How I stumbled on my way to be a Blogger

This is an interesting experience. This, I mean, how I started using Google for my work. Let me tell you something from the very beginning. I am an ordinary individual, the ones you meet every day, everywhere. So do not expect anything highly technical or something that goes over our heads when I narrate my experience with Google.

I am a voracious reader. I like to read fictions of all kinds. I also like to write. Having said this, I will tell you something else too. I started writing about the books I read and liked. What did I write? Well, I wrote the story synopsis, the characters,  what I liked about them and what I did not like. Needless to say, I wrote in word files.

Then the idea struck me: let me create a blog. This happened nearly 3 years back. So I decided that a blog is my answer to all things related to books. During that time, blog, blogger, blog post were buzz words. But, I had no idea what a blog was or how to create one. So I searched for a clue.

I hopped to Google. Is not that the storehouse of information for everything under the Sun? So that is where I went and searched for how to create a blog. A plethora of information in the form of links, pdf, videos was unfurled. I started clicking on everything that was provided. At the end of day-2, I was as confused if not more, as when I started. Everything was so technical and everyone who wrote appeared an expert on the subject and that did not help me one bit.  But, I accepted the challenge. Google was the most versatile search engine which provided me with a breakthrough. I learnt new terms, new ideas, and new applications which I never knew existed. Had it not been my passion, I would not have knocked on Google’s door.

At the outset, the idea of creating a blog and seeking information on the same was daunting. Google did provide me with excellent information, but, for a novice like me too much information was impossible to handle. Reading, browsing, jumping from one link to another were all futile exercises for someone who had no idea what she wanted and how to go about it. So I narrowed down to just how to build a blog using Blogger. And then I searched for step-by-step information, something in the form of a guide. Needless to say, that is when I began to crack the mystery. I also learnt that the key is to tame the lion (Google) and that comes with practice.

And holla, I started the blog on my own. I learnt everything via Google, how to choose a theme, how to insert tabs, how to post pics/videos using hyperlinks and also how to embed a chat roll. I made plenty of mistakes, but, also rectified them, thanks to Google. I learnt everything online, everything from Google’s resources. During my journey of creating a blog, I also learnt newer techniques, read interesting articles, and got excellent ideas on how to put thoughts into words.

You got to have patience if you are starting out with something. Google is perfect for learning, but, it is up to you to put it in to use what you have learnt. 

Hyperlocal

Traditional advertisement methods can be an expensive affair for the startups because they operate on a shoe string budget. To have a website or a blog is a boon for them as it positively impacts their business and helps it spread. Blogging is the most effective way of “pull marketing”. It is all about providing value to your visitors. It is about making them conscious about what is available and if you can provide valuable information, they will be attracted towards your services.

Today internet is flooded with websites and the netizen is overwhelmed with the amount of information being shared. Blogging is an effective tool to make your presence felt and help your startup stand out in the competition.

A blog which talks of a local community, its habits, its streets and the local flavor which are by and large ignored by media houses, is popular in the area to which it is specific. Start ups take the help of such blogs to create awareness among the locals about the products/services they offer. It helps in generating new leads which can be converted to potential buyers.

Blogging can help your startup in different ways:

1.      Blogging gives a clear idea about your startup. It also helps in getting feedback from your potential customers.

2.      It improves your site’s SEO ranking. The more active you are on your blog, the greater is the chance of it being ranked higher in the search engine and that helps a lot in remaining in circulation.

3.      It helps in building a loyal customer base even before you start selling anything. People get attracted to your ideas and will remain eager to see when you actually launch your product/services in the market.

4.      Good ideas attract investors. Remaining active on your blog will help you catching the interest of investors who are constantly looking for new entrepreneurs with good ideas.

Prospective buyers find a platform where they can share their requirements and a blog can help in monitoring the online presence and reputation. A blog gives the idea of the product/services being offered by a startup so that people can avail of the same.

To cite an example, Gurgaon based hyperlocal startup findyahaan is a market place connecting service providers with service seekers by leveraging location. It essentially helps in finding service providers in music, fitness instructors, chefs and tutors.  The blog about this startup made people aware of this service and by far, it has nearly four lakh customers in Jaipur, Gurgaon and Delhi NCR.

Mycity4Kids is such a startup which started in 2010 in Gurgaon. The basic idea behind this startup is "to reach out to all moms and ensure that the job of parenting never takes away the joy from it," says Vishal Gupta, one of the co-founders. This startup helps parents in raising their kids without being burnt out. They take care of their schooling, coaching, holiday plans and everything that has to do with children. They also host blogs on parenting where subject experts offer their advice.

Not only these talk about the startups, these also provide insight into how to make a mark in the market and bring about news and information in the startup business to keep everyone abreast. Take for example www.dealcurry.com. It talks about the new acquisition that health startup Portea had recently. This gives the client an idea about the changes being made to provide better health care. 

Many startups also look into the public health and get involved in awareness campaigns. Not all are involved in selling products/services. Take for example yourdost.com which features in Trak.in. This startup has saved nearly 70,000 people from committing suicide. This is one-of-a kind startup which deals with emotional well being of people in need of professional counseling. YourDost found a place in a website which shared information. It is a great help to a society which in constantly under stress. Starting off as a goodwill gesture, yourdost.com now has a pan India presence.

There are pit falls in this too. Do not over stuff your blog and post every few minutes. WordPress allows you to phase the release of your posts so you can actually control when and how much you should post. Depending on blogs for your marketing strategy of your startup is not the only answer. It can be an effective and powerful tool but, it needs to be used intelligently to give results.