Let’s Get Your Blog Up!
In order to put your blog online you’re going to first need to select a blogging platform. Some of the different platforms out there include WordPress, MovableType, TypePad and Blogger.
Well there are a lot of different blogging platforms available, at NicheBuilder we have focused completely around WordPress.
Why WordPress?
WordPress has the most complete set of templates and plug-ins available, more so than any other Content Management System (CMS)
For whatever reason, they also seem to do very well with SEO in Google.
Because we focus on one platform, using NicheBuilder you are able to do a few things exceptionally well within WordPress.
The first being installation. Using niche builder you’re able to rapidly install and configure your WordPress blog with all of your details in a matter of 2 to 3 clicks.
We have also taken a lot of the stress out of getting your initial plug-ins installed and configured. Here is the current list of all of the plug-ins that come preconfigured on your WordPress blog…
Akismet – Used by millions, Akismet is quite possibly the best way in the world to protect your blog from comment and trackback spam. It keeps your site protected from spam even while you sleep. To get started: 1) Click the “Activate” link to the left of this description, 2) Sign up for an Akismet API key, and 3) Go to your Akismet configuration page, and save your API key.
Video User Manuals – A video manual consisting of twenty-four videos for using wordpress.
WordPress SEO – The first true all-in-one SEO solution for WordPress, including on-page content analysis, XML sitemaps and much more.
WP-FileManager – FileManager for WordPress allows you to easily change, delete, organize and upload files.
To get started, simply log into NicheBuilder and go to your builder tab on the homepage and then click the button that says, New Website. This will open a dialogue where you select your website type. In the tabs across the top select WordPress and you’ll be presented with a list of various WordPress blog types.
Choose the blog type that is best suited for you and click the Create Website button. That’s it, no your WordPress blog is completely installed and will open to the main dashboard.
From there we have several how to training videos that will walk you through adding a post, adding tags, configuring your blog, etc. Several of those videos are located right within your WordPress blog on the video tutorials tab. And several of those videos are located on your primary NicheBuilder dashboard under How-To training.
So now that your blog is up, let’s talk about what you going to put on it.
You want to think of your blog as an entry point to your funnel. There may be advertising pages, related content or other traffic magnets in front of your blog, But your blog is where people are going to really get to know you.
Your blog is where you will host your opt in form that puts people on to your mailing list. Your blog is where you will share personal stories, triumphs and losses with your readers. Your blog is where you will tell people about your products and services.
Know Your Niche
As you build your blog, initially you will be sharing your personal experiences and opinions related to your niche or industry. And that’s great, the human element is what people are going to really connect with. But you also need to back up some of your opinions with facts and figures, and share that info with your readers as well. It will also help you to cite this information if you decide to get into a debate with one of your commenters. If people get the sense that you’re not truly knowledgeable on the matter, they may bail for greener pastures.
What About The Theme?
Using NicheBuilder, we have several WordPress themes available to you when you select your website. After clicking Create Website, click the WordPress or Blog category across the top of the screen. From there you can click the individual theme names to see what they look like. Remember all of the plugins we discussed earlier? Those plugins will come pre-installed on any of these themes. But more importantly, we’ll also have installed a child theme so you can make changes and tweaks without risking your initial theme installation. Child themes are a bit of a complex subject, but what you need to know is that when your theme updates, if you don’t have a child theme in place, then you’re going to lose any changes you made to the theme.
My recommendation would be to try and work with one of the available themes. If you do decide to install a different theme, make sure to create a child theme for any changes.
Focus on your content, not on the ‘design’ of your blog. Get lots and lots of content published, that is what readers care about. That is what will grow your audience. You can always update your design down the road. And it becomes a whole lot easier to make good design decisions if your blog is kicking off a few hundred bucks a day.
Plan Your Categories and Fill Em Up
As you setup your blog, add a category for the major items that you’re going to write about. But don’t just add thirty categories. For every category that you add, make sure to have at least one blog post. Imagine if they hit your site from Google and it’s a category page, with nothing there. Fail.
Don’t Just Blog, Build an Online Presence
To add more readers to your blog, you’re going to have to show your face in a few other places besides your blog. Comment on other blogs, guest post, tweet and follow other tweeters, drive traffic back through whatever means possible. When people find you through other sites, there is a process of discovery that can help build them into long-term fans.
You’ve Got to Be Patient
When working on a new blog, you have to remember that it is hard to get started and readers will come in trickles and droves at the same time. On one day you might have a few 100 visitors, but then not have any traffic to speak of for a few more days. Hopefully, using the traffic strategies we teach you that won’t happen.
