I’ll show you how to start an Internet-based business without wasting time. Many would-be entrepreneurs think you need a lot of money to start a business. You don’t. It just takes some mental effort and a little creativity. You don’t even need your finalized idea, a business plan, a website, a logo, or even a product. Before you build a complex business, you can combine the elements you have now with helpful feedback by blogging, to get a better start. Waiting until all the pieces are ready is a bad idea.
A blog is an easy, low-cost way to start your online business. You can discover your audience and adjust to topics they care about.
Defining your blog as the hub or home base as you start your online business
Centering your online business around a blog is a good choice. Don’t worry if being a blogger was not be what you had in mind. It is a great starting point to find your followers and customers. Finding success on the first try is very rare. A blog as your central platform will give you a chance to try things, to refine your voice, and discover what your followers need.
Get out a piece of paper or open a text editor. You can even start on your computer or smartphone by writing an email to yourself! Write a short introduction and list the topics you want to focus on first. Create an enticing or motivating manifesto that will capture your readers’ attention.
A blog is an easy way to share your expertise. There are people out there who will enthusiastically support you and your message. Within your topic, there are followers behind where you are on the spectrum from beginner to expert. Your experience can help and lead a younger generation of future business leaders like you.
Give your readers something to look forward to reading in the future. Build friendships with other bloggers and website owners who publish on similar topics.
How is your blog different?
Look around at established blogs your want yours to stand among. What do your people read now? What kinds of content would they want more of that they aren’t getting from these other blogs? Make a list of topics you can write about. Include your points of view where you differ from the majority. List special information you have that can make your blog stand out. This isn’t a popularity contest, narrower is better. The ways you differ from these popular blogs can reveal the niche where you will flourish.
Make a list of bloggers you admire in this space. Narrow down your list to three or four. You want to identify potential a splinter group within these blogs’ audiences to be your ideal followers. Think about your customers and come up with a list of a few different subsets you could focus on serving.
For example, you could aim specifically to help the 20-something low-budget followers of your subject. Alternately, if the younger crowd isn’t right for you, consider attracting the members who are older than the average. You could focus on men, women, kids, Christians, artists, non-artists, musicians, plumbers, engineers, nurses, whatever!
How will you make money?
If your blogging gets traction, you’ll be able to sell books, courses, and other products to your engaged followers. The followers who trust you and eat up your content will be enthusiastic customers later.
Scrappy Start tip: It’s important to treat the development of each product as a brief, one-off effort. If you don’t, you’ll get stuck doing tons of work that may not sell or serve your people. Do many small tests and see how your people respond. The things your people end up buying are clues to the future, bigger offerings you can make.
Generally, they buy things that are going to help them solve their problems. They buy things that will make their lives easier, or make their problems go away. People don’t just buy things because they’re new and shiny.
How much will you make?
The beauty of blogging to an engaged group of followers is that you can scale your income by growing your audience based on those followers. Creating more product options and formats for the customers you have. Reach out to your very best followers for an advanced, high-ticket offer with more personal interaction.
A successful blog can create residual income that lasts a lifetime. Because the cost and overhead of blogging are so low, your profit will begin to accumulate faster.
How many visitors do you need?
Share the link with your friends and family. Ask your friends and family to share your business with their friends and family. Also, you can also post on local community and business Facebook pages.
The benchmark goal is to build towards 1000 fans. If you haven’t heard of Kevin Kelly’s famous article, consider it required reading.
I like the idea of using small, super-targeted Facebook ads to attract your people. Watch for a separate post on this soon. If your ads represent you well, the people who respond will be sincerely interested. This is different from friends or family who are just there to encourage you. As you’re working to start your online business, it can be discouraging that the people around you don’t get your idea.
What is the best format to use?
Build traffic by posting consistently, for example, at least once per week is a good starting point. Build relationships with other bloggers, and participate in industry events. Consider offering monthly email subscriptions, give away free downloadable reports, and be sure to include invitations to “Subscribe” in all your posts.
You can also write reviews of new ebooks that relate to your topic. You can even offer free copies of other writers’ related books as prizes to your subscribers.
Focuses on the right things as you start your online business
Even if being a blogger is not what you had in mind as you start your online business, it is a great place to build from. The benefits are huge because it is a way to present ideas to people who have an interest in you. You can see what they care about, what they respond to, and most important, what you shouldn’t waste time on.
Blogging is a great way to establish that you are an authority on the topic as you build the business. From here, you can become an author by writing books. You can start a YouTube channel and vlog about your subject matter. You can also create buzz around physical products you make yourself or even items that you curate as an affiliate.
In conclusion, by the time you get running with a decent-sized audience, you may find you like blogging. There are many ways to get income through blogging. If the market values what you do, you will be rewarded for your effort.