7 Basic Blogging Tips

1. There is a lot in a name.
The first things that I would do is to figure out a name, your alter ego. I would go to godaddy.com and type in the name. If it is not available, then I would move to another name until you find one that is “available.” Put thought into your blog name. You will care this in real life and online. Next step is to “invest” in the name. By that, I mean, you pay $15 or so for the domain name through godaddy.com. If you want to get “social,” create a twitter account with that exact same name. Do the same with a Facebook page (but I wouldn’t spend too much time on Facebook), it is a bit archaic and hard to reach everyone with how Facebook has set up pages. Also do this with Pinterest, Instagram and YouTube, if you are interested in vlogging (video blogging).

2. Find your niche.
Make sure you understand this niche. Best way to do this is google it. Click on the images. Do this images excite you? Or these images familiar to you? Are some of these images yours? If you said “YES!” to any one of these, then you know your niche.

3. Define your brand.
Decide what you want your image to be. Get a headshot that looks professional. Think about the colors you want to use on your blog. Figure out what your “elevator pitch” is to others who ask about what your blog is about. This should be no longer than two sentences. This may take some time, but you need to understand this before you move on. It will help you in the long run.

4. Hire a blog designer.
This is sooo important! This is also an investment, but you will thank me later. Ask around for a blog designer. Word of mouth is great, especially in the web design industry. If you don’t know anyone to ask, look at the very bottom of your favorite blogs and see who they used to design their blog. Make sure to do this sooner than later.

5. Create a media kit.
A media kit is pretty much a one page document with your picture, your logo or blog name with all your social channels. You also have a paragraph defining your niche and what makes you stand out from the rest. Use this kit to market yourself. I can tell you that this is my hardest task, but I can also tell you how successful I have been at putting myself out there to brands and people, and they have responded positively.

6. Make an editorial calendar.
Now, this is where some bloggers differ in opinion, but I really think organization of thought on paper of what direction that you see your blog going is important. You don’t have to have all the details yet. Just know when you may start writing about Valentine’s Day, Summer activities and holiday meals. Plan it out because this will help strategically drive traffic to your site and help others if done on time, not last minutes.

7. Keep your blog clean.
It is important that your blog is not cluttered. Don’t put too many buttons, ads or feeds on your blog where it begins to look like the Wall Street ticker. You don’t want to distract the reader from the reason they are coming to your blog, the content. Also, remember what you post is online forever, so spell check and reread your post before making it LIVE. I can sometimes rush to post, and I find silly errors. I need to be reminded of this too.