Uganda has a very large percentage of teachers compared to many other trained labor force, usually because it is easier for almost everyone to get a scholarship as an aspiring educator, and a job as a teacher than in other disciplines.
There are so many teacher blogs right now (including this one), but why exactly do you think starting up a blog would be ideal? Here’s why
- Let your voice be heard. As a human, there could be a couple of things that you feel aren’t going well or can change if you say something. A blog is a wonderful space for you to express yourself.
- Become a better writer, since you have much to say, and you can almost only get it across if you write.
- Make extra money, either as a side hustle or as a main gig after a while through ad revenue.
- Find and connect with other teachers. Providing solutions to teachers helps you have a chance at starting an online community.
- Showcase your expertise in the profession, thus opening doors for yourself in terms of opportunities and deals.
- Provide feedback to parents and students. Lots of parents and students have questions and seek answers on the internet, therefore your help will come in handy.
Starting and driving your blog has never been easier than this time that we have almost all necessary resources to write, edit, promote and earn from our blogs. Therefore, the following are all you need to start blogging.
STEPS YOU HAVE TO FOLLOW TO START BLOGGING
1. Decide on what your blog will focus on
In the information business, you should know earlier enough that you cannot be the one to give everyone every kind of information they are looking for. If you ever want to make your blog successful, let alone profitable, you have to have an aim, and a specific, predictable direction.
You can focus on areas like;
- Sharing lesson plans with other teachers: this is where you guide teachers on how to navigate their lessons with a plan.
- Improved Teaching Methods: in this era of rapidly evolving tech, focusing on showing teachers how to cope with it is worthwhile.
- Helping Students and parents: This is where you help them find solutions to the classroom challenges and best ways for them to cope with teachers and school administration.
- Teaching POV: This is where you give your point of view on different matters as a teacher, regardless of the topic.
- Giving career advice to teachers: So many teachers have issues with their careers especially the starters. This won’t change at all, but you can make sure they always get the answers they need whenever they get on Google.
- Teaching Style and Strategies: teaching styles vary according to the type of students, the subject, the teacher and many others. You can be the one to guide others on when to do what.
Choosing the focus of your blog will be very important for you because it determines the entire direction and flow of your writings
2. Pick your niche
Just like the focus of your blog, your niche is very important.
First off, you don’t want to be a mile wide and an inch deep. Here’s why picking a niche is very important.
- People know you for what you talk about
- Gives you better room for focus and concentration on the subjects you talk about
- Makes marketing and monetization of your blog easier
Below are the examples of niches you can have;
- E-Learning
- Homeschooling/ private tutoring
- Student behavior
- Tests/ examinations
- Curriculum/ syllabus
Once you’ve settled on the niche, research and writing will be a lot easier for you, and the amount of online traction you’ll have is a lot compared to what you’d have if you didn’t concentrate on one area.
3. Do a fair amount of research
Research is very important as far as being an informer is concerned. This is because information increases by the minute, and you just can’t assume you know everything. Here are the best ways you can do research;
- Use Google
- Watch YouTube videos
- Consume related news
- Read extensively
Even though you might not find lots of new stuff, doing adequate research helps you have multiple ways to teach or explain something.
4. Set up your website
Nowadays, things are way too easy, you don’t have to write a code base for a website in order to blog. There are multiple providers out there from whom you can buy a standard and fully functional website. Here’s how to make use of them;
i) Decide on the platform
As I said, there are many platforms these days on which you can get a website. The popular ones include;
- WIX
- WordPress
- Blogger
However, their services are different, and so is the budget, therefore you have to make a wise, informed choice on which platform you’ll use.
ii) Get a domain name
A domain name is usually bought separate from the site. This is like the tag that shows that the territory is yours. It involves extensions like;
- .com
- .org
- .blog
- .biz
- .net
- Your country abbreviation e.g .ug
The moment you get your domain name, you are ready to enjoy using the site on your terms. Free plans are also available on some providers like WordPress and Blogger. However, these aren’t recommended for professionals.
iii) Get a host for your website
The company that hosts your site is usually not the one that has sold it to you. These sinply have servers on which many people store and run their sites. They include;
- Square Space
- Blue Host
- GoDaddy
- Hostinger
iv) Design the layout of your blog page
This might sound easy, but even though no coding is involved, you might screw up. If you’re unfamiliar with the task, outsource it for a low fee and you’ll be fully set. The layout should be pretty enough to attract all random visitors.
v) Install available helpful plugins
There’s lots of plug-ins depending on the functions you want. Most of them do things like;
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
- Grammatical correction
- Plagiarism checking
- Readability analysis
Some come free of charge with some providers, while others come at a small annual price that you won’t break a sweat paying.
5. Generate your blogs
After you’ve completed your research, it’s time for you to get your tab or laptop and start doing some writing.
First, it’s safe to use the information you have to write, and here are a couple of writing tips for bloggers
- Use simple, plain English
- Employ short sentences
- Use multiple headings
- List using bullet points and numbering
- Read it out loud
- Edit and polish
Writing is one hell of a task, therefore you either have to be enthusiastic about writing or just passionate about your niche.
HOW TO MAKE YOUR BLOG SUCCESSFUL
Now that the blog is up, you know very well that simply writing good blogs or designing a layout isn’t the end of everything you have to labor with. Here are other things you have to do.
1. Consistent blogging
It doesn’t matter how many blogs you put out. It actually has a negative impact if you post all your articles consistently , whether once a week or so.
2. Consistent marketing on all social media platforms
One of the best ways to gain traction for your website is your presence and usage of social media to bring your goals to fruition.
3. Engaging people in discussions
For most blog sites, there’s a comment section for your readers to interact with you after reading your article. This means they’ll attract more traffic here by making the page a lot easier.
4. Hiring guest bloggers
Hiring guest bloggers doesn’t mean you can’t blog anymore. Even some fellow teachers can help you out sometimes.
It will make your site look like more than just a personal entity that lies in the hands of one man’s decisions.
EARNING FROM YOUR BLOG
Basically, bloggers mainly earn through Ad revenue. The list below involves the revenue streams through which your blog can earn you, including;
1. Google Ads
This is where Google has the right to display ads on your website, to your readers. It basically doesn’t matter the type of ad or whether it fits your niche. The ads vary according to user preferences.
2. Paid Ads
This is where companies pay you to advertise on their behalf and pay you a fee for it. This usually happens when your blog is famous and people start reaching out.
3. Affiliate marketing
This is where you market other people’s products and earn if someone taps your link and buys the product. You can do this at any time, even when your site is just beginning.
Conclusion;
Blogging is so many years old, and though it’s easier right now to start blogging, it’s not equally easy to grow your blog into a brand/ business. This doesn’t mean it’s not possible. With the right strategies, you can grow your blog to meet your financial obligations.
Comments are closed.