I have noticed from the comments that some of you have mentioned that you were thinking of, or planned to, or were intending to start your own blog or beauty blog. I also often receive emails asking about how to get started. Well, I thought it would be useful to give you 6 quick tips to get you started and on your way 🙂
If you already have a blog, how did you get started and were you inspired to start one? If you don’t have one, have you thought about starting one? If you have, but aren’t sure how to start, these are for you 😉
1. Don’t just think it, do it! Open a blogging account today!
DO fire up blogger.com or wordpress.com and book your space on the internet. We discussed tips for picking domain and blog names before this so take read and see what others are saying in the comments. Remember, MWS readers are a goldmine of info 🙂 I started blogging on blogger.com before moving to a self-hosted WordPress platform 6 years ago. I personally prefer WordPress as a blogging platform, but that’s only because I’ve been using it for so long. However, on the free platforms, I believe wordpress.com has more restrictions. So I usually direct new bloggers to blogger.com (That said, I haven’t blogged on either in years so please take my advice with a pinch of salt. If in doubt, just open an account on both and see which you feel more comfortable with.)
DON’T be inactive. If you want something, do it. Sitting around isn’t going to get your blog up and running.
2. Blog in a language and style you’re comfortable with
DO blog in a language and style you’re comfortable using. Most blogs are written in English because its more widely used than other languages but if you feel comfortable writing in Mandarin or Malay or Spanish, go right ahead. There will be someone reading in that language, somewhere. The world is very large.
DON’T try to be someone you are not. Bombastic or pretentious language can get you into all sorts of linguistic potholes. Keep it simple and the odds of going wrong will be lowered, and you get your message across more clearly. People want something easy to read on the internet, so keep away that thesaurus. (But do keep your dictionary handy!)
3. Use a camera and clear photographs
DO take clear, sharp, in focus photographs. If you prefer to go for a whimsical, heavily filtered style by all means do so but filtered does not mean blurry and out of focus. If you want to show swatches please colour correct to the best of your ability. Filters are NOT your friends here. We’ve discussed photography here (bloggers’ tips) and here (my tips) and they are a good read. You do not need an expensive camera to start out. If you have a point and shoot, use that or there’s always your mobile phone!
Yes, DON’T be afraid to use your mobile phone camera. I’ve seen some blogs built around Instagram photos or just using the camera from their mobile phone. Unlike say, 3 years ago, these days, most mobile phone cameras have good resolution, and there are many free photo editing programmes available. If you are still unsure of whether you want to invest in a camera, your mobile phone will work in the interim until you get your footing and decide.
4. Open and maintain a social media account
DO register at least with Twitter and/or Facebook. If your mobile phone can support the Instagram app, use it. I’ve noticed that some people get more activity on Instagram than on other social media profiles. Do use your social media profile to interact with other bloggers or readers. I prefer Twitter because of the conversational feel and because you can get answers to questions quite quickly there. I use Facebook primarily for bulletins and my Instagram feed is my pictorial view on the world – mostly what’s on my plate or what’s on my beauty shelf. Except for the Facebook page which is related to the blog, my Twitter and IG profiles are of me the person, not me the blog. I like the separation because I don’t want to maintain that many different profiles. Its up to you how you want to set up your social media profile. We’ve previously talked about social media profiles and how to use them so its worth taking a look to see if it helps you.
DON’T spam. If on Twitter, its quite reasonable to remind people through the day of your new posts, but not every hour and certainly not 5 times within the hour or within 15 minutes. Major major peeve of mine.
5. Do plan a consistent blogging schedule
DO blog regularly and consistently. This is important when you’re starting out, and its important to keep your blog relevant in Google searches. Interpreting Google search alogrithms can be very complicated but suffice to say that consistent updates will get you somewhere and inconsistent updates won’t. Blogging consistently does not mean blogging daily. Its natural to want to blog everyday or every hour of the day when starting out, because you just have SO MUCH to say! Its all brand new to you after all. But if you do that, it’ll be easy to burn out. So, I suggest starting out with posts 2-3 times a week. Build it up to alternate days if you feel up to it and once you get the hang of it, blog every day if you want. Having a schedule helps a lot to keep you on track
DON’T be too ambitious. No, I’m serious. Its easy to want to fill up as much as you can on your blog but you’ll quickly find your subject matter petering out as you go. You want to be the tortoise – slow and steady – and not the hare – fast off the blocks and burn out quickly.
6. Sign up and install a stats counter or analytics
DO sign up and install a stats counter on your site when you start. Its useful for a number of reasons. First, it’ll show you how well you’re growing as the graph crawls upwards and that’s encouraging. Second, it’ll show you if something goes wrong with your blog e.g. if it becomes inaccessible for any reason resulting in a sudden drop in daily stats. I personally use Statcounter and Google Analytics, both of which are free. The former is very easy to read and understand.
DON’T get stats-obsessed. Oh you will, trust me. Its exciting watching the numbers grow as you go, and you’ll be sitting there hitting the refresh button every few minutes to see how you’re doing. Been there, done that, trying not to do it again and not quite succeeding 😉
Finally…
Now that you’ve set up your blog and are on your way with your first post, DO enjoy your blogging experience and the wonderful world it opens up and DON’T forget to have fun! Oh and DO also check out these 12 more tips for helping you on your way once you get #1 here sorted out 😉
I hope these tips have helped you get started, if you’ve been toying with the idea of starting a blog. Please feel free to ask questions along the way, and we could have Part 2 of what happens now that you have a blog 😛
If you blog, just how did you get started with your beauty blog or your blog? Were you inspired by anyone?
