I started blogging in 2009. I was in a different industry at the time. After I moved to Berlin, I started blogging about day to day stuff. I really had no idea what I was doing (and I am still learning). I simply wanted to create a little guide as to what I did to set up this blog.
Why start a blog?
- Income you can make from anywhere. I love that my blog has the potential to make money while I am sleeping or travelling.
- Exposure – I wanted to create some content of my own that I wish to sell ( A book) and I figured the blog would be the best way to start that foundation of people that may be interested.
- Just because- I love to write and share what I have learned with other people who may be into the topics I cover. Not every blog needs to be a money generating machine. Sometimes people just want to write, to write.
Do these reasons apply to you?
6 Steps to Starting Your Blog
- Pick Your Blog Topic
- Choose Your Domain Name
- Choose Your Platform
- Find Some Hosting / Install
- Set up and design your blog
Step 1: Pick Your Blog Topic
I am still feeling like I am choosing a blog topic. I know I wanted to cover so many subjects, but it had to be under a larger umbrella of conscious living. What I tried to do when picking a blog topic was:
- Blog about something I liked. I love gardening, travel, crystals, vegan food (For example)
- Blog about something you will want to talk about. Coming up with posts will not be difficult if you actually like and know about your subject.
- Find a topic that you can establish yourself in. I know that I am not the only one talking about conscious living these days, but I hope to establish myself as someone who at least knows what she is talking about in the future.
Step 2
Choose a Domain Name- I was sitting with my ex-boyfriend and a friend of mine talking about what to blog about next. I was not going to be in Berlin anymore, but I still liked the title of blackgirl something. My friend suggested Black Girl Beyond. Choose a domain name that has something to do with what you will talk about, or your name. Be creative.
Find Your domain and click select.
Step 3: Choose a Blogging Platform
I choose WordPress when I consider making any new blogs. I have never used any other platform. It’s flexible and I love all the plugins. It took a while to really learn but now that I know it, I cannot imagine using anything else.
Step 4: Find Some Hosting / Install
I use Godaddy for hosting. It was just about the best branding in my opinion. I knew their name, so I chose them. There are many other hosting companies out there, however. It also helps to just have everything in one place when I want to go to WordPress
After choosing the hosting and install, Godaddy makes it really easy to set everything up.
Step 5: Set Up and Design Your Blog
You are all set concerning set up of your blog. The next steps going forward were difficult for me. I needed a logo, and basic design. I have done all of that using Canva.
In the future, I want to talk about choosing a theme, blog design, getting traffic, and of course, making money while blogging.
