STEP BY STEP: Massive big-ass tutorial for blogging $Part1

This is a big-ass tutorial how to make a blog and how to make a living of it. I already have a blog, which I posted in my previous article, but I wanted to go through all these steps and peculiarities that are recommended in all the best blog making tutorials and courses.

I mean I will not just talk about it and run my mouth how this or that can work, I will actually make a plan and stick to it to see how much I can make of my blog and of myself at the end line by following all these rules.

And these are only the basic stuff, which I scraped online and stuffed into one big-ass blogging tutorial.
So, by the way you end with this you will probably curse my name.

These are the three set of the rules and this should be our gospel

Things we have to think about while making our serious blog:
RULE #1: ESTABLISH A NICHE
RULE #2: CREATE VALUABLE CONTENT
RULE #3: BLOG CONSISTENTLY
RULE #4: BUILD A SOLID SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE
RULE #5: NURTURE YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH READERS
RULE #6: NETWORK WITH OTHER BLOGGERS
RULE #7: BUILD AN EMAIL LIST
RULE #8: CREATE AMAZING GRAPHICS
RULE #9: KEEP LEARNING
RULE #10: OFFER SOME VARIETY

Things we have to avoid because they will all result in a catastrophe:
MISTAKE #1: NOT CHOOSING A NICHE
MISTAKE #2: NEGLECTING YOUR “ABOUT PAGE”
MISTAKE #3: BLOGGING SPORADICALLY
MISTAKE #4: IGNORING YOUR COMPETITION
MISTAKE #5: DISABLING COMMENTS
MISTAKE #6: NOT UNDERSTANDING KEYWORDS
MISTAKE #7: BEING SALESY
MISTAKE #8: NOT PROMOTING YOUR CONTENT
MISTAKE #9: HAVING POOR-QUALITY IMAGES
MISTAKE #10: PRODUCING LOW-QUALITY CONTENT

Things to have in mind when planning your income:
PLAN #1: AFFILIATE MARKETING
PLAN #2: ADVERTISING NETWORKS
PLAN #3: PRIVATE ADS ( Suggestions: AdRotate, OIO Publisher, WP125)
PLAN #4: INFLUENCER NETWORKS
PLAN #5: SPONSORED POSTS
PLAN #6: SOCIAL MEDIA
PLAN #7: SELL YOUR OWN PRODUCTS
PLAN #8: SELL A SERVICE
PLAN #9: SELL AN EBOOK
PLAN #10: HAVE A MEMBERSHIP SITE

Now, when we understand all the rules and plans we can start going through the basic blueprint of our work. To make it more convenient I split it into 20 relatively easy tasks.

20 days to boost up your blog!

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CHOOSE A FREE OR PAID BLOGGING PLATFORM
So, let's launch your blog and see what happens.
I already have bought a domain name and I chose to host on the Blogger.
You can use any other free platform where you can paste codes and links freely.
You will have to learn about that blogging platform so you can use it.

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CUSTOMIZE YOUR DESIGN
I like old vintage stuff, so I decided to make my blog a non-responsive flat-line stif, just a way I like it. Now, you can use any modern template or the theme, it is up to you.
It will reflect your personality and give a frame to the things you write about.

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CREATE A FEW MUST-HAVE PAGES ( About, Contact, Privacy, Disclosure)
This is a self explanatory. These are all the default pages any blog has.

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SET UP GOOGLE ANALYTICS
Or you can use a Statcounter. But Analytics is fairly ok.

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JUST START WRITING
For a start - 50 posts about your favorite topic, or in my case the topics.
This can be written by you, or you can outsource it.
Do not use any free articles, nothing is free, you will end up banned or deindexed.

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WRITE WITH SEO IN MIND
There are the SEO tutorials online, you can find a very useful things there including a keywords research and keyword density. Apply everything you can, but don’t overdo it.

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ADD HIGH-QUALITY PHOTOS TO YOUR POSTS
This means either your own, outsourced or graphics. You can add those too.
If you are in a hurry, use a free royalty images.
Original work will add quality to your work, but if you don’t find it overly important just use something, or if in the last step, when we start doing reviews you will use a free images of the product lines.

