Blogging

Tag: Blogging

Everything You Need To Know Before Starting A Food Blog

How do you start a food blog in Nigeria? The secret is to start. You need to love culinary creations, which is in other words food made beautifully. The steps to starting are listed in this blog. They are simple to follow and will get you the results you desire. The food niche is particularly successful on YouTube, Instagram or blogs. This is because everyone loves to eat food that looks good. Let’s show you how to start a food blog real quick.

Have you ever heard of ‘Sisi Yemmie’s’ Egusi recipe? Or ‘Food Blog 9ja’s’ catfish pepper soup? ‘My cravings’ diary has this Ofada rice sauce that is out of this world. Kim and Den – Dubai Food blogger have this burger looking snack called a ‘What the Pluck’ sandwich. Some bloggers use pictures and others use mostly videos. One such blogger is Dubai Tastes Food Bloggers. Their Instagram blog is full of mouth-watering desserts and sweets.

how to start a food blog

Beautiful food can switch your moods.

When you are doing food blogging right, and enchanting your followers with simple, exotic, or new ways to make dishes, is the moment the orders start pouring in.

Imagine blogging on Instagram and sharing your delightful creations daily on a social platform that just adores beautiful pictures.

You will garner a quick and loyal following in no time.

When you are thinking long term though, it is time to add a WordPress blog to your Instagram blog.

Here’s how bloggers make money from their blogs

How to start a food blog from scratch

With food blogging, if you are thinking long term, you should be starting a blog.

When you are blogging as a business, it is advisable to have your website professionally built to meet all the needs of your business. For example, you need e-commerce included on your website because you would be taking food orders.

This is a business investment that has the potential to make you financially fluid. Therefore, do your due diligence, and ensure that you see the portfolio of the potential designer of your website.

A self-hosted website will cost you $2.95 monthly, which is about N1200 in naira. That is a total of N15, 000 yearly. A small price to pay, for sales and revenue that will flow to you.

7 Simple steps required to start a food blog

The goal is to start a blog that is beautiful and functional. To get your domain name and brand your business so that you scale your business as your blog grows, I recommend the following.

  1. Get a domain name:

Make your domain name memorable and short. A domain name ends in .com. Use your niche in the name, it will make you discoverable. When you are starting a food blog, your domain name should reflect your niche.

For example, if you cook Nigerian food, you can use nigeriafood.com, naijafood.com, or seafoodinnigeria.com.

Do you notice how food is included in each domain name? Your website will rank for food every time. You can use Bluehost or GoDaddy to purchase a great domain name. Search for your ideal domain name and purchase it before someone else does.

  1. Find an efficient web host

Have you ever visited a website and you could not find it? Yes, that happens, If you are with an unreliable web host, your website will have consistent downtimes. Get a web host that will leave your website accessible to your viewers at all times.

When purchasing a web host, be certain you pay for web security so that your website is safe from hackers and marketers who will not stop contacting you from one thing or another. Protect your website and your personal space.

how to start a food blog

  1. Install WordPress:

WordPress is the best in the world because it has strong interaction and a great interface. WordPress is automatically installed on your website. All you need to do once you log in is go to Settings > Permalink Settings page and change your permalink structure to “Post name.” Hit save. Now it is time to make your blog look pretty.

Watch our live session with Food Blogger Atim Ukoh of Afrolems

 

View this post on Instagram

 

With @afrolems

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  1. Install a WordPress Theme

WordPress understands blogging needs. You need a pretty site that is unique and represents your brand. Sometimes a free theme might not be the best for you. This is especially true if you are running a business. You can purchase a theme that can be customised into the picture of your brand in your head.

Look for these qualities in a theme. If it is well designed and responsive, you have a perfect theme. It will rank high in search results. Also, check that it is user-friendly, mobile-friendly and that the texts are not too small.

  1. Use Google Tools

To manage your web traffic, you will need Google Analytics and the search console. These two products will help you see who is visiting your website and what they are reading. The results you get will affect your business decisions.

Install the Yoast SEO plugin. It will help you write discoverable content or else you will have content for a year that has only 50 views. That is dismal.

