One of the best decisions I have made was to start this blog, Repressing the Crazy. When I first started out, I didn’t even know how to start a blog. I just knew I needed an creative outlet.
After Googling a lot, and a lot of mistakes, I am now here with my blog. I am sure my blog will continue to grow and change, but I am really proud of the journey so far.
If you are trying to start a blog, there are probably a lot of things on your mind. Here are the five things you need to focus on first.
Choose a Platform
Choosing a platform for you blog is such a critical step. This will determine how much work you will have to do in the future once your blog really starts off.
The four most commonly used platforms are WordPress.com, WordPress.org, Blogger and SquareSpace.
When I started Repressing the Crazy, I started as a WordPress.com blog. Doing this, I was introduced into a simplified version of WordPress. I learned how to write a story, add images and create pages or categories.
The best part of starting at WordPress.com was I learned and became an expert on all the free things WordPress has to offer. When I made the switch to WordPress.org, I was already prepared to use the program.
The transition from .com to .org was very simple to do on my own using a tutorial. If you are going to do a self-hosted blog, you need a web host. I use BlueHost for around $3-$4 a month.
Why self-host? You have more control of what your website looks like, how it functions, how you monetize and you will reach more in searches. The only downside is the learning curve.
I wouldn’t change a thing in my platform choices. I am glad I made the decision for free WordPress to learn to blog before I started investing.
As for the other programs, I strongly suggest avoiding them. Most successful blogs run on WordPress.org. Everyone I know moved to WordPress eventually.
Choose a Niche
When choosing a niche, you need to think about what you know and what your audience will look like. Repressing the Crazy is a lifestyle blog, which is actually something experts tell you to steer away from.
Having a specific niche helps boost page views because you are offering a unique product for a unique audience. This boosts your numbers tremendously.
I have made it hard on myself because I offer a varied amount of product for a varied audience. If you are like me and you are a jack of all trades, master of none, you might be in the same boat. I just try to work twice as hard to keep my numbers up.
If you want to make money, you need to think about what advertisers will want to work with you as well. I focus on beauty on my Youtube channel, and beauty is one of the easiest niches to appeal to advertisers.
Choose a Name
For me, choosing a name was the most intimidating part. I am the ficklest person I know, and I knew I would want to change it at some point in time.
I would be lying to say I haven’t considered it, but overall I think Repressing the Crazy was the best name for me. After all, this blog started as a way to manage my anxiety.
A lot of people come up with crafty ways to use their names in their blogs. Whatever you do, make sure it’s something that will last over time.
Create About Me
After you have created your blog, your first focus should be your about me page. This should be updated every time you have a big life change (move, graduate, etc.), and it where people go to find out more about you.
When I created my about me, I thought about my favorite blogs, A Beautiful Mess and Lauren Conrad. I follow both of those blogs because I love the people behind the content. In your about me, you should showcase what makes you likable and great!
Create Social Pages
The biggest mistake I made when starting was not immediately making social pages for my blog. I either continued using my own or didn’t really use social media at all.
This was due to the face I was largely embarrassed for people to know I was blogging (dumb, I know), and it honestly didn’t even occur to me that I could.
My social pages have increased up my blog views so much! It doesn’t matter if you don’t have a following at first, you will eventually! And when people start fishing around the internet for you, you want them to find something!
So, what are you waiting for? Start a blog!
