Have you ever wished you had a blog but not been sure of how to start? Reader and blogger Meabh has some top advice!
Meabh says:
The very first thing you should know before starting your blog is why you're doing it - for the passion or the fun, hopefully, and not for the fame or the followers! Do it for yourself. You are not likely to get instant fame or success, so think of it instead as a way to have a little corner of the internet to share your thoughts!
1. Decide what hosting platform you're going to use to set up your blog. The most popular ones are currently Wordpress and Blogspot - I chose Wordpress but Blogspot is also very popular and easy to use. Read some reviews and road-test a few platforms before you make your choice and set your blog up. Better still, if you know a friend or relative who has a blog, ask them for their feedback and advice!
2. Choose a name for your blog! Try to make it original and quirky, so that it will stick in people's minds - I failed at this to begin with, calling my blog 'Meabh's Blog' - so original. Not! I later changed the name to Meabh's Mind, which is a bit more creative, but your blog name doesn't have to include your actual name - there are trillions of creative names that you could use!
3. Do you want to keep your blog anonymous, or have your name out there in the open for anyone to see? My first name is on my blog, but I keep my surname private. Equally, for net safety reasons, be aware of security and don't tell readers the town or city you love in. (You can mention the country as this is much less specific!) The same goes for images - are you going to post personal pictures or more general ones? It depends whether you are blogging about your own life and experiences, but always be mindful of net safety.
4. Customise your site and make it yours - add a header and make the background eye catching. Use bright colours for the background to catch the attention of visitors to your blog!
5. Think about the kind of posts you want to publish. Do you want to post DIY projects? Personal problems? Quizzes? Recipes? Even a chapter from that story you're writing? Find a theme to pull it all together.
6. If you are taking photos for your blog, don't worry - you don't need a fancy pants camera. I normally go outside, take the photos on my phone and email them to myself, then open the email on my computer, download them and upload to my blog from there. I am sooooo not a techy person, but this is easy, promise!
The most important thing is that you have fun and stay safe on the internet - now, what are you waiting for?
You can find Meabh's blog here: https://meabhsblog.wordpress.com/
Cathy says:
Ha, wish I'd had Meabh's guide handy when I first started DREAMCATCHER! Would YOU love to have your own blog? COMMENT BELOW to tell us more!
Meabh says:
The very first thing you should know before starting your blog is why you're doing it - for the passion or the fun, hopefully, and not for the fame or the followers! Do it for yourself. You are not likely to get instant fame or success, so think of it instead as a way to have a little corner of the internet to share your thoughts!
1. Decide what hosting platform you're going to use to set up your blog. The most popular ones are currently Wordpress and Blogspot - I chose Wordpress but Blogspot is also very popular and easy to use. Read some reviews and road-test a few platforms before you make your choice and set your blog up. Better still, if you know a friend or relative who has a blog, ask them for their feedback and advice!2. Choose a name for your blog! Try to make it original and quirky, so that it will stick in people's minds - I failed at this to begin with, calling my blog 'Meabh's Blog' - so original. Not! I later changed the name to Meabh's Mind, which is a bit more creative, but your blog name doesn't have to include your actual name - there are trillions of creative names that you could use!
3. Do you want to keep your blog anonymous, or have your name out there in the open for anyone to see? My first name is on my blog, but I keep my surname private. Equally, for net safety reasons, be aware of security and don't tell readers the town or city you love in. (You can mention the country as this is much less specific!) The same goes for images - are you going to post personal pictures or more general ones? It depends whether you are blogging about your own life and experiences, but always be mindful of net safety.
5. Think about the kind of posts you want to publish. Do you want to post DIY projects? Personal problems? Quizzes? Recipes? Even a chapter from that story you're writing? Find a theme to pull it all together.
6. If you are taking photos for your blog, don't worry - you don't need a fancy pants camera. I normally go outside, take the photos on my phone and email them to myself, then open the email on my computer, download them and upload to my blog from there. I am sooooo not a techy person, but this is easy, promise!
The most important thing is that you have fun and stay safe on the internet - now, what are you waiting for?
You can find Meabh's blog here: https://meabhsblog.wordpress.com/
Cathy says:
Ha, wish I'd had Meabh's guide handy when I first started DREAMCATCHER! Would YOU love to have your own blog? COMMENT BELOW to tell us more!
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