I started out on a multi-topic personal-ish blog way back, talked too much about beauty on it, decided to set up a blog to just focus on beauty and its peripheral discussions, et voila! The rest, as they say, is history 😀
Paris B
Simple Blogging Tips are some simple tips I have for fellow bloggers, based on my own experiences. I’m no ‘guru’ but I hope they will help you. You may read up on previous Simple Blogging Tips here or please feel free to ask your question in the comment box or in email.
To be honest, I started blogging completely out of curiosity. My first blog (now defunct) was in 2003? I was curious about the multiple platforms and for some reason picked Movable Type. I was given admin access to some server space and had a ball installing and uninstalling. I mainly blogged because I talk too much and needed an outlet without annoying others. (i.e. don’t like, don’t read lor) I used to (and still do!) blog for myself and don’t care much if I have readership. I just went off and did my own thing. Then, I got to know you and Tine and the rest as they say, is history. (AND A MASSIVE BONUS!)
Aww likewise my dear! If you didn’t blog, I wouldn’t have met you either! And maybe we’d both be a lot richer for it 😀 I too started blogging out of curiousity as to what it was all about. I mean, the idea that someone out there would want to read what you write boggled my mind!
Ding ding ding! Great tips Peebs. When I get emails from readers on how to start a beauty blog, I’ll refer them to you 😛 Usually I just say, sign up with a platform and start writing! Go to your beauty cupboard and write about stuff in there 😛
Highly agree on not being too ambitious. It’s very easy to burn out and find out that you’ve run out of things to write about. Slow and steady does it. I don’t recommend new bloggers to blog daily until they’ve blogged consistently (2-3 times a week) for quite some time. Then slowly introduce more posts in. This way, they’ll still enjoy blogging without the pressure of needing to come up with something every day.
Thats the thing isn’t it, Tine? I think its very overwhelming for many people these days because blogs are taken so seriously now. Its like if you start a new one, what more can you write about that isn’t already done by someone out there?! In many ways, I think we had it easy back then 😉 Burnout will definitely happen and I see so many blogs start off the blocks with so much enthusiasm and then slowly disappear over time. Of course, the intention behind starting the blog has a lot to do with it too. If its for the freebies, goodness! There’s a lot to do before you get there!
very useful tips for both startup blogger and….existing bloggers esp #4 and #5. LOL.
well, i REALLY can’t stand blogs with all the out of focus photos, it makes me feel like i have cataract when i read them.
Haha! Indeed! Slow and steady as you go! Like you, I wonder if there’s something wrong with my eyes when I see blur photos. Its not hard to ensure a photograph is sharp and in focus, even camera phones let you do that!
Ah, brilliant advice, PB! I wish this post was here when I first started three years ago, heh heh! ^.^
I used to use a DSLR – it got stolen by ruffians on a motorbike 1.5 years ago, and now am using a pro-sumer one. I can’t say I love my current camera, but it still does the job fairly well ^.^
Good luck to all beginners and oldies alike!
Ah Hanny, we live and we learn 🙂 I think most cameras these days do a pretty good job. Its up to us as the photographer to do our part too! 😀
Always nice to see posts like these to help out new bloggers! I wish there were more posts like these when I started! 😀
Thanks Becca 🙂 I think sometimes, new bloggers just need a little leg up to get started! 😀 Back when I started, there was no guide! We had to get out there, don our beaverskin hat and blaze the trail LOL 😀
These are really good tips, essentially what anyone who is thinking of starting a blog should read. I find myself not being consistent with posts, Tip #5 is what I will be working on! Thank you (:
Glad you enjoyed this, Xen 🙂 Planning a schedule helps if you want to be more consistent. Perhaps aim for 2 posts a week to start and then add on more when you gain momentum 🙂 Good luck with your blog!
awww! This post comes just in time! I need this kind of advice badly….
was thinking of how to improve my blog!
Thankyou Paris!!!
Love you sooooo much!!! Your tips are always helpful!
Hi Hazel, I’m pleased that you found these tips useful and I do hope they help you figure out the best way to improve your blog now that you’ve started one! 😀 Do feel free to let me know if there are other questions/issues on blogging that you’re wondering about 🙂
I love your tips especially this one on blogging. Thank you so much PB! Always a joy on reading your entries!
Hi Gypsy, thank you for letting me know you found this helpful and thank you too for reading and supporting my blog 😀
Consistency is the key to a blogging career 🙂
I thought about my blog for too long before doing anything! I would say that if you’re a book blogger, look at how long it takes you to read a book, as that will affect the frequency of your review. (There’s also plenty of other stuff besides reviews!) Perhaps also do a few reviews before starting.
I was inspired by an online friend who book blogs and fantastic blogs like yours Paris!
That’s good tips for book blogging, Sam! It would be impossible to review a book without reading it all the way through and I’d imagine its actually more work than say, reviewing a blush! 😀
Thank you for these great tips. I wanted to start a beauty blog for a long time. Reading this I feel a lot more confident.
Hi Sonja, do just do it and enjoy the ride! Won’t know how it goes till you begin 🙂 All the best!
Thanks so much for this post! Do you have recommendations for choosing a hosting company for wordpress blog,s and what to look out for when choosing a hosting company? Lisa
Hi Lisa, I’m glad you found it useful. For hosting companies, I try to do my research, read some reviews and ask friends or others who they host with and go with a reputable company. There are many companies out there and there are many cheap ones and also more expensive ones. Try to see if the hosting company offers live support, or what others say about them. Usually quick google search will throw up the good and the bad reviews. Also, do check the dates of the reviews because some companies start out being impressive and go downhill after that, or vice versa. Good luck!