Hiya Internet friends! Today I’m suuuper excited because I’m
kicking off a new series! In honor of my one year blogiversary being this
month, I’m starting a 5 part series about how to start a blog and my
tips/tricks and advice!
When I first started out blogging I had absolutely no idea
what I was doing. I took to Google and Pinterest to help guide me on my merry
little blogging way. I learned as I went and taught myself what I needed to
know. The information that I’m sharing I've compiled from various different
sources on the Internet. I've read millions (okay not really millions but a
whole lot) of articles over blogging, branding, content, social media,
networking and pretty much everything of that nature. By no means do I know
everything about the blogging world. Most of the time I’m just winging it and
hoping it’ll come out alright. There are tons of other bigger bloggers who
probably know a heck of a lot more than me and can offer up better advice. But
nonetheless, I’m going to share with you guys my own little guide to biting the
bullet and starting up a blog!
Before we get started here's a little outline of what I'll be covering in the series!
Part 1, which is this one you’re reading, will be about the
basics of blogging and laying the ground work for your blog.
Part 2 will be defining
your brand.
Part 3 will be about content, photography, layout, design, text, etc.
Part 4 is social media and promoting yourself.
And Part
5 will be resources that are super helpful for ensuring your blogging success.
So without further adieu let’s get into the basics of
blogging!
First Things First//
You’re the realest and YAY YOU for deciding to start a blog!
It’s no easy decision, but it’s a great one!
First you need to decide what type
of blog you want to start. Every blogger has a general theme that they follow
for their content. Will it be fashion/style, beauty, food, travel, fitness,
photography, home, DIY? Most bloggers, myself include, crossover into a few
different themes.
Having a theme will help you find your focus on what your
content will be about. What are you passionate about it or an ‘expert’ on?
If you’re having
trouble figuring out one ask yourself this question, what blogs are you already
following? What’s drawing you to their blog? More times than not your theme
will revolve around those who you’re already reading.
Helpful Hint! When choosing a theme keep in mind how much
time you have to devote to it.
Platform Sweet Platform//
Once you've figured out what you’ll be writing about it’s
time to find you a platform. The two most popular and used are Blogger and
Wordpress, although some do use Squarespace or Tumblr.
I use Blogger and haven’t had any troubles so far. It’s
free, easy to use, simple to navigate and design. Wordpress is more challenging
for beginners, so I wouldn't recommend it. But it’s completely up to you. A
quick Google or Pinterest search on the great debate can help you pick which is
right for you.
What’s In a Name//
Now here comes the hardest part, or at least in my opinion;
picking your name. This is the most vital part to your blog and the most
important decision. Whatever name you choose you want it to create a good first
impression. It can be a daunting task but that’s why I’m here! To help make it
less scary and more fun and easy!
First make a list of words that describe you/ your brand. Then
start pairing them together to see if anything works. Some great examples are Bows and Sequins, Design Darling,
Belles in Bows
Helpful Hint! Try using different tenses of the words and putting them together. Example: style, styled, styles
Here’s an example list and pairings that I made when I was
figuring out my second name.
Words: Fashion, Style, Stripes, Classic, Polished, Darling,
Life and Times, Simple, Little, Dressed,
Potential names: Simply Styled, Style Me Striped, Well Dressed
Darling
Another way to come up with a name is to brand yourself. Who
are YOU?! Some examples are The College Prepster, La Petite Fashionista, Damsel
in Dior
Finally, make it a play on words or something funny. A
couple examples are Fendi For Yourself, Don’t Change the Chanel, Brighton
the Day
Helpful Hint! Also it’s okay if over time your blog’s name
changes. Mine did. I started out as ‘she is little she is fierce’ and just
recently changed to ‘of life and style’. I changed because it didn't really fit my style and brand.
A few things to consider when picking out your name:
-Keep it easy to spell. Something like Cupcake Connoisseur
probably isn't the best. I don’t even know how to spell connoisseur without spell check….
In sum your name should be short, sweet and to the point. If
you’re not sure of one ask your family and friends if they heard it what they’d
first think of/know what it’s about.
The Domain Game//
Domains go hand in hand with picking a name. Before you’re
dead set on a name do a quick search and see if it’s even available. If it’s
not then back to the drawing board. If it is and you know you’re going to be
blogging for awhile then I say go ahead and get it. If you’re using Blogger you’ll
have the .blogspot.com attached to whatever name you choose. Having a .com
domain name will make everything so much cleaner and simpler. Which would you
choose; www.oflifeandstyle.blogspot.com OR www.oflifeandstyle.com? Probably the
second one right?
Some popular site to get a domain name from is GoDaddy but
there are tons out there. I have mine through GoDaddy and it was pretty
straightforward to get.
The Social Media Setup//
Once you've got your theme, platform, name and or domain it’s
now time to get set up in the social media world. Create accounts on various
social media platforms for your blog. The mandatory ones I’d recommend setting
up are Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest and an email. “But Saaaam, what if I’m not
on one of those?” Get it anyways, just in case. Who knows maybe you’re not into
Instagram now but maybe down the road you will be. They’re all free so what do
you have to lose? Better safe than sorry!
“So do I use my blog name or my real name?” That decision is
completely up to you. If your blog name isn’t available I’d use your real name.
I have the majority of mine with my real name, the exception is Tumblr. There’s
no right or wrong answer to this one.
Some extra social media platforms that can be used are
Tumblr, Snapchat, Vine and Google +.
To leave you inspired and excited here are 10 tips on how to be a #blogboss by Lauren of La Petite Fashionista's Social Media With Style workshop!
That’s everything for part one of the series! This was like
the “prologue” and parts 2-5 will be the “chapters”. I hope that this
information helped you on figuring out this whole blogging thing a little
better. It can be a little, okay a lotta scary to start something that’s really
putting yourself out there but I can almost promise you’ll be glad you did.
Part two is defining your brand will be featured next
Saturday, the 14th, so make sure to check back for that!
If you have any questions at all feel free to email or
contact me and I will be more than happy to help you the best way I can! I love
sharing and helping people with things so don’t be afraid to reach out! :)
"blogging is not rocket science, it's about being yourself and putting what you have into it"
Thanks for the tips!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome! :)
ReplyDelete