So, you’re thinking about launching a blog but you’re not sure what to do next – well, I do! As an experienced blogger, there are a few things I’ve learned that worked well for me and those that didn’t. To make things a little easier for you, here are ten things you should do before launching a blog:
#1. Choose Your Host, Domain, & Theme!
This is very important – and recommended to do first so you know what it’s going to cost per month/year to own your blog. You’ll also want to check and make sure that your domain is available before falling in love with one!
Pro tip: Don’t skip on choosing your host (I personally use Bluehost), self-hosted websites are easier to monetize & personalize vs. free blogs (like Blogspot or WordPress.com)
#2. Choose Your Niche & Angle
For example, I’m a lifestyle blogger who also teaches the business behind becoming an influencer. I blog about my lifestyle as well as how to do what I do. A lot of my lifestyle posts revolve around health and wellness, such as healthy living, habits, tips, and style. Your angle will be your main focus – so if you’re a healthy living blogger, your angle might be healthy recipes, organic gardening, or exercise.
Choosing a niche and angle is important so you can “click” with an audience. When you blog about anything (or everything) you won’t find an audience that connects with your writing – leaving you without any readers.
#3. Branding
Your branding does NOT need to be expensive to work. You can do it for free using Canva! You’ll want to choose:
- 2 to 5 brand colors, play around at
coolors .co - 2 bold fonts
- 1 Script font
- 1 Standard text font
- 1 Subtitle font
Branding is important because it’s what readers are going to associate with you and your content! It’s how they feel on your website and through your socials – plus, it’ll keep your “look” consistent. If you’re not sure where to start, try making a mood board on Pinterest! Pin websites you love, logos, color palettes, everything!
#4. Check Social Media Platforms for Name Availability
Your blog name might not be available on social media as-is, so you’ll need to add an extra letter or punctuation. If you do, make sure you’re consistent across all your active social media channels! For example, my domain is taracarr.com BUT my social handles are taradcarr.
#5. Write 5 Blog Posts Before Launch
Five is all you need to get started – you don’t need 10, 20, or 50. Just FIVE. Write one blog based on each of your content pillars or categories you’d like to talk about!
#6. Download Plugins
Plugins you’ll want to download are:
- Yoast for SEO
- ShortPixel to compress images (faster loading times)
- Jetpack for site protection
#7. Email Marketing!
Once you’re a blogger, you’re now a marketer! Email marketing is critical to keep your audience interested and engaged with your content. You can send updates about new blog posts, tips, or just updates about your topic in the world. I prefer Flodesk, but there are free options like ConvertKit or MailChimp.
#8. Create a Lead Magnet (aka Freebie)
Here’s how you’re going to get all those readers onto your email list: a lead magnet. Lead magnets are essentially freebies that you give to readers who subscribe for updates. The easiest lead magnet to create is a checklist – simple design (try Canva), super-fast to create, and 9 times out of 10, you already have all the information stored in your head! Just make sure it relates to your content and audience.
#9. Get on Pinterest!
Pinterest is a gold mine for bloggers – especially beginner bloggers! Pinterest is perfect for getting new eyes on your content and can grow FAST. For example, a brand new blogger can go from no traffic to having over a thousand people visiting their site – all through Pinterest! It might take a moment to familiarize yourself with the platform; Justyn, my Pinterest Marketer, has amazing free resources to learn all about Pinterest. Check them out here.
#10. Create Pins for Your 5 Posts
Time to actually get pinning! Create pins for your blog posts to pin on Pinterest (you can see my account here for an example). You can schedule these through a scheduler like Tailwind or pin them straight on Pinterest through their native scheduler! Pin these over the next couple of days and create more as you continue to blog.
Pinterest can be fun – but tricky! Play around with it until you find a strategy that works for you! One of the investments I made for my blog is actually working with a Pinterest Manager! I mentioned her before, but if you want to check her out you can here! She’s been amazing to work with!
Getting Started as a Blogger – The Easy Way
There are THOUSANDS of online resources teaching you how to be a blogger without actually being an established blogger themselves – which is partially why I decided to start creating my own resources (as an established & monetized blogger) to share how I got started and how you can too!
If you want a more in-depth version of how to take your next steps, how to get monetized, and everything in between, you can learn directly from me, and I’ll teach you how to build a sustainable influencer business that goes beyond brand collaborations and affiliate commissions!
