It can seem intimidating at first to start, but you’ll be so happy that you did. Your voice has value and deserves to be heard and shared, so that’s why I’m sharing my insights on getting the wheels up on you starting your own personal blog. I started my first blog 5 years ago and then created Thoughtful Blonde three years ago, and I have loved every second of it. Boy have I learned a lot and I’m excited to share.
Step 1: Figure Out What You Want To Share
What do you want to write about?
What are your passions?
How are you adding value to your future audience?
There are so many niches (your specific interest) to write about, so what do you know a lot about? I personally share a lot of introspective pieces that also tie in recommendations and travel insights. Other people have fashion, cooking, health, fitness, makeup, etc blogs, so take some time to journal down what kind of content you’d want to create.
Step 2: Find the Right Platform For You
Do you have website design experience? Are you not too tech savy?
Here’s my perspective on that — when I first started, I used Wix because that was more popular to the newbie with no experience and does not require any coding. However, it allows you to do a lot of customizing when it comes to designing which can be both fun and time consuming. I switched over to WordPress 3 years ago because I wanted a simple, cohesive design that allowed me to focus more on my content creation than on maintaining a website. There are other platforms, like Medium, that are very popular for primarily for creating and sharing instead of having your own domain. Do your own research and get comfortable with your choice.
Step 3: Sign Up, Register, and Play Around
Don’t take it too seriously the minute you choose a platform because it can be frustrating at times. It’s extremely helpful to just play around, click different tabs, and see what you like and dislike. After a day or two, you’ll know if that’s the right platform for you. The two platforms, Wix and WordPress, are free for their most basic package that has ads and does not include a domain without their platform name in it, but that’s okay for just getting started. That way you don’t have a big commitment or financial obligation; this should be fun. It’s exciting to start something new.
Step 4: BRAND YOURSELF
Branding is my absolute favorite thing, and over the years, I have loved building Thoughtful Blonde.
So now it’s time for you to come up with:
-
Name of blog (ex: thoughtful blonde)
-
Slogan (authentic living & travel)
-
Topics You Want To Cover (Travel Recs, Books Recs, Makeup Tutorials)
When creating and promoting, do your best to be consistent and loyal to yourself and your values. A personal blog is a beautiful thing that can be a great way to connect and it’s an outlet to share. Don’t let the pressure to be more or different persuade you to be something or someone other than who truly are; your perspectives are special enough.
Step 5: Begin Creating, Publishing, and Collaborating
This is the super fun part. Whether it’s making videos or writing blogs, you can start up loading to your site and sharing away. Come up with interesting things you’d want to share and go for it. A personal blog is a great place for videos, blog posts, and pictures, and every post will keep getting better and better. I look back at my first blogs from 5 years ago and giggle to myself, but I am proud of myself for starting and improving so much over the years. You’ll watch yourself grow in tremendous ways while having a personal blog, and I wish you the best of luck.
Send me emails if you have questions or need coaching!
We are in this together, and stay safe during the pandemic, my friends
