How to Start a Blog
I get a lot of questions about how to start a blog and for a while I didn't understand why people asked that. I thought it was all very simple but when I started Daily Dose of Prep, I jumped in with both feet. I wanted to get the ball rolling in a few days and didn't entirely think the logistics through (hence changing platforms 3 times). But after thinking, I completely understand why people ask that question. Creating a blog is sometimes a very daunting task when don't know what to write about. Here are a few tips to help you start your own blog.
1. Find a Topic -- Think about what it is you want to talk about when creating a blog. You can talk about anything! From something broad like life and style, to religion, politics, family, school, or pet care. Just make sure it's something that you're passionate about and something that can transform over time. You don't want for your blog to go stale.
2. Choosing a Name -- Choosing a name for your blog is one of the hardest things to do when starting off. You want to make sure that your blog title is something that is connected to you and what you are writing about. I would make sure it is something that once again, can change over time. I use fashion as an example because it's what I know, but remember that fashion changes over time and as you grow, so will your personal style. Mine might always stay preppy or classic, but it will change as I move through high school, to college, and into the work force.
Finding a Platform 3. -- A blogging platform is something that is super important when creating your site. There are so many platforms that you can use like Blogger, Wordpress (dot com & dot org), Wix, SiteBlog, and tons of others. The key is to choose one that is going to allow you to make your blog as personal as possible. I use Wix because it is very detail oriented. You design every single detail therefore, you can make your site exactly was you want it. I didn't like Wordpress because it was very cookie-cutter and basic. No matter which site you use, make sure it can give you what you want design-wise and it will also convey your message.
4. Draft Posts -- To create a blog, I would say to write out posts and not publish them. No matter what you posts are about, I would write out a handful of them and just leave them as drafts. You can check to see how they mesh together, how the tags and categories work as well.
5. Connect with Social Media -- In addition to your blog, I would also create social media profiles like Instagram. You can cross promote each on other platforms. I would also pin your blog pictures on Pinterest, preview posts on Instagram, and share sneak peeks on Twitter.
6. Pictures! -- I have come across a few blogs that don't have any pictures at all on them! I understand that the photography for the blog is the most tedious and time consuming part but it's also one of the most important. Photography takes a good blog to a great blog. Keep in mind that fantastic photography can take your blog to the next level and will also help people from Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter see your website.
Stay Preppy,
Lucy
