Blogging is a great way to express yourself, share your interests with the world, and even make some money. But where do you start? Starting a blog can seem daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. With a little planning and effort, you can have a great blog up and running in no time.
In this blog post, I will share with you 9 steps to getting you started with blogging. So let’s get started.
- Pick your niche.
- Choose your domain name.
- Start your Blog, Choose your Theme
- Start Brainstorming content ideas
- Start your Brand, your Logo, colour palette, font, etc.
- Start your “About me” page
- Start creating a blog post
- Apply for affiliate programs to monetize your blog
- Start your social media accounts for business
***This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through clicking the link, we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.***
Pick your niche for your Blog
Picking a niche for your blog is an important first step to deciding what you will write about and share with your readers. things like.
- What are you passionate about?
- What do you want to share with the world?
- Is it a topic you know much about to feel comfortable writing consistently to share information
When you find your topic, stick with it! People will come to your blog to read about the specific thing you’re talking about, so stick to your niche.
Make sure your niche is truly something you are passionate about because you don’t want to burn out writing about something that doesn’t light you up.
Choose your domain name
Choosing a domain name is one of the most important steps in starting a blog. Your domain name is how people will find your site, so you want to choose something that is easy to remember and reflects your brand.
Once you’ve chosen your domain name, be sure to register it! You can usually do this through the hosting provider you choose to make your website with.
Tip: When picking a domain name it is said not to use numbers as you will forever be explaining to people how your website name is spelled, for example, use – foryou, not 4you, and the same goes for being short on words like – you Vs u. If you are going to be explaining all the time how your site is spelled, it can be very annoying. Keep it simple but unique for you.
Choose your Theme for your blog
Now it’s time to start your blog! Once you’ve registered your domain name, you’ll need to choose a blogging platform and a theme. A blogging platform is a software that you’ll use to create and manage your blog.
WordPress is a popular choice for many bloggers, but there are other options available as well. Once you’ve chosen your platform, it’s time to select a theme. This will determine the look and feel of your blog, so take some time to browse through different options and find one that you like, there are free themes within WordPress, I use Bluehost for my blog which uses WordPress and I have a paid theme from DIVI, for someone like me who is not very tech-savvy, DIVI has made the process of my webpage so user friendly and to understand. You can read my blog post about getting started with Bluehost.
Start brainstorming content ideas
When you’re ready to start creating content for your blog, it can be helpful to brainstorm ideas ahead of time. This will give you a road map to follow as you write, and it will help to keep you on track. If you’re struggling to come up with ideas, there are a few ways you can get started:
Check out other blogs in your niche. What are they talking about? Is there anything you can add to the conversation/ topic – make it your own, never copy!
- Look at popular magazines and websites. What are people interested in right now?
- Think about the questions people are asking. This can be a great way to come up with blog post ideas that are relevant and helpful, Tip: you can look at Reddit or Quora for ideas.
- Keep a running list of ideas. As you think of things throughout the day, jot them down so you don’t forget. This will help to keep your creative juices flowing when it’s time to sit down and write.
I recommend having at least 10 blog posts on your website before you decide to launch.
Start your Brand, your Logo, color palette, font, etc.
Creating a brand for your blog is a great way to make it stand out from the millions of other blogs out there. Your brand should be reflective of you and your values, and it should be consistent across all platforms. A few things to consider when creating your brand.
Your logo
This is often the first thing people will see when they come to your blog, so you want it to be eye-catching and memorable. If you’re not a designer, there are plenty of logo makers out there that can help you create a great logo for your brand such as Fivver.
If you want to give it a go yourself before having to pay try Canva it is one of my favorite tools for creating graphics. They have a ton of templates for different sizes and purposes, so you can easily create graphics for your blog posts, social media, ads, etc, they have plenty of choices in their free version, or if you’re looking for more options you can pay for the Pro version, I have the Pro version as I use Canva for my blog and all my social media content, so it has been worth every penny.
Your color palette
Choose a few colors that you want to be associated with your brand and use them consistently, you can search the internet for color combinations that go well together, otherwise, go with what feels right for you, generally pick 3 colors that will represent your brand.
Your font
Just like with your colors, you want to choose a font (or family of fonts) that you’ll use on all of your branding materials. This will help to create a cohesive look for your brand. I generally have no more than 2-3 different fonts I use across my blog.
Creating an “About me” page
An “About me” page is one of the most important things you can do for your blog. This is your chance to tell your readers who you are and why they should care about what you have to say. When creating your “About Me” page, there are a few things you’ll want to include:
- Your name: Make sure to include your name so people know who they’re reading. You can also include your blog’s name if it’s different from your personal name.
- Your photo: Adding a photo is a great way to make your “About Me” page more personal. People like to see who they’re reading from, and it helps them to connect with you on a more personal level.
- Your story: Why did you start blogging? What are your goals for your blog? Share your story with your readers and let them know what they can expect from reading your blog.
- Your values: What do you believe in? What kind of tone do you want to set with your blog? Let your readers know what they can expect from you and your content.
- Your contact information: Make sure to include a way for people to get in touch with you, whether it’s an email address, social media handle, or contact form. This is important for building relationships with your readers.