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POLISH YOUR POSTS
Recommended last things to do:
Interlink your posts - add some related posts on the bottom.
Use “no-follow” links.
Fill out the metadata for your post.
Add your keyword to the alt text of at least one photo.
Set a custom permalink for your post ( if you have this option)

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SET UP GOOGLE SEARCH CONSOLE
(https://moz.com/blog/a-beginners-guide-to-the-google-search-console)

This link up there is an explanation how to use the Search console.

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SET UP A DOMAIN-BASED EMAIL ACCOUNT ( recomended: zoho)
Well, I had that and it makes one difference, and that is that some things become easier.
In essence i like using Gmail and Aol, but ok.

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SET UP A FREE EMAIL NEWSLETTER (mailchimp)
I had it with a Mailchimp as well. If you never used it, take an hour or two and learn how to make it. They have great tutorials and they are really easy to follow.
If you are not comfortable with it, you can use any other service.

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SET UP YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA PROFILES
Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Reddit… etc etc
This has to be an assignment of a day.
You will have to customise these.
Fill all the necessary fields in the social profiles.
You can also have more than one Facebook fan page about the same thing, or similar.
Later you can merge them.

Don’t forget to instal metadata for your social snippets.
If you don’t have those your post will not show up in the Facebook or Twitter in a way they should.

There are many other social and bookmarking websites where you can share your posts. Come with a list and make them.

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SET UP A SOCIAL MEDIA AUTO-SCHEDULER

Recommended tools:

Buffer, Hootsuite, SocialOomph, SproutSocial, TweetDeck ( only Twitter), Facebook ( inbuilt feature), Quintly.

You can absolutely use anything else as long it is comfortable for you.

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DRIVE TRAFFIC TO YOUR BLOG VIA FACEBOOK GROUPS

Facebook is still extremely popular and there is no reason why not use it.

You can have your own Facebook Group, or you can join other groups and just post there your blog posts. Many Facebook groups allow this. Find the ones that does and who have a huge followers base.

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ADVERTISING

The usual way to go is the banner ad units with the Adsense, but if you can’t get it you should try some alternatives.
The Adsense alternatives pay multiple times less than the real thing, so you should avoid these low-carb advertising networks and pay attention to get some solid advertiser to back you up.
If you can’t do that, install - Pubovore, Clicksore, Popcash, Chitika or a-ads.
The last two are the far the worst, and Popcash is a popup based advertising service, but still they are better from the rest.

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AFFILIATE MARKETING

Aside from the advertising this can be a very lucrative source of the income.

Recommended Affiliate Networks for New Bloggers

AMAZON ASSOCIATES
SHAREASALE
SHOPSTYLE COLLECTIVE
SKIMLINKS

Join these and find some nice products you can write about on your blog.

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START REVIEWING PRODUCTS ON YOUR BLOG

HOW TO WRITE A GOOD PRODUCT REVIEW
Basic questions: Who, What, Where, When, Why & How
Who can use this product?
What is the product?
Where and when we can use that product?
Why should your readers want to buy this product?
How can it make their lives better?
How can this product be purchased?

BASIC RULES
Be Honest and Resonate with Your Audience
Take Quality Images
Use Affiliate Links - that’s why you are writing those
Include a Call to Action button
Keep Track of Statistics
Follow-Up with the Brand
Use the affiliate link cloaker- use something to shorten those bulky ugly links

A REVIEW CAN BE ABOUT
Beauty product reviews
Book reviews
Store reviews
Restaurant reviews
Hotel reviews
Credit card reviews
Children’s clothing reviews
Subscription box reviews

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INFLUENCER NETWORKS

This is where you can find the gigs and get paid for what you do. Some have the requirements, some don’t.

http://www.blogher.com/marketplace/opportunities/publishing-network
https://socialfabric.us/
http://massivesway.thesitsgirls.com/
http://whoispollinate.com/about-us/join-the-colony/
http://www.acorninfluence.com/
https://activate.bloglovin.com/landing
http://inspiredbloggersnetwork.com/
http://www.thewomenbloggers.com/

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POST DAILY, SET UP A POSTING SCHEDULE AND STICK TO IT AND UPDATE OLD POSTS PERIODICALLY

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KEEP TRACK OF ALL INCOME

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These are all the basic stuff and I didn’t want to add more because a tutorial would grow to 10k words and this is not my intention.
Now, this is 20 days Part 1 tutorial how to make a kick-ass blog so let’s start and good luck.
Part 2 in 20 days!!