It’s my blogiversary and Kayla’s Chaos is 8 years old! One of the questions I get asked the most is, “How does your blog look so good?” And the answer is… drum roll, please… TIME! Back in 2014, my blog did not look good. My url still had the “.wordpress.com” on the end, I was using a free layout, and I took my outfit photos in the driveway at my parents’ house. I did not know what I was doing and it took years to figure it out. And shoot, I still have more to learn! My best advice is to just get started! But if you don’t know where to begin, then no worries. Here’s my guide on how to start a blog from scratch.
I’m sure you’ve heard something along the lines of, “Blogs are dead” or “Are blogs still a thing?” And I’m here to tell you to ignore the haters! Yes, blogs can still be an amazing side hustle or full-time business in 2022. If you need a bit more convincing, check out my post on why to start a blog.
Just keep in mind that no one starts with a perfect site or a million views. It’s all about sticking with it and learning and growing over time. And that doesn’t just apply to blogging of course, that goes for any small business, hobby, or new adventure you want to pursue. So cheers to finding creative outlets you’re passionate about. And cheers to never giving up on the things that get you excited.
How To Start A Blog In 2022
In honor of my eight years of blogging, I coincidentally came up with eight steps to help you get started. And feel free to reach out to me to set up 1:1 consulting at kaylaschaos@gmail.com.
1. Choose your blog name and niche
Start with the most important question: What do you want to blog about? Lifestyle, fashion, beauty, food, music, parenting… the options are endless! Choose a topic that makes you excited to talk about. What would your friends and family consider you an expert on? From there, jot down some subtopics you would like to explore on your blog. I’m personally someone who has a difficult time niching down. I consider myself a lifestyle blogger with main subcategories of plus size fashion and travel. However, I also like to dabble in career advice, beauty, and home.
However, the more specific you go, the easier it is to attract your audience. For example, if you want to be a travel blogger, you can have subcategories of hotel reviews, city guides, and the best travel products. Or if you want to be a beauty blogger, you can have subcategories of skincare, makeup, nails, and hair.
Then, you can use your focus to create a name. The name can and should also become your blog’s URL. Although I came up with the name Kayla’s Chaos back in 2014, I still feel like it’s the perfect fit for me. My life and my lifestyle blog are… full of chaos! I love to explore all of my interests and I live a very busy life. I’ve always thought of myself as someone who thrives in chaos. So, you’ll want to choose a name that means something to you and represents what you want your blog to be.
2. Decide on a hosting site
You have options when deciding where to create your site. There’s Blogger, Wix, Squarespace, Weebly, and more. However, I strongly recommend WordPress and I also suggest self-hosting from the beginning. I self-host through Bluehost and it’s been very user-friendly for someone who has never hired a website developer.
Why self-host?
Self-hosting allows you to own your content. If your site is on Blogger or Wix and they decide to shut down one day, then all of your hard work could disappear. Self-hosting is more costly, but it gives you ownership and more creative control with your themes and layouts. It also allows you more opportunities to make money through on-site ads.
3. Create a brand image
After the technical stuff is nailed down comes the fun part! The look of your blog is major because it determines how people will feel when they visit your site. Do you want the vibe to be fun, calm, whimsical, etc? I suggest creating a mood board for what you want your blog’s aesthetic to be. Canva and Pinterest are great for putting one together. From there, I highly suggest making a brand board. You can use this to decide on a color palette, fonts, and logos.
Here’s my brand board for reference, which I made on Canva:
Choosing a theme
Choosing a theme or layout can feel overwhelming, but the good thing is, you can always change it later! Just pick something that works with your budget (there are tons of free themes available through WordPress) and something that fits that “vibe” you’re going for. I chose to purchase my current theme through Pipdig. They have tons of beautiful options if you’re able to invest a bit a money. It’s totally worth it in my opinion if you want a customizable, clean, and user-friendly template to work with.
4. Set up your important pages
You’ll want to start your site with the essential pages:
Your “about” page will give readers a sense of who you are as a person. Use this to share some tidbits about yourself and why you started your blog. You can also use this space to tell people why they should trust you as an expert on your blog topic(s). The “contact” page allows readers and possible collaborators or clients to reach you. You can share your email and/or embed a form.
The privacy policy and legal disclaimer are not my areas of expertise, but they are very important! You can hire a lawyer to create these for you or purchase templates online. There are some available on A Self Guru, for example.
5. Do your research
I love to look at other blogs for inspiration! I’m a full-time editor at BuzzFeed and I always say that reading and editing other people’s work makes me a better writer. The same concept applies here. The more you read other blogs, the more you can see what works for them and how you can apply some of those things to your own site — while still putting your own unique spin on it of course!
There’s a folder in my bookmarks bar labeled “Blogger Inspo” and this is where I save all of my favorite blogs. I like to make sure I’m checking them out every so often. I also save A TON of stuff on Pinterest. My Pinterest has a board named “Blogger Life” and I use that to collect blog tips, advice, ideas, and more. Pinterest truly is one of the greatest tools you can utilize as a blogger.
And make sure that some of your research includes SEO best practices! I could write a whole separate post on the importance of search engine optimization (and maybe I will). It’s good to be at least familiar with it from the jump and there are tons of resources out there.
6. Start writing
And the part you’ve been waiting for… writing posts! The basis of any blog. Start by having a brainstorm session where you jot down a bunch of different blog post ideas. To get your site up and running and attracting readers, consistency is key. It’s a good idea to create a schedule. Will you be blogging daily, weekly, or setting a monthly post goal? I suggest going hard in the beginning and having at least 3-5 blog posts ready to go before you start promoting your blog. That gives people a reason to stay for a while once they’ve decided to visit your site.
Beginner Blog Topic Ideas:
- A general intro to your blog and what readers can expect from you
- Some fun facts about you, especially any that relate to your niche
- What a day in your life looks like
- A roundup of your favorite products related to your niche
- Tell a personal story about why you love your niche (ex: your first trip abroad, why you love to express yourself through fashion, when you fell in love with baking)
7. Figure out your photos
Images are almost as important as the writing. This is what helps to pull the reader in. They also provide you with assets so you can share your blog posts on social media. As someone who loves photography, I almost always take my own photos or have friends and photographers shoot me. About 98% of the photos you see on my blog are original. If you choose to go the original photo route, don’t feel pressure to go out and buy the latest and greatest camera either. You can totally shoot high-quality photos on your smart phone.
However, if photography just isn’t your cup of tea, that’s okay too! There are tons of places to get stock photos from. Unsplash is a popular free resource and the paid version of Canva also gives you access to tons of stock images. And if you’re interested in pictures of celebrities, just be very cautious of copyrights. You do not want to get sued for using the wrong image! You can embed images from social media, just be cautious and use your best judgement! And remember that if you do embed posts, they can always disappear later if deleted by the person who posted them.
8. Share your work
Now that you have a beautiful new site with amazing posts on it, it’s time to share it with the world! Be confident. Yes, it is scary and vulnerable to share your work with others, but it’s also one of the best parts about blogging. This is how you begin to grow and build a community. I typically share every blog post on my Facebook page, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, and with my email subscribers. More platforms = more eyes. I used to worry about being “annoying” when promoting my content, but now I couldn’t care less about that. People often need to see something multiple times before they decide to take action on it. And what’s the point of having a blog that you put tons of work into if no one ever sees it?
Just remember that it will take time to gain traffic. It will take perseverance and a lot of creative energy. But, you got this! At the end of the day, just have fun with it and create something you’re proud of.
I hope this post was helpful for you if you’ve been wonder how to start a blog.
Please share your blog with me in the comments!
