I have had quite a few people lately reach out to me asking how I got started blogging and if I have any advice for someone thinking of starting a blog. So I thought it would be a good idea to put it all in one blog post that you can use as a reference to get started. I may even turn this into a whole blogging series. Anyway, keep reading if you’re interested in learning some beginner tips on how to start your own blog!
How I got started:
I started my blog almost a year ago now, in July 2019. Back then, it was so crazy for me to even think about people reading my posts, let alone writing a post about how to blog! I have been interested in blogging for years. I used to write in a diary all the time as a kid, and even had a blog on Xanga (probably only wrote a few posts and it was all diary-style back then! Let me know if you remember Xanga or if I’m just old…) I honestly didn’t realize blogging was still a thing until a couple of years ago, and I was soooo excited when I realized it was something I could actually do.
If you saw my very first YouTube video I published a couple of weeks ago, you know my strategy. I just do it, and then think about it and do the research later! That way, at least I have started. So when I sat down to write my very first blog post, I really didn’t know what I was doing. But that’s okay! I just wrote about who I am and what I wanted to do with this blog over the next year. It was pretty cringey to me, but at least it was something. I would highly recommend using this same strategy. I have seen wayyyyy too many people who spend months or even years “doing research” and never actually get started. If that’s you, here’s me throwing a rock at your face and telling you to just get started and learn as you go!
How to set up your domain:
There are lots of ways that you can start a blog for free, using WordPress, Blogger, or one of the other free platforms out there. However, if you are wanting to be serious about this, I would strongly encourage you to set up a self-hosted site. What this means is that you actually own your site. You will have to pay a small fee for a domain name, but it’s so worth it. If you don’t go the self-hosted route and just have a free site through WordPress for example, then WordPress actually owns your site and you will have certain limitations because of that. Plus, if something ever happened and WordPress.org didn’t exist anymore or they delete your blog or something, there’s nothing you can do about it. Overall, very good idea to actually go the self-hosted route and set up your own domain.
So how do you buy a domain? Again, there are options for who to be self-hosted through. I use Bluehost, and would highly recommend using them as well. I have had zero issues, and when I did decide to switch my free WordPress account to self-hosted through Bluehost, their customer service was EXCELLENT. If you do decide to use them, definitely use my affiliate link so that I can get credit for it!
Designing your blog:
Once you have chosen a domain name, you will be able to get started setting up your blog. It can definitely take a while to get the hang of it, but there are plenty of YouTube videos you can reference to help you. WordPress tends to be pretty user friendly too, so I do recommend using self-hosted WordPress through Bluehost (I know this sounds really confusing probably. You can always comment below or reach out to me on Instagram or email me with any questions.) WordPress does provide plenty of free themes, and you can definitely get started using any of those. I would recommend eventually paying for a really good quality theme though. The theme I use is “Ghost Shell” from Pipdig, and again, I love them. When you buy one of their themes (which are relatively affordable. I think mine was like $60), you can also choose to have them install it for you for free! This is a great option and I definitely took advantage of this since code can be complicated.
Even if you use a paid theme, you will still want to do some customizations. You can do this through “widgets.” There are widgets for email sign-ups, ads, popular posts, YouTube videos, your bio, and so much more. You can add whatever widgets you want and customize where they will appear on your site. My theme also has an option for having your Instagram posts laid out across the top or bottom of your homepage, and I think that is such a fun feature.
Plugins are also helpful to use. For example, I use the “Yoast SEO” plugin that helps me to analyze the searchability of my post, essentially. SEO stands for “search engine optimization,” but more on that in a future post.
Writing your very first post (Hint…JUST DO IT):
As my brother-in-law recently said, “Done is better than perfect.” Especially on your first handful of posts, try not to overthink it too much. Get some content out there. Practice and experiment. Proofread once or twice, but just publish it and get it out there. One helpful tip that I do have is to have a friend or family member read your post and give you some feedback. Whether it’s grammar, wording, spellchecking, etc., it’s really helpful to get fresh eyes on your post before publishing. Make sure it’s someone who will give you an honest opinion and constructive criticism, and not just say “It’s great” without really reading it. (For example, I will never trust my husband’s judgement on my content because he soooo doesn’t care lol).
Another useful tip I have is to brainstorm and plan out your post before writing it. When I wrote my first post, I basically wrote out bullet points before getting started, and then just added some flavor in between. Once you get used to it, definitely gets a little easier. For example, with this post, I started by writing my headings, and that helped to organize my thoughts enough to write the whole post.
