Can I start a blog with my phone? |
Blogging From Your Cellphone
Blogging exploded in popularity in the early 2000s and has commanded steadily rising levels of traffic ever since. Today it's a flexible and dynamic content format that can include video, photos, and long- and short-format written posts. It’s increasingly common to maintain a blog directly from a smartphone, rather than a desktop or laptop computer. This practice is known as mobile blogging.
Blogging on your phone |
Types of mobile blogs
Given the power of modern smartphones, you can create virtually any kind of blog from your device. It’s up to you to determine the content format that best communicates your message and resonates with your audience. Here are some formats to consider:
- Video blogs. You can create a video blog (or vlog) based on episodic updates of your life. This format found early popularity on YouTube and has become a mainstay of the platform. Today, you can crosspost this content (in a short edit) to Instagram Stories and TikTok for wider exposure. Your smartphone camera is all you need to create compelling video content.
- Audio blogs. These are most popularly known as podcasts. Your smartphone has everything you need to create recorded audio content. You can use the built-in microphone to get started, but if you commit to this format, you’ll probably want to upgrade to a compatible plug-in microphone for better audio quality.
- Photography blogs. Smartphone photography has come a long way. Modern devices have excellent cameras that take pictures worthy of wider distribution. Start a photography blog based on the highlights of your camera roll, or post to VSCO and Instagram.
- Link blogs. One of the oldest blog formats is link collection. This can be based on the articles you find while browsing the internet. Link blogs are, essentially, a curation service for your readers. You can be eclectic and wide-ranging or narrowly focused on a particular niche.
- Micro post blogs. In the early days of blogging, it was common for authors to make multiple short posts a day that gave life updates or reactions to breaking news or developing stories. This style has been eclipsed by the advent of Twitter.
- News blogs. Avid followers of the news can post about news stories and keep their readers abreast of developments in the field. News is a broad category and encompasses everything from politics to lifestyle content. Find a niche that motivates you, such as environmental science, and become a critical resource for enthusiasts in that area.
- Long-format blogs. The foundational blog style, long-format blogging is how the medium started and is still what most people think of when you say blog. This format allows for in-depth coverage of topics, long conversations with other bloggers, and comprehensive treatments of your area. Go long, go deep, and your readers will hopefully follow. It may be cumbersome to type long articles on your phone, so try dictation apps that will translate your spoken words into text.
This list is not exhaustive. There are many other types of content that work in the blog format. Explore the options!
Mobile blogging tips
Running a blog can be a substantial amount of work, so you’ll want to follow best practices to optimize your efforts. Specific recommendations on how to run a successful blog will depend on your topic and format. In general, it helps to keep a consistent posting schedule, so that your audience knows where and when to find you. It also helps to develop a reliable brand—if you’re blogging about the latest developments in the commercial space industry, don’t get sidetracked into bird watching. Stay on message.
A question that comes up a lot is how to make money running a blog. The answer depends on your subject area, readership, and content format. It’s possible to make money blogging through advertising revenue and sponsorships. The more valuable your audience, the more businesses will pay to reach it. This means that some niches, such as personal finance, are better able to be monetized than others.
Finally, when mobile blogging, it’s critical that your phone is functioning correctly. Cracked screens and depleted batteries will hinder your ability to serve your audience. Here’s how to fix them.
Blog on mobile phone |
Best apps for blogging from your smartphone
If you’re wondering how to create a mobile blog, there’s no single best mobile blogging platform, but there are several popular options.
- WordPress is one of the most widely adopted blogging platforms. It can easily accommodate mixed media posts such as text, images, and video. It is highly customizable and has a robust plug-in market that can expand your blog features. You can easily create posts through the dedicated WordPress mobile apps for iPhone and Android.
- Squarespace is a website builder that can be used to create an attractive modern blog. Their mobile app allows you to create posts and reply to comments from your phone.
- Wix is another website builder. You can make a blog and manage it from your phone using their mobile app. Wix has all the functionality you’d expect and supports posts with images, video, and audio.
- Tumblr is the king of microblogging, with dedicated formats to reblog (repost content from another blog), make short comments, and add pictures and videos. Tumblr hosts active communities around art, music, and a wide variety of internet fandom.
Now you’re equipped with enough information to get out there and start a blog through your phone. And while you’re seeking fame and fortune through mobile blogging, remember to enjoy the journey and ensure your website speed is good to keep people on the blog. It’s the relationships you make along the way that matter.