UPDATED FEB 2020. “Katie, how do I start a blog?” This question has become rather common for me recently and is one that I find a little tricky to answer in a way that can be most helpful to those asking. I usually respond with “What do you want to blog about?” at which point an awkward pause usually follows. When this happens I know that it would be unhelpful of me to go through the click-by-click specifics of starting a blog. Instead, I take a step back and delve into the essential steps needed to build a solid blog foundation and today I am sharing these steps.
How to Start a Blog: A Guide To The 5 Essential First Steps
Building your blog foundation
You can’t get to where you want to be if you don’t know where you are going, can you?
Think of these steps as an informal business plan which will provide your blog journey with direction.
I think it’s very important to have a solid idea of what you want to do with your blog because if you just start rambling with no clear point or purpose, you will just be wasting the time of your readers.
You don’t need to post about everything, and, in fact, it’s better if you stick to fewer topics so that it is less confusing for people who read your blog.
If you stick to a few topics, people know what to expect and you build credibility as an expert in those areas.
If you are thinking of starting your own blog, I would encourage you to read through this post with a pen and paper handy so that you can explore your own answers.
Keep in mind that your blog may morph and change over time as you settle into it and find your unique voice and that’s totally ok.
1. Establish your topic
What do you want to blog about?
What is the purpose of your blog – how can it benefit people?
The first step in thinking about how to start a blog is figuring out what you want to blog about and how can it be useful to others.
If you want to start one just to say that you have one or to talk for the sake of talking, people probably won’t want to read it.
It has to serve people in some way, whether that is through educating them, entertaining them, or inspiring them.
It’s not about you, it’s all about what you can give to your audience.
It’s important to be specific so that your audience will know what they can come to you for. Pick 3-5 themes that can serve as the basis of your blog content.
If you’re not sure what you want to blog about yet, do a brainstorm of things you’re passionate about and things people come to you for advice on.
There’s probably a blog idea in that brainstorm.
2. Establish your audience
Who are you writing for?
You can’t just say something generic like ‘women’.
Get specific.
Who are these women? How old are they? What level of income do they have? They’re passionate about…?
And, most importantly, what problems do they face that you can solve with your blog?
How can you help them?
Once you have an idea of what you plan to write about, figure out who you are writing for so that you can create content with them in mind every time you post.
Think of him/her when you are writing blog posts and creating captions.
Every time you post, check it and ask yourself, ‘how can this help my target audience?’
3. Establish your goals
What do you want to achieve with your blog?
Achievable is the keyword to remember when setting your goals.
For example, “Create a successful blog” is not a useful goal to set because it is far too subjective to measure.
At what point is it successful?
For this to be a useful goal in your strategy, break it down into something that is specific and achievable.
If we were going to fix up the goal I used as a bad example, we could change it to whatever success means for you.
Perhaps “x amount of subscribers” or “create x blog posts per week” or “write a sponsored blog post for xxx brand” – something specific that we can measure.
Write down a list of goals that you want to achieve through your blog so that you know what you’re working towards.
4. Establish your budget
How much money are you able to spend on your blog?
It’s important to have a budget because the blog expenses can quickly add up.
Set a limit and stick to it.
Keep in mind that this number will change as your blog grows, but it is important to set boundaries at the start.
In terms of the setup costs, there are a few options available to you.
You need to research before getting started to find which is best for you. You can either purchase your domain or use one of the free blog sites to create a page for yourself on their website.
I would stick to the basics and focus on extras once you are established. Really, what you need to know in the early stage is:
- Can you pay for a site, or will you be using a free page?
- What products do you need to get started? (display set up for photos, camera, laptop, hard drive, etc)
- What software do you need to get started? (e-mail list building software, photo editing, etc)
I wouldn’t be concerned too much with advertising at first.
That money would probably be better invested in either developing your skills in some way.
Some examples are an online course in marketing, website development, social media or photography.
Another option would be something that would help you build your skills because, long-term, that will benefit you more.
I did the Bloggers MBA course with Secret Bloggers Business and it was incredibly helpful!
5. Establish your time commitment
How much time are you able to commit to this blog?
It’s most likely not going to be a full-time job at first. It’s important to set your boundaries to get a little work-life balance.
You need work-life balance in the blog world too.
‘I will just check this’ and ‘I will just check that’ starts snowballing.
Before you know it, you’ve forgotten to feed your kids! Ok, so maybe a little dramatic.
I hope none of you forget to feed your kids, but you get the idea.
It is easy to get carried away and burnout. This is where having an understanding of your own time commitment comes in.
I hope this helps you to set up some direction with your blog and start your blog journey. If you have any questions, just let me know.
Other posts you to help you start a blog
How To Start A Successful Blog And Get Your Side Hustle Started
Embarrassing Blogging Mistakes – My 8 Biggest Fails As A Travel Blogger
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