Creating great content for your blog
One of the most important parts of starting a blog is creating great content. Without killer content, you’re not going to have people coming back to read your blog. So how do you create great content? Here are a few tips:
- Be yourself: Write as you talk. Be natural and authentic in your writing, and people will connect with you.
- Write about what you know: Share your experiences, your knowledge, and your insights on the topics you write about.
- Be helpful: Write posts that are helpful and informative. Teach your readers something new or help them to solve a problem.
- Be engaging: Write in an engaging and entertaining way. Keep your readers hooked by sharing interesting stories and using humor in your writing.
- Be consistent: The key to keeping people coming back is consistency. Make sure to post new content on a regular basis (at least once a week, if not more).
Apply for affiliate programs to monetize your blog
After you have built up a good amount of content and have a decent-sized audience, you can start to apply for affiliate programs to monetize your blog. Affiliate programs are basically when you promote someone else’s product or service on your blog and if someone buys the product or service through your link, you earn a commission.
There are tons of different affiliate programs out there, so you’ll want to do some research to find the ones that are a good fit for your blog. Once you find a few programs you’re interested in, reach out to the companies and inquire about joining their affiliate program.
Applying to affiliate programs can be a bit of a process, but it’s well worth it if you’re able to get approved for some good programs. Not only can it help you to make money from your blog, but it can also help to promote products and services that you’re passionate about.
Many businesses have a link on their site to join affiliate programs, so keep an eye out, generally in the footer of the website.
Start your social media accounts for business
Social media is a great way to promote your blog and connect with your audience. By having active social media accounts, you can share your new blog posts with your followers, which can help to drive traffic to your site. You can also use social media to build relationships with other bloggers and influencers in your niche.
When it comes to social media, there are a few key platforms that you’ll want to focus on:
Twitter:
Twitter is a great platform for sharing your blog posts and connecting with other people in your niche. Make sure to use hashtags and tag other people in your tweets to get more eyes on your content.
Facebook:
Facebook is another great platform for sharing your blog posts and connecting with your audience. You can create a Facebook page for your blog and share your content there if you don’t want to use your personal page. I have a business Facebook page linked to my personal page which is super easy to set up and you can track your analytics too.
Pinterest:
Pinterest is a great platform for driving traffic to your blog. Make sure you create pins that are visually appealing and share them on Pinterest. Pinterest is most likely voted #1 for sharing blog posts, creating pin graphics in Canva will help them stand out and draw attention to your site. Pinterest is also a great platform to find inspiration for everything.
Instagram:
Instagram is a great platform for promoting your blog and connecting with your audience. Make sure to post eye-catching photos and use the appropriate hashtags. Instagram is more of a visual platform as the image comes first, compared to Facebook, people tend to read the caption more before the image.
TikTok:
TikTok allows users to share short videos of themselves. It’s a great platform. Make sure to post interesting videos and use hashtags to get more eyes on your content.
YouTube:
YouTube is a great platform for sharing your content in longer video form. You can also use YouTube to build relationships with other bloggers and influencers in your niche, even companies, Canva is a great place to do an intro and outro to your video too.
To learn more about “how to set up your social media accounts for business” check out my blog post ” Beginner’s Guide & Tips to Setting Up Your Social Media Platforms“, this post will help walk you through getting started.
Extra Tip: SEO to improve traffic to the blog
SEO stands for “search engine optimization.” It is the process of optimizing your website for Google search with the goal of earning higher web traffic levels and improving your overall visibility online.
There are a variety of ways to optimize your website for SEO. Some of the most common methods include:
Keyword research:
Identifying and targeting the right keywords is essential for SEO success. Use keyword research tools like SEMRUSH or Ahrefs to identify popular keywords related to your topic, these do cost money but can be well worth the extra dollar if you can generate an income from your blog. You can also download some free keyword search plugins in your internet browser like keyword surfer, when you search google for a topic it will show you keyword ideas.
On-page optimization:
Once you’ve identified the right keywords, you can start implementing them into your website’s content. This includes things like using keywords in your headlines, throughout your content, and in your meta tags.
Link building:
Link building is the process of getting other websites to link back to your website. This helps improve your website’s authority and can boost your SEO efforts.
Content marketing:
Creating high-quality content is essential for SEO success. Not only does it help you target the right keywords, but it also helps to build links and improve your overall visibility online.
By following these SEO tips, you can improve your website’s traffic and visibility in Google searches. This, in turn, can lead to more leads, sales, and conversions for your business.
There is a lot to learn about SEO, If you don’t understand SEO at the beginning, don’t stress, it takes time, there are plenty of free resources out there to get more knowledge on how SEO works, check out Pinterest from other bloggers or Google for more in-depth information.
LASTLY
Remember when your blog is live and you are getting traffic and readers to your posts that you engage with your audience. Respond to comments and questions. Share other people’s content that is related to your niche. The more engaged you are with your audience, the more likely they are to keep coming back.
There you have it! 9 easy steps to start a successful blog. Just remember to be patient, consistent, and engage with your audience and you will be on your way to success. Thanks for reading!