Welcome! If you are reading this it means you either 1) Are thinking of starting a blog or 2) Recently started a blog. Either way, I hope you are able to learn a little something here today.
After the first week or so I couldn’t help but think “Am I doing this whole blogging thing right?” Have you asked yourself that too? The whole process was SO MUCH MORE than I expected! Key words, SEO, plugins, Pinterest…SO MUCH TO LEARN!!
I DO NOT claim to have all of the answers! In fact, I’m not sure that I will ever have all of the answers, but I have learned quite a bit my first month of blogging. Consider this a crash course of sorts! In this post you will find out why I wanted to start a blog in the first place, how I got everything started, and what I have learned during my first month.
Okay, let’s dive in…
Starting A Blog: The Why!
Did you ever have anyone ask you while you were growing up “What do you want to be when you grow up?” I hated that question! Mostly because I never had an answer. How am I supposed to know what I want to be for the rest of my life? Are there people who really know or do they just say what they think others want to hear?
Well, it turns out that some people actually know what they wanted to be (Go figure!). I have a friend who said she wanted to be a pharmacist in elementary school. I didn’t even fully understand what a pharmacist was in elementary school! Guess what she is today…a pharmacist! I have another friend who always wanted to be a teacher. Guess what she is today…a teacher! I am here to tell you that I was NOT one of those people.
I sure didn’t know what I wanted to be, but I followed all the “steps.” You know, graduated high school, graduated college, got a job, decided I wasn’t a huge fan of that job, so I then went to grad school, then I got another job…I guess I thought somewhere along the way I would find where I fit in…where I was meant to be (you know, like in the movies!).
Spoiler Alert: I didn’t.
Don’t worry, this isn’t a sad story. I currently work a full time job at a finance company. It is a great job! Good benefits, awesome “Time Away from Work” policy, fabulous co-workers, great pay…the only thing it is missing is that it doesn’t do anything stretch my creative wings. I know, I know, talk about a #FirstWorldProblem! First world problem or not, this brings me to why I wanted to start a blog…I love being creative. I have toyed with starting a blog for years, but was always too scared.
“Who would read it?”
“What would I talk about?”
“How embarrassing if it is a flop!”
I think everyone asks themselves those questions before starting a blog (or before starting something new in general), but this time I just closed my eyes and jumped right in!
Starting A Blog: The How!
I just started! Sounds too simple, doesn’t it? There is a little more to it, but for the most part I just made the decision to start and got to work!
Once I made the decision, I immediately got on my phone and downloaded the free WordPress app and picked “OurLivelyAdventures” as my name. That was that! I’m not really sure where that name even came from! I guess the stars aligned because it popped into my mind, it just to happened to fit perfectly with the dynamic of our family (our last name is Lively), and here we are!
I went ahead and snagged the @OurLivelyAdventures Instagram handle too. Thankfully it wasn’t taken!
After a week or two of posting to the free WordPress site, I realized that if I ever wanted to make money on my blog and/or maybe (someday) blog for a career, that I would have to make the switch to a self-hosted site. I had only posted a few things at that point, so it wasn’t quite the logistical nightmare it could have been if I had months and months of posts already published.
I found a YouTube video titled “How To Start A WordPress Blog Step-by-Step For Beginners 2019” by James Stafford. I followed his directions exactly. He walked through step-by-step everything I needed to do to get my website up and running. He went over how to buy a domain, how to install WordPress, suggested themes, etc. I feel like he really got me going on the right foot (and for FREE!!).
My Blogging Schedule
My approach to blogging has been to view it as a hobby that could potentially turn into a career. Now, I know myself pretty well. If I were to focus too much on the making money aspect, I would probably be super stressed out, not have any fun, and quit. Not the ideal situation. I knew I couldn’t let it take time and energy away from the job I have that actually makes money, and I also didn’t want to take away too much time from my family. I know, is there any time of the day left?
Yes! I have found that doing a little bit at a time makes a big difference! I work a little in the morning before everyone wakes up, I work a little at night after everyone goes to bed, on the weekends I squeeze in a little bit of time whenever I can, and I also jot things down throughout the day in my day planner as they come to mind. Keeping notes in my day planner has proven to be the most helpful because when it comes time to sit down and focus I have all of my ideas from the day ready to go.
I know that some bloggers post every single day. The thought of that was (and still is) overwhelming! I decided to focus on 2-3 posts per week, which is definitely more manageable (and way less scary!).
