These days, blogs are seen as a valuable hobby as well as a potential source of income. If you are planning to start your own blog, this task may seem like a very hefty one in the beginning. With the tons of information available on the web today, you may end up even more confused.
Each of the sources you refer may tell you different steps or essential things. This will make the rather simple task appear more complex. So, here we are, with a step-by-step guide on ‘How to start a blog’. Let’s hope that it eases you a little -
1. Establish Your ‘Why’
It is always a good idea to question your motives and intentions before you start something new. If you feel that writing is the absolute need and that you need to share your thoughts with the world, nothing could be better than this. But again, this is a personal step. There could be no bad reason for starting your own blog.
But, if you are ready to do that for free, then blogging is completely your thing and you will tend to continue it even without monetary benefits. But it’s totally fine if you want to earn something for yourself through the blog.
2. Come up With a Concept and a Name
Once the ethical thing is done, here comes the fun part. Decide the concept of your blog and what your blog is going to be about. You also need to pick a name for your blog.
It is always best to choose a name that reflects your content. You can also use a pun or some other fun statement that reflects your content to make it more catchy. If you’re not sure what exactly you will be focusing on, then avoid a name that puts your content in a box. Rather, choose a generalized name that gives you the freedom to talk about the topic you feel like talking about.
Choose something that suits your personality and also something that can stand the test of time without sounding ‘out-dated’ after some time. Just ensure that no one else has got it first, this is the most important thing to ensure. You can even decide a name by something that has been a life-changing experience for you or even that incident which made you decide to start your own blog.
3. Choose Your Platform
The platform you host your blog on is completely down to personal preference.
In case you are a complete beginner, Blogger is the suggestion. It is more full-proof and easy and straightforward to operate for beginners.
WordPress is also a good option. But it may be a little tricky to navigate sometimes. But if you are good at HTML and are a wiz at coding, then this will be the premier platform for you. Both, Blogger and WordPress, are completely free.
You don’t need to buy a domain name in the initial stages. But, once you are established, you can buy it for yourself to make your work appear more professional. But in the early stages, you just need to focus on your content.
4. Pick a Blog Design
This step is like laying the bricks and mortar for your blog. Be careful about how you want your site to look like.
You can spend some money, if you are willing to, to get a customized design for your blog. But again, in the initial stage, you don’t need to spend much money on your blog. You can get some pretty templates for free from Google. It is not a complex interface, but you just need a decent blog to write initially.
But if you are willing to spend money, you can get your blog designed from professional website designers. Make sure that it reflects your content and is aesthetically pleasing because visuals are often more appealing at first sight than the content.
5. Equip Yourself
For blogging, enthusiasm is more important than equipment. You can spend a whole lot of money on cameras and lighting. But if you don’t feel enthusiastic, then all the fancy equipment means nothing if you don’t have the drive to create.
If you don’t have a camera or can’t afford one, you can very well use your phone for taking all the photos you need. You just need to get started and practice will make you perfect.
After some time, if you feel the need to improve the quality of the photos featured in your blog, you can invest in a camera. Look for what your favorite bloggers use. Or you can buy a camera for your personal choice.
You can invest in “extras” like a tripod, lighting, photoshop, etc. But at the end of the day, all you need to start a blog is a computer and something that can capture decent photos.
6. Start Creating and Publishing Posts
It may be daunting at first, accepting the fact that many new people will be reading your posts. But it becomes easier once you start posting and you’ve set up your tone.
You can do an introduction post about yourself, your hobbies, and your motive for starting the blog. This will help you in gathering a more niche audience.
Regarding the posts, do what feels right for you. This will add the beauty of originality to your blog. Make sure that you are happy with your content. This is the absolute thumb rule to follow.
Posting regularly and maintain the flow is also important to keep the audience engaged. You can either have a schedule or you may post whenever you can. This is up to you. You can also add a contact page so that readers can easily get in touch with you if they feel like it.
7. Build Connections
You can engage with other bloggers on Instagram or Twitter. You can go to live together. This will be a great help in increasing your reach and the benefits will be mutual. You can expand your community or make new friends.
Hopefully, this helped you to clear some of your confusion. It is not difficult to start your blog from scratch. All you need to put in, are some efforts and hard work.
Written by - Neha Kundu
Edited by - Kashish Chadha
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