I’ve been blogging for a few years, and it’s one of my favourite things to do. But let me be clear: blogging is not always easy! You’ll have to learn how to write well, promote yourself online, and answer to readers. It can take months or even years before you start making good money from a blog—and even then it will depend on how much time and effort you put into it. Still interested? Read on!
Pick your topic.
Before you start creating a blog, the first thing to do is to pick your topic. This is an important decision and it can make all the difference in how well your blog does. You should pick a topic that you are passionate about – after all, this will be your hobby for quite some time.
Once you have picked out what kind of content you want to create, think about who would be interested in reading it and why they would want read it. Are there any gaps in the information available on this subject? What kind of people would benefit from reading this information? How do they get their information currently: via social media or other websites? Do they need more sources available at their fingertips so that they can spend less time looking for answers online?
These questions may seem obvious but actually answering them will help shape what type of blog post topics will resonate with the audience most effectively.
Choose a name for your blog and domain.
You can pick a name for your blog that you find memorable and easy to spell. You will be using this name every time you write about your blog, so make sure it’s something you’ll be able to remember without having to look at it. Pick a catchy name that people will remember!
You also want to make sure that the domain name is available as well as any social media usernames connected with it, such as Twitter or Facebook accounts. One way of doing this is by searching on Google’s webmaster tools website (https://www.google.com/webmasters/) and checking if there are any errors reported there related directly towards their name servers (the ones which point towards certain domains).
You can usually find and purchase a domain through whatever blogging service you choose to use.
Choose your blogging platform.
Choose your blogging platform.
The first step to creating a blog is choosing the right platform. There are several options available, but WordPress is by far the most popular—and you can start for free! If you’re a beginner and don’t know where to begin, this is what I recommend. While there are other platforms out there (Blogger, Squarespace, Tumblr and Wix), some of them have limitations that might not work for your needs or budget (for example: if you want more customization with design elements).
How to use WordPress.
- Install WordPress. If you’re using a website builder like Wix or Weebly, please skip this step.
- Set up your blog. When you first create your site on WordPress, they’ll walk you through the process of setting up your blog and picking out a theme (the design of your site). Themes are incredibly customizable, so they can also be used to make changes in later updates if necessary! You can change things like fonts and colours to match what’s right for whatever kind of content you want to put on there too. If this sounds complicated and overwhelming at first, don’t worry—it gets easier over time as long as you know what steps to take when making changes!
Learn about SEO, analytics and social media.
The first step to creating a blog is to learn about SEO, analytics and social media.
SEO stands for search engine optimization and it’s the art and science of getting your site to the top of search engine results. Analytics is the collection, analysis and reporting of data about your site. And social media is a way to connect with people across the internet.
Blogging is easier than it looks, but can be hard work!
Blogging is a lot of work, but it can be fun! If you’re committed to your blog, passionate about its content, consistent with publishing new posts and willing to learn more about blogging… then you’re ready to start blogging!
It may seem like there are a lot of steps to getting started with your own blog, but once you’re familiar with them all, it’s really not so bad! The most important thing is that you have fun and enjoy what you’re doing—and if this sounds like something that could be right up your alley, then go ahead and give it a try!
These Odd Thoughts 