Blogging - Where to Begin

Photo courtesy of Shuttershock.

So you want to start a blog.

Blogging, whether it be as a hobby or as a profession can be incredibly rewarding. It can be the platform from which you launch a greater career, or it can be the basis from which you make lifelong friends in fellow bloggers. Although nowadays it may feel like everyone has a blog or everyone has a YouTube channel, and yes; it might seem like if this is a craze right now that to enter at the deep end could be a little overwhelming. But we at Rookie know how you're feeling, and have some tips as to where you should begin [because you should!]

Step 1 - Your Niche. 

Beauty, books, fashion, photography, art, lifestyle, travel, food. Everyone has a niche. You may just be wanting to start a day to day blog in which you recount what is happening in your life or what you did on that particular winter day, and that's fine, but having a niche can be crucial to accelerating your blog into the attention of others. For this, we recommend that you choose your niche based on what you like, and not what you believe readers would want to see. What are your likes? Your passions? What kind of blogs do you read? Never choose to write in a niche simply because you think that will increase your readership more than if you chose your own interests, because people can tell. Reader's notice when the blogger lacks enthusiasm or drive in their writing, which acts as a deterrent from visiting your blog. Also if you're not writing about what you love, then your blogging experience is going to be miserable. Once you've chosen a niche, stick to it, otherwise that can trigger loss of following or interest of others, and you'll loose your blog's sense of identity.

Step 2 - Name 

Generally speaking, you'll rarely come across two blogs with the same name, and every name will be different to the next. The name of your blog is crucial in drawing in readers, as it is the name they will see or hear before reading any of your content. Select a name that has a ring to it, or will stick in people's minds. Eccentric. Exciting. If you're struggling, then perhaps ask a friend or family member for advice, or brainstorm your ideas with key words. For example; if I was creating a book blog, I might start with key words like 'books' 'reading' 'shelves' 'library'.  Although it sounds like a long process simply for a name, it will be worth it in the long run when people click on your blog's name because they like the sound of it compared to the next one along. 

Step 3 - Design

This is where it gets tricky. Depending on your hosting platform such as Blogger, Wordpress, or Tumblr, different design templates will be on offer for you to use as the base layout. These will all be rather bland and will need a lot of editing so they suit your theme and ideas. For this, we recommend you learn some basic HTML and CSS coding, meaning that the template can be malleable and easily edited to how you see best. You can also buy blog designs from many websites, all of which are of a high standard. However, these aren't cheap and there's the likelyhood that several other bloggers will also have that same design. Like your name, blog design may sound like something minor but is vital in attracting audiences and gaining a readership. Don't worry if this takes a long time, there's no hurry, just go live when you're ready.

Step 4 - Social Media

To help promote your blog, it might be wise to create social media accounts purely for the promotion of your blog. If it can be avoided, don't use personal accounts. Although you might question why we say this, consider how your life is split into worlds.  Friends. Family. School. Etc. When these worlds overlap with your new playground of blogging, response can be positive and negative. If you want to blog without feeling paranoid that your family are reading every review or discussion that you share, then create separate social media accounts. Social Media is a great basis for meeting fellow bloggers, and promoting other bloggers material whilst they might do the same for you. Of course, you can begin a blog without any blog social media accounts, but these accounts can be very helpful when trying to acquire a following.

That's it for Part 1 in our Blogging - Where to Begin series! What would you like to see in part two? Do you have any tips you think other readers should know? Let us know in the comments!