5 Tips for Starting a blog.

I’m not going to give you some pipedream of expectation here. I’m going to help you start a blog and point you in the right direction to succeed.

When I started mine I was trying to release some creative energy. I was at a very low point in life. I had just gone through a divorce and a surgery and was trying to deal with it on my own.

The best way I knew how was to pass along my experience. It started with posts about who I was and what I had gone through. It evolved and branched off into a whole slew of content, tips and advice based on my journey of self care, personal development, health and fitness and my growth as a parent.

It started as an outlet, eventually I realized there was potential to turn it in to a an entrepreneurial endeavor.

You can have any reason to start a blog.

Maybe you like to discuss, art, movies, or books. Maybe you like finance and you want a platform to pass along your knowledge and post articles on the latest trends, or maybe you just want to keep up to date with family and friends.

Any way you go is a worth while venture. So where do you start?

With step one…

Step 1: Content

What are you going to blog about?

Pick your niche, something you like, you’re familiar with and can discuss in some detail. Things you find interesting are an obvious place to start. That way researching your topics wont bore you. Plus you already potentially have a basic understanding of what your discussing. This will also make step 3 easier.

The content on Pappa Chino Says is centered around personal development, growth and change. I have posted poems, anecdotes and stories from my personal life just to break up the flow, but it always relates back to making positive changes in our lives.

I don’t believe the content and topics you discuss have to be specific, I think you can explore a plethora of content, but whatever you do relate it to the feel of your blog.

This is where working up to multiple posts a week can be fun, you can post one topic Monday, another Wednesday and Friday, breaking up what you do. It also keeps you from running dry because as we evolve we tend to want to share more frequently thinking it will expedite our growth.

Step 2: Where to Host

There are a few different options here, like:

WordPress

Wix

Weebly

Being the top 3 in my opinion.

Depending on what your intent and goals are you should try and find a hosting site that allows you to grow, change and adapt.

Meaning, if you are an individual trying to start, start with no financial investment and gradually move into paid hosting plans.

If you are a business trying to add an extra level of social media exposure a blog is a great way to promote your products and services. Each of the aforementioned platforms offer plans that will suite your needs.

Either way I encourage you to explore each of the options above as they are the top of the heap.

I am on wordpress.com, obviously. The reason for picking WordPress was simple. I started for free because I did it for personal reasons with no direction.

As it evolved I graduated to paid hosting, with my own domain name a hosting package, that allowed me to have word-ads (the WordPress ad program) advertise on my site. They do all the behind the scenes ad placements, leaving me time to write, share and make improvements. Here is a link that might help you decide which package is right for you.

Step 3: Create content

Once you have an idea for your content and a place to post it, start creating it. Write an article or two and post them, see what happens.

It will take time to grow an audience and your posts probably aren’t going to blow up, but you will feel really good about yourself, accomplished, confident and capable.

If you want to effect the reach of your blog, share it to social media. Instagram and twitter are great places to share your content. But make sure to read the community guidelines, to many bloggers have their sites blocked due to improperly posting links and ads. So make sure to familiarize yourself with the territory before trying to broaden your reach.

Again depending on your purpose, if you’re an individual, create a variety of content that you think is relatable to your niche in some way. Content doesn’t have to be written, it can be a podcast, a video, a picture or art as well. So don’t limit yourself, you would be surprised what people find value in.

If you’re a business this doesn’t necessarily apply because you already have a dedicated direction. You are going to have to find ways to incrementally build a presence. Like, as I mentioned before, social media. Understanding the terms and services as well as community standards is a must for you.

So start small, introduce yourself slowly let people learn about your business or brand. This is where scheduled posting becomes detrimental because as a brand you want to release content to compliment and promote your services or the release of new products.

Step 4: Be consistent

To start pick a schedule that’s easy for you to follow through on.

If it’s a personal blog maybe you post once a month detailing what you have been up to.

If it’s something you want to grow into a business, or is a business or brand, you should post more frequently. Maybe 1 to 3 times a week.

But don’t over do it because that can be detrimental to your success in either avenue.

I try and post every Monday at 10:15 am, because it gives me the time I need to get the post proper, it’s also one of the best times to post my content to social media. The specific times and days for posting your content is something you learn as you try and broaden your reach.

Step 5: Have fun with it

No matter what the purpose is for your blog, have fun with it. The content is going to evolve as you create it. The audience will grow, but don’t make that your sole purpose because it will drive you nuts.

It’s fun to watch the numbers of visitors and views increase daily but don’t let it consume you. It can lead you into a self defeating mindset, especially if you start comparing to those you feel you’re in competition with.

Post what you like, what you find interesting because if you like it there are millions out there that will like it too. Just keep at it because it gives you a voice!

P.s. See what I did there, the bringing it back to the feel of the blog part, remember? 😉

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