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I have been getting lots of questions recently about my tips for starting a blog. By NO means do I consider myself an expert in this field, but I have definitely learned a lot over the past year.
In my opinion, blogging is such a powerful tool. It is an incredible way to share your passions with others, and build connections with those outside of your immediate network. If you are a business owner (or future business owner, like myself) blogging is another way for people to discover you. I know for myself, in under a year it has already created many opportunities for me.
I was lucky enough to be guided in my blog creating process, by the incredible Dr. Michele Burklund (AKA The Healthy Fashionista). She has many years of web design and blogging under her belt, and I really feel like I learned from the best!
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The creative process can be challenging sometimes, and I often find myself hitting blocks. I could write a post pages long on this topic, but I have narrowed it down to 5 simple tips that I feel should help every new blogger stay on track.
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5 Tips for Starting a Blog:
- Hone your focus
A crucial step before building your website, is really honing in on who you envision your audience being. Create your ideal reader. What is their name? How old are they? What are their interests? What would they want to read about? Where do they live?
By knowing your target audience, you can really visualize what you want your blog to look like.
Spend some time narrowing down what your focus will be. I personally wanted to keep my blog a bit more general, and make it more of a overall lifestyle platform. I decided to blend my passion for health/wellness, nature and adventuring into one! Having a clear idea of what you want your theme to be will help when coming up with topics to write about.
- Choose a platform
There are many blog platforms to choose from out there, and it can be confusing to navigate them all.
I personally use Squarespace as I feel it has a very clean and professional look. I find it super user friendly, and they have many tutorials to help you along. The downside to Squarespace is it costs $$. They do have a student price, and the cost includes a domain name, so overall it is not a bad deal. They also have a 14 day free trial, so you can experiment with it before taking the plunge. For business owners, or those who are serious about blogging, this would be my top recommendation.
There are many other platforms, and free ones as well. If you don't feel like investing in a domain name just yet, I would experiment with these first.
Wix
Wordpress
Weebly
Tumblr
- Content, content, content
Before you launch your website, it is imporant to have content up! Spend about a month or 2 preparing before you officially launch. You will want a home page, about me, blog, and contact page at the very least!
Create 3-5 blog posts to have up on your blog before launching.
Keep a little notebook (or note on your phone) where you can write down blog post ideas. I now have over 50 ideas written down that I can draw from any time. This is perfect for days when you are feeling less than inspired.
- Stay consistent
This is the hardest part for sure. It is easy to say you would like to post 3-4 times a week, but then reality sets in and sometimes you are just too damn busy.
My best advice would be to set realistic goals for yourself, that way you won't be letting yourself down! Start with 1 blog post every 2 weeks. If that is manageable and you would like to write more, then work up to once a week, etc.
The more consistent you are, the more trust you will gain from your readers, as they know they will be able to count on you for new consistent content.
- Speak from your heart
Is your website a reflection of you? Are you truly speaking from the heart? Authenticity is obvious when it is real. Be genuine, and only write about things you really want to write about. People will recognize this very quickly. It is much more enjoyable to read something that comes from a place of passion, rather than feeling forced.
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I hope you enjoyed these tips! Having a blog can be such a rewarding experience. It is easy to get burned out though, so remember to enjoy the process. If you are not enjoying it, re-evaluate, and change your angle.
Do you have a blog? I want to check it out! Share your blog link with me in the comments below!!