I’ve received a lot of messages lately on how to start a blog, asking for tips, etc. so I decided to put together a series of posts for everyone who is interested in becoming a blogger or digital influencer. I started blogging a little over 7 months ago but month and months of planning went in before I officially launched my site.
I think the main problem that many people have is that they wake up one day and say, “I think I am going to start a blog!” Well, that’s totally fine but chances are it’s not to get you anywhere. Before you start your blog, you need to know exactly who you are. In order for your brand to be successful, you need to ensure you are delivering content that your followers want to see. And yes, you are now a brand. If you are a blogger, an influencer, or any form of communicator, you can consider yourself a brand.
After I finished grad school, I knew I wanted to take on a new hobby and I decided to look into blogging. I went to grad school for Integrated Marketing Communication so the idea of creating a brand for myself was all exciting. Rather than jumping right to it, I spent a ton of time doing research.
I started following other bloggers on Instagram and began engaging with other accounts in my niche. Before I knew it, I was establishing myself in a community that worked for me. It took a while for me to figure out what I wanted to do. So many ideas were running through my head but I knew I really had to narrow down my thoughts before I got started.
Before anyone gets started with blogging, you should ask yourself the following questions:
- What message do you want to convey to your audience?
- Who is your audience?
- What do you want your audience to gain from following you?
- Do you have an end goal or objective?
Notice this list doesn’t ask you, “what is your blog name?” This doesn’t come until much, much later. Your name really needs to speak to your brand and you need to figure out who you are before you decide on a name. I went through dozens of names before I settled on Aly & Co. The name spoke perfectly to who I am—it’s my story to tell and I am the communicator behind my family’s photos. If you would have asked me at the beginning what my name would be, I would have been clueless.
Once you start to discover who and what your brand is, it’s time to start writing, but not publishing. Whenever you’re feeling creative, start writing out posts that interest you and file them. Once you have several posts typed out, you’ll have an even better understanding as to who you are and who your audience is. You may toss some stories to the curb as you go and that is totally fine.
The beginning really is a discovery process and it’s a process you need to be patient with. Be patient, educate yourself, and engage with others in your niche and you’ll be ready to start blogging in no time.
Sounds like your a big planner. Good on you. Some good points made.
I like your tip about not focusing too hard on your blog name! It’ll come naturally once you figure out all the other questions you noted.
some great advice here, engage with others in your niche, also I love the style of your blog!
It sounds like you asked a lot of great questions before you started your blog. I kind of went through the same process. I started my first blog last july, but didn’t create my domain blog until september. I made a few posts, but found a better idea for it. It took me 4 months to figure out the domain and get it online the way I want it. I’m glad I took the time to do that since I really like the response i’ve been getting so far.
A good read for any new blogger. I regret not starting sooner! Never have any hang ups about it, create as you want to and your readers will come!
Your comment about the blog name is so true. I had a blog name for awhile and then i started writing more and discovered it didn’t really fit. So I changed it and I am much happier.
Thank you for sharing this information with us! A lot of helpful information, which I have written down! Again, thank you for sharing.
Love these insightful discovery questions. They are insightful and the beginning of a love affair! I find that, above all else, the most rewarding part of blogging is learning about myself.
Where was this when I started blogging?! This is great! Right now I feel like I am floundering around, with no real clear direction. I, like you, have so many different ideas and I haven’t narrowed it down to anything. I think I’m going to be doing some real digging before carrying on with my blog. Thanks friend!
I love the tip about writing posts but not publishing them. When I first started I published right away even though there was literally no traffic, no coherance between posts, and no blogging experience. I wish I would have waited to write at least 10 solid posts before going “live”! Good tips.