Wow. The past few weeks have been crazy! I've been travelling practically nonstop for the past month and a half! I'm not complaining, of course, but my busy schedule makes it hard to keep up with this blog! So today, I'm sharing a post I actually wrote a while ago. I had planned to post it on my blogiversary, but decided to save it for a day that I needed a post, which, as you can guess, happens to be today. So, here we are! Five tips for starting your own blog! These are just a few of the things I've learned in my first year and a half of blogging. (And I have definitely come a long way since I first started! Check out my first post here. Yikes!) If you haven't thought about creating your own blog, I encourage you to at least think about it. My blog centers around my passions (DIY, baking, photography, etc.) but you can go wherever you want with it! All you have to do is find your passion and role with it. It can be a journal of your daily life, a place to write your thoughts, a way to share your music, art, or travels... the possibilities are endless! It's a very very fun and rewarding experience. Trust me.
If any of that piqued your interest, read on so that you can start on the right foot!
Tip #1: Inspiration
This tip is first for a reason. Perhaps the most important thing to do (and my favorite thing to do!) when starting a blog is to follow other blogs. A lot of other blogs. Get an app like Feedly or Bloglovin to create a convenient feed. Observe how they photograph. Observe how they structure their posts. Observe their design. Learn from the experts. If you're going for a crafty blog like mine, here are some of my favorite blogs to get you started: A Beautiful Mess, Sugar and Charm, and Paper and Stitch.
Tip #2: Personality
Let your readers know who you are. That's really the best way to gain loyal readers who will keep coming back. As soon as I was just myself, my blog immediately became more successful. I'm still working on finding my own voice, of course, but I've definitely grown in that area since my first few posts. When I first started, I tried too hard to imitate other blogs. That never works. So, even though it sounds very cliche, just be yourself! One of the reasons I love the blog A Beautiful Mess is because I like the two sisters behind it! They are such creative, inspiring people! The way they write their posts and share their lives makes it easy to connect with them.
Tip #3: Design
Blogs that are aesthetically appealing are naturally going to have more traffic. You can create a blog for free using Blogger or Wordpress. I use Blogger, but I've heard Wordpress is great, too. Spend some time when you start your blog designing it the way you like it. Poorly designed blogs are destined to fail (sorry... but it's true). If you really want to get into blogging, try buying a template from Etsy. You can download it, upload it onto your blog, and bam! Instant gorgeous blog. Most of the templates can be customized pretty easily, too, which is a great way to keep your personality there while still making it attractive.
Tip #4: Photography
You knew this one was coming, didn't you? If you're planning to create a blog that has text only, you can skip this tip, but if your blog is going to have photos, which most of them do, listen up! Taking nice pictures isn't rocket science, though I must admit it does take some practice. My first posts were... wonky. You'll get better and better as you go. I would give you some photography tips, but that's a topic for a whole other blog post! For now, here are just a few pointers. First: use natural light. The hype about natural light for photos is real. I've used both artificial and natural light and natural light looks softer, more flattering, and professional. Use it whenever you can. I'll let you in on a little secret: I take most of my pictures on the carpet near a low window in my house. That's the best place that I can get natural light. Second quick tip: background matters. White foam board is a good, cheap option and, when used well, can yield bright, clean pictures. Here's a fun hack I've discovered recently: tile and wood samples from Home Depot are also perfect for backgrounds.
Tip #5: Ideas, Ideas, Ideas
The more original your blog is, the more successful it will be. If you're simply copying the ideas of other people, you'll never stand out. I have found that the best way to come up with original ideas is to make sure you can jot down a few notes at any time. Whether that be an actual, physical notebook or an app (I've found Evernote to be particularly helpful), its a great way to grasp random bouts of inspiration as soon as they strike. See a gorgeous plate in the store? Write a quick note about what you like about it and how you could emulate that pattern somehow. Receive a cute card for your birthday? Write down how you could use it as inspiration for a DIY. You get the idea? Of course, you can always look to other blogs for inspiration, but find a way to make it your own. It's more fun that way, too!
I really can't believe that I've almost had my blog for a year and a half already! I hope you use these tips to start your own blog. If you have any questions, contact me via the Say Hello tab above or leave a comment below. I'd love to hear your thoughts!
Tip #1: Inspiration
This tip is first for a reason. Perhaps the most important thing to do (and my favorite thing to do!) when starting a blog is to follow other blogs. A lot of other blogs. Get an app like Feedly or Bloglovin to create a convenient feed. Observe how they photograph. Observe how they structure their posts. Observe their design. Learn from the experts. If you're going for a crafty blog like mine, here are some of my favorite blogs to get you started: A Beautiful Mess, Sugar and Charm, and Paper and Stitch.
Tip #2: Personality
Let your readers know who you are. That's really the best way to gain loyal readers who will keep coming back. As soon as I was just myself, my blog immediately became more successful. I'm still working on finding my own voice, of course, but I've definitely grown in that area since my first few posts. When I first started, I tried too hard to imitate other blogs. That never works. So, even though it sounds very cliche, just be yourself! One of the reasons I love the blog A Beautiful Mess is because I like the two sisters behind it! They are such creative, inspiring people! The way they write their posts and share their lives makes it easy to connect with them.
Tip #3: Design
Blogs that are aesthetically appealing are naturally going to have more traffic. You can create a blog for free using Blogger or Wordpress. I use Blogger, but I've heard Wordpress is great, too. Spend some time when you start your blog designing it the way you like it. Poorly designed blogs are destined to fail (sorry... but it's true). If you really want to get into blogging, try buying a template from Etsy. You can download it, upload it onto your blog, and bam! Instant gorgeous blog. Most of the templates can be customized pretty easily, too, which is a great way to keep your personality there while still making it attractive.
Tip #4: Photography
You knew this one was coming, didn't you? If you're planning to create a blog that has text only, you can skip this tip, but if your blog is going to have photos, which most of them do, listen up! Taking nice pictures isn't rocket science, though I must admit it does take some practice. My first posts were... wonky. You'll get better and better as you go. I would give you some photography tips, but that's a topic for a whole other blog post! For now, here are just a few pointers. First: use natural light. The hype about natural light for photos is real. I've used both artificial and natural light and natural light looks softer, more flattering, and professional. Use it whenever you can. I'll let you in on a little secret: I take most of my pictures on the carpet near a low window in my house. That's the best place that I can get natural light. Second quick tip: background matters. White foam board is a good, cheap option and, when used well, can yield bright, clean pictures. Here's a fun hack I've discovered recently: tile and wood samples from Home Depot are also perfect for backgrounds.
Tip #5: Ideas, Ideas, Ideas
The more original your blog is, the more successful it will be. If you're simply copying the ideas of other people, you'll never stand out. I have found that the best way to come up with original ideas is to make sure you can jot down a few notes at any time. Whether that be an actual, physical notebook or an app (I've found Evernote to be particularly helpful), its a great way to grasp random bouts of inspiration as soon as they strike. See a gorgeous plate in the store? Write a quick note about what you like about it and how you could emulate that pattern somehow. Receive a cute card for your birthday? Write down how you could use it as inspiration for a DIY. You get the idea? Of course, you can always look to other blogs for inspiration, but find a way to make it your own. It's more fun that way, too!
I really can't believe that I've almost had my blog for a year and a half already! I hope you use these tips to start your own blog. If you have any questions, contact me via the Say Hello tab above or leave a comment below. I'd love to hear your thoughts!
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