Nigeria is a country with a population of over 180 million people, making it the most populous country in Africa.
With such a large population, there is a lot of potential for news stories.
However, starting a successful news blog in Nigeria can be difficult because of the competition from established news outlets.
But it is not impossible.
In fact, if you follow this guide step by step, you have a better chance of creating one of the most popular news blog here in Nigeria.
What is a News Blog?
A news blog is a website that publishes articles about current events. These articles may be original content, or they may be taken from other sources.
News blogs here in Nigeria are typically updated frequently, and they often include commentary from the blogger or other writers.
At the same time, many news blogs are focused on a specific topic, such as politics or international news. Others are general interest sites that cover a range of topics.
That said, some popular news blogs in Nigeria include:
- Linda Ikeji’s Blog.
- BellaNaija.
- SisiYemmie.
- OgbongeBlog.
- Naija News.
- Notjustok.
- NewsOnline NG.
- TheNewsGuru.
Would you wish to follow in their footsteps?
Continue reading to know how to even beat them?.
Starting a News Blog in Nigeria: The Basics
a). Choose a niche
Now, whenever you want to start a blog in Nigeria, the first step is choosing a niche.
In a nutshell, a blogging niche is the topic or subject matter that you write about on your blog. It can be anything from parenting to travel to fashion to food.
Since you already know you’d wish to start a news blog in Nigeria, it means news is your niche.
But there’s one problem:
The news blogging niche in Nigeria is so competitive and you won’t have a chance of being heard.
What do you do?
The key is to find a topic within the news industry that you are passionate about and that you know a lot about so that you can write interesting, engaging content that readers will want to read.
How will do you that?
It is simple actually. Think about what you can offer your readers that other bloggers aren’t already providing.
- What unique perspective do you have on the topic?
- What are your original thoughts and ideas?
- What do you know about this topic that nobody else does?
For example, you can focus on providing interviews both written and maybe in the video.
b). Evaluate Your Target Audience
When starting a news blog in Nigeria, it is important to first evaluate your target audience.
Who are you trying to reach with your content?
Knowing your audience is essential in creating content that matters to them and resonates. There are many different factors to consider when evaluating your target audience, including:
- Location: Are you targeting a local, national, or global audience?
- Age: What age group are you aiming for?
- Gender: What gender do you want to reach?
- Interests: What topics does your target audience care about?
- Lifestyle: What is the general lifestyle of your target audience?
- Education level: What education level is your target audience likely to have?
Having a good understanding of who your target audience is, makes it easy for you to create content that speaks to them directly.
And maybe that’s the only thing you need to create a successful news blog in Nigeria.
c). Assemble Your Equipment
Running a news blog in Nigeria is not as complicated as it may seem. In fact, all you need are a few pieces of equipment.
The first piece of equipment you will need is a computer. This can be a desktop or laptop computer. It is important to have a computer that is fast and has a lot of memory, especially if you plan on running video or graphics on your blog.
The second piece of equipment you will need is an internet connection. The faster the connection, the better.
You will also need some software. A word processing program, such as Microsoft Word, is essential for creating your blog posts. You may also want to consider using graphic design software to create visuals for your blog.
Finally, you will need a powerful camera (your phone can do at first), microphone, hard drive (s), and interview recorders.
Once you have these three things nailed down, you are ready for the following steps.
Step 1: Choose a domain name
When it comes to starting your very own news blog in Nigeria, the first and most important step is choosing a domain name. This is essentially your website’s address and should be something catchy and easy to remember.
Try to include keywords in your domain name that are relevant to your niche, as this will help with search engine optimization (SEO).
For example, from the top news blogs we mentioned earlier, you saw most of them contain the word “News” and Nigeria.
Either way, when choosing a domain name, there are a few things you’ll want to keep in mind.
First, be sure to check that the name is available and isn’t already taken.
You can do this by using a domain name search tool on our website.
As you can see, the domain “JustIn.com.ng” is available for registration. And it can make a really great news blog in Nigeria.
Also, make sure that the web host you choose has the capability to host your website’s domain name.
