HOW TO START A BLOG - the easy way!

I’ve always had a blog since I was a teenager.

I had a few, actually. I will not go on and on now with 10 lines of useless explanation on why I’m about to explain you exactly HOW TO START A BLOG, let’s say that I’ve learned so-ooo much and really feel like I want to share it with you guys, because writing a blog is, to me, a fab way to express myself, talk about things I truly love, let others know about things I’ve personally experienced and… ok, I’ll stop here.

My Ultimate TIPS On How To Start a Blog – for beginners!

1)Start choosing between these two platforms: BLOGGER & WORDPRESS.

As for WordPress I’m referring to the self-hosted option, not the free one. I suggest you to start with Blogger which is free and easy to use, it has free templates too. All you have to do is sign up with them and you are done.

Of course having a free “host” means that in the “url” line you are going to get their name too, for instance “ellie.blogspot.com”. The only way to get rid of it is to be your domain name.

For WordPress you need a few more techinical skills, so I’m not ruling it out I’m just saying that maybe it is not the best option for beginners.

Start with a free Blogger account, you can always buy a domain name in the future and use a self-hosted account. With a self-hosted blog you have total freedom over what you want your blog to look like, bacause you design it. And you have paid for it, of course 🙂

Please note that there is also a WordPress free option. Many get confused. WordPress.com is the free option and WordPress.org is the self-hosted option.

2)Decide on a name. Ah! This is the tricky part. It took 3 months to come up with mine. Try and jot down all the things you’d like to write about, things that describe you as well as your blog. Try to stick to 2 max 3 words, short domain names are easier to remember. Find a perfect “combo” with those words. Repeat them in your mind and aloud too. Get something that reflects your content, something that reminds of what the blog is about. Write them down, than put the idea aside and go back to it after a few days. Does it still sound good? Yes? Ok, then so now you can sign up with Blogger and get your free space, but if you wish to buy your domanin name, you must check if it is free, maybe someone alse got the same idea and the domain name is not available. It can also happen that it is not free with a certain extention but it is free with another. For instance, it might be taken as ellie.com but it might be free as ellie.co.uk – I highly suggest you to chance name, don’t go for the second option. People can type in by mistake the other website name and will not reach your site.

Remember that this name will stay with you forever (hopefully!) so do not pick a silly name, or something that might chance over time.

3)The layout of your blog. Blogger has lots of nice free templates, and as for WordPress there are many free templates and a lot of very good ones that you have to pay for, price rages from 30£ to 50£ – ish ! Try and keep it clean, minimal. DO not be tempted to add in every single wideget you find. Have a look at what famous blogs use and see what is really necessary and what it is not. Remember to include links to your socials, an “About” and a “Contact” page!

4)Start writing content but do not start spreading the word around about your blog. Yes, basically i’m telling you to keep it a secret. That’s why: you don’t want people to go to your blog and find a rather empty space with just 1-2 posts, this will definitely turn them away, they will not find your blog interesting and worthy, of course…there is nothing in there! Take your time and write at least 30 posts before launching your blog. Give poeple some good content and they will definitely come back!

Photos are a very important elements. If you take your own photos, great! If you decide to use pictures that you di not take please make sure you are allowed to use those pictures! There are websites such pixabay.com where you can find many copyrights-free photos. You don’t need to spend a lot of money for a camera, if your mobile phone takes good picture use it! You can also use a free photo editor as well to edit your pictures and make them look more clear and professional. Canva is basically the most popular one.

I can not tell you how to write your blog, you need to find your tone of voice, and do no copy others. Write the way you are used to. Find a writing style, you can keep it very professional if the subject requires it, or you can use a more easy-going style, if you have a bubbling personality use it in your blog.

Starting a blog can be fun and dauting at the same time. Don’t give up, you’ll improve because you’ll soon learn new things and will get better at it.

Need more help? Here there is another post I’ve written on this topic, it is all about things you must do as soon as you open a blog! Check it out >>Things to do as soon as you start a Blog!

Resources:

BLOGGER https://www.blogger.com

WORDPRESS www.wordpress.com (free option)

WORDPRESS www.wordpress.org (self hosted option)

CANVA https://www.canva.com

PIXABAY https://pixabay.com