If you have a passion for gaming, one way you can take your passion one step further is by starting your own gaming blog. This is a brilliant way for you to share your knowledge, build a gaming community, and potentially make a profit from your hard work if you are savvy with your strategy and content. If you are a keen gamer you are halfway there already; simply read the seven tips below about how you can get your gaming blog up and running, and you could be making money from your passion in no time.
Domain/Hosting
The first essential step is to think of a name for your blog. It needs to be original, catchy, and short. Remember, you will be competing with hundreds of other blogs out there, so you need yours to stand out from the crowd. It doesn’t necessarily have to mention gaming; in fact, the quirkier, the better, as this will mean you will be more likely to make your blog name your domain name. A domain name will add ‘.com’ to your blog name, and this will be how readers access your blog online. If your first choice is taken, don’t panic! Have a mind mapping session and have a few up your sleeve. You should be aware that most web hosting platforms will likely set a fee for registering your domain name, but this won’t be particularly expensive.
Choose a Platform
You will also need to choose a blog website to use as your platform for your blog. There are free blogging platforms available that you can check out, and make sure you pick one with an interface you are comfortable with. Take some time in the early days setting up the look of your blog, so that you can be in a position to commit to your writing and content as opposed to focusing on fiddly edits later on once you are up and running. Give time and thought to customization and color scheme; you want the aesthetics spot on right from the start.
Invest in the Right Equipment
Setting up a blog is all well and good, but you won’t be able to reflect the quality of your content if you fail to have the best equipment. If your blog includes video content, then you will need a good quality camera equipment as well as up to date recording equipment so you can upload your content quickly. A computer with appropriate specs in terms of the processor, storage, power supply, and monitor is essential. These may seem like hefty investments, but it will reflect in the quality of your video content and will make your life easier during gameplay as well as when you are working on your blog. If you aren’t in the best financial position to fund this, you can easily find options online to help you with a loan that requires no credit check so you can give yourself the best chance when you’re setting yourself up.
Pick A Theme
To stand out from the myriad of other bloggers out there, you need to pick a theme – and stick to it! There is a vast amount of information out there; trying to cover all bases is simply not sustainable with your blog, and the more niche you go, the better chance you stand of making an impact in the world of game blogging. Will you approach your topics from a particular topic? Is there a particular genre you will focus on, such as RPG (Role Playing Games), JRPG (Japanese role-playing Games), first-person shooter, or sports games? Developing your niche and ‘identity’ will inform readers of the kind of content to expect from your blog. Making this clear will see readers return regularly if they can see you are confident with your subject matter.
Build A Community
Gaming blogs are a brilliant way to build up a community and find gamers with a similar passion for gaming. Use your blog to build a network and online community, where you can share advice, strategy and connect with other bloggers. Online relationships are only successful when built on mutual growth appreciation and reciprocation, where you can add value to the conversations and build a rapport.
Post Regularly
Posting regularly is absolutely essential no matter what content you are creating. Of course, this doesn’t mean posting all day every day; quality content is still essential, but if you go quiet for several weeks, your reader stats will drop and regular visitors to your blog will find other resources for informative content. Try and set a schedule, perhaps one post a week, containing fresh, new, entertaining content for your readers.
Make It Interesting
You will be facing a lot of competition with whatever niche you focus on with your gaming blog, so it’s essential to make your content interesting. Consider incorporating visuals, videos, plug-ins and social media posts to your main page. Variety and originality will keep your readers coming back, and allow for comments to be made on your posts. Listen to your readership, as at times they will be able to offer suggestions as to what sort of content they enjoy. You need to be entertaining, passionate and committed. Readers will soon see if you lack any of these qualities as it will reflect in the kind of content you post. Consider tutorials and advice, but also get to the crux of what your blog is about, giving readers an insight into your niche that cannot be found elsewhere. You will see some serious growth if you start sharing unique content about your chosen field and will be able to make a name for yourself before you know it.
Setting up your gaming blog may seem a daunting task, but by following the above tips, you can soon see yourself gain traction and a strong following. Monetizing your blog will be the next step, and through dedication, passion and hard work you could turn your passion into a career. The possibilities are endless, so put in the work in the early days and see where it takes you.