Tip: Ensure that you install your blog tracking code in your Yoast SEO plugin.

how to track web traffic on your blog

  1. Install Plugins

Some plugins will prevent spam. Others will help you track your commenters so you can keep in touch and nurture your blogging community. This includes commenting and building relationships that will lead to sales. The Akismet plugin is a paid one. Some of its functions are to make your photos show up in search engines and that will bring in targeted traffic. The Yoast plugin will make you discoverable and make your content shareable.

  1. Start blogging

Share pictures, videos and publish stories that will change the culinary tastes of your followers. Congratulations on starting your food blog

Extra tips to help you excel with your new Food Blog

  •      It’s not free

If you want to become a big lifestyle business owner, you need your own domain name. And yes, you might have been told to use a free domain. As much as there are free domains to use, don’t do it for free. Because you plan to grow big, there’ll be traffic to your blog. Therefore, you’ll need a hosting. You have to be professional about it.

Also, you’ll need a camera, lens, and a tripod. Maybe you’d include some lighting. You need Props and Backdrops too. And yes, you’ll spend on ingredients too. They all require money.

  •      Engage on Social Media

There’s no way you’d build your follower base without engaging them on social media. You’ll have to be online most of the time. You’ll also need to join groups of similar niches. This requires your time and you spend many hours doing this daily. Your online presence is important. Your likes, comments and shares matter a lot.

  •      Become a good photographer

You don’t need to be a professional one but you have to be good at your own style of photography. This is important because it will determine how your food is presented. And it’ll also beautify it. Then, people will find your blog posts appealing. So, learn to be a good photographer.

  •      Learn the basic technical part

You’ll need to learn a few basics about IT. Or else, you keep paying the tech guys. Take for instance, Plugins. You’ll need a general idea of how it works. This will help you reduce cost.

  •      Food Blogging is competitive

The market seems saturated. If you’re going to be unique, you have to put in more effort. At times, you may feel like you’re not doing enough when you see other blogs. Just do your best. Improve daily as you grow.

  •      Promotion is key

It’s good to send constant reminders that you’re still in business. In as much as you’ve put in many efforts, you still have to be patient. Run and grow your blogs with all you’ve got. Some may have been doing it for years without results yet. Even if your blogs are mind blowing with great pictures and videos, some still don’t care. What’s important is the consistency. Don’t stop building your brand.  Promote your brand and you’ll grow with time.

  • Income from Food Blogs is not immediate

Unlike some beliefs on how to start a food blog, you don’t make the money you want in a jiffy. It takes some time. If you’re into it for the money alone, then you might be disappointed. Before you grow your follower base and find an advertiser that can pay you, there’ll be a passage of time. It also takes time to enjoy all the means of making money from blogging.

 

Also read: How To Build An Online Business Right In Your Home

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Here’s How Blogs Rack Up The Revenue

Blogs make money. It may sound fallacious because you might be wondering how. Even bloggers wonder: how do blogs make money?

I can imagine what is going on in their mind as they try to catch up with the millennials who always know what is happening in the social media world. Haltingly, I then proceed to explain the simple but tasking steps to sharing useful content and garnering the attention of what would become your community.

Long before there were social media, there was the blogging world.

How do blogs make money?

The story of the beginning…

I was part of an exclusive group called the bloggers of blogville, literally meaning the blog village.

We blogged about the daily happenings of our life on blogville, from the absent boss to the annoying work colleague to the next cute guy we were crushing on. Exceptional bloggers got found out and deleted their blogs (for those who blog anonymously) there were those who were good at being anonymous, we never discovered who they were. Some left blogville and became digital executives for major companies. Some started their businesses from blogville. Most people moved to the next level in media and many faced their banking jobs. ‘Adulting’ is responsibility.

Making money via your blog is hard work

If you want to make money via your blog, you start taking your brand seriously from the beginning. Get an ad kit. Write engaging content and communicate with your audience. Be kind and thoughtful and think of what you can do for them daily that would make their life easy. When you do this, you start endearing your audience to you. When they are endeared to you, trusting you and buying from you is the next step.

