Been thinking about starting a blog and not sure how or where to begin I have noted some hopefully useful and simple tips to get you on your blogging way.
I started my blog about "wow" 5 yrs ago, somehow in my head it didn't feel like I had my blog for that long until I checked the date of my first post. Anyway, where was I? I started my blog when I moved abroad, It was and still is purely a hobby for me an outlet to channel my creativity by sharing a variety of things I'm passionate about, I know the prospect of putting yourself out there can be a daunting feeling as I remember all too well in the beginning and one I now hate to admit was being way too worried and concerned with what others may think which perfectly brings me on to my first tip for Starting a Blog;
1. All you need to do is just start!
You can start a blog today and what better is that it's free and takes no time at all to set up- There is no time like the present.
This tip did not come naturally to me at all as you can see by the name of my blog, but what I can say it is personal to me;). Therefore when it does come to deciding on a blog name, I suggest you go with a name that relates to the topics you are planning to blog about and keep it concise nothing too complicated, you always want to have in mind the reader.
3. Choose a Platform for your blog
A platform is what you will need to create your blog site on and the great news is there are plenty to choose from. The more popular free sites out there are Blogger, WordPress, Tumblr and Wix. I use Blogger because at the time when I first started I found it much easier to navigate through although I have read on other blog sites that WordPress has much more flexibility when it comes to designing your blog plus at a later point you can further build on it, purchase a domain name and hosting plan. You just have to decide on what platform is going to meet the vision you have your blog.
4. Pick a Template
Now here is where you have a couple of choices, for those of us who are not so confident in the HTML coding world platforms will have free templates for you to pick from for example, in Blogger on the sidebar menu click on Theme and in there you will find a selection of templates.
The other option which I prefer is heading over to a professional Theme website where you can find a variety of designs which are customisable, mobile-friendly and with each template you have a selection of widgets (social icons).
A template is essentially the face of your blog so when choosing one do think about how you want your blog to look and feel, the layout, the colours, does the aesthetic align with the theme of your blog and foremost will your readers be able to navigate through your blog with ease.
Free Templates: www.themexpose.comBuy a Template: www.pipdig.co
5. Create a Blog Post
Pick a topic that you are genuinely enthusiastic about, that way thoughts and ideas will come to you organically. If the main focus of your content is the writing adding a photo or photos can be a great tool to gain initial interest it helps build a story, but of course, making sure that the photo's and written topic have some relevance to each other, we don't want to catfish anyone we want to create a safe space to share interests with like-minded people and if readers enjoy your content they may sign up for more.
6. Start Posting.....
You have picked your blog name, chosen a platform to run your blog from and have created your first blog post now all you have to do is click publish and don't forget to share your blog post on all your other social's like Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter and Facebook!
Whether you are a paid or part-time casual Blogger Blogging does take up time and effort so more importantly don't forget to have fun!
If you have any other questions on how to start a blog which I haven't covered here do feel free to contact me or leave a comment below and let me know if you have found any of the tips useful.
Till Next Time
xx
