Almost 65 per cent of India’s population are millennials. In its report, “Meet the Millennials”, KPMG states that millennials are the first generation to use the word “fun” to describe a dream job. They seem to like flexible work cultures and are open to honest communication.
Rising work pressure and hectic schedules which are commonplace in private sector jobs have furthered the millennial pursuit to start a business of their own. It is also why more and more millennials are exploring how to start blogging in India.
How to start blogging in India?
One of the most popular career choices for independent-minded Indian millennials is blogging. Blogging in India is growing at a rapid pace and is finally being considered a mainstream career. Many young Indians are now looking at blogging as a business and some even earn income which surpasses the annual income of executive-level employees!
With a future in blogging looking so bright, it would be foolish to not want to jump onto the ever-growing blogging bandwagon!
Are you a beginner who is wondering how to start blogging in India for the longest time? Want to know what blogging is all about and how to get started? Fret not! We’ve got you covered.
Through this article, you will get well acquainted with how to start blogging in India. You will also have a better understanding of the best ways to monetize it.
The process of setting up a blog
Before you can get to actually set it up, there is one thing you need to be sure of. It is to be confident and sure about what you are getting into. Don’t let self-doubt bog you down.
All you need is passion and persistence to become a good blogger. And in today’s day and age, you can start a successful blog on just about any topic imaginable.
1) Find a niche
Choosing a topic or subject is one of the most crucial steps in blogging. Always make sure you choose a niche which appeals to you and is interested to write about. Don’t blindly choose a niche thinking you can make a lot of money by blogging about it. This is simply not a sustainable approach.
Here are a few factors to consider before choosing a niche.
- What do you love to talk about?
- Do you know enough about it to continually keep blogging on the topic?
- Can you improvise on that topic by adding value to it?
- Can you keep your blog aligned with the trends and ongoing topics in India?
Once you have an answer to these questions, you’re all set to become a blogger for that niche. If you are wondering how to start in India, start with something that interests you the most. Your niche could be anything, such as a travel blog, fashion blog, review blog, news blog etc.
2) Pick a name for your blog
There are a few factors which you need to consider when you are picking your blog name.
- What is your blog going to be about?
- Your target audience? (This is also important for SEO)
- What is your blog going to talk about?
- Are you planning on building your brand around the blog name?
- Will you also find the same social media usernames?
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3) Choosing a blogging platform
Choosing where to build the blog is one of the most important decisions before you can start blogging. There are also a variety of platforms, which makes it easier to feel confused.
- WordPress is one of the most popular blogging platforms out there. It is also one of the biggest blogging platforms in the world with countless plugins and add-ons. You can also choose from a wide range of designs and layouts for your blog.
- Blogger- Is another platform to start blogging from. It is the second most popular platform after WordPress.
- Tumblr- Tumblr combines the interactive fun of social media with the serious business of Blogging. It is also super simple to use.
A lot of bloggers, especially the ones in travel, food, fashion & lifestyle domain start their blogging career by creating an Instagram profile. It is one of the easiest ways to start and test waters. Once you have built your initial follower base, you can then move to a more detailed blog.
Related: 11 top food bloggers in India that you should follow instantly
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4) Choosing a Web Host
While on WordPress, Tumblr, Blogger and other similar platforms you can start blogging for free, they do come with drawbacks. You can’t fully monetize free blogs. You will also not be able to upload all the videos and images you would want to share with your readers.
It is because these free blogs are mostly limited. A free blog will also mean you don’t actually own your blog. Since it is hosted on someone else’s web property, they can delete it if they want to.
A self-hosted blog, on the other hand, let’s you be the real owner of your blog. You can choose any blog name you like. It could be your “Name.com” or “Whatyourblogtalksabout.com. You can also choose to end it with .com, .co.in, .in, net, .org, or virtually any other web suffix. A .com domain extension should be most preferred, but .net or .org works well too.
Related: 9 successful tips for choosing a domain name for your venture
Now if you think self-hosting and the desired domain name is going to burn a hole in your pocket, think again! It can cost you only $5 or Rs. 250 per month. You can also only register your domain name which can cost around $10 or Rs.500 per year and use it to redirect it to your free blog.
There are several web hosting service providers from which you can choose. These are some names you can consider:
a) GoDaddy:
GoDaddy is one of the most popular domain registrars in the industry. It comes with a wide variety of hosting options. It is the most preferred web hosting services provider for millions of users for a reason.
GoDaddy simplifies the process of buying domain names, setting up the host and then building a website. It also offers virtual and dedicated servers. With GoDaddy the entire process of hosting becomes seamless and you can avoid all unnecessary hassles. You can choose from either of these 3 plans.
