How to become a successful blogger? Check where you stand, with this checklist. You need to know your goal, and strengths and weaknesses. Then, take actions to remove the weaknesses. If blogging for money, you need to invest money on hosting and domain name purchases.

1. before you start blogging
5-point checklist
How to become a
Successful Blogger

2. 1. Know well the rewards and the pitfalls
... also know what blogging will cost you.
• Blogging for displaying your writings,
photos, etc need not cost you a penny.
• Blogging is a very rewarding experience.
• Blogging is good for making money too,
but you need to work VERY hard, do
proper planning, be disciplined, be ready
to invest some money into it.
• If you do it aimlessly, you may feel bored,
frustrated.

3. 2. Understand your own strengths and
weaknesses
• Are you an expert in the subject you’re
choosing?
• Do you have basic web skills: writing, social
media interactions, linking, etc.
• Do you have time to spare? You’ll need to
compose posts, do SEO, periodically review
the blog, and promote and monetize it.
• Are you sure, you will carry it out with
discipline for a long period (say, at least 2-3
years to start with)?
• If NOT, how will you compensate: learn? Hire?

4. 3. What is your aim?
... and what are your milestones?
• Do you want to start the blog just for
sharing experiences, views, memories, etc?
• Do you want to earn money out of it? If
money is the goal, you will need to do a lot
of research in the field (e.g. fashion / food /
tech / gardening / football).
• You will have to write down your goals and
draw up a time-line for achieving them.
Otherwise blogging will lead you nowhere.

5. 4. Are you in love with the subject?
Remember, blogging can be too burdensome
if not done with passion.
• Be aware before you create the blog that you
will have to remain passionate about
whatever subject you choose.
• Even personal blogs or blogs that comment
on everything around them need to have
some sub-themes (e.g. children/ local
politics/ fun photos).
• Ironical it may seem but blogs meant to
earn money need even more passion. They
need passion more than target-chasing.

6. 5. Have you done the groundwork?
Look at the list below. Are you clear about all?
• What will be the subject?
• Will you be able to write well for long time?
• How to host the blog (paid / free platform)?
• If free, which platform? If paid, which host?
• Will you be able to update it adequately
well?
• How will you integrate it with social
networks?
• How will you promote it?
[Add more to this list and check them before starting the blog.]

7. Now, go open the blog!
• Open a free blog on blogger or wordpress.
Play with title, posts, headlines, images,
putting categories, etc. It’s free.
• After you are confident of basic blogging,
retain that blog or create a new one.
• If blogging for money, create the blog on
wordpress.org. Buy a good name. Choose a
web host and host the blog there.
• Work hard, keep passionate, s u c c e e d!

8. Resources
For free blogging:
https://blogger.com or
https://wordpress.com
For creating a blog for professional/ money
making purposes:
https://wordpress.org
Hosting:
https://godaddy.com or https://hostgator.com
or any other good host available in your area.
You can buy domain name for the blog for
them.
I have no business dealings with the entitites named above.