How To: Start Your Own Blog

If there is one question I have been asked the most over the last 3 years, without a doubt it would be "I want to start a blog, but how do I start?". When I started this blog, I didn't know anyone who had their own. It was during the time where YouTube was still at it's peak, so everyone was watching videos rather than reading blog posts. I'm terrible in front of a camera so I knew blogging was the best way to go, for me personally. The only problem was that I didn't have anyone I could ask questions. I kind of had to rely on the advice of already successful bloggers at the time, through vague Q&A responses or just figure it out myself.

I'm fortunate enough to have built a tiny community over these 3 and a half years. I'm so grateful and proud. I'm definitely not the best blogger but I've certainly learnt a thing or two about blogging and I thought it would be beneficial to share some of those lessons with you all.

Like I said, I'm not the best blogger however I hope this post will help get you started.

J U S T   G E T   S T A R T E D

Once I got the idea to create a blog, I got it up and running within a couple weeks. I just had so many ideas that I couldn't wait to get started. The only thing stopping me from doing it the day I made the decision was not having a computer to execute it on. Once I got my laptop it was GO GO GO.
For some people, having a blog sounds like the best idea but they let "what if"s stop them. I understand what it's like to not jump on an opportunity because of fear but honestly, starting this blog has helped me to be more bold. My first piece of advice is, if you want to start blogging JUST GET STARTED. Don't let fear stop you. Just before publishing my first post, I was nervous. I feel like its natural. I was introducing my new baby to the world and I had no idea how it was going to be perceived. But my excitement overruled my anxiety and look where we are now. Almost at 30K hits. CRAZY.

Don't overthink it, just get started.

P I C K   A   N I C H E

I made the mistake of not picking a niche from the beginning. I kind of just wrote whatever I felt like writing, which seemed like a good idea at the time, but after about a year I noticed my blog was growing really slowly because I didn't fit into a category. People like to know exactly what they are getting when they follow a page, so it is important that you can give somewhat of a description of your blog. I still doesn't fit perfectly into a category but I would say my blog fits more around the lifestyle niche since I do a lot of student catered posts, share experiences, faith posts etc. I still like to throw in other niches like beauty every now and then but I have discovered a main niche.

C H O O S E   A  U N I Q U E   N A M E

Your blog name is important because it is how people will recognise you on the internet. It should reflect you and your blog style. One thing I will admit is that I'm actually not a huge lover of my blog name, so after I hit my 5 year mark I plan to change it. Try to choose a name you think you'll like in years to come. Your blog is your baby so don't rush the process. Be original and think outside the box because it will make your site stand out.


P R E - W R I T E   P O S T S   B E F O R E  Y O U   G O   L I V E

This is another thing I DIDN'T do but I think it is a really wise idea. Try to write around 5 posts before you put your blog out for the world to see and publish them all at once. That way people have a bit of content to enjoy whilst you do things behind the scenes. I posted once a week and it wasn't until around my 5th post that I started getting followers. I don't think you can always decide if you like someone's content enough to subscribe if you only see one piece of content. So, having a few already up gives people the opportunity to decide if they like you! Of course followers are not the main thing when it comes to blogging, but if you can grow an audience from the start, it won't feel like you're just talking to yourself.

T A K E   L O T S  O F  P H O T O S

If you've been here since the beginning, you'll definitely agree that my photography game has evolved. I'm certainly not a photographer by any means but as you scroll through my site, you'll notice the improvements, and it makes a HUGE difference to your posts and engagement. Lots of writing can appear intimidating, but adding at least one image can make it look less of a chore to read. I'm someone who has a lot to say, so cutting down my post itself is always difficult, so I find inserting images to a long post can make it a little more engaging.

You don't need a fancy DSLR camera, so don't feel like you need to spend money on an expensive camera and equipment. That might be something you invest in further into your blogging journey, but you can always start with your phone camera. I use a camera occasionally but most the time I still use my phone. Take pictures when you can, and LOTS of it. I'm not great at remembering to take photos but when I do, it makes life so much easier. Having flat lays or photos of yourself that you can use for different posts is super helpful. Of course if you're doing a review or travel post, you should focus on capturing those items, but things like round-up posts and Q&As don't require specific pictures. Have lots saved so you can use them whenever you need to.

T R Y   T O   B E   C O N S I S T E N T

Before 2019 my posts were pretty sporadic. I tried to post every Sunday but that didn't work out. This year I decided to just post at least once a week and I succeeded until recently haha. Sometimes life happens so don't stress if you miss days, weeks or even months like I did. Blogging should be fun! Posting weekly really worked for my schedule, because there wasn't any pressure to get something up on a certain day. Do what is best for you personally. Some people can post four times a week and I'm honestly so in awe because I definitely don't have the capacity to do that. I think the key is to be as consistent as possible with the schedule you choose. My blog has grown more this year than ever before and I think one of the reasons for this has been (somewhat) consistency.

P R O M O T E   Y O U R   H A R D   W O R K

I was thinking about the advice I wanted to give in this post when I planned it out and one thing that came to me was promoting your craft. When I started my blog, I put it all over my socials and kind of let it pick up traffic that way, but I hadn't built a big enough community yet for that to be beneficial. I told my friends when it went live, who shared the link around for me but I could have put more effort into getting my blog around. I didn't really talk about my blog in conversations much and I wish I had because talking about it encourages more people to view it. Even now I don't ever talk about it. I was in a lecture the other day and my lecturer asked "how do you participate in social reading?" and that was the perfect opportunity to mention my book reviews on my blog, but I didn't. I'm not embarrassed of having a blog of course, but I guess I just never think to mention it, despite it being a fairly big part of my life. I guess what I'm trying to say is don't be afraid to promote it. Not just on social media but verbally and within social situations. Most people find out about mine through social media but actually, talking about it is a very big way of promoting. Mention it when it's relevant. Maybe someone wants advice and you've made a whole post on exactly what they're asking for. Direct them to it. Or perhaps you have to give an interesting fact about yourself during an ice-breaker. Throw it in.

H  A V E    Y O U R   O W N   V O I C E !

Last but not least, my BIGGEST advice is to have your own voice. What makes your blog your own is YOUR voice. Don't try to be like anyone else. I don't ever try to sound anything but like myself when I write my posts and I get told quite often that people enjoy that. People that know me in real life have even pointed out that they can imagine me saying the things I write and the exact way I say them. Don't try to mimic successful bloggers or even your favourite bloggers. Just be you. Share your own opinions and write the way you feel represents you well. People will appreciate your page more if you sound unique. Nobody needs another In the Frow or Zoella. THEY NEED YOU!

I hope this was helpful! If you have a blog that you're trying to grow or you have just got started, leave your links in the comment section so that I can check it out. I cannot wait to read them!

Thanks for reading,
Have a great day x