How do blogs make money?

How do blogs make money: 5 steps to making money from your blog

I know you want to make money via your blog. Or you have started a blog already and you’re not sure what happens next. You want to know how to monetize it and start cashing checks.

First off, I would advise you to start a business blog. It is not a get rich scheme but you can use the monies you raise via your blog to support your family.

Some of the ways you can make money via blogs are by:

  1. Advertising

CPC- Cost per click:

Cost per click is also known as pay per click and you get paid when ads placed in your sidebar or on banners are clicked on by visitors to your site.

PPC – Pay per click:

Same as above

CPM – Cost per 1000 impressions

This is when you are paid a fixed amount for 1000 impressions that indicate 1000 people viewed the ad. All you need do is place the banner on your site and Google selects suitable ads for your web content. AdSense does this. Chitika, Infolinks and Media.net also advertise on blogs.

  1. Private ads

If you generate enough daily traffic, advertisers will approach you and ask to place ads on your site. Pitch advertisers using your web traffic or interactive users. Set your own ad rates. Use links, banners or buttons. Write sponsored posts or objective reviews on brand services or products.

You can also add underwritten post or series where you write on any topic but your advertiser pays a ‘Brought to you by XYZ Company’ at the end of the post. You can also charge a one-time fee for a link within a post.  Or put up a banner ad and charge the brand a fee for the duration of a month. You can also sell sponsorship space in your email letters.

  1. Affiliate links

You can put affiliate links in your content or in your advert space. For example, many people do affiliate with Payoneer and refer to a friend. It is an ad.

Affiliate marketing is you selling a product for a brand with the promise of a commission on every sale you make. You receive a unique link from the seller that tracks your sales. You put the affiliate link on your site and viola you can make money while sleeping.

  1. Sell digital products

In addition, you can sell digital products such as eBooks, online courses or workshops, images, videos or music people can use on YouTube for a fee or software like apps plugins and themes that can be used to design unique websites.

Whichever product you choose, make it relevant and useful for your readers. Don’t develop a product until you have listened to your readers and you know what they need. Then you create a product they need or find a product that aligns with the needs of your readers.

  1. Content marketing tool

Choose to sell physical products on your blog to make money or digital products, it’s all the same. It is a way to serve your audience and make money too. In this case, you are using your blog as a content marketing tool.

You can sell books or real products. Decide to start a dedicated blog for converting loyal customers. You can resell used smartphones. You can write about DIY (Do-It-Yourself) refurbishing. It helps you build your brand and gain recognition.

  1. Sell memberships

You can sell membership to your website at $10 monthly and $100 yearly for access to job opportunities. A start-up business blog may sell membership to forums where you can get access to business advice. The exclusive membership access must be more valuable than the access first time visitors get to visit your blog. Develop something of value worth the price that can’t be found for free.

  1. Build authority in a niche

Writing daily on useful content that develops you and others can lead to money-making opportunities. Once people start reading your content, you can be approached by people to co-author a book or be interviewed on a blog or webinar. You can also be contracted to train employees of reputable companies. Many bloggers don’t see income for many months, some for years.

 

How do blogs make money?

TIPS ON HOW TO USE YOUR BLOG TO BUILD YOUR AUTHORITY

1. Create quality content:

Put your readers first.

If no one is reading your blog, you are not going to make any money. From clicking on ads to buying products, you need readers, and people who fall in love with your blog enough to become a brand evangelist.

2. Don’t spend all your time on the blog

Making a successful blog is about building relationships. This includes relationships with sponsors, affiliates, and other bloggers who direct traffic to your blog. Spend time on forums and other blogs to build this relationship and in turn, build your blog.

3. Experiment

Your niche will determine what works for you. Experiment a lot. Try out new things. Don’t use all the money-making strategies at once. Study the industry and go with your gut feeling. “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” a reality TV show was something no one had ever done before. You can very well be the one to start some things. You can mix up your blog and YouTube and start something new.

How blogs make money?

By using the strategies above, and being creative.

