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Welcome to my new blogging series! I’ve been thinking about starting a blogging series for a while. My main inspiration is to track my journey as I grow my blog–I still consider myself a beginner. I also have several friends who have expressed interest in starting a blog this year and thought this may be helpful.
In this post, I’m focusing on the basics–how to start a blog. If you don’t know much about blogging, this can seem daunting but I promise it’s very do-able.
1. Decide On A Theme.
First and foremost: what will your blog be about? What topics will you write about? Who is your desired audience? When I started, I didn’t consider any of this. I created my blog as an extension to my YouTube channel. My main goal was just to reach the same type of person who watched my videos but I didn’t fully understand who that person was. I posted sporadically on my blog for months. Eventually I thought about the topics I want to cover–and believe me, I’ve changed my blog multiple times since then. To be clear, I still feel like my blog isn’t narrow enough but I’m definitely happier with it now. It may take you a while to really find your niche, which it totally ok. All I suggest is have a brainstorming session before you decide on a name for your blog and get some general categories for blog posts.
2. Choose A Hosting Site.
Once you have an idea, you need a physical website for your blog–this is called a hosting site. There are tons of sites out there for hosting websites–some are free, some are paid. The two most common free hosting sites are Blogger and WordPress. I chose Blogger because it’s incredibly easy to understand and user friendly.
3. Buy A Domain.
If you’re not sure what a domain is, essentially it’s your URL. Mine is modernmollie.com. Your readers will type in your domain to access your blog. You don’t necessarily need one immediately but I do think it’s important to make your blog look professional [if that’s what you’re going for]. If you want to consider a few options, you could always wait on this step. Just know that your blog URL will look something like: modernmollie.blogpost.com until you purchase a domain. While this is a more serious step, you always have the option of purchasing another domain name and switching them out if you want to change it down the road–it isn’t the most permanent step.
There are a number of websites that sell domains. I purchased mine from GoDaddy. They are very affordable and have great customer service whenever I have a question.
4. Pick A Template.
There are free templates on some hosting sites–Blogger has several options. If you can code, you can create your own template. Otherwise, Etsy is your best bet. I’ve purchased all of mine from Etsy–if you’re worried about installing the theme yourself, the designers usually offer an add-on option for installation.
5. Decide How Often You’ll Post.
This step is somewhat optional but it will help you stay consistent [key in the blogging world]. Try to create a schedule for yourself. My schedule is [roughly] Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I don’t always get a post up on those days but that’s my goal #progressnotperfection Also, if you can nail down a posting time, that would be beneficial. You may want to finish your posts the day before and schedule them to achieve this. When I can, I like my posts to go up at 8AM EST.
6. Grow Your E-mail List.
Honestly, this is still something I’m working on but I know it’s super important. Several people have mentioned how important an email list is–it’s the one thing you truly own. If Instagram shuts down tomorrow or Facebook crashes and you lose your following, you will still have your e-mail list–this is your key audience. Eventually I want to put out a monthly newsletter but we’re not quite there yet. Definitely I’ll do a future post on growing your list and creating a newsletter!
7. Create An E-mail.
Companies and readers need a place to reach you thus an blog-related e-mail is necessary. You can either create one with your blog [i.e.: hello@modernmollie.com] or create a free e-mail [i.e. modernmolliee@gmail.com–my actual blog e-mail]. Make sure to list your e-mail on your blog and all social media. It is imperative that people have a way to reach you, especially if you’re interested in working with brands.
8. Start Your Blog!
Last but not least: it’s time to start your blog. Write some posts, add some photos/graphics, and share them.
What other blog-related posts would you like to see?
hello,
nice blog