Best Tips for Starting a Blog
Starting a blog can be an exciting, daunting task…and so worth it! You can share your ideas, influence others, and maybe make a little money doing so! Starting a site from the ground up takes work, a little know how, and some focus. Today, I am going to share with you some tips for starting your own blog. There is plenty of room in cyber space, and I hope to see you there!
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Starting a blog was one of the best decisions I have ever made. Sure, the “competition” can be steep, and the comparison game happens too often, but it has been so worth it! Truth is, seeing my site grow over the years has been so exciting, has offered me many proud moments, and has introduced me to a community of people who are now many of my best friends.
But what does it take to go from a reader of a blog to a writer of a blog? I was often on the “reader” side…where do you get most of your recipes? Or craft ideas? Or travel planning tips? Chances are, you follow a pin on Pinterest and magically land on a blog that is full of information!
Why should you start a blog?
It is a creative outlet, and opens so many doors to an amazing community.
Do you have lots of recipe ideas? Maybe you are the cake baker and supplier of sweet things to your family? Are you the “go to” person for international travel? Or do you have experience in a special community, such as a child with a disability or illness? Using your personal experience is key. Getting your ideas, feelings, and thoughts out there allows you to connect with people. It’s a win win!
What is your passion?
When starting a blog, you need to niche down. That means finding a focus for your blog. You can narrow down to JUST appetizer recipes. Or, maybe you have a gazillion ways to be creative with kids. Perhaps you have nothing but the best Disney tips to share. DIY, beauty, parenting multiples, being the wife of a military serviceman…..you likely have some sort of experience in an area that you can write about.
There is also a “lifestyle” niche. I think this is the easiest, and allows you to write on a few topics while keeping your focus tight. For example, my site is Disney, food, and creative projects. Those are the three things I love, and therefore that is what my site is about.
Finding your niche makes starting a blog easier, and brands you from the beginning. When people come to your site, they know what to expect! And that is key.
What are the very first steps?
A blog is “hosted”, or takes up residence, with a host. This is the ground work on which you will build your site. My site started on the free version of Blogger years and years ago. About 5 years into my site, I moved to the paid version of WordPress. By that time, I had been consistently blogging, had a good amount of content, and felt like it was worth the investment. I encourage you to start with a free version of Blogger or WordPress, and learn the basics of blogging, and branch out from there.
Choose your domain name. This is your “.com”, aka your address in cyber space. Start making a list of a few words that identify you and what your site will be about. My blog started as “My Favorite Finds”. Very general, very easy to work with. From there, as it evolved, it became “A Princess and Her Pirates”….alluding more to our love for Disney and giving it a more unique niche. You may find yourself changing it after a few years, and if so, that is doable with the right help!
What are your best initial blog investments?
There are so.many.things to blogging that you don’t even realize until you get started. Recognizing that you can’t do it all is key, and will save you so much stress. However, it is hard to know what to put money toward and what not to.
Investing in tools to make your site run easier, can be so worth it in the end.
Branding is key to your site, and is something that is worth an investment. You want all of your colors, logos, etc to be consistent on all your social media platforms and on your blog. This is a great aspect of your site to outsource. There are lots of options out there, including New Day Creative. They work with you to create branding that is perfect for YOU and to get your message across through your blog. Not only that, but web design can be daunting as well. Again, there are agencies who will work with you to create a fluid and beautiful website but if you want one of the best, this advertising agency in Columbus OH is that one to establish and assist you in this process. Branding should be a priority when starting a blog.
Choosing a course to take is a great idea, as well. There are courses for growing your Pinterest, photography courses, courses for understanding SEO {Search Engine Optimization}, and general writing that will give you tips for growing your site. Take it slow, and digest one course at a time, applying it to your site as time goes by. I encourage you to seek out some courses from fellow bloggers, as a way to support their small business.
Starting a blog from the ground up is a continual learning process. I liken it to parenting….you can’t possibly know everything there is to know from day one. Your site will evolve, much like we do as people. Before you know it, you will have a beautiful site, filled with great content!