Also read: What’s A Blogging Strategy And Why Do You Need One?

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How To Make Money From Your Hustle As A Blogger

The kinds of people expected to ask the question, ‘can I make money from blogging’ are company owners, entrepreneurs, old bloggers, newbie bloggers, and writers.

They can come from any demography, men, women, boys or girls in the 15-65 age range. They can be in junior, senior or managerial positions in companies.

Blogging is something anyone can do, you simply need the passion to keep researching, churning out great content and an eye for quality pictures.

How can I make money from blogging?

When you want to make money from blogging, you need a mind shift. You need to think like a marketer. You could be thinking, how can I get my article in front of many eyeballs daily and still serve quality content?

The distribution angle of the blog is your job, you need to be thinking of what the advertisers can benefit from you. Also, you need to think of how the advertisers compensate you. You need to think of how to keep your audience constantly engaged with valuable content that is entertaining or increasing their knowledge base.

You need to be nurturing your audience so that if you put out an event for women in entrepreneurship, you know at least a hundred women who will show up so that your sponsorship money from the advertisers will be worth it.

The twist: value goes both ways

When it comes to making money via blogging, it is both ways. You should benefit, your readers should benefit. The advertisers should benefit too.

Don’t just think about making money; think about how the advertiser will make money so that you can get repeat sponsorship every quarter or every year according to the sponsor that you are dealing with.

There are many ways to make money from blogging, read the many ways here. When you are done, do come back to read the rest of the post.

can i make money from blogging

Credit: Guardian

Let’s focus on how to get sponsorship ads on your website.

Companies are always looking for ways to get their products out there to their target audience. If you have a tech audience on your blog, many companies are looking for ways to reach out to people on your audience. Keep building your numbers and getting to know the people who are connected to you.

Some of your ads will come to you via ad networks, the best kinds of ads will come to you via people who follow your blog. Or via people who can recommend you when their companies need your unique skillsets or access to a community that you have built.

Put out information on what you do.

• You do ads on your sidebar

Ads on your sidebar are usually placed there for a month. The ad should usually contain a link back to the website of the people advertising. It is not paid per click like Google Ads but pays per time subscribed. The best ads are the ads beneath the header. The sidebar ads are also a very conspicuous place for people to advertise their products. Choose prices suitable for the category that your blog falls into.

• You write sponsorship posts

Tag posts that you write for organizations as sponsored posts. Let your readers know the difference between sponsored posts and the type of post that they come to your blog to read. Sponsorship posts have a cost, find out the industry standard and create an advertising kit that you can send out to advertising agencies.

• You can also pitch companies that want what you have to offer

When you know what your skills are, whether social media, freelance writing or software developer skills, let your tribe know. Let your community know what you do. Pitch companies who need your web writing skills or online writing skills, send them the link of your portfolio.
Then get writing until your business scales up. Many companies’ abroad love to work with African software developers and trust our software developers more and Africa is building credibility with international markets in the tech industry every day. Software development is a skill that will keep paying the youth for years to come.

• Do yearly events for your community

Attend the yearly or quarterly event in your state or country for networking. With your experience, you can also host events for women for networking with a specific purpose. Inform companies interested in your demography to sponsor and let them know what they stand to gain by sponsoring an event.

can i make money from blogging

Credit: Google

Write eBooks for sale:

You don’t need to know anything about writing to write eBooks. Check Google search engine to see what people are looking for then write eBooks that answer their questions.
You can simply come up with a concept; hire a ghost-writer to write the book. Then you can hire a proof-reader to edit the book. Then you can hire a publisher to put the book out on writing platform. Most book app also helps in the sales of your ebook such and Amazon, Bookbaby for international markets. Then Bambooks or Okadabooks for West Africa.

So how do I make money from blogging? There are many ways. Some you can find in the post and some are yet to be written articles. The best way to know how in totality is to subscribe to our blog. We look forward to sharing opportunities, training and freebies that you will value.

