“I had been putting off creating a blog for three years and knew I always wanted to do it. Little did I know I could create a blog within a week.”
THE CARLY CHIC
Here’s all you need to know to create an easy and modern looking blog in just five simple steps!
I’m breaking it down into five easy steps to creating your blog:
- Buy Your Domain
2. Buy Your Hosting Platform
3. Buy a Theme
4. Create Your Content!
5. Set up your mailing List
Step One: Buy Your Domain
Yes, the first three steps are all purchases. This is what you need in order to invest in your brand. There are many places you can purchase your domain. I choose Host Gator. I think I pay $2.99/month for my domain. And yes, this step also includes knowing what your website name is.
Step Two: Buy Your Hosting Platform
I choose WordPress!
Step Three: Buy a Theme!
I used the website, Theme Forest, and selected the Sitka theme for a one time fee of $60. Not a bad price to help make your blog look modern and ascetically pleasing. I chose a professional and modern looking website aesthetic. Your brand is what will attract your audience and make your brand recognizable. A theme helps you find a brand strategy on finding your brand’s colors & fonts, etc.
Step Four: Create Your Content!
Creating your blog platform is only 50% of the work. The next big hurdle is to start creating content, enough to fill up your page for when you first launch to keep readers engaged and provide value for them to come back. I recommend starting off with at least 5-6 posts or maybe 1-2 articles in each category. Developing your niche (a specific topic) is important in this step. A blog that is niched down will grow faster than a blog that covers many topics. Questions you can ask yourself are: “What are you passionate about.” “What am I most knowledgeable about?” and “What could I write about for a year that would make me happy even if I don’t make a dime on? A blog that is written for anyone, won’t appeal to everyone. Another thing for the future to consider here is a content calendar so you can post consistently. Posting consistently on your blog will keep your audience reading and engaged. This means knowing what to post, when to post, and how to stick to that schedule. Also, don’t forget to utilize SEO, which is the process of optimizing your blog posts so that it can be found by people searching on Google by things like keyword optimization. There are keyword search tools like Keyword Planner (free), Ubersuggest (free), or Keysearch (paid).
A blog written for anyone, won’t appeal to everyone.
Christina Galbato, Full-time Fashion and Lifestyle Blogger
Creating a mailing list is important from the start to grab your reader’s contact information so you can use it in the future to promote your services or your clients. I chose FloDesk for my mailing list and it was a very affordable option (only $20/month no matter how many subscribers you have), especially since I’m a brand new blogger. Plus, your first 30-days are free! A freebie is the ultimate incentive here, which is a free relatable piece of content that your audience gets in exchange for their email- this could be a recipe, a guide on how to find cheap flights, etc. This helps you create your own supportive community. Be sure to nurture this list and keep the relationship going with your reader. Send welcome emails and send consistent newsletters to your audience. Don’t do this process manually, you want it to be all automatic and there are many different platforms to set it and forget it.
“Here is where your content needs to grab your reader. One of the most effective things I did for my blog was to hire a photographer so helped me create high quality photos to grab reader’s attention and attract clients.”
THE CARLY CHIC
Step Five: Create Your Mailing List
Check out this YouTube video: How To Start Your Mailing List: The Blogger Union
Want someone to walk you through each step? Check out this Blogger Bootcamp, From Idea to Launch created by The Blogger Union that I used which takes you step by step on how to create your blog. This online course is broken down into seven courses, covers all the technical aspects plus the creative aspects of what it takes to create an amazing blog- your little space on the internet. I hope this was helpful- if you have a blog and just started on using this guide, send it to me and I’ll be sure to check it out! You will learn how to establish your own unique brand, the technical aspect of setting up a beautiful website, everything you need to know about driving traffic to our blog, how to create and nurture your email list and how to monetize and make passive income.
Do you think blogging is dead? Is it important to have a blog? My answer is simply No, blogging is not dead and yes, it is important to have a blog and here’s why. Your website and your audience is the only thing you own. If you are a content creator, you don’t technically own your IG platform and you can’t control the algorithm, things like that. Many women are running their own businesses online and are making enough income to replace their prior 9 to 5 jobs. Plus, having a blog allows you to charge double or even triple when working with brands. You will attract more brands than if you only have a social media presence. Plus, a blog is your own space, you are creating your own unique experience for your readers. Although we live in such a social media crazed world, people are always looking for information online. You can grow a successful blog with or without an existing social media following.
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