I made an effort to figure something new out every day. I had (and still have) a list of blog related things I need to figure out. I add to it as needed and tackle things on the list 1 by 1. I guess what I am hear to say is that if you are trying to find the best time to start, just start!
What I Learned One Month After Starting A Blog:
First and foremost, I have learned that there is SO MUCH MORE to blogging than writing a few posts each week about stuff that interests you. You have to spend time figuring out the inner workings of your website, SEO (who knew that was a thing?), Pinterest, social media, etc. all on top of creating the actual content! I have definitely not mastered any of these things, but I am working on it!
I want to share with you what I have learned so far…
SEO
SEO stands for “Search Engine Optimization”. It is the be-all and end-all when it comes to blogging. If your blog isn’t “SEO Friendly” no one will be able to find the content you have worked so hard to create. There are SO MANY articles written about SEO, but in my own new-to-the-blogging-world words I would say: “The process of increasing traffic to your website by using keywords and phrases that are popular search terms.” There, my oversimplified definition of SEO!
Pinterest, Google, and UberSuggest are great ways to figure out what people are searching for. Pinterest and Google, type in a term you are thinking about and Pinterest and Google will auto-populate with similar words and phrases that people have searched for. The more common a phrase, the better chances that someone will stumble upon your content. Once you have a phrase or keyword you think you want to use, type into UberSuggest and it will tell you how many people have searched for that exact phrase (and similar ones) within the past month. Pretty cool, right?!
One last thing about SEO, install the Yoast Plugin to your website. This plugin will help ensure you are creating SEO friendly content. If you get the green light, you are search engine optimized!
- Upgrade to a Pinterest Business Account. It was super simple. I completed the whole process from my phone.
- Use a picture of YOU! It is recommended to use a picture of yourself as your profile picture rather than a picture of your logo.
- Create 3-5 pins per blog post. My favorite apps (so far) are Canva and WordSwag. Both apps are free and very user-friendly.
- Use vertical pins. Vertical pins are larger and take up more space on the Pinterest feed. The more space they take up on the feed, the more likely your pin will be seen.
- Use SEO friendly titles and descriptions. Each of your boards and pins should have an SEO friendly title & description. Jam pack those things with key words (that make sense!) to help get your content picked up.
- Join Group Boards. Group Boards are the best way to get your pins seen by people who don’t follow you (yet!). However, they can be a little tricky to find! The best way I have found to do this is by finding someone in my niche. I check out the boards that person follows. If they are a contributor to a group board, I check to see if that board is accepting new contributors (it usually says so in the group board description). If it is, I follow the directions to join. Fair warning, not all group board owners are very responsive, so you may request to join several boards, but only hear back from 1-2.
- Tailwind. Tailwind is a pin scheduling app. The Pinterest algorithm looks for “active” pins and “active” boards to promote. In order to be viewed as “active,” pins should be pinned at least 5x and there should be activity on your boards every single day. Tailwind is nice because it allows you to schedule pins rather than you having to manually do it all day.
Social Media
- Facebook Page. Create a Facebook page dedicated to your blog. This is a great place to post your newest blog posts.
- Facebook Groups. You can create your own Facebook Group, but also join a few Facebook Groups dedicated to blogging. These are great places to meet and learn from other bloggers.
- Instagram. Create an Instagram for your blog. Your Instagram account is like your handshake. It is supposed to be a way to meet people. Include your website in your profile.
Conclusion:
Do I think you have to have everything figured out before taking the plunge to start a blog? No! Half of the fun has been figuring it out as I go. I would recommend familiarizing yourself with the topics listed above, but you definitely don’t need to have them mastered. I think blogging and figuring out your personal style is an ever evolving thing.
I hope this post has helped you with a few questions you might have had about starting a blog! Leave comments below about any tips or tricks that you have found helpful that I may not have covered here.
Until next time!
Julie!
Thanks for sharing your experience! I’m also one month in and have learned so much so far. Sometimes it feels like there’s something new to learn every day, but that’s what makes it fun!
You are welcome! Thank you for taking the time to comment! Yes, I am having fun figuring something new out each day!
Came across your blog & I’m so grateful for this content. Really great info that I actually jotted down & plan to work on. Thanks for sharing!
I’m glad it helped! Thank you for stopping by!
I stumbled on your blog recently. A little over a month ago I launched my blog. I completely agree that there is so so much to learn. Thanks for sharing your own experience!
Thanks for stopping by!! Congrats on your blog! What is the website? I’d like to check it out.