how to be a blogstar: start a blog and make it work for YOU

Who doesn’t want to be a blog star?

• You’ve heard about blogging and want to get started on the right foot, wasting no time at all.
• You love blogging, and you want to do it right.
• You just need a few tricks to get you re-charged and energized and to propel your blog to new heights.

Why not be a star?

I’m ready to share anything and everything I know to help you succeed with blogging and make your blog the go-to blog for its topic.

It’s what you need to read whether you’re thinking about starting a blog, are already a few months in, or if you’ve been in the space for a few years now.  It’s professional development for you, from the comfort of your home.

I’m covering how to:

1. Choose your blog name and figure out your focus.

2. Carve out your spot in cyberspace. Find a blog host.

3. Get WordPress (the best blog platform) up and loaded.

4. Start branding.

5. Write it.

6. Share it.

7. Make it awesome.

Here’s the skinny. . .

How to be a Blogstar–Start a Blog and Make It Work for YOU:

Blogging is a difficult job. There’s a lot to know, and there’s a whole lot to learn, every single day.

I’ve been blogging for 8+ years, and honestly, one of the coolest things is that it’s a constantly-evolving landscape, and the sky is the limit. Really.

But because I know what I’m going, I’ve broken how to start a blog down into a few basic steps, complete with links to everything you need. All you need to do is take an hour or so to get your blog up and running. I’ve done the research, friends.

Here you go:

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1. Choose your blog name and figure out your focus.

Maybe you’ve been toying with this for months now, or maybe you’re just doing it on a whim. Either way, before you commit to your blog name, you should definitely search for it.

Let’s pretend I’m starting a dog blog for our pooch, Brady Mascott. I want the whole blog to be written from Brady’s perspective, so I want the blog to be called BradyMascott.com.

• Type the url you want into the search bar. Does it come up in searches? Nope. So we’re good there.
• Type the name into twitter. For branding purposes, I want BradyMascott for everything. I’ll check Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest:

If you get the ‘it doesn’t exist’ or ‘page isn’t available’ message, that means no one has claimed that url. You can have it.  YAY!

Or, if you want a super easy way to see if your domain name is available, use this handy-dandy little guy. All you do is put your name idea into the box under ‘Search for a new domain name’ and click ‘check availability’:

Now you can move onto the next few steps. Figuring out your name is really (I think!) the hardest part.

A few tips:

• Make sure you love the name.
• Make sure you feel confident saying it.
• Your blog name can also be your real name.
• Think about your tag line–the one line description that’s often under a blog title. Mine is teach mama: learning in the every day.
• Know that you can always change your name–or rebrand–but it’s a bit time-consuming and laborious. It’s always easier to go with something you love from the start.

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2. Carve out your spot in cyberspace. Find a blog host. 

Your blog host is the company that will provide space on their servers and equipment to house and protect your blog.

The host is kind of like the real estate agent you buy your house or apartment from.  You always want to go with a reliable, trusted agent who won’t steer you into the wrong neighborhood.

Bluehost is one of the best web hosts out there, and it’s super affordable.

Everything you need to do is on the image above, but essentially:

1. Go to Bluehost.
2. Choose the package that works for you. You probably only need the basic package.
3. Sign up! And because you already figured out your blog name, choosing your url should be easy!
4. Fill in your account information.
5. Account options: Plan: I’d definitely go for the 36-month plan. Just by starting out with a 3-year package, your blog will come up in search engines better. Because blogs come and go so quickly, Google likes when blogs establish longevity early. Domain Privacy Protection: I’d do this because that means your personal information will be protected when people try to find the owner of the domain. Site Backup Pro, Search Engine Jumpstart, SiteLock Security: I have no idea. Honestly, you will have to do a little research here.
6. Billing: You got this.
7. cpanel: Your cpanel is like your control panel. Everything  you need to run your blog is here. Really, poke around. Take some time to figure it out. Or just ignore it and get to the blog!
8. Load WordPress.

