Whats noticeable from 2 years now how social attitudes to blogs have changed dramatically. When I started out my blog I kept it a secret for a really long time- I'm not really sure why. I was developing my writing skills and the way I took my images and I suppose when I started out I wanted it be for only other bloggers to read not for family and friends.
Nowadays I have personal friends on my AOG twitter feed and if they would like to read the links I post up there then that's up to them, I'm actually very blessed to have friends that are very supportive of my blog. I know theres always ways to improve but I am really happy with the way my blog and blog content have developed over the years.
I have a few personal friends now that have their own blogs, and I love reading them. I get asked A LOT "How Do You Start Your Own Blog?"so I thought I would write this post and let you into a few things Ive learnt along the way.
Before you do anythingPour yourself a brew, you need to catch yourself on a day where your under no time constraints and are in a productive mood.
Find Yourself A Unique NameThink of something that is personal to you, it may be your name. I chose Aspirations Of Glam because when I started out I wasn't sure precisely which topics I wanted to blog about. Now I can tell you this is a beauty fashion and lifestyle blog. But if you want to write a blog about makeup only then you may want to feature that as part of your blog name. Choose something that stands out and is remeberable "Liz Does Beauty 2013 23" may not seem relevant if your going to blog over a year. See Which Names Are TakenDo a little research on twitter/ other blogs. The more unique your blog name is the better. This way readers will be able to find you. As an avid blog reader myself I may not remember the web addresses of my favorite blogs but its nothing a little Google search can fix provided I remember the blog name.
Get Yourself A Blog Layout.If your new to blogging then dont worry yourself too much about this part. I would suggest starting out you use a simple template and when your blog starts to take shape you can play with HTML and get your blog looking the way you would like. There are loads of HTML tutorials to help you achieve the layout you want.
Dont be overwhelmed by the pretty layouts of those that have been blogging for years and years. When it comes to blogging if your writing and content is excellent then you will gain readers that will return again and again.
Get Social Media SavvyIf you want to expand your readership then you need to think along the lines of social media.At present I have a Twitter, Hello Cotton, Bloglovin, Facebook and Instagram account all in the name of "Aspirations Of Glam".Obviously I didnt set all of these up overnight its was a natural progression overtime.But if I were to pick two of the above lists I would stongly suggest Twitter & Bloglovin'.Twitter is key, through this you will be open to like-minded people. In the beauty blogging community theres are weekly chats using the hashtag #bbloggers, fashion bloggers also use the hashtag #fbloggers and hold weekly discussions. At the end of every chat all of those that have taken part in the chat exhange web links, this is a huge opportunity to network and to find yourself some great new blogs.
Get InvolvedChances are if your starting a blog its because you already read them and have been inspired to start your own. Read up on posts and make sure you comment on those that you like. Take inspiration from other blogs but DONT reduplicate. The uniqueness of a community is what makes it great.
Be True To Yourself Dont feel pressured to buy the "it" product, write about the things you enjoy. Take pretty pictures and share them on your blog, write about what inspires you and what your goals are. This is your space to express yourself-be true to you.
Don't Expect It To Happen OvernightBlog readership is something that happens over time. No matter how unique and inspiring your blog may be the fact is gaining a readership takes a really long time. Make sure you blog for you whether you have 1 subscriber of 100,000. Write about the things that you like and in time like minded people will follow. Accept It When Blogging Cant Come FirstWe all have crap weeks- don't feel the need to write a five paragraph explanation of where you have been, life just gets in the way sometimes. As as reader of blogs I know that if one of my favorite bloggers hasn't uploaded a post for a while it makes me anticipate the next post even more. If your having a crap time and want to write about it that's totally up to you- at the end of the day its your blog and your space to express yourself!
Have Fun With ItDont make blogging a chore. Enjoy it and when you don't have time think about stepping back a bit. Try to keep your content fresh and current, I have had a lot of positive experiences from blogging and I really hope if your reading this with the intention of setting up a blog that you do to!
So fellow bloggers, what other advise would you offer to another person if they were thinking of setting up their own blog?
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