Many Cameroonian Bloggers want to become successful in blogging and make money. Right now, we live in a blogging world. Whether you are a business startup, a business with an established portfolio, a freelancer, an intern, a doctor, or anyone else, blogging can still help you:
When I started blogging in 2014, it was virtually unheard of in Cameroon, and there were almost no tools to make it easier. I literally hand-coded every section of my blog — including the monthly archive pages, ""older article"" pages, and so on. Needless to say, I was not a very prolific blogger for the first couple of years!
Today, anyone can get a blog up and running in a few minutes using free services that make adding a post as easy as writing an email. Also, Knowing how to get your content out is no longer a challenge — if you have something to say, saying it is secure.
Many services offer free blogs to anyone who wants them. The most popular of these services are WordPress.com and Blogger, although a Google search for ""free blog"" will show you over 150 million sites — indeed, there is one that meets whatever wild needs or desires you may have. I prefer WordPress.com mainly because I'm conversant with the industry-standard WordPress software used on most sites I write for.
Here is how successful blogging can help you as a blogger:
- You can make a name for yourself or your brand visible
- You can connect with others in your business or interest.
- You can reach out to the public about issues you're passionate about
- It helps you to express yourself.
- You can Update clients or an audience about projects you're working on
- To share your knowledge.
- To learn to write better.
- You can share your life with people important to you.
- You can connect with your fans or customers.
- You can make money (of course)
When I started blogging in 2014, it was virtually unheard of in Cameroon, and there were almost no tools to make it easier. I literally hand-coded every section of my blog — including the monthly archive pages, ""older article"" pages, and so on. Needless to say, I was not a very prolific blogger for the first couple of years!
Today, anyone can get a blog up and running in a few minutes using free services that make adding a post as easy as writing an email. Also, Knowing how to get your content out is no longer a challenge — if you have something to say, saying it is secure.
Getting Started
Many services offer free blogs to anyone who wants them. The most popular of these services are WordPress.com and Blogger, although a Google search for ""free blog"" will show you over 150 million sites — indeed, there is one that meets whatever wild needs or desires you may have. I prefer WordPress.com mainly because I'm conversant with the industry-standard WordPress software used on most sites I write for.
Also, WordPress.com offers built-in spam protection, a collection of charming themes, a word processor-like text-entry system (no coding is required), useful statistics (to see how much attention your site's getting), and much more. (Note: I am not affiliated with them or anything, I just kinda like them).
The usual mindset of bloggers is that we post about our business and what we had for supper, but the reality is that there are bloggers out there writing about every imaginable topic.
How Fulfilled Are You In Your Life?
Think about what reason or purpose you want your blog to deliver — do you want to make a record of your daily life, or maybe a way to keep your family and friends up-to-date while you are traveling? Or perhaps you want a place to promote your artwork, music, or activities and stay in touch with your followers? Your blog is only limited by your intents — what do you have to say?
To get started with blogging:
- You should Sign up for an account at WordPress.com. Your blog will be at the address username.wordpress.com.
- Select a template. There are lots of beautiful ones to choose from. Or you can select the default.
- Start posting.
On Being a Blogger
OK, now you own a blog. What are you going to do with the website?The usual mindset of bloggers is that we post about our business and what we had for supper, but the reality is that there are bloggers out there writing about every imaginable topic.
How Fulfilled Are You In Your Life?
Think about what reason or purpose you want your blog to deliver — do you want to make a record of your daily life, or maybe a way to keep your family and friends up-to-date while you are traveling? Or perhaps you want a place to promote your artwork, music, or activities and stay in touch with your followers? Your blog is only limited by your intents — what do you have to say?
Maybe you want a business channel to communicate with your customers — and where they can reach out to you? Perhaps you want to share your thoughts on life, freelancing, soccer, coaching, medicine, high school teaching, or fishing with the world?
Note that there are a few tips you should know about writing a blog, though. While there are examples of every conceivable format of writing on blogs across the Web, there are usually a few qualities that blog writing tends to share.
Let me elaborate on these qualities.
Oh well....all of these ""rules"" are, of course, broken many times.
Now, let me explain all the points noted above.
Note that there are a few tips you should know about writing a blog, though. While there are examples of every conceivable format of writing on blogs across the Web, there are usually a few qualities that blog writing tends to share.
Top Qualities which Succesful blog writing tends to share:
- It is short
- Paragraphs are shorter
- Bulleted lists are standard.
- Important points are highlighted.
- It contains links to other sites as well as internal links.
- It is conversational in nature.
Let me elaborate on these qualities.
1. It is short
Reading on the screen is not as long an experience as reading on a piece of paper, so people tend to shy away from large or long essays or write-ups. 2,000 words are pretty long for a blog post; 1,000 words should be a good target; short articles of 300 words or so are perfectly acceptable.2. Paragraphs are shorter
Because you have to scroll down a lot when reading on a screen, sections tend to look shorter, so a whole thought can fit in a browser window.3. Bulleted lists are common
Bulleted lists are an alternate way skimmers are integrated, making all the main points easily accessible.4. Important points are highlighted:
Online readers tend to skim through write-ups, so web writers often highlight critical points in bold type so their followers can easily pick out the important stuff.5. It contains links to other sites as well as internal links.
Blogging tends to take advantage of the ability to link to other work, either to offer up references (e.g., a link to a concept on Wikipedia) or to keep up with conversations started elsewhere (e.g., a link to a post on another blog which you are referring to).6. It is conversational in nature
Blog writing tends to be a bit more personal than usual writing. Readers tend to respond to the writer's unique way of writing and their personality as expressed through their writing. That means you can use ""You"" and ""I,"" you can use slang, and you can even swear if it fits your site's terms and conditions.Oh well....all of these ""rules"" are, of course, broken many times.
Keeping it going
There are more than 500 million blogs on the Internet, but only a tiny fraction are active. There are several reasons why blogs ""die"" — people run out of things to say, get busy with other activities, or, worst of all, feel like they are talking to themselves. Here are a few tips to help you keep your blog up and read:Here is how to become a successful blogger and make money:
- Create a posting schedule
- Write posts in advance.
- Brainstorm a hundred post ideas:
- Tell people your address:
- Comment on other people's blogs:
- Link to other blogs
- Write a guest post
- Write great content
Now, let me explain all the points noted above.