For the last couple of years, it seems almost everyone’s writing a blog. A bit in fun, almost every third dog has its own blog (or at least an Instagram profile). But should that deter you from starting your very own blog? Oh, definitely not, especially if it’s something you enjoy doing! You should still consider a few things, though, before deciding to dive into writing, and it’s also good to read a bit about how to actually go about writing a blog in the first place.
The absolute point number 1 – think twice whether you really want to do this. Are you interested in writing a blog just because “everyone else is doing it” and it’s a popular thing to do at the moment? Or have you always loved writing, but just couldn’t get past obstacles like not having enough time, not being able to muster up enough courage or something completely different?
After all, be honest with yourself and be just enough self-critical – nobody is good at everything and that’s perfectly ok. Some people just keep “firing words” out of their mouth while others are more skilful at handicraft or sports. You can also ask your family or friends to share with you an honest opinion about your “writing skills”.
Once you make up your mind about writing a blog, you’ll be faced with a big dilemma: And what should I write about? Here’s the thing – you don’t need to be an expert in a certain topic in order to write a blog, but it is highly important to enjoy what you’re writing about.
Regardless of the type of blog you want to create – a travel blog, a recipe blog, a health blog, a lifestyle blog or something completely different – you should decide what your area will be. Maybe it’s overland travel, adrenaline experiences, exploring cities (or delicious desserts/vegan food in the case of recipes) ... Of course, this doesn’t mean you have to write exclusively about one topic, but still do try to avoid about everything you can come up with.
Of all the blog types, lifestyle blogs are the most encompassing, but in any case, it’s nice if the reader gets an idea about what to expect when they stumble upon “your corner of the web”.
Choosing your area is in general quite important for the next point on the list.
For many people, writing a blog is a pure hobby and relaxation – a blog can really be just an online diary where you can write down all your impressions, stories and memories (or get in touch with your family while travelling). In such a case, the thing is rather simple – you can write however and about whatever you like (and forget the thing about your area).
But if you want your writing to reach more people online and maybe put a smile on someone’s face, make someone’s day and even inspire someone, then that’s a whole different story. There are already too many blogs about all sorts of things – so what’s the thing you can use to attract readers to your blog? Is it perhaps incredible photographs, your sense of humour or is it storytelling (“it was hot and the weather was nice” sounds much more boring than “the sun was blazing, the sky had a crystal-clear blue colour and only every now and then a small fluffy cloud went by”), or do you maybe excel in travelling on a low budget? Surely, everyone can find a few things that distinguish them from others and that is precisely what will attract reads to your blog.
But if your long-term goal is for your blog to earn you some extra income (or, in an ideal world, turn into your job), you should think again to make sure it’s something you really want. Creating a profitable blog requires lots of time, a great amount of new knowledge and, of course, some money as well. In that case, you have to start looking at writing a blog as “starting a new venture”, which includes setting up (business) goals and strategies as well as cash contribution and knowing how to actually write a blog, adjust to changes “in the market”, optimise your blog for online search engines, plus countless other little things that aren’t so obvious.
Even if you go for it, don’t let fear get the best of you – connect with people who already have experience in this area, maybe start reading all sorts of articles or even sign up for a course (If you want to become a successful tailor, a sowing course is probably the first thing that comes to mind, right?).
Two pieces of advice when choosing a name for your blog: innovative and simple (well, that advice could’ve come in handy once in my case, too). It should be obvious to the reader right away what the theme of your blog is, but at the same time it’s nice of you don’t use the same words as many other blogs (for example: besides Nomadic Matt, a famous travel blog, there are countless other blogs with names like “Nomadic [insert name]”).
You should also check beforehand that your name isn’t already taken by someone else (online and in social media), especially if it’s a popular name. It would be very awkward if you got a letter from a law firm because a popular band or a film director doesn’t like that you’re using the same (copyrighted) name.
Once you pick your name, create profile in all social networks, even if you don’t intend on using them – that way you’ll avoid getting upset later on because someone on Instagram has a profile with a name that is identical to your blog.
We would’ve chosen a bit different name for our blog, even though we still like the current one (you can find more about why we chose this name here).
Now that that’s over, you’re left with the easier part, since the important decisions have been dealt with. A domain is some sort of “your unique home address” on the web (e.g. thenameofyourblog.com), and web hosting is “your corner of the web”. You can opt for a free version (this makes sense if the blog will be your hobby) or a paid version and choose one of the domain providers.
Stay tuned for the next five points on the list!
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