My Top Tips on Starting a Blog

Greetings Readers!

Today I join you after a while of absence due to projects, work and guide dogs commitments, but now I am back and to celebrate Fashioneyesta turning 2 I have a very special and highly request blog post for you all today.
One of the main questions I get asked a lot from my readers is how I produce content, what inspired me to start a blog and my tips and tricks on how to be a good blogger. Of course, there are many different ways, ideas and approaches to blogging and whatever path you take if you are considering to start a blog is your own choice.
But today I am going to be  sharing some of my top tips on the blogging world and how you too can start a blog to share you opinions and ideas and inspire others to do so to.

Picking a Topic

So, what are you going to write about? What is it that inspires you to take and write? What do you have a passion in? Where do your dreams and aspirations lye? Do you have a love for writing about traveling? Or do you want to write on Astronomy?
Remember there are many opportunities when you start a blog, treat it as a platform and a portfolio for your future careers and interviews. There are many successful journalists that I have personally met who have got their career of the back of a successful blog in which they produce good content.
So, get that notebook out and start thinking!

What Blogging Website to Use

There are many different websites to use and which one you pick is completely of your won choosing. There  are of course two main websites that many bloggers use and they are Blogger and WordPress. I have used both myself in the past having switched from Blogger to WordPress. But, for myself personally WordPress is the better website if you are considering accessibility and people who use assistive technology, like my readers do. WordPress is also great for choosing from a range of different themes to pick one which is compatible with iPhone software and gives you a professional looking blog that you can customise within minutes of creating it. There is also a lot of support for WordPress users when you are having difficulties with your blog.


On the other hand,  Blogger is for those of you who are wanting to do different things with your blogs and have a better stance on advertising such as adverts and virtual spaces. But, in my opinion Wordpress is very user friendly and easy to access no matter where you are or what your tech abilities are.
 

Design, Branding and Name

Now, lets move onto design, branding an a name.
So the first thing for you to do is to pick a name which ties in with what your blog is about. Remember a name can really sell a blog to your target audience so make it short, sharp and sweet. For me I chose to call my blog fashioneyesta.com because it is the all seeing eye of fashion from the perspective of a fashionista with limited vision.

But, you have a variety of different options to choose from but its important its easy to remember and it makes sense to your target audience.
Next you have to think about things like branding and design, what do you want your blog to look like? What is the message you want it to portray when your readers first log onto your website?
Things like colour scheme, layout, images and style really matter when you think about what your blog is going to look like. It is important that it is well laid out and has a good colour scheme as it will really appeal to your audience and that is partly what will make it stand out. Of course good content matters also, but you need to have a blog which looks professional. Because even though you might have some wonderful things to say, if your blog does not look professional then you might not have as many people take the time to read it. As shallow as this may sound it is the honest truth and i can promise you that.

Your game plan when designing your blog will be different depending on which site you are using, WordPress are renowned for having blog layouts that are professional and easy to access. Where as Blogger, you have to spend more time choosing and designing  what you what with HTML codes and other such technical things.

Producing Content

Now, once you have started your blog, given it a name, chosen a design and are rearing to go you can now start to produce content for your blog and get your ideas into the wide world web. So, when you start writing content it is important to remember things such as spelling, grammar, your style of writing. Who is it that you are addressing? This will tie in with the way you will be writing your blog and how your voice will come across to your readers.

It is very important that you remember to be respectful to other peoples ways of life and views, do not say anything that is discriminatory to others and remember to always word things as respectfully as you can. Similarly, always be open minded as there will be readers who do not agree with what you say that may differ with you. But, the world is full of different opinions and always remember that sme people will love you and your blog, whilst others may dislike it.
But, don’t take it to heart!
Other things to consider is that you need to have a good combination of text, images, video and other mediums to present your views and ideas. It is really important that your blog is an interactive place where your readers can access different mediums and explore your thoughts.

Sharing and Cross Networking

Lastly, when you write blogs and are starting to publish different things don’t be surprised if it takes a longer period then you expected for your work to be noticed and to get more subscribers. There are thousands of blogs in the world and it may take  time for you to build up a good network of readers. Don’t loose heart, its not your content its just a case of luck of the draw and statistics. But as long as you make sure that your blog is linked up to all your sharing sites such as Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr and that you tag your blogs as much as possible your blog will grow over time and you will get a loyal base of readers. For more about the experience behind my blog, see the Disabled Blogger Tag.

But, once you have got your readers be loyal to them, if you are going to be spending some time away from your blog for whatever reason or if you are concentrating on something else for a while. It is important that you notify them and make sure they are kept in the loop.

Attend as many social and blogger events as possible, don’t be afraid to put your blog out there when you can and it its a bit cheeky don’t worry! Cross network with other bloggers and write blog posts on theirs and allow them to write on yours. The best way of achieving a higher amount of subscribes and a greater awareness is by using every avenue and working with other like minded bloggers to get your voice heard.

Use the internet as effectively as possible and leave no stone unturned!

Top Tips

1. Be consistent! Write as frequent as possible and keep to a weekly routine.
2. Leave social links and plug your other social networking sites.
3. Do not copy other bloggers ideas, be original!
4. Don’t be disheartened if your blog is not as popular as you would like it to be.
5. Think really hard about your branding and design before you begin, ale sir you are happy with it and that it ties in what the message you are trying to put across.
6. Have a good mix between images and text, some of the best blogs I see use both in order to put their point across and some of the more unsuccessful blogs I see are not having enough of one.
7. Link up your blog to as many sharing forums as you can.
8. If you are stuck, don’t be afraid to ask questions to other bloggers and get advise.
9. Always be respectful of other people and never write anything racist, sexist, ageist, ableist or anything else that is discriminatory to a minority group.
10. Be prepared for criticism, but don’t take it too personally. If you do get negative comments just put them into context and remember those you appreciate your work.
11/ Have fun! Your blog is an extension of you and your personality and you need to be happy in what your wiring.