Once you have chosen a domain name, you’ll need to purchase hosting for your website.
Step 2: Get a web hosting account
Hosting is a service that puts your website on the internet. It is what allows people from all over the world to access your content.
And there are many different web hosting providers in Nigeria, and it can be a little confusing trying to figure out which one is best for you. But don’t worry, we’re here to help!
When looking for a hosting provider, there are a few things you’ll want to keep in mind.
First, ask yourself how much traffic you expect your website to get. This will help you determine how much storage space and bandwidth you’ll need.
Also, be sure to choose a provider that offers good customer service. If you ever have any problems with your website, you’ll want someone who can help you fix them quickly and easily.
Finally, price is always an important factor when choosing a hosting provider.
That said, Truehost Nigeria is one of the leading providers right now and you can get started from as low as NGN500 per month.
Step 3: Install WordPress
Now that you have hosting, your next step to starting a news blog in Nigeria is getting a CMS. This is a platform to help you create and manage content.
While there are a variety of blogging platforms in Nigeria, WordPress is popular among many bloggers.
WordPress is an online, open-source content management system (CMS). It is used by millions of people around the world, including many large organizations, such as The Guardian, Forbes, and The New York Times.
This CMS allows you to easily create a website or blog with a customizable interface and a wide range of features. It is also free and relatively easy to use.
You can easily download and install it on your own, or talk to our support team to help with the installation.
Step 4: Choose a theme
Now that you have selected a platform and registered your domain name, it is time to choose a theme for your news blog in Nigeria.
Lucky for you, WordPress offers a wide variety of themes to choose from, both free and premium.
As such, when selecting a theme, be sure to consider the purpose of your blog and the audience you are hoping to reach.
If you are new to WordPress, it may be helpful to start with a basic or multipurpose theme that offers plenty of customization options.
Be sure to check out the theme’s reviews before installing it on your site. It is also important to make sure that the theme is responsive, meaning that it will adapt to different screen sizes and devices.
Step 5: Write your first news post
Now that you have created your news blog in Nigeria, it is time to write your first post.
When writing a post, think about the different types of posts you can make.
There are five main types of posts: news, opinion, analysis, how-to, and curated content.
- When writing a news post, be sure to include all the facts. Include the who, what, when, where, why, and how of the story.
- Opinion posts allow you to share your thoughts on a topic. Be sure to back up your opinions with facts.
- Analysis posts break down a story into its individual parts and discuss what it means for the reader.
- How-to posts teach the reader how to do something.
- Curated content posts compile stories from other sources and offer a different perspective on the issue at hand.
To publish a new post, click on Posts > Add New.
Step 6: Promote your blog
Without readers, you don’t have a blog.
So, once you have created your news blog in Nigeria, you will need to start promoting it.
Luckily, there are a number of ways to do this, and the method you choose will depend on your budget and the amount of time you have to devote to marketing.
One way to promote your blog in Nigeria is to submit articles about it to online directories and article submission sites. You can also post links to your blog on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter.
Another great way to get traffic to your blog is by participating in online forums and discussions related to the topics covered in your blog. When you participate in these discussions, be sure to include a link back to your blog so that readers can learn more about what you have written.
You can also promote your blog by submitting it to search engines like Google and Bing!
Step 7: Monetize your news blog in Nigeria
I bet you didn’t start a news blog in Nigeria just to share news, right?
You can also make money while doing what you love. There are a number of ways to monetize a news blog.
Advertisements and sponsorships are the most common, but many bloggers also sell digital products, such as e-books or online courses, or physical products, such as T-shirts or coffee mugs with their blog logo on them.
Affiliate marketing is another option; affiliates earn a commission for each sale they generate for the blogger’s shop.
Finally, some bloggers accept donations from readers.
Pick one and run with it.
Conclusion
In conclusion, starting a news blog in Nigeria is a great way to share your thoughts and ideas with the world.
It is also a great way to build a following and make connections with other bloggers and journalists.
If you’re thinking about starting a news blog in Nigeria, be sure to follow these tips to get started on the right foot.
You can start the process here.