Tips On Starting A Blog

I am my problem, but also my solution.

Hey Loves! I hope you are having a nice day, I’ve been getting a number of emails and comments asking me for tips and advice on starting a blog. When I first started blogging, I completely had no idea where to start and what to do so if you’re a newbie and thinking about starting a blog then just keep reading!

Salut tout le monde! J’espère que vous passez une bonne journée, j’ai reçu un certain nombre d’emails et de commentaires me demandant des conseils et des astuces sur le démarrage d’un blog. Quand j’ai commencé à bloguer, je n’avais vraiment aucune idée par où commencer et quoi faire si vous êtes un débutant et que vous envisagez de commencer un blog, continuez à lire!

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#1 Content

The first thing you have to decide before starting a blog is the content you are going to publish, what type of content do you want to write. Are you interested in one particular subject or multiple ones? You do need to start with one topic but you have the possibility to add multiple ones later on as you go in the future. For instance you can write about fashion then in the future add beauty and lifestyle related content, there aren’t any restrictions from that perspective.

However, make sure you don’t mix multiples categories that don’t have anything in common. Once you have decided about the content then think about how different and unique will your blog look from other bloggers who write the same content. People don’t want to read the same type of post from different bloggers unless it’s something unique and original each time.

La première chose que vous devez décider avant de commencer un blog est le contenu que vous allez publier, quel type de contenu souhaitez-vous écrire. Êtes-vous intéressé par un sujet particulier ou plusieurs catégories? Vous devez commencer par un sujet, mais vous avez la possibilité d’ajouter de plusieurs plus tard, par exemple, vous pouvez écrire sur la mode puis, à l’avenir, ajouter du contenu lié au mode de vie et de beauté, il n’y a pas de restrictions sur cette perspective.

Cependant, assurez-vous de ne pas mélanger plusieurs catégories qui n’ont rien en commun. Une fois que vous avez décidé du contenu, pensez à la différence et à l’exception de votre blog à partir d’autres blogueurs qui écrivent le même contenu. Les gens ne veulent pas lire le même type de publication à partir de différents blogueurs, sauf si c’est quelque chose d’unique et original à chaque fois.

 

#2 Blog Design

I know the quality of your content is important than the blog design itself but I personally think it’s something that can be debatable. Your blog design is another thing that makes your blog unique and stand out from the rest of other blogs. The first thing that readers notice when they look at your website is your blog design so make sure that it looks professional.

When it comes to domains and platforms, there are so many free platforms such as WordPress, Blogger, Squarespace, etc. if you want to be self-hosted, go with WordPress.org and a good hosting website, there are a tons out there so do your research and find one that’s suitable for your needs. I’m planning to do an entire separate post on this category with multiple options for self-hosting and free platforms. In my opinion, try using a free platform first, you never know if blogging will work out for you and it’s a just a waste of money if you give up within a couple of months.

As far as for templates and themes, there are so many free themes in WordPress (whether it’s the free platform or self-hosted one) and it’s very easy to customise, you can find free Blogger templates as well. If you want to have a luxury blog design then you can find some good ones on Etsy.

You can definitely find a template for an affordable price so browse online, I’m pretty sure you’ll find the one you like. Always keep in mind that you can customise and create your own graphics using free software such as Gimp, Canvas, PicMonkey or paid ones such as Photoshop, Illustrator, etc.

My advice will be to go with a simple and minimalist theme, it will always look good and professional and make sure you use the right combination of colours which means a good colour palette.

Je sais que la qualité de votre contenu est importante que la conception du blog lui-même, mais je pense personnellement que c’est quelque chose qui peut être discutable. La conception de votre blog est une autre chose qui rend votre blog unique et se démarque des autres blogs. La première chose que les lecteurs notent lorsqu’ils regardent votre site Web est la conception de votre blog, alors assurez-vous qu’il soit professionnel.

En ce qui concerne les domaines et les plates-formes, il y a tellement de plates-formes gratuites telles que WordPress, Blogger, Squarespace, etc. si vous souhaitez être hébergé, utilisez WordPress.org et un bon site web d’hébergement, il y a des tonnes là-bas alors faites vos recherches et trouvez celle qui convient à vos besoins. J’ai l’intention de faire une publication complète sur cette catégorie avec plusieurs options pour l’hébergement personnel et les plates-formes gratuites. À mon avis, essayez d’utiliser une plate-forme gratuite d’abord, vous ne savez jamais si les blogs fonctionneront pour vous et c’est un gaspillage d’argent si vous renoncez dans quelques mois.

