What You Need To Know Before Starting Your Own Blog #INsider

The last couple of years have been such a blessing. Since starting Sweet as Fiction as a creative outlet a couple of years ago, it has grown into a full-fledged brand and blog for women from all over. I have never felt so full or passionate about something so near and dear to me as I have for my blog and absolutely love creating for my readers. To those who truly know what goes behind the scenes with blogging knows it takes a lot of time and hard work; there are a lot of sleepless nights to get content out to stay ahead of the game. To all of my aspiring bloggers, here are my 5 tips on how to start a blog:

HAVE A VISION

What are you passionate about? Your blog should be based around your interests, things that you love. Readers will connect better with you when you’re sharing things that matter to you. If you were to breakdown who you are, what you stand for and what your brand is all about, what would that be in a couple of sentences? Write that down. This will be your blog’s mission statement. When I initially started Sweet As Fiction, I went on Pinterest, researched other bloggers I admired and created a vision board of images I loved and aspired to be. I found this really helped with defining my aesthetic and really solidified my branding.

WEBSITE

Once you purchase your domain name and host, you will need to create your website layout. You don’t necessarily need to hire a web designer for that. A design template can be purchased on etsy or pipdig and can be customizable to your liking. When designing your website, remember a first impression goes a long way. Create a blog that reflects your brand, keeping it clean with easy navigation.

FIND YOUR TEAM 

Connections and collaborations are key. This is extremely important as this is how you’ll grow as a blogger. Not only will you eventually be working with brands and others who are in the same field as you, you will be creating amazing content together. On another note, in order to create content you will need a photographer or videographer depending on your niche. You can find these contacts by connecting via instagram through DM. Some photographers are willing to shoot for free in exchange for shots for their portfolio. This is a great way to start out if you’re on a budget and over time you can invest in a DSLR if you don’t already have one.

MAKE TIME FOR POSTING 

One of the misconceptions with starting a blog is that you have to be posting all of the time. This is not necessarily true. Stick to a realistic schedule, committing to posting 2-3 times a week or whenever you have an inspirational topic in mind. Once you get a system down when you’re shooting content, editing and posting you’ll be able to update your blog more frequently. Consistency is key!

LEARN, GROW + EXPAND

Know what your strengths and weakness are and don’t be afraid to reach out and ask questions to other bloggers that are better than you. You can only learn and grow when you know what needs to be improved on. Learn a new skill every 6 months in your field (ie. photography, web design, SEO etc). This will only help improve your content even more. As blogging is a huge community, remember that it isn’t just about you. It’s about connecting with others and creating content to inspire others. Push the boundaries  and always look for ways to grow and expand; stay inspired.

There you have it! Do you have other tips? Do share below. xoxo