Although I’m still rather new to the blogosphere, I have
been blogging for clients for about a year now. As I work in social media, I
have learned a great deal about blogging in general and have used what I
learned to help me build my personal blog.
Building my personal blog is a continuous process. I may not
be famous in the blogging world, but I’m happy with what I have created for
myself. I learn new things about blogging every day and I figured it would be
helpful to share what I learned, especially for those who have been thinking
about starting their own blog.
The “Starting A Blog” series is a three part series that
will hopefully encourage readers to start their very own blog.
If you are interested in creating a personal or professional
blog, the first phase of blogging requires planning! Here are 3 steps to
complete during the planning phase:
Determine Goals & Objectives
I believe this is a crucial step. If you don't know your
blog’s purpose before you start blogging, it can create utter chaos. I suggest
writing down your goals and objectives in a notebook or in a word document before
you even begin to think of anything else related to blogging. Ask yourself why
you want to start a blog. Is it a hobby? Do you want to improve your writing?
Do you want to grow your network? Do you want to build your personal brand?
These are all questions you want to consider. Remember that no goal or
objective is bad. Each one will vary per person. Having a clear goal and
objective will help you build a successful blog.
Determine Audience/Niche
The next step is to determine what type of blog you will
create and who you will write for. Majority of blogs are written for a specific
audience. In fact, if there is no audience, then that blog is more likely to be
a diary. Determining who will be your audience will help you create your blog’s
focus and content in the future. Your audience can be really specific, such as
college students, or very broad, such as individuals aged 18-40. Another aspect is
to determine the niche. Will you be a fashion blogger? A beauty blogger? Or a
lifestyle blogger? If you want to have a broader niche, I suggest determining
your blog as a lifestyle blog - that way it doesn’t put limits on your audience
or content. A helpful trick that will help you determine your niche is to
brainstorm potential content ideas. Write all the ideas that come to mind and
put them into categories of interest. If you end up having 20 beauty topics
versus 100 travel topics – it will be clear which niche you should go ahead
with.
Choose a Blog Name
This can be a tough one! Choose a name that reflects the
purpose of your blog and the niche of your blog. You’ll want your audience to
get a gist of who you are or what you are going to blog about just by looking
at the name. Originally, my blog name was Wanderlust & Memoirs – which I
thought was great for the niche I began with. However, after experimenting with
my personal blog, I felt it was a little limiting and thus I wanted a blog name
that would help me build my personal brand. In the end, I developed a blog name
that reflected my goals & objectives. There is no harm in disliking the
first blog name you choose. Though try not to change it every few months
because that can tarnish your brand!
I hope the above steps have helped you get the ball rolling.
Stay tuned for Part 2: Developing!
