Starting a blog can be not only a great hobby, but it can give you the chance of a new career path. Blogging is a wide option for you and you can write about anything and everything you are passionate about. If you are looking for a new hobby to try this year to let your creative juices flow, blogging is a great idea. 

Today we want to share some of the different things that you can consider when starting a blog to get you up and running in no time. 

Consider your name brand 

Every blog needs a name, and soon your name will become your brand. Think of Zoella or Pioneer Woman – these names became an important brand and forever associated with these content creators. When thinking of a great name for your blog you should also consider whether anyone else has the same name already and whether social media accounts in that name are available. It is important to give yourself a domain that is recognisable to you and one that is unique should you ever turn this into a career. 

Ensure you have photo storage 

Photo storage is one thing you might take for granted as a blogger, however pretty soon you will reach your google photos storage limit and need to branch out with storage. Make sure you invest in an external hard drive where you can keep both photos as well as drafts of your blog posts and this will make life easier and ensure that you don’t end up losing your content should your site go down for any reason. Having backups will give you peace of mind and ensure that you can keep creating and keep your stuff safe for longer. 

Choose a niche 

Choosing a niche for your blog is more important than you think if you are looking to gain some notoriety for your work. By choosing a category of content to write about such as beauty, food, or lifestyle- you will attract a target audience and you will be better found on search engines. This will make a massive difference to you as a blogger and it can help you to start gaining a community of like-minded people who enjoy the same things as you do. 

Share on the right platforms 

One of the things to consider as a blogger is promotion and engagement after the fact. It is important for you to consider sharing your things on the correct platforms for your target audience. For example, if you were writing a blog about fashion you wouldn’t share this on LinkedIn because this is a network for working professionals. Choose the right platform for your target audience based on what demographic you aim to reach. This will ensure more of the right people see your blog and follow you.

Have fun 

The most important thing for you to do as a blogger is to have fun with your work. The moment your blog begins to feel like a chore, you should change things up and bring the fun back to your site. Blogging is all about sharing things that you like and enjoy – don’t force yourself to churn out content you don’t enjoy making as this is not going to help you in any way. Have fun with everything you create and this will make a big difference to you going forward. 

Set a schedule 

When running a blog website it is important to set yourself a writing schedule that you can realistically stick to. As a one-man operation, you won’t be able to churn out multiple articles a day like many larger journalism sites, but you can post 1-2 blogs a week that is on subjects you enjoy and want to share with your followers. Sitting down and brainstorming ideas can be a great way for you to plan out content and take the stress off yourself. Also, always make sure to write when you feel creative and let your ideas flow on the page as much as you can when you are in the right frame of mind. You could easily bank a few weeks worth of blog posts at a time if you work this way and this can make maintaining a blog much easier for you overall. 

Promote on socials 

After writing your blog make sure to promote on socials asap. This will improve your rank on search engine websites and it will also help you to maximize the engagement you get with your content.