- Economy Plan – $1.00 per month
- Deluxe Plan – $4.99 per month
- Ultimate Plan – $5.99 per month
b) Dreamhost
Dreamhost is another popular name in the hosting industry with 400,000 active users. It provides best and cheap hosting in India. Dreamhost provides a 97-day money-back guarantee making it a safe bet.
You can choose from either of its packs:
- Shared Starter – $2.59 per month
- Shared Unlimited – $5.95 per month
c) Hostinger
Hostinger provides the cheapest hosting fees for websites listed in India. It also has a presence in seven different regions around the world. Although it provides some of the cheapest web hosting services, Hostinger’s features are on par with some of the best hosting providers. You can choose from either of these plans,
- Single Shared Hosting – $0.80 per month for 48 months.
- Business Web Hosting – $3.45 per for 48 months
d) WP engine
WP engine is managed by WordPress and was one of the first few providers of hosting services. It takes care of most technical tasks and allows you more time to focus on the content. It specializes exclusively in WordPress and has more than 500,000 customers worldwide.
You can choose from either of these plans,
- Startup Plan – $35 per month
- Growth Plan – $115 per month
- Scale Plan – $290 per month
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5) Driving Traffic To Your Blog
Now that we have gone through the initial steps of how to start blogging in India, the next thing which needs immediate attention is increasing traffic and building a following. A successful blog is not just made out of great writing.
It needs an equally effective marketing plan too! Generating traffic and making sure your blog reaches the right audience is pivotal. Here’s how you can go about it,
a) Make your presence felt
Comment on other blogs and stay active on social media platforms and groups. This can help significantly in bringing traffic to your own blog.
b) Marketing and Promotion
All your great content will go in vain if it is not marketed and promoted properly. Always make it a point to promote your blog on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Always post links to your blog to grab attention.
c) Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Be conscious that your blog is SEO optimized. You can do so by using common search queries throughout your writing. This way your blog will appear on the top of search engine result pages, and more people are likely to read your posts. You can use Google Analytics or any other traffic statistics software to monitor this traffic.
d) Becoming a guest blogger
These are articles you can write writes for some blog/websites other than your own. These guest posts will link back to your blog and will help you get recognized by newer readers. It will also better your chances in appearing on a search engine. Writing guest posts is a great way to tap into newer audiences.
Related: 13 free guest posting sites you should contribute to (for visibility & traffic)
6) Monetize your blog
Now that you have a blog, which fulfils every parameter to become successful, you can move on to focusing on monetizing it. Gone are the days when blogging was only a passion project.
Some real money can be made through blogging. There are a number of ways to monetize your blog. Here are some of them:
a) Become an Influencer
The concept of Influencer marketing is taking over in India. Influencer marketing is when brands connect with popular bloggers and influencers to promote products through original articles, reviews, videos & social media posts to share with their followers.
Related: 8 best influencer marketing platforms in India where you can register
Increasing internet penetration in India and a steady rise in digital spending have fuelled the growth of influencer marketing in India.
b) Freelance
If your blog on a particular subject gets popular, many websites and offline newspapers or magazines approach you to write for them and pay you for it. Through freelancing, you can earn money with your skills and expertise. For example, if you have a fashion blog that is doing well, you can write for fashion lifestyle websites.
This way you will be paid for something which you were doing for free all this while! In order for clients to take notice of you, you can include a landing page on your blog with a catchy title such as “Hire me”
c) Running ads on your blog
This is a sure-shot way to make money out of a blog. Once your blog is generating a decent amount of traffic, you can start directing ads on to it. You can choose which ad will be displayed on your blog and set a price for these ads.
Advertisers will directly get in touch with you in case of direct ads, saving you the cost of a mediator. You will be paid a commission every time your reader clicks on an ad. You can choose to charge these advertisers on either a weekly or monthly basis. Google AdSense, BuySellAds, TribalFusion, and BlogAds are some of the advertising networks which you can use to monetize your blog.
As a blogger, you might be tempted to work from home initially but working from a coworking cafe is the best decision you can make. Startups like myHQ give you access to multiple cafes & coffee shops that will keep your productive and your creativity flowing.
It is the perfect mixture of professional and casual and you get all work essentials like free fast wifi, stationery, comfortable seats with plug points and more. Imagine building your blog from a flexible casual environment, while you network with like-minded professionals!
It is also highly beneficial in providing work opportunities and growing your business. Think of full access to a cosy space, great company and of course all the delicious food! Book your free trial today!
So, that’s pretty much everything on how to start blogging in India. Let us know your thoughts in the comments section.
