I often hear the question, “Is blogging still relevant?”.  Sharing content can be done in so many ways, and sometimes people wonder if having a social media presence is enough.  I’m here to tell you, blogging is still huge!  The internet is still thriving, and carving out a space for you to share content whenever you want is always a necessity.  One major reason to have your own space is because you own it and the content on it.  You do not own your content on Instagram, and if for some reason Instagram was to shut down, all of your content and following would be gone right along with it.  Also, Google searches are still a real thing, so if someone is searching for content that you provide, they can find your website.

Now that we’ve established two main reasons why blogging is still relevant, let’s talk about how to set one up the right way.  If you’ve ever considered starting a blog, I will be discussing 9 basic things you need to start a blog the right way.

1. An Endgame

Before you start blogging, the first thing to do is decide why you want to start blogging.  When you know the purpose and endgame for your blog, it is easier to build your content and marketing strategies around it.  Maybe you have a passion for health and wellness and want to share ways for busy people to live a healthy lifestyle.  Maybe you want to work with brands related to health and wellness and eventually create a line of cookbooks.  Or maybe you have a passion for illustration and just want to showcase your work- no brand partnerships or teaching.  Both goals have different paths to get there, so you need to first brainstorm and know your “why”. This is the most important thing; if you don’t know why you’re blogging, it will be difficult to keep up with it and know what to do next.

2. Your Niche

Now that you know what the purpose of blogging will be for you, next you need to determine what your niche will be.  What do you want to blog about?  Blogging is hard work, so you should be blogging about something that you genuinely love.  Your readers will feel your passion through your posts, and on the flip side they can also tell when you’re really not into what you’re posting about. Because of this, make sure that when selecting your niche, it is something that you won’t mind obsessing over 24/7, lol!

You should also select 3-4 categories that you will post about on your blog. You want to have focused content so readers will see you as a go-to person in your niche rather than being unclear on your expertise, confused and ultimately losing interest. You can’t have a specific brand message when your content is too broad. For example, if you are a lifestyle blogger, your categories may be home decor, family, travel and food. Lifestyle has so many possibilities, so niching down well help you stay focused on what you should post.

3. Target Audience

Speaking of readers, next you need to determine who your blog will be for.  Who is your target audience?  This is a crucial part of starting a blog and will be a pillar behind why you create the content you do, when and where you post on social media and the look and feel of your content.  You have to know who you want to read your blog, and no, it’s not everyone.  By saying you want to appeal to everyone, you ultimately appeal to no one.  When you have a specific audience in mind, it is easier to find them and attract them to your content! When deciding on your target audience, consider things such as their favorite things to do on the weekends, if they have a spouse and/or kids, pets, if they work full-time, the kind of food they eat, their mode of transportation, etc. The more specific the better because it will be easier to find them, and easier for them to find you.

4. Blog Name & URL

Now it’s time for the fun part...naming your blog and choosing your URL (i.e. website domain name)!  Naming your blog can be a challenging thing because you want to name it for longevity.  Keeping your ultimate goal in mind, what kind of name will stand out and still appeal and align with your target audience and niche?  There is so much to consider!

If you need guidance on naming your blog the right way, check out my workbook, “The Heck Yeah! Guide to Naming Your Blog/Biz”.

You should also be selecting the URL for your website at this time.  Once you find a name that you love, reserve your domain so no one else will swoop in and take it!  You can sit on domain names for as long as you want (as long as you keep renewing the ownership of them), and they are so inexpensive these days!  I love Google Domains because their domains are $12 for one year and they come standard with private registration (meaning your personal name, phone number and address won’t be exposed online as the owner of your URL!).

5. Social Media Name

At this point in the process, you don’t even have a website, BUT it is so important to choose your social media handles as soon as you choose your blog name and URL.  This is because you want to claim your profile name before someone else does!  You should be using the same handle/name for all of your social media accounts to make it easier for people to find you.  For example, my social profile names are “@LaurenMyersCo” and “/LaurenMyersCo” everywhere, so if you go onto Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest and Facebook, you will find me by searching for LaurenMyersCo.  It’s so important to keep your name consistent across social platforms, so this is a major step in starting your blog.  Yes, earlier I mentioned that social media isn’t the end all be all, however, it is free marketing and a great way to be found by your audience and even brands!  Every blogger should have a social media presence if it aligns with your niche and audience.

6. Branding

Now that everything is reserved, it’s time to expand on your brand name visually.  As a beginner blogger, you don’t need to go all out by hiring a graphic designer (and I’m saying this with a graphic design background and degree).  These are the kinds of details that will keep you stuck and slow down your launch progress!  Yes, a brand is totally important, but having a perfect logo is not.  Stick to a simple text logo to start and no more than 3 colors to represent your brand.  As far as fonts, stick with no more than two types- a combination of Serif and Sans Serif is always good, or Sans Serif and script.  Keep it simple and keep it clean.

Note:
Serif fonts have the little line extension from each letter.
Sans Serif fonts do not have extensions on each letter.
Script fonts look similar to cursive handwriting.

7. A Website

Now onto the next fun part...creating your website!  I recommend beginners take a more hands on approach to their website by using a service like Squarespace that offers various website templates that are easy to customize and look professional.  The great thing about Squarespace is that the web hosting is built into your cost, so you don’t need to purchase separate hosting for your website.  They are also already mobile optimized (a separate set of complicated coding otherwise), so readers will be directed to the mobile layout of your website when they view it on their phone.  Mobile optimization is a crucial part of every website because readers are using their mobile devices more and more to view websites.  You want your site to be appealing and easy to navigate on a mobile device as well as standard computer because you want readers to enjoy their experience and come back to your site!

Related: Squarespace 9 Months In

8. A Custom Email Address

To add that extra professional touch, use a custom branded email address containing your domain name.  Example: You@YourURL.com

This is something so simple and affordable to set up through Google’s G Suite!  The basic plan is only $6 per month and will give you that professional feel from the start!  When you sign up for G Suite, you get the following which are AWESOME to have as a blogger:

Gmail- Professional email
Google Docs- Word processing
Google Drive- 30GB of Cloud storage and archiving
Google Slides- Presentation builder
Google Calendar- Shared team calendars
Google Forms- Survey builder
Google Meet- Video and voice conferencing
Google Sheets- Spreadsheet builder
Google Chat- Team messaging
Google Sites- Website builder

Related: How to use G Suite as a blogger and 10 Ways that Professional Email From G Mail Got My Life Together

9. An Editorial Calendar

Now that you are armed with your goal, niche, name and more, you need to start planning out your content. It’s great to start using a blogging editorial calendar from the start so you get into the habit of using one. This is what will keep you on track and you will know what to post when. You should be planning your content in advance, and it’s easier to do when you have your niche and categories set.

I love to use digital tools for my blogging processes, so I use Trello as my editorial calendar. I love to use Trello because I can create boards for different blogging related activities and notes. For example, I have a location in Trello where I keep all of my blog post ideas and they are organized by category so it’s easier for me to pick content from that list when it comes time to plan my content for the month. I’ve even created a “Blogging Schedule and Editorial Calendar” Trello template if you don’t know how to even go about setting one up! Check it out here.

Some people do not prefer digital tools, and that’s perfectly fine. If you’re more of a paper planner kind of girl, that’s great! As long as you have a system in place to keep track of everything, you are good to go.

Now that you know the basic things that you need to start blogging the right way from the start of your blogging journey, it’s time to take the plunge!  If you have been thinking of starting a blog, what has been holding you back?  Let’s talk about it in the comments below!