Although blogging is a lucrative online venture, you have to be strategic in its implementation to optimize the potential benefits. This happens through various ways such as ensuring you are writing relevant and quality content that your readers can find value in. Hence, let’s look at the factors to consider when starting a blog in Kenya.
These factors include;
- Blogging niche
- Dormain name
- Webhosting service provider
- Content creation
- Monetization
- Marketing
An optimal consideration of these factors results in a well-planned blog that offers competitive content in the market. There is no doubt that almost every niche has competitors. Hence, to outdo them, you have to create content that is better or at least at par.
1. Blogging niche
Every blog has its target audience. This is what determines the type of content to create and publish. Some of the factors that help you in getting the right niche include passion, knowledge, and relevance.
Through passion, it is possible to turn something you like into a successful blog. As an example, if you have a passion for baking, you can start a baking-related blog. The same applies to other areas such as sports, finance, and cars.
A good niche should have adequate demand for content and be less competitive. This enables you to establish your presence easily helping to grow the number of blog visitors.
2. Domain name
This is simply your blog name. You should strive to get a name that is not competitive and has a relationship to your content. As an example, you can’t be creating sports content with a food-related domain.
Such as move indicates a lack of seriousness that could make readers avoid your content. Getting a good domain name helps your blog rank faster making it easier for potential readers to find it.
The dormain should also be easier to remember and pronounce. All these efforts are geared towards ensuring once you go live, your readers will have the best experience possible.
3. Webhosting service provider
In most cases, a Webhosting service provider also offers dormain names. However, these services are different. A good Webhosting service should offer the adequate capacity to host your website and also provide website-building tools.
Some of the factors to look out for when choosing a web hoster are support, server speed, and costs. Support entails the help you receive when you are having a challenge with your blog. The server speed is also critical as it is directly related to your readers’ experience. A good blog should have fast loading speeds. This is also a key factor that affects the indexing and ranking of your blog.
Webhosting service providers charge differently depending on the service. Hence, you need to settle on a package that sorts your needs and is pocket friendly. If you are a beginner blogger, take the basic package and then upgrade if there is a need.
Some of the top webhosting service providers in Kenya are;
4. Content creation
This is probably where you need to spend most of your energy if you want to start a blog in Kenya. As it is with every business, you have to get better than your competitor to make the most.
Content is the main product that you sell in a blog. Hence, you need to make sure you are creating relevant content, of high quality and quantity. Doing this ensures that readers will get their needs fulfilled through your blog.
It is also important to highlight that content creation is a continuous thing. 10 blogs are not sufficient and hence you should have a long-term plan for this. The more content you create, the higher the chances of attracting more readers.
This works just like a supermarket. You should try to offer as much information as possible within your blog to make it a one-stop shop. Creating good content requires continuous market research. You also have to come up with a great topic that is searchable on the search sites such as Google.
Some of the ways to get a good topic involves doing a keyword search. Many tools can help you do this including most SEO tools such as Yoast SEO and Semrush SEO.
5. Monetization
This is the ultimate goal for most bloggers. All the work spent in creating content should pay off in the long term.
Some of the most common blog monetization approaches include Google AdSense and related publishers such as Ezoic, affiliate marketing, and direct sponsorships.
The type of monetization to use depends on various factors such as blog traffic and content. For a starter without a lot of traffic, you should try doing google AdSense and affiliate marketing. Learn more about the top affiliate marketing programs in Kenya.
However, if you have a high-traffic blog, you can expand monetization to do direct sponsorship and product review. Direct sponsorship entails partnering with a business to market its products and services on your platform.
For product reviews, you should only focus on those products and services that you have experience in to avoid misleading your readers.
On average, most blogs in Kenya make 30,000 to 50,000 shillings. However, this could go higher as the blog grows and gets more visitors.
6. Marketing
I have mentioned the blog traffic several times in this article. This is because it is the key determinant of blog success.
Starting a blog and just creating content is not a guarantee that you will get more traffic. This creates the need to do marketing. Just like all businesses, marketing your blog creates awareness among potential readers.
There are various ways to market your blog such as through your social media channels and by sharing it with your friends and family members. The type of marketing depends on your financial ability. If you have some room, you can try sponsoring marketing posts on these sites. As an example, you can do a marketing sponsorship on Facebook with as little as 150 shillings per day.
When marketing, you should define your target audience to get the most impact from this approach.
The above factors to consider when starting a blog in Kenya are critical to ensuring your blogging journey is easier once you get started.
Top blogging niches in Kenya
As discussed, settling on a niche is the first step when creating a blog. Hence, below is an example of top blogging niches in Kenya
- Personal Finance
- Sports
- Lifestyle
- Investment
- Politics
Benefits of Starting a blog in Kenya
1. Source of passive income – Monetizing your blog is a key source of passive income that is critical in helping you achieve financial independence.
2. A way to share knowledge – People reading your content gain knowledge and potentially help them solve their needs. Hence, this enables you to impact your readers’ lives positively.
3. Working on your passion– Starting a blog is a great way to do what you like if you have a passion for content creation. This not only brings satisfaction but also enables you to make an income in the process.
