I was chatting with a friend on Facebook the other night and she mentioned that she was thinking of starting a blog, and did I have any advice? I always find it hard to answer this because there is SO MUCH I want to say, but narrowing it down to a simple one or two sentence reply is impossible. SO, I figured WHY NOT do it here! I’ve done a lot of Blogging 101 posts on this blog, but things have changed in the blogging world since I wrote them (though I DO have a blogging e-book you can buy HERE.) I’ll try to break it down into little bits and fit it into a couple of different posts so that it doesn’t get overwhelming.
Here we go! How to start a blog, part ONE:
1) The first thing to thing about is what platform you want to host your blog on. The big ones are Blogger and WordPress! I have always used Blogger and have never had any issues with it, and I find it incredibly easy to use. I know a lot of people really enjoy WordPress, though, because it has a lot of cool plug ins, and is probably more ideal if you want to blog for more than just a hobby. You also own your site if you host on WordPress, versus Blogger where Google has the power to shut you down. It is more expensive to get designs made for a WordPress blog, whereas Blogger themes and templates can be relatively inexpensive and easy to install.
If I had to do it all again, I would probably have started from WordPress, but again, I have never had any issues with Blogger, so it can be a personal preference.
2) Choosing a name for your blog is incredibly important! You want it to stand out, but not be complicated and weird. If you become popular you will be known by this name and it can become your brand, so choose carefully! I had a different name originally before changing it to Because of Jackie (the reason behind my blog name HERE.) My social media accounts are all under this name, and besides the fact people often think my real name is Jackie, I love my blog name and feel like it fits my brand and theme of my blog. I suggest brainstorming themes and ideas that are important to you, and having friends and family members help with what THEY think fits you best (my sister in law came up with my blog name!) Take the time to come up with something truly meaningful and that you will love.
Note: When coming up with a blog name, search domain names first and make sure it hasn’t been taken yet! The next step is to buy the domain for your blog so that it cannot be taken by someone else. You can use GoDaddy or any other domain site to secure ownership of your blog name. I own my own and renew it every year.
3) Choose a design for you blog. Blogger and WordPress have templates you can use, but I strongly suggest choosing one that is more streamlined and sophisticated. My design is from 17th Avenue Designs and I really love it. It was inexpensive, the installation was easy (I paid to have it installed), and was exactly what I was looking for. Your blog design is really, REALLY important. First impressions are EVERYTHING in blogging. I have clicked off of a site without reading because of overwhelming designs and poor quality. Here is what to look for:
-Your design should be clean and neat. Lots of white space is key! Please, no colored backgrounds or weird graphics. I prefer black and white, but what I really enjoy is anything that is graphic, yet simple. I want my photos to stand out more, so my design is more simple. Look at blogs you admire and look at WHY they are visually appealing. What elements stand out the most to you?
-Include other pages on the navigation bar, with an “About Me”, and a “Contact” page at least. You can always add categories after.
-I like to have a photo in my sidebar so you can see who I am, a quick about me blurb, and social media icons so people can quickly find me on social media with one click (more about that later!) A search bar and a spot for people to sign up for a mailing list is nice, too!
-You should have a simple font and easy to read text. I have seen really hard to read italic texts and weird fonts before that have been a total turnoff. I like my blog to read sort of like a book, with little effort and eyestrain.
-Keep your sidebar uncluttered! If you offer sponsorships or ads on the side, make sure they fit the aesthetic of your blog. Keep them all the same size (learn the size of your sidebar as well as your post size!), and size accordingly.
-Your blog title should be simple to read and remember. Mine is just what came with my template and I love the simplicity of it. Think of it used on business cards or on your social media sites. Does it fit the idea of your brand and what you want to convey?
4) The next thing you have to do is secure your blog name across social media. I am @becauseofjackie on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. I have a personal Facebook page and my Pinterest, but for the most part I am my brand on social media. I use those accounts to only posts things that further my brand and what my blog is about. I rarely post personal things on these accounts because they are under my blog name and I prefer to keep in all about that.
You may have noticed that I haven’t included anything about posting yet! I think it is really important to set a strong framework for your blog and your brand BEFORE you publish for the first time. A lot of these decisions are really important and should be carefully decided. I’m not saying it all has to be perfect and you should take years to perfect all this stuff, but it should look professional and fit your vision of what you want to portray. Take the time to set yourself up for success, and you will be ahead of the game when you do start blogging.