You’ve got a blog host! You’re ready to roll!

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3. Get WordPress up and loaded.

WordPress is my absolute favorite blog platform, and I’ve used several.

I started out on Google’s free Blogger back in 2008, but I made the switch to WordPress in about 2011. I’ve never looked back.

WordPress can either be free–WordPress.com–or it can be owned, like you’re doing–WordPress.org.

Why pay for WordPress.org? You get all of the features. You have complete control over your site. You can put ads on the site and make money from it.

Just go with it.

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4. Start designing. Choose a theme. 

This is the fun part, my friends!

You could totally go for one of the freebie themes on WordPress, but you want to also stand out in blogland, so do some searching.

Use a theme that jumps out at you. I personally love the StudioPress themes from Copyblogger.

 

I personally have a Genesis framework on this site with a crazy-customized Magazine Pro theme.

I love it.

But I also love the SimplyPro theme, the PrettyChic theme, and the Author Pro theme.

Choose a theme and go with it.

Then? Get ready to write!

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5. Write it. 

Writing the blog post is, in my opinion, the absolute icing on the cake.

But I totally get that sometimes it’s hard to get started. So my advice? Just write.

Just write, write, write.

A few helpful hints (if you care about being found by search engines!)

• Create a captivating title. Throw some keywords into the title if possible.
• Give your blog post a clear focus. What’d do you want readers to learn? Understand? Gain from your post?
• Throw some keywords into first two paragraphs.
• Give readers a ‘call to action’. Tell them what you want them to do after reading. Share the post? Leave a comment? Do an activity?
• Make sure your post is error-free.
• Put some serious power photos in there. Not sure how? Visit
• Make your post skimmable. Use bullets, headings, lists, and images to break up the text.
• Set your permalink structure to: http://teachmama.com/POSTNAME  [Do this by going to Settings -> Permalinks]

Do you want everything your blog needs to have to totally rock it?

If you really, truly want to be a blogstar then you definitely need this:

All you have to do is quickly sign up below, and these little babies are yours.

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6. Share it. 

Share your post.

Make sure you have your social sharing buttons all set up (thanks to Social Warfare!) and make sure they’re clear on your site.

Share your post with your friends, with your family, with your tribe, with anyone and everyone.

Not sure how to share? Definitely check out the blog must-have’s page for resources that will make this much easier!

 

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7. Make it awesome. 

You can totally take your blog to the next level by heading over to my blog must-have’s page.

I honestly give you all of my favorite resources and tricks so that you can totally take your blog to the next level from the start.

 

 

I’m thrilled to have put all this down in one sweet little package for new bloggers to take and make their own because with blogging, the sky is the limit.  You can literally take your blog as far as you’d like; you can make it as big or as small as feels right for you.

Quick list of my blog favorites:

• For hosting: Bluehost
• For design: StudioPress by Copyblogger
• Social Share buttons: SocialWarfare
• For email marketing and newsletters: ConvertKit
• For photo editing: Picmonkey
• For scheduling across Twitter and Facebook: Hootsuite
• For scheduling Pinterest: Tailwind
• For a storefront: Shopify
• For creating merchandise and customized apparel: Printful
• For making Instagram photos clickable: Link in Profile
• And? For kicks–if you’re doing a ton of printing (like we do!) definitely use HP Instant Ink. It’s insanity, and it makes your life so much easier. And we both get one month of free ink if you click here: HP Instant Ink.

Have any questions?  Let me know in the comments, and once you check it out, please let me know what you think!

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Do you need a little more? Are you still a little bit unsure of how to proceed and think you need a bit more help, instruction, support, or coaching?

I offer several social media / blog building consultation packages. There is definitely something for you, and if you don’t see the perfect thing, then let me know. I’m happy to create it for you!

Click on the image to learn more:

 

All products above can be found in the teachmama shop.

Happy blogging!

 

 

fyi: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Forever and always I recommend only products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”  For more information, please see teachmama media, llc. disclosure policy.