also Read: Boost Your Audience: 30+ Essential Places to Share Content
Tips for Blogging
Identify your target audience: Effective writing and engaging with your most valuable readers are made easier by determining and focusing on the ideal audience. For instance, if you blog about “blogging and affiliate marketing”, your ideal target audience would be budding marketers and content writers who are trying to become a successful Blogger or marketer.
Add value: Address your readers with relevant, original, and actionable information. This is the best way to draw in and create an association with your readers. As if you were speaking directly to your audience, write in a conversational tone. You will realize its potential subsequent to contributing to a blog for quite a long time and building a dedicated community.
Infuse your character: People will stop reading and supporting faceless blogs. It is essential to incorporate your personality into your writing in order to stand out in a crowded market. This can be accomplished by writing in a conversational tone, including personal experiences and points of view in your content, and letting your own voice shine through.
Write actionable content: To build a successful blog business, it is essential to produce content that is appealing to humans and ranks well in search engines. Understanding keyword intent and providing information that appeals to both humans and robots is the most effective approach. To put it another way, the key is your ability to write compelling content that inspires action.
Make use of tools: Leverage tools like Grammarly to work on your writing by identifying and correcting language structure, spelling, punctuation, and style mistakes. Also, it provides advice on word choice, sentence structure, and tone for writing more effectively. And the best part is it is free to use.
Final Thoughts
A well-structured, authentic, and well-researched blog is a good blog. A good blogger should be passionate and enthusiastic about engaging with readers (emails, comments, etc.) Although blogging may not result in immediate financial gain, it will unquestionably assist you in showcasing your talent to the world and encouraging others to share their thoughts and ideas. Understanding that it takes time to build a successful blog is essential for beginners. Nonetheless, you can accomplish your blogging objectives and establish yourself as an authority by working smartly and patiently. We hope this guide will help you in your blogging endeavors.
FAQs
Can I turn my blog into a full-time career in India?
Blogging can be taken as a full-time career but it requires dedication and commitment. Always remember that it will take time to build a successful blog.
Is WordPress good for blogging?
WordPress.org ranks high among free blogging platforms. Utilizing plugins, themes, templates, and other resources, it provides a plethora of customization options. You will have complete control over your blog’s appearance and functionality.
What are the factors that affect earnings as a blogger?
Blog authority, relevant blog traffic, and engagement factors have a significant impact on your earnings, which have the potential to rise. As a result, a blogger needs to keep coming up with new ideas and providing value to their audience in order to win their trust and eventually increase their income.
What are some common mistakes to avoid when starting a blog?
Here are some common mistakes to be avoided:
- Not choosing a niche.
- Not choosing the right name for your blog.
- Not publishing consistently.
- Not implementing the SEO best practices.