5 Strategies I Wish I Knew Before Starting a Blog

”How do I start a blog” were the words I punched into Google on an evening during my last college winter break. It was January 7, 2013, and I had just gotten the idea to start a blog about life with SMA. Truth be told, I didn't have a single clue as to what blogging entailed. But, regardless of my inexperience, I hit publish on my first post on January 10th of that year.Diving into something without any prior knowledge left a lot of room for error. However, when it comes to starting a new venture you know nothing about, sometimes the best thing to do is just that.Start.Before getting into the meat and potatoes of this post, I want to remind you that you already have all the tools and information you need to create a blog. But, until you actually start, you’ll never feel ready.Here’s the catch, though. Despite being already equipped with everything you need to get started, sometimes it’s good to know what NOT to do before you start a blog. That’s why, in this post, I’ve laid out the mistakes I made in my early days of blogging, ways you can avoid them, and how to blog the RIGHT way. Basically, this was the manifesto to blogging 101 I wish I knew I needed way back when.Let’s get started.To keep this blog running, this post may contain affiliate links. Thank you for your support!

tl;dr

1. Use a self-hosted site.2. Blogging is a time commitment.3. Write a strong About section.4. Start an email list.5. Content is important, but connection is key.

Use a self-hosted site

Once upon a time, I used Wordpress.com to start a blog. There, I created my domain, learned how to use the Wordpress dashboard, and eventually got into a rhythm of blogging. What drew me into Wordpress.com most was that it was FREE.However, if you want to take your blog seriously and to the next level, you are pretty limited to the control Wordpress.com grants its free users. For example:

Customization options are limited.

If you’re looking to build a blog and brand that is a true representation of who you are, then you’re out of luck. Layouts, custom code, style options, and more are limited.

You can’t monetize on Wordpress.com.

Any sort of plan for sponsorships, affiliate links, or ad space are out of the question here, folks.

You will have a subdomain attached to your original domain.

In other words, “.wordpress.com” will appear at the end of the URL people use to find your website. For old times, check out my original blog at alyssaksilva.wordpress.com. Ahh, talk about humble beginnings amirite??Long story short… housing your blog on Wordpress.com is like renting an apartment. You live there, but your home is technically not yours. That’s why 2 years ago, I decided to make the transition from Wordpress.COM to Wordpress.ORG, a self-hosted site where my possibilities to grow and thrive were endless.

Truth be told, though...

I still get chills when I think about making that transition. For someone who isn’t proficient in web development or technology in general for that matter, transferring my blog over to Wordpress.org was a nightmare. Everything from blog posts to web pages to the stats I had accumulated over the years had to come with me. Because my blog had been gaining traction in Google’s search engine, I wasn’t going to start from scratch again.Instead, I chose to figure things out myself and let me tell you… I didn’t sleep for days. But I also didn’t have thousands of dollars to hire someone to do it for me. Alas, I was Youtubing tutorials, reaching out to customer support, and praying I wouldn’t lose my blog forever. (It did end up disappearing for a few days in the domain transfer process… NEVER again!!)That’s why when someone reaches out to me about starting a blog, I always advocate for a self-hosted website. It isn’t free, but there are affordable options to choose from.Take it from the girl who takes the seriousness of her frugality right down to the penny, I highly recommend and use Bluehost as my hosting site. It’s user-friendly, easy to set up, and costs less than a grande iced mocha from Starbucks per month. I’ve been using Wordpress.org with Bluehost for 3 years now, and my only regret is not starting sooner.Well, that and not starting my blog on a self-hosted site period. Trust me on this one.Need help setting up your Wordpress site? I got your back.

Blogging is a time commitment

Let me expand on that. Blogging is a time commitment should you decide to turn it into a side hustle. I’ve seen, and read, many blogs that people share as a means to express themselves. But if growth and monetizing are a part of your long-term plan, prepare to roll up those sleeves and get those hands dirty.The life of a blogger is a lot less glamorous than the media portrays it to be. Contrary to popular belief, it is not all 4-hour work weeks and Instagram-worthy travel plans where hotels and airfare cover your expenses. It takes work. It takes strategy, and it takes a lot of behind-the-scenes effort to yield any sort of return (traffic, engagement, etc.)Because it isn’t just about writing words and hitting that publish button. SEO must be optimized. Photos must be taken and compressed to appropriate file sizes as to not slow your blog down. Social media and other marketing strategies must be implemented to drive traffic to your site. Emails must be written. The list goes on and on.Bottom line? Just as results don’t magically appear in your life— the same goes for your blog. From blank page to publish, I typically spend at least 4-5 hours on each post if I want to see any sort of ROI on my work.Yes, it’s time consuming. But, the best things in life aren’t handed to ya for free, man.

