How to Blog: Five Steps to Getting Started
Dress: Badgley Mischka (other favorites here) // Earrings and Necklace: Park Lane Jewelry // Sandals: Steve Madden
Location: South Padre Island, TX
I’m going to be sharing more content around how to start a blog! A few weeks ago, I created the first post in this series and share five ways to make money blogging. Today’s topic is going to build on the next step in creating your blog. You’ll need to do some basics like choosing a platform, registering a domain name, and setting up social accounts. Don’t worry, all bloggers got started doing the same thing you are doing right now. Use this blog post as a checklist and schedule time in your calendar to complete each task. Before you know it, you’ll be posting in no time! Here are five steps to getting your blog started:
Choose a name and theme
I chose Three Heel Clicks as a brand and blog name over a decade ago. Naming your blog something that was meaningful was the trend then. I chose Three Heel Clicks for a combination of shoes, escapism, and my favorite childhood memory. I knew travel would be incorporated with fashion and I’m a bit of a gypsy. So the concept of home being anywhere appealed to me. That’s how Three Heel Clicks was born. Another option is to use your name. A lot of bloggers are converting to doing this. Don’t worry, if you don’t love your blog name in a year you can go through a rebranding. Try to pick something that you like and just move forward. Lots of blogs metamorph over time.
Register Your Domain Name
You can opt to build a blog on a free website building platform but if there’s one thing that helps create a more legit presence it’s a domain name. It needs to be easy to type and remember. It costs roughly $25 a year with GoDaddy to maintain a custom domain. You can register them for cheaper but picking one and getting it locked in is key! Do this ASAP. You’ll be able to point your blog and email to this domain name. When in doubt you can always use your name as your brand.
Pick and Begin Building Your Website
Depending on whether or not you have a budget in place could dictate which route you go. A lot of influencers are using apps like Shopstyle and LiketoKnowIt to hold their social media content and link to the shoppable item. I prefer owning my own website. I built mine from scratch and learned along the way. For the first few years, I used Blogger which was free. Now I invest in Squarespace which offers seamless social media, eCommerce integrations and so many features that are easy to use. You can also build on WordPress but I recommend working with a website designer if you go that route. Squarespace is a fantastic option for someone who is a little tech-savvy and still wants to be in control. I really love their templates, mobile app, ability to manage traffic analytics, and modern design options!
Register Social Media Accounts
As soon as you choose your domain name, you need to go ahead and create logins for as many social media platforms as you can think of. Even the ones you do not plan on using. It’s better to decide later and hold the handle name. I would focus on building on two platforms at the beginning, then branching out. Tik Tok and Pinterest are great to start with! You can get a lot of views when you collaborate on boards on Pinterest and Tik Tok has a low price of entry to gain followers. Just be consistent on both. Facebook and Instagram require a lot more one-on-one interaction. You’ll need to engage as you build with your followers. Although you can hire a company or person to manage your content, most successful bloggers know how to build a following themselves.
Start Posting
Now that you’ve done the basics it’s time to start posting. I recommend just starting. A lot of what you learn will be along your journey. You can also read up on metadata and tagging, SEO and blogs, and email campaigns. As you post more, you’ll start building out channels to share your content. Try to use pictures in good lighting and keywords if someone was going to search for your post. Relax! Blogging is fun! Most of us go through a period where we feel like it’s a chore but when we started, we looked forward to it daily! I still love creating new content and posts when I’m inspired!
Please feel free to submit questions about how to blog to me at threeheelclicksblog@gmail.com. I’m going to be sharing more in upcoming posts like how to photograph blog content and how to write captivating posts! I can’t wait to share more and hear questions from you guys!
