Are you getting ready to hit publish on your brand new blog?
Hold your horses, girl.
Before you do though, let’s triple-check that you’ve got these 10 important things down first.
Starting a blog is exciting and it comes with so many perks.
It’s honestly the best thing I’ve ever done for myself and that is why I am so passionate when it comes to writing about entrepreneurship, productivity, and blogging.
And why I’ve decided to expand my niche to both personal development and online business (blogging).
Going all-in on my blog has turned my world upside down but for the better – obvs.
I’m so excited for you to hit publish on your new blog, but first let’s make sure you’ve got these things covered.
Related Reads:
- How I Got Over 200,000 Page Views My First Year Blogging
- How To Start A Successful Blog
- Pinterest Traffic Avalanche: An Honest Review
For my visual learners, here’s the YouTube video.
1. Who & What
First things first, you need to determine what you will blog about and for who.
- What do you want to blog about?
- What are you passionate about?
- How can you offer value?
- Who do you want to serve?
- What is your message?
- Who is your target audience?
You will come to see that blogging isn’t about you and the things you believe in.
Well, at least not entirely.
It’s about your people and how you can best serve them.
It’s all about the value you offer your audience.
When you start a blog, you’re automatically sent on a mission to solve the problems your audience has.
Learn to listen to your audience as you get further on your blogging journey.
Get to know your demographics, but for now – decide on who you’d like to serve.
- Think about how old they are
- What they do for a living
- Where they live
- The language they speak
- Their interests
- How much money they earn
- And so on.
Keep these things in mind as you form your content strategy.
Know that it’s completely ok to change your niche as your message reframes and refines itself.
Change is inevitable, so be open to it.
Heck, I started out blogging about finance and the fact that I was turning 30 – that took a shift.
I’m expanding my personal development-focused blog to blogging for introverts as of right now, and it’s super fun.
2. Name Your Blog
Pick a Google-friendly name for your blog.
Don’t spend too much time on this.
Brainstorm for an hour or two.
Sleep on it and revisit your options.
Pick one and don’t wallow in “I don’t know” any longer than necessary.
I literally came up with She Dreams All Day in 30 minutes.
You’ll feel it in your gut when you’ve got a winner on your hands.
To tell you the truth, the name doesn’t matter as much as you think.
You can even name your blog after yourself by using your real name.
As long as it’s pronounceable and Google-able (and won’t offend anyone) – you are good to go.
Do a So-Me availability check.
Make sure it’s available as a handle on all social platforms (Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, YouTube, Pinterest)
Busy? Pin this article for later.
3. Buy Your Domain & Sign Up For Hosting
Got your blog name?
Great. Then it’s time for you to buy your domain name and sign up for hosting.
I suggest going with a .com or .co domain if possible.
It just looks more professional.
And never go with a free hosting plan, girl.
If you’re really serious about blogging and want to make it your full-time gig in the future, be a grownup and pay for hosting.
For all newbie bloggers, I suggest Bluehost – it’s super affordable, compatible with WordPress and you get your domain free of charge when you sign up.
Get started with Bluehost here.
4. Write Your First 5 Articles
So many people ask the unavoidable question…
How many posts should you have before launching a blog?
Well, I say write your first 5 articles before you hit publish on your brand new blog.
There has to be something for your first few visitors to engage with when they find your new blog.
It’s a good idea to launch with at least 5 well-written blog posts.
That way, your visitors will likely stay entertained for longer – and you definitely want them to stick around.
5. Write Your About Page
Your “About” page is going to be the most important page on your website.
People will naturally gravitate toward the about page because they want to connect with the person behind the blog.
They want to read your story and get to know you.
So, make it as epic and real as you possibly can.
6. Create Your Business Plan
Let’s not forget that when you start a blog, you’re starting a business.
Blogs don’t make money, businesses do.
Create your game plan before you launch.
Do all the prep work ahead of launching.
Now, you’re probably not going to make a gazillion dollars right off the bat with your new blog, but it’s good to have your business plan in place as you lay the foundation for what’s to become a successful online business (assuming you want it to be).
So, crunch those numbers and visualize your business 2 years from now – then work backwards.
7. Create a Content Calendar
Pin down your content strategy and create an editorial calendar.
Do not shy away from this step.
It sounds like a lot of work, but if you’re willing to put in the work upfront, your future #girlboss self will thank you for it.
You have to have a plan for your upcoming blog posts and the content you’ll put out there.
Don’t go on a whim.
Be very strategic when it comes to settling on blog post ideas.
8. Decide On Your Branding
What do you want your blog to look and feel like?
Decide on the color scheme for your blog and save the HEX code somewhere smart (f.ex in your Evernote app).
Or, you can use this simple color scheme generator.
Pick a beautiful and professional-looking theme.
Divi is a great option for new bloggers.
It’s easy to drag and drop elements to get your blog to looking like you want.
No frustration needed.
This is the theme I started with when I had no clue how to design a website – so I highly recommend it.
Create your logo in Canva using your go-to fonts.
Your logo-making-session should not take you longer than 1 hour.
Simplicity is key.
9. Protect Your Blog
One of the main things newbie bloggers tend to worry the most about is…
- How do I know if my blog legal?
- How can I protect my blog against spammers?
Let me start off by saying that I am no lawyer so you better not take any legal advice from yours truly, but Amira from A Self Guru is and she offers legal pages for bloggers at a very affordable price.
When it comes to plugins (for WordPress sites) that protect your site from spammers, malware, and attacks, I suggest you download the following before you launch your blog:
10. Sign Up For An Email Marketing Service
Once you’ve hit publish on your new blog – start list building immediately.
Building relationships is the most important part of running an online business.
The sooner you start building your list the better.
And no, email isn’t dead.
I use and swear by ConvertKit for my email marketing service provider.
And you can even try it for free if you want to test the waters first.
I love connecting with my dreamy subscribers weekly. β€οΈ
How Do You Launch A Blog?
Make sure you read my step by step tutorial on how you can start your blog today – for under $5 and in less than 30 minutes.
Yup, you heard right. β¨
Is Blogging Still Relevant In 2020?
Blogging isn’t going anywhere.
This digital fairytale and age have only just begun.
The right time to start a blog will always be now.
Before You Go
Now, if you want to dive deeper into the world of blogging and make sure you’re doing everything by the book – I invite you to check out my FREE blogging course for introverts and dreamers below!
I’ll teach you everything you need to know to successfully start and launch your new dream blog as an introvert – with online confidence.
I’d love to have you onboard for the FREE course.
Sign up with your name and email below. β¨
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