For your first post, it’s a good idea to have it be an “about me” or “getting to know me” type of post so that your readers will know what to expect from your future posts. Try to let your personality come through so that it will leave them wanting to come back for more! Speaking of personality, one thing you will have to get used to is blog writing style. Writing a blog post is not the same as writing an essay in school. You might have to break yourself of that formal writing style and get used to a more relaxed and casual tone, almost try to write as if you were actually talking.
Definitely include at least one photo in every post. Sometimes (like on my Sephora favorites post) I only use one photo. On that particular post, it wasn’t even my own photo, it was a stock photo. Other times (like on an outfit ideas post) you really do need to include a few photos. Don’t overdue it though. I try not to include more than 5 or 6 photos in a post, because I feel like that just gets a little excessive for the readers. When you do use photos, make sure they are relevant and good quality so that it adds value to your post and doesn’t take away focus from the actual content of your post.
Networking / Getting it out there!
The main sources that I use to let people know about my new posts and drive traffic to my blog are Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook.
Whenever I publish a new blog post, the first thing I do is update the link in my Linktree on Instagram (the link in my bio…again, we can go into more detail on that in a future post if you want.) and publish an Instagram post letting people know about my new blog post. I make sure to share that post in my Instagram story too, which will then go in my story highlight titled “Blog Posts.”
Next, I publish that same or a very similar post on my Facebook page, including a link to the new blog post. Honestly I barely use my Facebook page at all, but there are some friends and family members that I know only get the information from that page and not from any other source.
I also try to regularly post pins on Pinterest to promote my blog posts. Again, this needs to be a whole blog post in itself! Sometimes I will manually pin photos from my blog post, but honestly I need to get better about using Tailwind to schedule pins. There is a lot to learn about Pinterest marketing, but my reach has really started to pick up lately. I’ve realized that my flatlay photos of an outfit tend to do really well on Pinterest, so now I need to start using that to my advantage. This is a way that Pinterest can be a useful tool in learning what does and doesn’t do well as far as photos in your blog posts.
10 helpful resources I use the most:
1 // Airtable – This is how I plan out and schedule my blog posts. It’s a free resource too! I actually just started a separate tab to plan out my YouTube videos also. If you’re a nerd like I am and you love spreadsheets, you will love this resource.
2 // Canva – My favorite tool for creating visuals. I use this sometimes to make a title photo for my blog post, and I also use it to make my YouTube channel art and thumbnails. There is a website version of this but I actually prefer using the app on my phone so far. You can also use this to help make visuals to use on Instagram stories. I believe there is a free version, but I think I actually do pay for additional features.
3 // Adobe Lightroom – This is what I use for editing my photos. You can pay for the desktop version, but I actually prefer the mobile version which is actually free. I use presets that I bought (mine are from @saragailvickers on Instagram) and then just slightly edit from there if needed. It’s so easy once you get used to it.
4 // Pinterest – Again, can’t say enough good things about Pinterest, especially when it comes to blogging. This is a HUGE way that a lot of bloggers drive traffic to their site. You definitely will want to create or switch to a business account in order to keep track of your analytics (same goes for Instagram, btw).
5 // Notes app on my phone OR a notebook – This is pretty self-explanatory. Just have some way of mapping out your posts and brainstorming.
6 // Unsplash – If you don’t want to use your own photos for a particular post, you can use stock photos for free. This is the site I always use.
7 // ShopStyle Collective – This is what I use to make the “Shop My Instagram” page on my blog. Also how I create product widgets on my sidebar like my favorite makeup and skincare products. Sometimes I also use it to link products in post.
8 // Linktree (for Instagram) – I use this to be able to put multiple links in my Instagram profile. This is helpful if you have a blog and a YouTube channel and want to link both, for example. I like to put links to my most recent post and video, a couple of my “Shop” tabs so it’s easy for people to find my Amazon faves or favorite stores to shop at (things I regularly get asked about), and my homepage for both my blog and YouTube channel.
9 // Tailwind – Use this to schedule pins on Pinterest so you don’t have to do it manually!
10 // Google Analytics – This is the best way I have found to keep track of the analytics of your blog. How many visitors you’ve had within the past week or month, where they’re coming from, demographics, etc.
What’s next?
Honestly you guys, this is just the tip of the blogging iceberg. There is soooo much more to starting your own blog, and I can’t wait to share more with you guys! There’s always more to learn, and that’s actually one of the things I love about being a content creator. Let me know what you wanna hear about next: email lists, SEO, Pinterest marketing? There’s soooo many topics we could cover here if you guys are interested in learning more! Some of this (like email lists) I am still learning myself. But we can definitely learn together!
Be sure to comment below, email me (bethany@bethanyroseblog.com), or reach out to me on Instagram (@bethanyschaafblog) if you have any questions or just want to connect!
