How to start a blog for free

Photo credit: Andrea P. Coan from Pexels

Starting a blog for your business is a great way to add a consistent flow of new content to your website. This is an investment for your brand that can provide multiple returns. The first being another opportunity to reach new customers and engage with loyal customers. Your business’s blog can be a repository for thought-leading content your target customer base cares about, including recommendations, advice or “how to” pieces about your business’s industry. You can also use your blog to tell stories as away to add personality to your brand. For example, if you owned a restaurant that has been around for decades, you could share stories about famous guests who have visited for a meal or growing up in the restaurant industry. The format is totally up to you.

Here’s a quick and easy guide to starting a blog for your business.

Select a blogging platform

There are a number of options to choose from that are free and user friendly. Blogger (Blogger.com), owned by Google, will allow you to create a blog though your Google Drive Account that you may already have and get started within minutes. Medium (Medium.com) is another popular platform that has been on the rise over the past few years. 

Customize your blog’s template

There are tons of free design templates available online, typically offered right through your blog’s platform for you to choose from. For platform’s like Blogger, you can select a blog template that works for you and customize the colors and layout to align with your business’s brand guidelines.

Create a content strategy 

This is one of the most important aspects to launching and maintaining a blog and building a loyal following. One of the best ways to engage your audience is by providing value. If your business is a bakery that has been in business for 20 years, perhaps consider leveraging your expertise and providing baking tips or ideas for fun pastries as one of your blog’s regular features. An example post could be “Fun Pastry Friday” with a new idea and recipe for a fun pastry that releases every Friday morning. Consider creating a content strategy that includes posting at least 1-2 times per week every week. Consistency is the key. Providing content that brings value to readers on a consistent basis is a great first step to gaining a loyal audience for your blog.

Make your first post

The day has finally come to make your big debut. You’ve got a great looking template and you’ve mapped out your content strategy. It’s time to make your first blog post. You’ll want to establish who you are, what your brand stands for and why people should care. Whatever you decide you want your first post to be about, make sure it is something that will capture the attention of your audience effectively and leave an impact. It is extremely important to make a good first impression.

Promote 

Promotion should be an extremely important aspect of your blog’s content strategy. As you continue to post regularly, you’ll want to spread the word on as many outlets as possible in an effort to add new readers and potentially new customer prospects into your funnel. Today’s social media landscape offers several avenues and unique opportunities for bloggers to share their content across multiple platforms and potentially reach new members of your audience. Much like your blog’s content strategy, you’ll want to create a social media content strategy as well in an effort to engage individuals searching for content related to what your brand offers and drive them to your blog.

We want to hear from you. Have you launched a successful blog? What successes and challenges have you faced? What tips do you have?

Share your thoughts with us on social media @Marketwren with the hashtag #ILaunchedaBlog