En ce qui concerne les modèles et les thèmes, il y a tellement de thèmes gratuits dans WordPress (qu’il s’agisse de la plate-forme gratuite ou de l’hébergement autonome) et il est très facile à personnaliser, vous pouvez également trouver des modèles gratuits de Blogger. Si vous souhaitez avoir un design de blog de luxe, vous pouvez trouver sur Etsy.

Vous pouvez certainement trouver un modèle à un prix abordable, alors naviguez en ligne, je suis sûr que vous trouverez celui que vous aimez. Gardez toujours à l’esprit que vous pouvez personnaliser et créer vos propres graphiques en utilisant des logiciels gratuits tels que Gimp, Canvas, PicMonkey ou payés tels que Photoshop, Illustrator, etc.

Mon conseil sera d’aller avec un thème simple et minimaliste, il sera toujours bon et professionnel et assurez-vous d’utiliser la bonne combinaison de couleurs, ce qui signifie une bonne palette de couleurs.

 

#3 Social Media

Create social media platforms, it will help you boost your blog traffic and engagement. In my opinion, you should at least have Instagram, Twitter and Facebook (page). To be quite honest, I rarely use Facebook and I’ve only started using it again recently. Take advantage of these social media platforms and promote your blog and engage with other bloggers.

Créez des plateformes de médias sociaux, cela vous aidera à stimuler la circulation et l’engagement de votre blog. À mon avis, vous devriez au moins avoir Instagram, Twitter et Facebook (page). Pour être tout à fait honnête, j’utilise rarement Facebook et je n’ai commencé à l’utiliser que récemment. Profitez de ces plateformes de médias sociaux et favorisez votre blog et engagez-vous avec d’autres blogueurs.

 

#4 Audience

Maintaining a good relationship with the audience is so essential when it comes to blogging, reply to comments and ask your readers what they would like to see next and what they think about your blog post. At the end of the day, if your readers aren’t interested then you won’t have any blog traffic or engagement at all.

Maintenir une bonne relation avec le public est tellement essentiel lorsqu’il s’agit de bloguer, de répondre aux commentaires et de demander à vos lecteurs ce qu’ils aimeraient voir ensuite et ce qu’ils pensent de votre blog. À la fin de la journée, si vos lecteurs ne sont pas intéressés, vous n’aurez aucun trafic ou engagement sur le blog.

 

#5 Upload regularly

This is a mistake that I’ve made (which I’m not proud of), when you don’t have a blogging schedule and have college/work, it can be frustrating and difficult to write a blog post. When you have free time, the only thing you want to do is relax but trust me, when you upload regularly, your blog traffic and engagement will increase drastically.

However if you have assignments and exams, needless to say that’s where your priority should be. But try to post at least once a week when you have time so from that way your readers don’t forget you.

C’est une erreur que j’ai faite (dont je ne suis pas fier), lorsque vous n’avez pas de calendrier de blogs et que vous avez fac ou un travail, il peut être frustrant et difficile d’écrire un article. Lorsque vous avez du temps libre, la seule chose que vous voulez faire est de se détendre, mais croyez-moi, lorsque vous publiez régulièrement, votre trafic de blog et votre engagement augmenteront considérablement.

Cependant, si vous avez des devoirs et des examens, il est inutile de dire que c’est là que votre priorité devrait être. Mais essayez de poster au moins une fois par semaine lorsque vous avez le temps, de sorte que vos lecteurs ne vous oublient pas.

 

#6 Engage with other bloggers

Socialise with other bloggers in terms of liking and commenting on other blog posts, at the end of the day we are a blogging community so we should empower one and another.

Socialisez avec d’autres blogueurs en termes de likes et de commentaires sur d’autres articles de blog, à la fin de la journée, nous sommes une communauté de blogs donc nous devrions habiliter l’un et l’autre.

 

#7 Pictures

When I say good quality pictures, it doesn’t necessarily mean you have to use a DSLR or an expensive camera to take your pictures. You can use the camera from your phone and take pictures using natural lighting, it just makes such a difference when you have nice pictures, it instantly gives a glow to your blog.

