How to Start a Video Game Blog

The global market size for video games is predicted to expand at a compound annual growth rate of more than 12% until 2027. 

If you’re a gamer and love to write, what could be better than starting a video game blog. Blogs are popular with gamers since they’re about new games, walkthroughs, guides, game reviews, console reviews, etc. Also, the gaming community is highly active online, so you have the potential of building a sizable audience. 

Here is everything you need to know about how to start a video game blog.

Make a Plan 

Before you jump into the world of blogging, you should make a plan and set your goals. Making a plan will help you think strategically about your blog and the direction you want to take it to. 

Why Do You Want to Blog?

People start blogs for a variety of reasons. For example, to earn money, make a place to express oneself, or build a community of like-minded people. Being clear about your reasons will help you make decisions about your blog. 

What Should You Blog About? 

A video game blog can be about many things. You can dedicate it to a particular video game, provide guides to various games, provide gaming news, or even a mixture of all. However, you should be clear about the content you want to place in your blog so that you can build a regular audience. 

Who Is Your Audience?  

As a blogger, you need to decide who you want to write for. You shouldn’t make the mistake of trying to write for everyone’s taste. Having a target audience makes it much easier to build a following and inform your content strategy. For example, you could target young adults who love RPGs for a video game blog. 

How Should You Name Your Blog? 

Naming your blog is the fun part. Your blog name should ideally make it clear what the blog is about. A suggestive name makes it easier for people to find your blog. However, it’s best to avoid generic naming since that could make your blog get lost in the shuffle. 

Get a Domain Name 

The domain name is basically the name of your website, and it should generally be the name of your blog. It would help if you get your own paid domain name rather than relying on a free hosting service. That will make your blog much more professional and likely to attract audiences. 

Obtain Web Hosting

If you want to start a professional blog online, you need to sign up with a web hosting service. A web hosting service is a company that allows you to make a website and will charge a monthly or annual fee to allow you to keep your website. If you’re looking for a web hosting service, a good option is Bluehost. Other popular web hosting services include DreamHost and GreenGeeks. 

You should probably go for the most basic subscription plan when starting video game blogging since you can always upgrade later. However, web hosting doesn’t cost a lot, so you may want to opt for a premium plan to commit yourself to your blog thoroughly. The added benefits for a premium plan include a significant ability to support high traffic, more stability, and dedicated servers.   

Install WordPress 

WordPress is a popular service that allows you to design and build a website. Most people use WordPress, and we also recommend it. However, there are some other decent services available as well. 

You will need to install WordPress on the server of your web hosting service. That may sound complicated at first, but numerous online guides can walk you through the entire process. 

There are several benefits to using WordPress for your blog. Namely, blogs hosted on WordPress come with certain in-built SEO features that allow people to find your blog and content easily. In addition, WordPress provides many customization options that will enable you to design your blog just like you want it. It also has excellent customer service through live chat to guide you through any roadblocks. Last but not least, your website will automatically have a mobile-responsive design. 

On WordPress, you can even get started for free. Other subscription options include Personal, Premium, Business, and E-commerce. For a blog, the best subscription plans are Personal or Premium. BlueHost also provides managed WordPress hosting services. 

Design Your Blog 

The design of your blog is crucial. The more eye appealing it is, the more sizable your audience will be. A blog can have a minimalist design since there aren’t many features to include in your website. However, you should use nice colours, nice fonts, and a nice layout to make your blog stand out. 

Installing a Custom Theme

WordPress comes with in-built theme options (some are free, some are premium), or you can opt to make a new custom theme for your blog. A custom theme can help you ensure that your blog looks distinctive. In addition, you can consider customizing the theme to make it more attractive to gamers. 

You don’t need a lot of technical knowledge for building a custom theme. However, it will be better if you have experience using local staging environments since you will need to use one to create your theme. Further, a knowledge of PHP, HTML, or CSS is unnecessary but would undoubtedly be a plus.  

Plugins

You will need to add several plugins to WordPress. A plugin is a tool that helps you with a particular aspect of your website. For example, one of the essential plugins for a blog is Yoast SEO. This plugin ensures that the SEO (Search Engine Optimization) of your blog is working correctly. 

Most of the commonly used plugins are free. However, there are some plugins for which you’ll need to pay. Some of the most important plugins that you need to install include: 

Making a Logo   

Making a logo for video game blogs is now easier than ever. Several free online tools will help you create a logo within a couple of hours. If you want a logo that really stands out, you might also consider hiring a graphic designer. 

Some of the online tools that you can use to create a logo are Looka and LogoMaker. 

Start Writing Your Content 

Once you have your website up and running, the next step is to fill it with content. As mentioned earlier, the content for a gaming blog can take many forms, such as game reviews, guides, walkthroughs, and news. 

How to Write Game Reviews? 

Game reviews are popular since they help gamers decide which games to buy.  A game review typically talks about “gameplay”, “graphics”, “value for money”, “playing modes”, “storyline”, and more, depending on the game that you are reviewing. 

As a video game blogger, be sure to be authentic. Play the game yourself before writing your review. Then, if possible, finish the game. If you become an established game reviewer, you may even be able to get some pre-releases to try out and review. 

How to Write Game News? 

If you want to talk about game news, you should also be prepared to provide your take on it. However, just providing the facts may not get you the viewership that you may want. So instead, add more value to your blog posts by talking about how it affects your gaming life and adding your personal touch to it. 

How to Write Walkthroughs and Guides?

Writing walkthroughs and gaming guides is the most challenging thing you can write as a gaming blogger. As you may know, a walkthrough provides step-by-step instructions on how to complete and win a game. With longer games, a detailed walkthrough can consist of more than 50 pages. 

While writing walkthroughs, it is essential to include many images and screenshots to make it easier for readers to understand what you’re talking about. You can start a walkthrough by talking about the basics of playing the game and its purpose before jumping into a level-by-level or chapter-by-chapter guide.  

How to Build a Gaming Community? 

The best way to build a gaming community is to be highly active on your blog and frequently post (at least once daily). In addition, you should be prepared to talk about trending games and be active on social media to promote your blog. Providing genuine and engaging content while actively marketing your blog every day is the best way to build a loyal following. 

Start Your Blog 

How to make a successful gaming blog?  

There are a few tips that you should keep in mind for your blog. 

Before selling anything on your blog, you should be prepared to provide value first. For example, if you’re selling a game through an affiliate link, you should also provide a detailed game review.

Remember to think of a creative gaming blog name. 

Further, if you want to grow your gaming blog, you should try to engage with your audience as much as possible. People like to be heard, and they are more likely to tell their friends about it when that is the case.  

You should also check out some of the top gaming blogs, such as IGN and Game Informer.  

Lastly, several websites go into excruciating detail on how to start and grow a blog. Two of the best websites for this purpose are SmartBlogger and ProBlogger. They are filled with content and are quite helpful. 

How To Start a Video Game Blog: Wrap Up 

Starting a video game blog can be a fun activity, especially if you’re a die-hard gamer or a part of the gaming industry. You get to cover a variety of gaming topics that are of interest to you. However, you must be prepared to put in the work to build a blogging platform. Knowing how to start a video game blog is the first step of the process, so read as much as you can on building and growing a blog and be willing to dedicate hours daily.