How to Start a Blog
Y’all, I don’t claim to be a chef or the greatest cook or to be an expert on gluten intolerance and food allergies - I just share my journey and my personal experiences, what works for us. I’m not claiming to be the most successful blogger because let’s be real, the numbers will show I haven’t been doing this long and we’ll just say I have a lot of potential! LOL! But I do know a thing or two about strategic communications / public relations as my profession and I’ve learned-by-doing a substantial amount through my years of dabbling with blogging and my recent months of focused, committed blogging.
Lately, I’ve been surprised at the number of friends and readers reaching out to me with questions about how to start blogging. Note that I don’t say I’m surprised at WHO reaches, out just at how many. Literally every person that has reached out, I’m like oh my gosh, I can’t believe you haven’t started yet because I would personally LOVE to read about that! I love sharing what I have learned and probably offer information overload with all my thoughts on the subject when I respond. All of that to say, it led me to writing this post, which I hope provides the advice or guidance for someone who hasn’t reached out yet but is curious what it would like to turn their idea into a reality! And please know, I’m in no way trying to claim I’ve got it all figured out or that I do any of these things perfectly!!
How to Start a Blog or Similar Creative Endeavor
Find Your Niche
So you want to start a blog but you’re not sure what exactly you want to write about. Or maybe you have multiple ideas. That’s okay! For starters, it’s your blog, you can write about whatever you desire, and if that’s multiple subjects, go for it. But for the sake of having people read it, you’ll want to have a clear purpose for blogging and that comes from defining your niche. So maybe you’re really into fashion and want to write about preppy classic style, that’s a fun topic but go a little deeper, are you a coffee afficionado and have a passion for foster children? Hone in on that. That doesn’t mean your focus isn’t preppy clothing, it just means you bring something different to the table through your writing about fashion and XYZ whatever your personality factor is… Maybe you love to read. Whatever you LOVE to do, make sure it’s at the heart of your blog - that’s what will make the writing fun and hopefully never a chore. It’s also super clear to your readers if your heart is in the subject matter. Authenticity is what attracts a following. What makes your writing worthwhile to your ideal audience?
Going further with the fashion idea, you’ll want to get specific with your niche because there are thousands of preppy fashion bloggers out there. But if you look a little closer successful bloggers niche down more than that. It doesn’t have to be rocket science to determine your corner of the internet - it should be the things that are at the core of who you are and what makes you YOU. Maybe it’s something to do with your geographic location, your stage in life, your profession, a random hobby, a signature color, travel, etc. Whatever it is, that will be the anchor of your content, what you come back to time and time again. And it’s okay if it has layers. I don’t talk about food in every single post. I like to talk about clothes and home decor and books and entertainment and random life experiences. I try to talk a lot about food but I also talk about so many other facets of life!
Craft Your Brand
Much like finding your niche, don’t overthink your “brand.” Determine a name that accurately portrays your niche, your personality and what readers can expect from you. If you’re focusing on life in a certain place, maybe it has geographic ties, if it is about fashion, maybe it incorporates a phrase or adjective that describes that. Maybe you have a nickname or want to use your middle name or name you just really love.
Once you’ve thought of some ideas, go to Google Domains and start searching those ideas for an available domain name that closely matches. Once you’ve found a suitable domain, before you purchase it, check places like Instagram for the social media handle and do a few simple Google searches to make sure you’re not copying someone else with the same name but different handle/domain or too closely tied to something unpleasant on the wild web.
From there, start diving into branding elements. Pick colors that are cohesive to your life and what you like to wear or decorate your house in, etc. (the subject matter of your blog’s photos.) Find a preset to edit your photos to give them a consistent look and curate your aesthetic - AKA the look and feel a reader or follower comes to associate with your content. Cohesive feeds aren’t the most important part of blogging but they do matter quite a bit when it comes to developing a “brand” for your blog.
Set Up the Technical Aspects
Determine where you want to host your blog and what you want the physical website to look like. There are several options for where your blog can “live” but some of the more popular places are Blogger, WordPress and for me personally, Squarespace. You can do so much with any of these platforms and it really depends on what your budget looks like, what you’re comfortable doing on the back end and the look you want. Don’t let the technical aspect of blogging deter you - it’s all figureoutable! Thankfully, lots of resources, completely free, are available on the internet to walk you through anything you could possibly need when it comes to blogging, website development, and more. Don’t be afraid to Google something, ask someone for help or just play around until you figure it out yourself. There really aren’t rules for this, so embrace your creativity! You can make a site for free - and you don’t even truly have to have a custom domain if you’re not ready.
You’ll also want to set up any social media accounts you plan to utilize to direct traffic to your site. Make an announcement on your personal pages and let your friends and family celebrate with you in this exciting endeavor!
So there are the very basics of starting a blog! I hope it has answered questions for some of you who long to write a blog of their own. If you’re thinking about it, I say go for it! I know in the last few months when I have become very dedicated to blogging, it has become such an incredible creative outlet and has pushed me to try new things, be more creative and meet new people.
If you enjoyed this blog and have additional questions, please don’t hesitate to email or DM me! I love to hear what voice you long to add to the internet and what questions you have about making it happen!
And for those curious how the photos relate to this subject: my gifted sister has embarked on a new adventure with photography and she’s soon launching a website and all that jazz. I’m so impressed with her work and so excited to cheer her on in this creative endeavor. She specializes in family portraits and event photography and I can’t wait to see where this business takes her. Sharing a passion for creativity is one of my favorite things about my relationship with my sissy and our creative conundrum conversations are seriously life-giving! Maybe you also want to start something like a photography business, an Etsy shop or a wholesale jewelry line, who knows, whatever it is, I think the tips in this post might also be useful to you! Sometimes we just need to be told an action step. And whatever you’re longing to pursue creatively, I hope you’ll stop saying “maybe one day” and start asking “why not today?” There are more people that want to cheer you on, waiting for you to show up, than you realize! And there are so many people you haven’t even met yet that are looking for the content only you are equipped to provide! The internet, social media, etc. can be a source for good - I truly believe that - and one of the best examples is how creating content to put out there can connect you with your tribe, your kind of people - in your own backyard and on the opposite side of the globe!
Okay, I could go on for a while longer but I’ll wrap things here. I’m rooting for you, friend!