Write a strong about section

Whenever I land on someone’s blog, the first thing I always look for is what’s in it for me. Will I learn more about your life? Are you going to teach me something? Is there a problem you’re going to help me solve?Typically this answer is found at the beginning of someone’s homepage. It’s in that first section where I’m going to decide whether or not I want to poke around for a bit. And if something catches my attention, my next question is always: “Okay, so who is this person that’s about to serve me?”Essentially, what I’m looking for is credibility. Because if I’m about to learn how to start a profitable business from someone whose business has failed, for example, chances are I’m not going to want your expertise on the subject. But, if you’re someone who has found success through trial and error and is willing to share it with the rest of us, I’m going to want to know more.As consumers, we want to resonate with the person or brand behind what is being offered to us. We want to find commonalities in our own stories that make these people on the other side of our screens relatable. We want to build trust and hope that they can help us solve that problem.The best place for all this information? The about page on your website!This is your place to humble brag. It’s your place to get personal about how you were once in your reader’s shoes, desperate for answers and unsure of how you were going to get there.

A good guideline to follow is simply:

Identify the problem you’re going to solve.

Explain why you want to help others solve it.
Give a firsthand experience to build credibility.
Share how you will help your readers.
Get PERSONAL!

Once you’ve hooked the reader in, tell them a little bit about your personal life— family, pets, favorites, etc. People are naturally curious beings. We want to know who you are and what you like to do for fun— not just what your brand represents! Oftentimes , I’ll find myself more compelled to a blogger when I see that we have similar interests.

Start an email list

I’m beginning to think I should’ve just titled this blog, “PSA: Don’t Be Like Alyssa.” This is about to get cringe-worthy so buckle up, keep your arms inside the vehicle at all times, and let’s travel down a tumultuous road I’d like to call Really-Bad-Memories Lane.In my early days of blogging, Wordpress.COM offered a feature where people could sign up to follow your blog, and I snatched that feature real quick. Family members wanted to receive updates whenever I wrote a post, so what better way to accomplish this by having Wordpress sending an automatic email notification to their inbox?The problem here was that it was very informal. It wasn’t me sending the email— it was a bot. And it didn’t foster any real connection. So, after going about 4 years sans email list, I decided to bite the bullet and make an account. I had no prior knowledge on email marketing, I just knew I wanted another means to get to know my readers.At this point you may be thinking, “hey kudos to you for taking that next step!”While I did set up the backend work of an email list, I didn’t send out an email for 2.5 years. (Here’s a good time to start cringing.) I had HUNDREDS of people waiting to receive an email from me but, instead, only received crickets. The more time passed, the more I worried I had been forgotten about.But, email marketing is SO important. Why?

You can reach your readers directly.

No pesky social media algorithm or SEO expertise needed. Just you, your words, and people who have email addresses— aka everyone.

It’s a great way to encourage traffic to your blog.

Pro tip: I usually leave my email subscribers with mini pep talks for their eyes only then leave links to recent blogs.

It is an extension of your blog.

Email marketing is a great tool to build brand awareness and get personal without all of the internet to see.

It’s another way to SERVE.

After all, isn’t that the whole point of why we blog in the first place?In recent months, I’ve upped my email game and am very proud to announce I have an email list AND have actually been sending emails. I’ve jumped around with email providers but have fallen in love with Flodesk and their interfaceIn my quest for the perfect email provider, I was looking for three things: an easy learning curve, resources on how to build a successful email list, and email campaigns that matched my brand.Flodesk checked all these boxes and then some— including the one where my open rate increased!So, friend, don’t make the same mistakes I did. Your readers will be glad you didn’t.Shameless plug: you can sign up for my email list below.(Psst… I have a link for 50% off the Flodesk subscription to get you started. So, no excuses! Start building your list pronto.)

Content is important, but connection is key

Every blog post you read is going to tell you that content is king.And okay, they have a point.After all, without content, you essentially have nothing. (Sorry for pointing out the obvious here. I swear there’s a point I’m trying to make.)Yes, content is important. Yes, it is the content that is going to build the foundation of your blog. But, if your content lacks substance— if you’re unable to develop a rapport with your readers through your words— then you will get lost in a sea of other blogs.Here’s what I’ve found in my 7 years of creating content. In a hyper-connected world that is quite literally at your fingertips, we don’t just want content. We want connection. We crave it.Just as content is the foundation of a blog, so is connection to our souls.I'll keep this short and sweet. The sooner you focus less on the information and more on how it will foster a connection to your readers, the sooner you will find your rhythm (and success!) in what you do.