WOW!
So many of you have come to me seeking advice on how to start your own Blog / Website! I’ve put together a few tips to help you get started. If you find this post helpful, go ahead & pin it to your Pinterest to save it & help others!
The most important thing I can tell you is to GET STARTED. The beautiful thing about a blog is that the platform is literally made for your to continuously create content. Even if you want to hold off on publishing your content for a while, you can always starting writing articles.
What to do first:
The first thing you are going to want to think about is what type of blog you’re going to have. Will it be a lifestyle blog, a travel blog, cooking, refurbishing cars, DIY projects? This will help you determine what category you fall under.
I have a lifestyle blog, so my domain name is MarissaGraffam.com. If this is your first time here, Welcome!My website is all about me & my life so I am able to encompass a little bit of everything (ie. Lifestyle). Additionally, my full name is what I use for all of my social media handles to make finding me easy on any platform:
- Instagram: @MarissaGraffam
- Pinterest: @MarissaGraffam
- Facebook: @MarissaGraffam
- Facebook Business: @MarissaGraffam (Lifestyle)
- Website: @MarissaGraffam (.com)
Creating a Domain & Finding a Host:
When creating your domain name you will either want something easy to remember, or something catchy that matches your category. Don’t spend too much time stressing about this. There are ways to change your Domain Name later- if you are really struggling just plan on using your FirstNameLastName or FirstNameMiddleName for now.
Next let’s get you a Domain & Website host! This is the platform where you will edit & publish content. Personally I like WordPress (the platform I am currently using & you are exploring) because it is so user friendly. You can do everything in one place & they already have tools integrated into their platform so you don’t have to add on any extra widgets. If you aren’t very tech savvy they have themes / layouts you can choose from & you don’t have to do any coding. 🙂 If you ARE tech savvy there is an option to code your own theme (which I did- so this website layout is not available for use).
When you sign up for a Domain & Website you will have to pay – different account levels have different price points. If you are just starting out no need to get crazy, you can always upgrade later. Buy the basic platform and once you start creating content & driving more traffic to your site you can consider upgrading.
Most blogs now have an email subscription that notifies its ‘fans’ of new content that is published. You should consider this to grow authentic relationships with your followers. I love giving my followers inside knowledge about my life that I don’t share on Instagram or Facebook. I use the platform Mailchimp to send out all of my emails & if you make an account with WordPress they have an easy widget (tool) that lets you connect your Mailchimp account to your blog to keep track of individuals who subscribe. Again, no need to get fancy with your account until you are a big time blogger! For reference I am using their basic version (free) & doing just fine.
Identifying Your Goal:
Another thing to consider is identifying the goal that you would like to accomplish with your blog. Do you just want a creative outlet? That’s GREAT. Do you want your blog to be a valuable resource? Do you want to monetize your blog so you can eventually make an income off of it (all of these sound great to me to be honest). If your goals align with mine then you are going to want to think about monetizing your blog and there are a couple of different ways you could go about that. Such as Marketing Advertisements & Affiliate Linking. I focus on affiliate linking because it was the easiest way for me to get started.
Affiliate linking has become incredibly popular especially on Instagram. Companies that do this include LIKEtoKNOW.it, AWIN, Amazon Associates, Trip Advisor, Wayfair, CJ, Impact Radius, ShopStyle . . . The list goes on & on. Currently I am using the Amazon Affiliate program – but keep in mind this may not be the right fit for you. If you are publishing a travel blog you may want to look into TripAdvisor- if you are doing a fashion blog you may want to consider LIKEtoKNOW.it or ShopStyle. I do a little bit of everything & shop frequently on Amazon so it was a good fit for me. I will do another blog post in the future about how I have been incorporating the Amazon affiliate program into my blog posts and emails. DO NOT let this overwhelm you. You do not need to sign up for every single affiliate program. Sign up for one – if you feel the desire to expand later you can.
When you finally decide to launch your blog make sure you share all of your posts on your social media accounts! The only way to get yourself out there is if you share your own content and have others share as well. A great blog traffic driver is Pinterest too! Tip: make sure you connect your Pinterest account to your blog & verify your accounts. You may have to change your Pinterest account to a business account with a hub in order to boost / publish your posts.
Things to consider:
- Before you actually go ahead & launch your Website, make sure you have content up! The goal is to have people browse & navigate different areas of your website. If you only have one post up, they won’t be on your website for very long.
- At the bottom of each post, make sure you have suggested content for them to read next. Keep them interested!
Remember to be yourself when you start your blog! You will find a following who is truly interested in your content & slow organic growth is the best for long term sustainability. If you have questions I would be more than happy to answer, just leave them below in the comment section.
If you are interested in purchasing the specific Theme that I am using, you can find it at BellaCreativeStudio. I went ahead & linked the specific theme (Aria) for you but she does have others. PLUS if you use the code ‘Bella15’ that should get you 15% off of your order. 🙂
Disclaimer: Blog post may contain affiliate links or codes.
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