Lorsque je dis des images de bonne qualité, cela ne signifie pas nécessairement que vous devez utiliser une DSLR ou une caméra coûteuse pour prendre vos photos. Vous pouvez utiliser la caméra à partir de votre téléphone et prendre des photos à l’aide d’un éclairage naturel, cela fait une grande différence lorsque vous avez de belles photos, il vous donne un coup de foudre instantanément sur votre blog.

 

#8 Quality

Do your research before writing a post if you have to, and don’t publish anything that it’s not good enough for you if you know it. Your readers will know when you write in a hurry and when you take your time. It’s not about the number of posts you publish, but the quality of your posts.

Faites votre recherche avant d’écrire une publication si vous devez, et ne publiez rien que ce n’est pas assez bon pour vous si vous le savez. Vos lecteurs sauront quand vous écrivez pressé et lorsque vous prenez votre temps. Il ne s’agit pas du nombre de publications que vous publiez, mais de la qualité de vos publications.

 

#9 Drafts

Prepare a number of blog posts in advance in order to have a blog up ready to go up each week. You never know when you might be busy so it’s always good to have some drafts prepared and you can publish them later on.

Préparez un certain nombre de publications sur le blog à l’avance afin d’avoir un article prêt à monter chaque semaine. Vous ne savez jamais quand vous pourriez être occupé, donc il est toujours bon de préparer certains projets et vous pouvez les publier plus tard.

 

#10 Relax and enjoy!

At the end of the day, blogging is just a hobby if you want to start blogging to monetise your blog and be famous then the whole concept changes. If you check out all the successful content creators and influencers, they only started because they thought it would be fun and simply enjoyed doing it so only start blogging if you are passionate about it. Now sit back and enjoy the process!

À la fin de la journée, le blogging n’est qu’un hobby si vous souhaitez commencer à bloguer pour monétiser votre blog et être célèbre alors tout le concept change. Si vous vérifiez tous les créateurs de contenu réussis et les personnes influentes, ils ont seulement commencé parce qu’ils pensaient que ce serait amusant et ont simplement apprécié de le faire, alors ne commencez à bloguer que si vous en êtes passionné. Maintenant, asseyez-vous et profitez du processus!

 

DO YOU HAVE ANY BLOGGING TIPS FOR NEWBIES?

xo N

  1. Great tips! Even though I’ve had mine for a bit, they’re still applicable!
    Stop by my space sometime,
    Mena

    1. Thank you Olivia! I always check these types of posts as well, you never know you might be missing something that’s crucial and effective for your blog x

    1. Thank you gorgeous! I know the struggle, it’s so hard for me to post once a week. I can’t imagine the time and effort some bloggers put when they post multiple times a week x

  2. I just started blogging so these are really good notes to keep in mind. Great post! 🙂

    1. i agree with you, lol you just asked the same question that i was also going to ask.

    2. Lol! WordPress.com is a hosting service which is the one I’m currently using whereas WordPress.org is the self-hosted platform x

  3. Great post! Thanks for sharing, I’m new to this so was a good read. Love the look of your blog btw 👌🏼💕

  4. Great tips! Writing drafts and saving them for a busy day is so true – I have already done this several times!

  5. Enjoyed this read, I have only been writing for a couple of months so far so i can update my friends and family on my travels but i always forget to write weekly! xx

    1. Thanks a lot Emily! I know how difficult it can be to write weekly but it will make such a difference for your readers x

    1. Exactly! You can’t expect a high traffic to your blog if you don’t interact with others, they probably have no idea about your blog. You’re most welcome, glad you found them useful! x

  6. Excellent post. I agree with you especially on the interaction but. You gotta engage with your audience. 100%

  7. A few years back I opened a blog and didn’t have a plan for it. Needless to say, when I developed a plan for my new blog, I went back and reviewed what structure was best for me. I try and post daily, but its harder on the weekends than it is at night after work. Thanks for the tips. It was good to read through what successful bloggers have done. Much luck to you and thank you for visiting my page and liking my blog as well!

