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SHOULD I BLOG?

SELF HOSTED vs FREE BLOGGING PLATFORMS

WHAT SHOULD I NAME MY BLOG?

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REASONS TO START A BLOG Do you really need a blog to add to the already crowded blogosphere? If you’re confused, I’ve given some reasons and statistics below to help you make this decision.

I’ve broken it down into the following 3 categories. So, whichever you identify the most with, you’ll find compelling reasons to start a blog.

1. Small Business Owner 2. Creative having a storefront on e-commerce marketplace like Shopify or Etsy 3. An individual

SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS AND QUICK STATISTICS

• Small businesses that blog get 126% more lead growth than small businesses that do not blog. (Source: ThinkCreative)

• 81% of U.S. online consumers trust information and advice from blogs. (Source: BlogHer)

• Companies that blog have 97% more inbound links. (Source: Hubspot) • Once you write 21-54 blog posts, blog traffic generation increases by up to

30%. (Source: TrafficGenerationCafe)

7 REASONS EVERY CREATIVE WITH A STOREFRONT ON E-COMMERCE MARKETPLACES NEEDS A BLOG

• There’s huge competition on e-commerce platforms and it’s difficult to stand out.

• Your blog is a tool for you to showcase your skills and services. • It’s an avenue to cross and up-sell your products. • It compliments your e-commerce storefront. • It gives you more space to create buzz around your products and drive traffic

to them. • It helps you spread your influence by providing valuable content to your

clients and customers. • It acts as an extension of your brand.

YOU SHOULD BLOG AS AN INDIVIDUAL IF:

• You see a problem or need of a particular target audience that needs to be voiced

• You love researching and writing about topics of interest to you

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• You love leading a life on your terms and want to work hard for it • You want to create a platform to share your content,product or service

(music,art, books, writing, graphics, fashion..really anything goes) • You want to be responsible for how your product is marketed and distributed • You want your writing, opinion, or services to help others. • You love the idea of building and nurturing a community • You love creating free content for people to learn. • You have a crazy business idea you want to launch

So, now that you’re convinced this is something you want to do, let’s look at the various platforms…which should you consider?

SELF HOSTED vs FREE BLOGGING PLATFORMSThink of it as a landlord and tenant relationship.

When you rent a place, you can bring in your stuff and plan your space but you don’t have permission to drill holes or make structural changes to that space.

Free Blogging PlatformsPros Cons

Quick and easy to start You will have www.sample.wordpress.com or www.sample.blogpsot.com tagged to your site

Gives you a space to learn about blogging

Does not look professional for doing business

No initial start-up fee There are limitations in the way you get to design your space.

There is limited bandwidth and memory space

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So, if you’re sold on the self-hosted version, which I’m sure you are or you wouldn’t be here…Let’s talk about names.

Self hosted Pros Cons

You have full control over your blog’s design and layout

Requires an initial investment of hosting and domain name

You can monetise your blog in any way you want

Learning curve is steep and can be intimidating to new bloggers

You have complete branding control with access to make coding tweaks

Website looks professional and is best for business

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WHAT SHOULD I NAME MY BLOG?

There’s no right answer.

It really depends on your vision for your business.

• Think about the niche you’re serving • The tone associated with your brand (serious, laid back, humorous) • What problems will you be solving? • How important is an identity tied to your name?

A mash up of 2 to 3 words is best. Here are some tools you can use to create words.

unique-names.com namemesh.com

Once you have an awesome name, head over to http://.namechk.com to see if the domain is available. Namechk also scans availability across social media platforms.

Now, you’re that you’re all clear on your name, let’s head back to your Bluehost set-up instructions.

Using your own namePros Cons

Easier to secure a domain Not easy to remember if your name is difficult to pronounce or spell

Great for creating a strong brand presence with your voice

Need to be comfortable with being visible (video, photo, periscope, IG), because your brand is YOU and you need to up your visibility to connect with your audience

Great if you want to create a platform for your writing, fashion line or consulting

Need to work hard at putting across what you do and what your blog/business stands for

If you have a strong ‘why’, you’re well on your way to creating a solid community and connecting with your audience

Need a strong ‘why’ to communicate your brand story

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