Blogging can be anything you make of it. It can be a creative outlet for you (that’s what my blog was to me at first!), a side hustle where you generate income from it, or it can be where you make the income of your dreams. I recently spoke about how to become a blogger at BlogHer U!
What you invest into it is what you will get out of it!
Before getting too ahead of yourself, dreaming up your blogger income purchases, you have to know the basics. Below are some quick tips on how to get started along with a free checklist template you can download, to make sure you get set up on the right foot!
Know your why
Blogging as a business is tough so you have to remain true to your why. Do you know why you are writing and who you are writing for? If you are in it for the long haul make sure you line up writing content with your core values. It will help guide you in the strategy and content calendar you end up creating for yourself. You’ll, at some point, run into a creative block and won’t know what to write! That’s where coming back to your core values will come in.
For example, I know that one of my core values is compassion. Having compassion for self and for others is important to me and it guides me in how I make decisions and show up in my life. So, I decided to turn that value into a post on how others can start giving back. Because it’s true to my core, it also becomes a very easy to write piece of content.
Remembering your core values and your why is imperative to the strength and tone of your blog. If you’re in this for the long haul, your why will give you the unique tone that you need to stand out.
Pick a blog name
Your blog name and your domain name should try to remain the same. It will be easier for your readers to remember you by. If you are into blogging as a profession, try to think of a blog name that will stand the test of time. Have a vision for where you could potentially go. I see many people using their name as their blog and domain name – and that’s great! Nothing more unique than that. Whatever it is, ensure that you do register your domain as private so that your personal contact information is not floating around on the internet.
Blog Logistics
The logistics aren’t as fun but they must be done. Here are some of the main components to think about:
a.) Hosting Company: Where will your blog live? You need a company that will host your content. What’s most important to look out for is that the hosting company has a good customer support line, with available hours. I use a hosting company that offers 24 hour support. You never know when your site will go down or you have an urgent technical question!
b.) Blogging Platform: This website is built on WordPress but many other blogs I know are either custom built or they use Squarespace. Squarespace is very user-friendly and they have absolutely beautiful site templates; however, what I like about WordPress is that there are thousands of plug-ins that you can download for free, that will make your site that much more custom and beautiful.
c.) Pick a Theme: WordPress has thousands of themes you can choose from (that are free!) and I used them for years. Last year I upgraded to use Empress Themes and paid a small fee to get a really beautiful, clean layout that I love! They have been so wonderful and provided me a code BLOGHER15 which gets you 15% off of your total purchase. It is good through September 8, 2020 so make sure to act fast!
I hope that this list helped you identify some of the first steps you need to get started. Sign up for the comprehensive checklist below to know all the other things you need to sign-up for!
I love helping new bloggers get set up, so feel free to shoot me a DM over at Instagram to chat and we can set up a call!
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