  8. Great article!! I’ve been a blogger since 2015 & have work experience in digital journalism, social media & learnt how to utilize a blog from the working world.
    I’d like you be be a guest writer on my blog which you can view here: Allinone21.wordpress.com

    Email me for more information as I don’t check comments often. Thanks 🙂
    mattheek63@gmail.com

    Kind regards
    Kelly

    1. Thank you so much Kelly! I am flattered that you want me to be a guest writer on your blog – I’ll definitely check your blog and email you for more information, thanks x

  9. You’re tag line spoke to me… “I am my problem, but also my solution.” I need to remember this as I work towards self improvement!

  10. Fantastic post. Loved it and its so helpful and straightforward. I just recently started blogging and this will go a longway helping me 😘👌

  11. Great tips. I stumble mostly with maintaining regularity of blog posts coz work/family/other things pop up and blog takes back seat. I need to work on that.

  12. Wow that was just awesome. I really enjoyed reading your post and was inspired by it. Its really good for budding bloggers and i find it very useful too. Great work !!

  13. That was really good advice, thank you! I have just created a free blog on wordpress and wondered if you could answer a question for me please? Would I be better to put my blog onto my website or have a stand alone blog. Any advice much appreciated as I am a newbie to all of this!

    1. Thank you so much! It depends on your website/blog traffic & engagement and your theme design. If you have a lot of traffic on the blog you have created then you can have it as a stand alone blog however if your blog doesn’t have any engagement whereas your website has loads – putting your blog onto your website will be a good option. In addition, you have to take into consideration your website’s theme. If you’re going to add your blog into your website, play around with your website’s template first because with some templates, having both a website and a blog might not look professional and it will look all over the place but with some, it just balances everything out. So I’d recommend to check out other bloggers who have put their blogs into their websites and do your research. Hope this was helpful and feel free to ask me anything else! x

  14. Great tips. Over the last couple of years my blog has evolved and it still is. And I believe that my photos really make a difference along with my content. The one thing I was thinking that I need is to categorize my posts. Thanks

    1. Thank you! What you have said is so true, your blog pictures make a huge difference when looking at your blog in general. Categorising your blog posts will be easier for your readers when they are browsing through your blog xx

  15. Fab post! This was so helpful, I just started my blog a few months ago and I’m looking to increase my traffic. Blogging is so much fun, but I want to have people hear what I’m saying, if you get what I mean…? Thanks for sharing this, really useful advice xx

    1. Thanks a lot! I know what you mean and your blog traffic is something that happens gradually over the time. Focus on uploading good quality content regularly and trust me, you’ll see a difference!

    1. You’re most welcome Nicole! Haha to be honest I do find engaging with people in real life harder rather than online. Comment and like their blog posts, let them know what you truly think about their blog – check out their social media platforms too! I think it’s all about being yourself and you don’t need to worry if someone’s gonna find you creepy or desperate because it’s a blogging community and if we judge and don’t support each other then at the end of the day it’s not really a community isn’t it? Trust me, people won’t find anything weird (unless you’re asking personal questions) – just go with it!

    2. Wow! Thank you for taking the time to craft a thoughtful AND lengthy reply. I can imagine it must take a lot of time. I find it much easier to engage in real life than on-line, so we are the reversed. Thanks for the great info again, and I have just started to follow you. You are the first blogger I’ve ever followed:)

  16. Aw thank you so much for your kind words! I’ve never considered taking part in a contest but the fact that you’ll recommend my blog means a lot to me! Thanks again x

  17. I totally agree! I try and post an outfit inspiration post on a Monday and a Healthy Food Recipe on a Thursday. I am doing everything you advise… but my followers don’t seem to be growing… I don’t know what I am doing wrong 😦

    1. I’m pretty sure you have already done it but try to interact with other bloggers for instance commenting and liking their blog posts. Sometimes it just takes time, don’t give up and upload regularly – you will definitely see the result for your hard work! x

  18. I agree! I just started a blog and I know what I want to blog about, but I’m a newbie, and this helped. Thanks for the tips!

  19. Love all the information here! I just recently started my blog, and I’m always looking for more ways to continue to make it better. Goals for myself: blog design and social media. Thanks for the inspiration!

  20. I Always love reading these kind of posts, and loved this one as well!
    great tips, and please make a whole blogpost about self hosting and stuff like you suggested, still trying to work out that kind of stuff.

    all the love, Joanne
    Xx

  21. Great post and I totally agree that its not about getting famous .. its about enjoying the whole new Journey 😊❤ x

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