how to start a blog

Free E-Course: Start Your Blog in 2019

Free E-Course: Start Your Blog in 2019 | Writing Between Pauses

When I started blogging in 2009 (!!!), it was an entirely different world. Twitter had just launched; there was no Pinterest or Instagram yet. It has been quite the ride watching the blogging world change from a hobby to an industry, to watch entire platforms pop up—and to watch people take advantage of those platforms in a way that is super beneficial to them and their businesses.

Often when I speak about my blog to other people, they want to know how, exactly, I did it. How do you start? What do you start with? Starting any big project can feel like a huge effort, especially when the steps seem hazy. And with blogging, there are so many: what kind of content should I write? What does “choose a platform” even mean?! How can I promote my blog without annoying everyone I know?

One of my biggest frustrations with blogging has always been how secretive people can be about information. Blogging started as purely a hobby world and has quickly turned into a professional for many people; and for that reason, lots of people have started making their own businesses out of selling the secrets of blogging.

I don’t want to tell anyone how to make their money. And there are definitely people out there who know more about blogging than me and they totally deserve to have people pay for their time.

However, the secret is there is no secret to blogging. Getting started is just about getting started.

I recently relaunched my newsletter, the Pause, as a way to talk about blogging every month with people who wanted to learn more about blogging or just improve their own blogs. I didn’t want their to be any secrets when it came to blogging, at least when it comes to the knowledge I have.

I started thinking of other ways I could help people learn more about blogging and start their own blogs (or jumpstart their pre-existing blog) in 2019. And it came to me: a basic e-course that walks you through the process of starting a blogging, writing your first pieces of content, and promoting it to the world.

My free e-course will start May 6 and cover everything I just listed, as well as SEO basics and developing a voice. Blogging is something I love and am incredibly passionate about—I want others to love it too, as a hobby, as a form of income, and as an industry. But I don’t believe in hiding that behind a paywall, which is why this e-course is 100% free. That means I won’t give half the information and advertise another e-course at the end. I won’t bait-and-switch. Just 5 free emails over the course of a week with all the information I have.

This e-course isn’t just for those who have dreamed of starting blogs, but those who already have a blog and want to kick it up a notch.

Sign up today to make sure you get that first email on Monday, May 6!

4 Tips for New Bloggers

I've been blogging for over 8 years now. I started my first blog, on Wordpress, in April 2008, during my sophomore year of college. It's been so long that I like to think I know a thing or two about blogging, even if I'm not a "top tier" blogger (thanks, IFB, for giving us that weirdly insulting term!). 

Starting a blog is always really daunting and I don't think a lot of people really know what they're doing at the start -- I definitely didn't! I wrote some truly awful articles. And once I started doing outfit photos, I took some truly awful outfit photos of truly stupid outfits... simply because I thought it was fun. Actually, I kind of miss that impulsive silliness when it comes to blogging! We're all so serious now. 

However, I think for newbies who really want to dedicate themselves to blogging and have a blog that develops into something more than them sending words out into the Internet, there are four tips you really need to follow. 

1. Get on Twitter. 

You might hate Twitter. You might think it's totally stupid. But if you want a blog with readers, you should join Twitter. Twitter is the #1 way I stay in contact with other bloggers. It's the main way I find new blogs to read and it's actually one of my top traffic sources. Twitter is awesome. You can micro-blog. You can ask and answer questions. You can rant about your smelly coworkers. Whatever. It's Twitter. Say what you want; be funny, be friendly; and most importantly, post your links... and hashtag them. 

2. Comment, but don't spam.

And there is a difference. Leave comments. Meaningful, real comments. If you read a blog post and can't think of anything to say, don't just post something stupid. Move on. If you want to leave a comment, leave one. And maybe that blogger (or someone who reads their comments) will follow back to your blog. But that's not the point. When you blog, you're part of a community, which you interact with via comments (and on Twitter... see?). It doesn't make sense to blog and just let it sit there. But don't leave comments just to leave your link. And for the love of all that is holy, do not ever use the words "I follow back." 

3. Do your thing. 

And by your thing, I mean your thing. Want to take outfit photos? That's cool. But don't try to copy another blogger's style. Figure it out for yourself. Want to post DIY's? That's cool. But make up your own -- don't just copy ones you find. (Lame!) Want to post recipes? That's cool -- make sure to link to recipes you are following, and note what you've changed. My point is: do what you do, be you. Seriously, don't be a copycat, that's lame. 

4. Don't be a jerk. 

If someone has a criticism of your blog, you can do two things: you can write a level-headed response or you can flip out. Personally, my reaction tends to depend on the tone of the criticism. I've gotten some really nice, thoughtful critiques of my blog that I've taken to heart and used to become a better blogger and writer. And some have made me want to kick through my own window. It's all in phrasing. But, moral of the story: don't be a jerk when it comes to people pointing out flaws. People are people and we all see flaws in ourselves and each other. That's just the way life is. The number one way to react to criticism is to take it, let it wash over you, and react in the classiest way you can. And most importantly, be objective. What a troll says might actually be kind of true... even if they say it in a rude way.

Do you have any tips for new bloggers?