How To Create An Amazing Blog
Thursday, October 15, 2020This post is a collaborative post but all opinions are my own
I have only recently started my blog, so everything I had to do is still fresh in my mind. I thought it would be helpful to create a post about everything you need to start a blog! There have been lots of new blogs since the start of lockdown, and I am sure there will be many more new ones popping up. Here's how to start an amazing blog in 2020 when there is so much competition!
Choosing A Niche & Name
Before you can set up a website, you need to decide what your blog is going to be called. Your name can relate to your niche, another thing you need to decide on. I don't have a specific niche, but I limit my blog to a few topics. Once you have picked a name, you may want to create a specific Gmail email for your blog, as this is what you will sign all your accounts up with. You can get an email through your domain, but we will talk about that later!
When it comes to a name, you can choose something simple like "Talks With Jane Doe", or be different with "A Pinch Of Beauty". You need to decide on something catchy and memorable. It will be your brand and something that won't be easily changed. You don't have to include your name and niche in the name, but it may help your readers find your blog later on!
Choose Your Blogging Platform
Once you have an email, name and niche set up, you need to pick a platform to create your blog on! I use blogger, but am looking to switch to WordPress as it offers more. WordPress is more expensive, though, so you need to weigh up the pros and cons. Some platforms you can use are:
- WordPress
- Blogger
- Wix
- Weebly
WordPress and Blogger are by far the best platforms, for hosting your blog. All these platforms are free to use unless you want more premium features. You will also have a URL that looks like this "www.yourname.wordpress.com", which doesn't look very professional. To change this, you will need to buy your domain or go self-hosted.
Buying Your Domain & Going Self-hosted
If you want your own website, and to work with brands in the future, you should purchase your own domain. When you buy a domain name, you remove the ".blogger" or ".wordpress" from your URL. It looks more professional and is a great step to take if you're passionate about blogging. It also ranks better on Google. I took a few months before I bought my own domain and it hindered me slightly, as my DA score dropped. This means that my domain wasn't as highly ranked on Google as before.
If you want to purchase your own domain, you can do it through a third-party site such as Lyrical Hosting, GoDaddy or Squarespace. I bought my domain and hosting form Lyrical, and their customer service was the best I have ever experienced! They did it all for me, and the assistant who helped me went above and beyond. He even helped me out with an issue regarding my blog template - which is definitely not part of his job!
If you want to use Lyrical Hosting, you can go through my link and use the code "LoveEm10" for 10% off your first order!
Customising Your Blog
Once you have your basic blog set up, you will need a template. The platform you decided to use will have basic templates, but, making your blog your own is important. It gives you an edge, and it will stick with your readers. There are lots of free templates that you can put on your blog as well as paid options. Some of the best places to get your templates are:
- Template Monster
- Esty
- ThemeForest
- Colorlib
There are other places to purchase or find free templates from, but these are some of my favourites. Installing your templates is easy, and most of them come with instructions on how to change certain features. This is where you can play with colours, layouts and fonts! Make your blog look unique, and add in a picture of you in the sidebar. It makes your blog personal, and readers like to see who you are. Make sure you haven't cluttered your blog. It should be easy to navigate. Once you have customised your blog, you will need to add content to it!
Writing Pages & Content
When you publish your blog, there are a few things that I would recommend setting up first! Before hitting publish, make sure you have the following:
- An about me page so your readers can find out about you
- A contact me page in case someone wants to pop you a message
- A disclaimers page, especially if you're reviewing products or using affiliates links
- Privacy policy to provide transparency with your readers
- 5-10 blog posts, so that you readers have things to read and navigate around
These are all really easy to set up and complete. It is worth taking time to do these features because this will be what your readers see first. It gives them the first impressions. If they don't like what they see, they won't come back. I would recommend having content published as if you only have one post, you readers will leave straight after. Giving them a few things will entice them to stay. These are just the basics, you can add whatever you like to your blog! You can sort out the categories, create a mailing list, make a resources page and so much more! Here are some blog post ideas to get you started:
Promoting Your Blog
Now that you have some published content, you will need to promote it to gain an audience. The best way to gain clicks is through social media, so I would recommend setting up a blog account for each. I use Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, but you can pick one or two to start with.
Your username should be your blog name as it links everything together, and makes it easier for people to find. When you promote your content, use platform-specific techniques. For Twitter, comment on blogger threads and use retweet accounts. For Pinterest, use good SEO techniques and maybe even take lessons from courses and eBooks on how to increase your traffic.
Schedule Content
One of the easiest ways to promote your blog is to schedule your content with Tailwind or similar and forget about your promotion. I schedule 90% of my tweets, pins and Instagram photos because it saves a lot of time later down the line. Schedule your social media posts on one night, and do it for the whole week. You don't have to think about things for a while!
Use Hashtags
Hashtags are a great way for other people to find your content. Hashtags are hard to figure out, but one of my favourite bloggers has an amazing eBook all about hashtags, along with other social media guides! Use hashtags on all platforms but doing your keyword research, and you can really boost your traffic!
Try Retweet Accounts & Blogger Threads
There are lots of twitter accounts that will retweet blogger's promotional tweets if you tag them in your post. There are lots to choose from, many of which also do daily or weekly blog post and social media following threads. It allows you to meet new bloggers and promote yourself!
Be Consistent
It's great posting Instagram stories every now and then, or a tweet when you have a new post, but this won't gain traffic. You need to post consistently and with a variety of things. This is where scheduling comes in. Nobody likes to follow an inactive account!
Useful Resources
There are lots of resources out there for your disposal. Some help you to write, some teach you to promote, and some make your life easier. It can be hard to decide what tools you should be using, but here are a few that I love. I also have a whole page of useful resources that you can find even more ideas from!
- Pinterest With Ell - An amazing Pinterest course for you to work through in your own time!
- Blog Management Centre - An excel spreadsheet that will help you to track your blog posts, scheduling and income!
- Pinterest Perfect eBook - The eBook I used to double my Pinterest stats in just 2 weeks
- Social Media Guides Bundle - An amazing bundle that contains Instagram guides, hashtag advice and a social media handbook
- Tailwind - To schedule all of your pins and Instagram posts. It is free for the first month
- Canva - To make graphics for Pinterest and social media posts that will attract clicks#
That's it! That's the simple route to creating your own blog. Blogging can be expensive, but if you take the time to grow your site and put effort into it, you will be rewarded! Did you know you can monetise your blog? I have a whole post talking about how you can make money from blogging. Are you setting up your blog for the first time? Let me know if you have any questions. I have been blogging for over 4 years and have made 5 blogs so would be happy to help!
Other blogging related posts that may help you on your journey!
7 comments
Great post Em :) I agree that scheduling is really important, especially when you know you're going to be busy and might not be able to put as much time in on the day. Thanks for sharing x
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing, these are great tips to start your blog :)
ReplyDeleteNic | Nic's Adventures & Bakes
Great post with some very helpful tips and advice. I've not quite got into scheduling content other than blog posts. Think I need to for the likes of twitter though.
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I already have my blog set up but I found the stuff you have on promoting the blog and the resources you have are really useful! thanks for sharing with us!
ReplyDeleteReally enjoyed this blog. Thanks, Em!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing such practical tips and resources. 😊
ReplyDeleteDefinitely an eye opening post
ReplyDelete