.png)
Starting a blog can be a fun and rewarding experience, but it does require some planning and preparation. It took me years to decide to start blogging about my personal life and when I did, I wished there would have been an easy place to go to gather everything I would have needed to get going on my blogging journey. If you are at the beginning of your blogging journey, I hope you find these 10 tips helpful and consider them before getting started.
Decide on a niche or topic for your blog. Choose something that you're passionate about and that you can see yourself writing about for a long time. I am in the throws of motherhood and will be raising children for a while. I also absolutely love being an entreprenuer and have run several businesses over the last 15 years. Travel makes me so happy and inspires me so much - I always look forward to sharing adventures. Choosing topics I love, means coming here on a weekly basis to write and share is easy and that it bring joy to exert the effort in these areas.
Choose a blogging platform. Popular options include WordPress, Blogger, and Squarespace. Each platform has its own pros and cons, so do your research and choose the one that best suits your needs. You are reading this blog on a Wix site and has been my favorite platform because it is so intuitive and works really well.
Secure a domain name and hosting. A domain name is the website address that people will use to find your blog. You can register a domain name through a domain registrar such as GoDaddy or Namecheap. One of my favorite things to do is buy domain names and to hold them for future ideas and plans. I use Godaddy exclusively for this. Hosting is where your website's files and data will be stored, you can get hosting plans from companies like Bluehost or Hostgator.
Create content. Start by creating a content calendar to plan out your blog posts in advance. Begin by creating a few posts to have on hand before you launch your blog. When I initially launched my blog, in 2019, I started with 5 blog posts across 7 categories and launched with 35 new posts for my readers. When you launch, you want it to feel like you've been in the space. Give your readers lots of content to digest, so spend some time putting together great evergreen content.
Customize your blog's design. Choose a design template that matches the aesthetic of your blog and brand and customize it to your preference or hire a designer to create a brand that aligns with who you are and where you hope to go. Britney Jeanine designed my blog and I couldn't be happier with the investment.
Set up basic SEO (Search Engine Optimization) . This is crucial for making sure that your blog will rank well in search engine results and be easily discoverable. Some basic things to do include adding title tags, meta descriptions, and keyword-rich content on your blog.
Promote your blog. Once you have a few posts published, start promoting your blog on social media and other online platforms. Consider reaching out to other bloggers in your niche to create relationships, do guest posts and collaborations. An example of that can be seen here
Have a plan for monetizing your blog. Consider ways you can monetize your blog, such as through advertising, affiliate marketing, sponsored posts, or by selling products or services. One of my favorite blogging educators is Somto Seeks. I found out about her at a conference I was at this year and scheduled my own 1:1 session and learned so much from her about how to grow and monetize my blog and it is the most guidance and the best blogger education I have ever had.
Keep track of your analytics. Use tools like Google Analytics to track your website traffic, audience demographics, and other key metrics. A lot of websites have these analytics built in. Watch and follow them and build content off of what they tell you.
Be consistent and patient. Blogging takes time, effort and patience to see results. Be consistent with your posts and promotions and be patient for the audience and engagement to grow.
Starting a blog is a big undertaking but with some preparation and planning, you'll be able to create a blog that you're proud of and that resonates with your audience.
I hope these tips have been helpful. What would you add if you are already a blogger? What questions do you have if you are an aspiring one? Drop them in the box and I will answer you the best I can.
With wisdom and courage, for His glory,
Tash