Also read: 7 Reasons Why Blogging Is Important For Your Business

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7 Reasons Why Blogging Is Important For Your Business

Let’s be honest. The first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word blog is Linda Ikeji and Instablog. If you’re Insta-savvy and we ask you to lengthen the list, you’ll ad Tunde Ednut and Gist Lovers Blog. And this is okay. This is what blogs used to be known for until content marketing became a thing and blogs morphed into marketing tools. That’s why we’re talking about what blogs are used for and how you can cash out in your business with a blog.

What really is a blog?

The word blog is short for weblog, and it means web journal. You may have kept a journal when you were younger so you get that. So in terms of growing your small business, a blog is a section of your website that you update with regular content on a regular basis. And it’s very useful for online marketing.

What Are Blogs Used For?

blogging for business

We’ll share 7 uses of blogs, and hopefully, you’ll find something that inspires you to begin blogging for your business.

  • Marketing at low costs
  • A better relationship with readers and customers
  • It increases your sales
  • People have a reason to keep visiting your site.
  • You can come tops in search engines.
  • Blogs stimulate engagement
  • You get to understand your customers better.

Marketing At Low Costs

What are blogs used for

Office desk with a notebook computer | InfopediaMarketing and advertising budgets don’t come cheap. If you have put in the effort to create something of value, it only makes sense that you would want to advertise it. Blogging on your business website is one of the cheapest ways to market your business. For one, you’re leveraging on search engines to show you to many people. Also, you have the perfect opportunity to sell your business to your customers and buy their loyalty permanently.

Better Relationship With Readers

what are blogs used for

Just as people are more likely to buy from somebody they trust; they are more likely to trust your business when you are constantly sharing with them about your products and services. If you do things well, your readers will see how much you care, they will bond with you. And before long, you’ll be smiling to the bank.

It increases your sales

Between building a relationship with your potential customers; getting more visibility from search engines and building trust with your readers, there can only be one result. And there you have increased sales.

Now that you have the traffic coming to your website through your blog, you have an opportunity to convert that traffic into leads.

Just like every blog post you write is another indexed page, each post is a new opportunity to generate new leads. The way this works is really simple. Just add a lead-generating call-to-action to every blog post. However,  these calls-to-action lead to things like free ebooks, free whitepapers, free fact sheets, free webinars, free trials … basically, any content asset for which someone would be willing to exchange their information.

Understanding What Blogs Are Used For

importance of brand name to customers

It increases the traffic as people keep coming

Brand awareness is a very important part of marketing and blog posting lets you show your followers a personal side to your business.

You can open up your brand message and engage existing and prospective customers. Still wondering what are blogs used for Blogging will give people a sense of your business standards, business character, vision, and the personality of your company.

You come tops in search engines

What are blogs used for? Blogs increase your SEO. Fresh content is still a key to beating out your competitors in the search engine results page. Use keywords in your articles. List the keywords, topics, and categories you want your business to be found with. Use these words, and related expressions when writing your posts.

Of course, whether you actively seek these out or not, blogging regularly about your business will naturally increase your presence in search. Consistency with blogging will increase results.

Keywords and topics on your website are a significant way in which Google (and other search engines) find your site for these searched words.

Blogs stimulate engagement 

business owner

Again, another way blogging can benefit business owners is this. Work with influencers as a part of their content marketing strategy. You would generally give an influencer your product to have or use. This will be in exchange for a blog post reviewing the product and your company. The key here is to make sure you work with an influencer that your customers admire or follow. the end goal is to increase engagement.

You understand your customers better

The whole idea behind blogging will give your customers better access to your processes as a business. The more they know, the more they understand. Then they’ll give you feedback, as your relationship progresses. This helps you understand them better, and enables you to improve the user experience with your product.

What Makes Blogs Important?

what are blogs used for

  1. Search engines love new content, and as a result, blogging is a great search engine optimization (SEO) tool.
  2. Blogging provides an easy way to keep your customers and clients up-to-date on what’s going on, let them know about new deals, and provide tips. The more a customer comes to your blog, the more likely they are to spend money.
  3. A blog allows you to build trust and rapport with your prospects. Not only can you show off what you know, building your expertise and credibility, but also, because people can post comments and interact with you, they can get to know you, and hopefully, will trust you enough to buy from you.
  4. Blogs can make money. Along with your product or service, blogs can generate income from other options, such as advertising and affiliate products.
  5. Blogging is flexible and portable, making it a great option for people who be a lifestyle entrepreneur.

