How to Start a Blog

One of the first stumbling blocks of creating a blog is knowing where to start. You have years of experience and thoughts ready to be written down and shared to the open world, but the question is, how?

In this blog I’ll be going through an easy and basic step-by-step guide showing you how to create and set-up your very own blog in minutes.

Creating a blog is something I’ve thought about for years, and it was also suggested to me on numerous occasions by family & friends. With many years of experience through traveling and also a developing portfolio within photography, for me as a natural progression it just made sense. Therefore towards the end of 2024, my blog was born.

Whether you’re starting afresh or connecting to an existing website, there are many benefits to creating a blog, all of which can be read upon in further detail in a previous blog post about the benefits of blogging here.

Niche

Step one in creating a blog of course is identifying a niche. This is an important first step as it will help you identify and focus on a specific set of topics relating to attracting the right target audience for you. To help you narrow down and pick the right niche for you, you will need to have a think and relate back to your personal interests.

For example, if you have a background and experience in travel and/or photography as in my case, it would make no sense for me to then do a fashion or food blog instead. Ultimately the niche and path you choose to take should be one you are passionate about and one you can call and constantly fall back on to relate to time and time again, giving you a wealth of ideas and knowledge to write from.

Blog Name and Domain

When you are choosing a blog name, once again you’d be wise and thankful to yourself down the line by keeping the name noteworthy and relevant to your desired blogging journey. There are 3 main routes to take when choosing the most efficient name for you, and the best option will depend on the overall objectives for you blog.

If you want to keep it simple, or are just adding a blog to your existing site like I did, then the use of your first and last name is good enough, with it being clear, clean and recognisable from the off. If you’re thinking about monetising your blog long term and using it for business like potential, naming your blog as part of your business would be a wise move. The last idea I’d recommend for your blog name is something creative, capturing the audiences attention from the off. Overall, remember the name of your blog should show who you are and what you reflect, with the personality type of the blog giving an ever lasting impression.

As for the blog domain, I’d recommend keeping it as close to or exactly the same as your blog name to have a clear and understandable presence on the web once your blog is online.

Choose a Blogging Platform

There are many different blogging platforms out there, therefore it’s important that you choose the right blogging platform for you. Each platform will have their own personal twists and features all exclusive to their own brand, and depending on what you’re looking for, a certain choice could be more beneficial to you than others. Long time popular blogging platforms such as Wix and WordPress have always been a recommended choice, however options have grown over the years with platforms such as Blogger and Squarespace slowly building in popularity.

Each option offers attractive templates and design options for you to start from, with the addition of built-in analytics and data. A number of platforms these days also give you the option of a free trial, therefore I’d suggest trying out a few before you commit yourself to one. Personally, I use Squarespace, it’s a little on the expensive side compared to others, however the customisation is superb, and furthermore alongside the blog the platform allows me to showcase my photography in the shape of a portfolio and a whole built-out website. Simply put, what you’re looking to achieve or attach to the blog may well steer you in a certain direction.

Design and Customisation

Now you’ve got all the essential basics setup, this is where the fun and joy of blogging begins. One of the great aspects of creating a blog is the unlimited amount of customisation and design options you have at your fingertips, the possibilities are endless. Each platform provides you with a large selection of templates for you to create your blog from, and depending on your niche, each design showcases variable elements suited for a specific genre.

There are many options, however the mood you want your blog to reflect will point you in the right direction, whether it be a classic or modern look, or a design with a minimalistic approach, make sure to choose one that suits your niche. All being said, it’s worth remembering that first impressions matter.

Brainstorm Topics

Time to get your Brain into gear and think about the content you wish to promote within your blogs. The easiest thing to do I found is to grab a pen and paper, write your niche in the centre of the page and from there brainstorm and write down as many words and topics you can think of relating to your chosen niche. At first it may look like a mess, however there is method to this madness.

From having numerous thoughts in your head to actually having them on paper creates a big difference, and it leaves you with an ever-lasting collection of blog ideas to choose from. Each topic and idea from here can then be expanded upon and integrated into the type of content and approach you want to achieve from your blogs.

Sharing Knowledge

The key I personally feel when writing a blog is to constantly relate to your experiences in life, and to honestly just speak from the heart. The old saying of knowledge is wealth springs to mind, and the best aspect of the knowledge and experiences you have gained in life is no-one can take that away from you. Sharing insights on what you’ve understood and learnt over the years will be invaluable to those wanting to learn and follow the same paths you have taken in life.

High Quality Content

Carrying on from the previous point, sharing a mix of personal experiences and also prioritising key information in order to attract the correct audience to your blog posts is vital. Simply put, regarding your blog posts you have to take on the perspective of the viewer and what they would be searching for. For example, if within your blogs you are just drabbling on about yourself constantly, the likely chance is the blog won’t gain many views.

This is why high quality content matters, use those brainstorm ideas and mould them in a way the reader can relate to and therefore gain vital information from. Looking back at my early blog posts, you’ll soon gain an understanding of how to construct a blog through trial and error in no time.

Publish Your First Post

It’s that time. You’ve done the hard work, constructing the outline and nature of your blog, now it’s time to publish that first blog post. Once your first one is out there, there’s only one way up from here, your blogging journey has now officially begun.

Promote your Blog

To start with, blogging can take time to build traction and therefore views will seem slow. However the more you blog, the more your online presence will grow. Therefore it’s important to promote your blog where possible, sharing content on social media, engaging with your audience, and also considering the opportunity for email marketing.

From here on in, the opportunities for your Blog to grow are endless.