4 steps to create a successful blog after 60
There’s no better time than retirement to try new things, and one hobby that’s taking off with retirees around the world is blogging – and why not? Who better than over-60s to share a wealth of experience and knowledge? Whether you want to make some money online or simply exercise your creative muscles, creating a blog is a fantastic way to do so. If you’ve always loved to write and share your thoughts with others, just follow these four easy steps and you’ll be on your way to success in no time.
1. Prepare
First of all, you need to think of something to write about. While many people use their blog as a sort of online diary, simply talking about what’s going on in their lives, it’s best if you have a point of difference. Say, for example, you travel a lot. Why not share some of your best memories and the tips you’ve learnt along with some photos you’ve taken? Or, if you’re more into baking, share your wisdom and beloved recipes with the rest of the world. A good rule of thumb is to just think about what you like to do and read or hear about – your blog will never last if you’re not passionate about your subject matter.
2. Choose a website
So you’ve got your idea, now it’s time to start putting it into practice. There are numerous platforms you can use to set up your blog, but by far the most popular (and most user-friendly) are Wordpress and Blogger. They’re completely free and offer a ton of great features and opportunities to earn advertising revenue. Setting up your blog is pretty straight forward, but finding a username (that’s the part that goes before .wordpress.com or .blogspot.com) can be difficult, so try to stick to something descriptive (for example “greynomads” for travel bloggers).
3. Write
Now for the hard part. You’ve got your idea, you’ve got your blog set up, and now it’s time to write that all-important first post. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself as you can always go back and delete or edit posts should you make a mistake. Blogs are all about showing your personality and writing in a conversational style – that is, pretend you’re writing to someone rather than an abstract group of internet users – and that means using all the slang, colloquialisms and emojis you like!
4. Promote
If you’re creating your blog just for yourself or to share snippets of your life with selected friends or family, you can probably ignore this step, but if you want to be a serious blogger, marketing needs to be a priority. We’re not talking TV ads or radio spots, marketing a blog is all about social media. Click here for an easy, step-by-step guide to setting up a Facebook page for your website. Invite your Facebook friends and family to “like” your page or share it with others, as this will organically increase the number of people coming to read your blog. Plus, you can always promote your blog’s Facebook page with some very cheap (often as little as $5) advertising options. Click here to learn more about advertising on Facebook.
Good luck!
Tell us in the comments below, have you started a blog before? What tips would you have for first-timers?
Related links:
Why everyone should break out of their comfort zone in retirement
Reawaken your creativity in retirement