Free Download: How To Write Topnotch Blog Articles 

Also read: Why Your Small Business Needs To Start A Blog Immediately

 

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Why Your Small Business Needs To Start A Blog Immediately

There are many reasons why your business needs a blog. Any business that does not have a blog in 2020 is leaving money on the table.

“Content is king, but distribution is queen and she wears the pants.” Jonathan Perelman

Many people today make buying decisions by browsing the internet to find what they are looking for. If you want to buy a mobile phone or a lawnmower, you would most likely have your assistant do some research. Or you get on the internet and do a google search. According to SEO experts, businesses with blogs make more money.

Companies can get found on the internet if you have a blog with content online.

Companies can get a personal domain, which is easily affordable. You can also get a WordPress blog if you are not ready to make any technical expenses.

The important thing is that your company should be putting out content that shows that you are an authority in your field. There is no reason why customers cannot connect with you online in a minute.

Below are 8 reasons why your company needs a blog

why your business needs a blog

  • Boost your search engine rankings
  • It amplifies your voice
  • It enhances your social media presence
  • Distinguishes you from your competitors
  • Improves your credibility
  • Increases your web traffic and sales
  • You build a community
  • You learn more about your business

It will increase your SEO

When you have great SEO, it is easier for people looking for services you offer to find you. When you create original content, Google will prioritize your content. Most company owners hardly update their website. A regular update on your blog will help improve your SEO and get you in Google’s good books.

It amplifies your voice

blogger

Your blog post makes your company personable. It gives it a human face. Connect with your readers by writing in a friendly voice that people will grow accustomed to hearing. Do not be about selling your products or services directly. If you are approachable and helpful, your customers will naturally reach out. When your audience gets used to hearing from you, they will ask about anything you sell and buy.

It enhances your social media presence

Share your blog posts weekly via your social media platforms.
Every time you publish a new post, share on Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin.

Users via these platforms are very interactive. When you put up consistent informative and interesting content, your users will come back, visit regularly and drive quality traffic back to your website. If you focus on building captivating content, your users will share your posts on their social network, boosting your traffic and online reputation.

It distinguishes you from your competitors

lifestyle business owner

A static website has a disadvantage in that it does not display new content. It is like an online catalogue. A blog creates fresh and timely content that will give your business an edge over other businesses.

Why Your Business Should Have A Blog Contd.

It improves your credibility

Listing a bunch of services on your website is different from showing potential clients what you do and how it can help them. Blogs help to communicate to your clients that your company is genuine, dependable and steadfast.

It increases your web traffic

Link building increases traffic. If you link your blog to social sharing sites like Quora and Medium or social media sites like Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin, you are building links that improve your web traffic and grow your brand awareness. When you write keyword-rich and, interesting posts, you have a higher chance of Google serving up your posts in the search results.

When your blog is regularly updated, it helps you drive traffic to your business. The more traffic you have coming to your website, the higher your chances of making a sale.

It helps you build a community

side hustler

The future of social media channels is community building. As your blogs attract people who are interested in your niche from the different corners of the world, you will get the satisfaction that comes from community building.

Your blog can become a place where networking, interacting and having problems solved, happens. In conclusion, this is the satisfaction of becoming a go-to for industry information and building a worldwide brand that adds value.

You learn more about your business

No one knows everything about business in their niche. Every day is a test in how well you learn. The latest trends, and issues which include news, are great blog topics. Business is about challenges and victories. Write about this.

You can explore the possibilities of collaboration with companies in your niche. You can talk about the changes that have had to happen because of COVID-19 in a blog post.

Your posts help you face and address the issues in your industry, strengthen your business and improve investor confidence. Devotion to your brand is seen in what you blog about.

Also read: 6 Ways To Make A Lot of Money Online

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