Bloggers in Kenya are quickly grabbing this opportunity to sell their ideas, be it via social media or online magazines. What follows is a brief explanation of how to become a blogger in Kenya and the best practices to follow to be successful.

For a beginner, blogging may sound like one of the easiest ways to generate income online. However, once you start creating content, you will realize that the hardest part just like any business is getting regular visitors. Below are some of the guidelines to follow in order to be a successful blogger in Kenya.

• Creating a blog

To start your blogging journey, you will require a few essentials: a unique blog name, a reliable web hosting company for registering and hosting your blog (we have some recommendations for you), and a user-friendly blogging platform like WordPress, which will you will use for creating content.

• Specialize in a specific niche

This gives you ideas on what topics to write about. There are millions of blogs that exist and thousands that are created each day. It is important that you stick to one topic and let readers get used to the fact that they are coming to your blog to get information about a specific topic. Without specializing in a particular niche, you risk getting lost in the vast sea of blogs.

• Write for people, not search engines

You should focus on writing for people, not search engines. Create content that is valuable, engaging, and relevant to your readers. Your content should address the questions, concerns, and interests of your readers. Over time, you will notice your content ranking higher in search because search engines prioritize user-focused content over search-focused content.

• Build an email list

Before you begin blogging, you should ensure that you have put in place a way to collect email subscribers. Having huge followers on social media platforms is not as important as having email subscribers, as such platforms can change their algorithms or policies anytime, affecting the number of users you can reach. Your email list is something you own and control. You are not at the mercy of any platform. Here is a list of affordable email marketing tools to select from.

• Making Money from Your Blog

The best way to make money online from your blog for beginners is through display advertising. Google AdSense is the best-paying advertising platform. Others that exist that either don’t pay as well as Google AdSense or have high traffic requirements include Mediavine, Media.Net, AdThrive, Ezoic, etc.

Other blog monetization options that you might want to use include affiliate programs, sponsored posts, etc.

With these pointers in mind, blogging in Kenya will not be such an uphill task for you as a beginner.