Tips on Starting a Blog

Dear all,

Thank you for visiting :) Happy weekend and hope you are having a nice Saturday so far. It's holiday seasons and I am sure many of you are off on exciting holidays or spending family time. Whatever it is, stay safe and have a good time :) It's Saturday morning for me and so far a relaxing morning for me. I had a cup of 'teh tarik' (popular milk tea in Malaysia) and also jasmine green tea. I like tea, I can have endless cups of tea all day. I was thinking about what topic to blog today and there are so many topics I did not know which one to choose. So, I opened this little notepad I have on my phone where I write down any blog topics I think of at any time of the day so that I can refer to that list when I decide to sit down and blog.

So the topic I have chosen today is useful for anyone out there thinking to start a blog or website.

Here are some things that you need to bear in mind:

• Choose your blogging platform carefully. Are you more comfortable using Blogger, Wordpress or Wix? These are the most popular platforms and I am sure there are many more out there. Do your research and check out the pros and cons of each. I use Blogger because I find it easier to navigate and the tutorials are easier to find online. In short, to me, there is a greater support system for Blogger compared to Wordpress. At the time I created my blog in December 2010, Blogger appeared more popular. I heard many good things about Wordpress too. So, it really depends on you. Choose one that you feel suits your need and that you are more comfortable with.

• Choose your blog domain name carefully. This required the longest brainstorming for me. It is critical and crucial that you choose one that you really like so that you are less likely to change it. Changing a blog name is no good. It confuses readers and it will take time to build your identity again if you change your blog name once your blog is already starting to get popular. You see, mine is 'littlemissmeencollections' because I started off selling pre-loved items. I do not sell them anymore but I remained with this blog domain name because it can affect Google Searches if I change my blog domain name. However, my blog header says 'littlemissmeen' only because that is more of my blog name. I wanted to eliminate the 'collections' but only did it in my header and NOT my domain so that it does not affect blog searches. If you are confused between domain and header terminologies, domain is what is written in the website link 'https://www.(blog domain name).com whereas blog header is what you see on the topmost of the main page of someone's blog. 

• Choose your blog theme colours accordingly. Choose a colour or colours that match and are not glaring when viewed on the computer screen. Pleasant pastel colours are good. Try to maintain the colours if you can to maintain your identity.

• Next, the most vital part is choosing what your blog will be about. This is a personal choice and nobody can really advise you on what you should write about. My general advice would be to select a theme that you are passionate about and that you feel excited to write about. Choose topics that you will have something to write endlessly. You see, when I started I was not sure on what blog topic themes I should write about. When I thought hard and did some brainstorming, I came up with 2 blog themes that I am passionate about the most; Education and Motivation. However, I also realise that a blog needs to be updated frequently and since I might run out of ideas for those 2 topics, I included another theme which I will always have something to write and update on; Life Updates. Since I was young I always had my own diary where I record things or stories that happen in my life. I really enjoy writing so I decided OK 3 blog themes; Motivation, Education and Updates of my life. Some people are passionate about cooking, food, fashion, make-up, travelling, gossips, news, science, sports and the list goes on. Choose your forte :) One thing to bear in mind, people like reading topics that will benefit them or positive sharing. People like something that they can learn or apply in their lives. People also like beautiful pictures and positive vibes. I think all Instagramers might know more than me on this topic. Apply this on your blog too. If your blog is just about your life, unless you are someone really famous, then you will not get lots of views. Choose a topic that can benefit others.

• Publicity. Even if your blog is great, if nobody knows about it, it will remain silent and unviewed. Publicise it on your social media. Go to Settings and make it 'Google Search friendly'. There are more details I can give but only once you have a blog, you will understand the detailed bits. Now, I will just give general tips.

• Be creative. Know what readers like to read. Choose blog topics carefully. Every time I write a new blogpost, it involves a lot of research. I always have a few tabs opened as I am writing my blog because there is always something new to test or check online before I publish my articles. Be updated. Now, people are opting for vlogs. I still believe that there are many people out there who still enjoy a quiet read after a hectic day. Also, you sometimes need headphones to watch a video while you can read an article anywhere and anytime. Speaking of vlogs, yes yes I am hinting something. I am thinking to create a vlog soon. It is still in the early process and I am thinking of ideas on what to write and I need to learn video editing techniques. If you have any suggestions, please let me know. I welcome all comments and ideas :)

• Be consistent. This is something I am guilty of. Write consistently 2 to 3 times a week is the ideal amount of blog postings. I read somewhere that you should post an article a day but then it depends on the commitments you have. Also, for me, writing a blog post, even a simple one takes time. A short one takes 45 to 90 minutes for me. A normal length article can take up to 2-3 hours including all edits, research, images and writing. While I was studying, I only posted once a month or even less. It affects the number of views you get. Being consistent creates a stronger bond between you and your readers as they will often look forward to seeing what you have in store.

• Read other people's blog to get some ideas. The blogs I read are often either completely a personal diary of someone or completely business related with no relation to their personal lives. I asked myself this question 'If I was reading someone's blog, what would I look for?' The answer to this question was that I enjoyed reading exciting things the blogger does in his/her life, tips and sharings, something I can benefit from, easy to read content with no abbreviations (correct spelling and grammar), I also like to read people's opinions, about their life experiences, what they learned and I like to read articles with no foul language/cursing because it spreads negative energy as the reader sounds angry and resentful. These are the things I like when reading so I try to implement it. Ask yourself what kind of things you enjoy reading online and try to implement it.

• Blogging is not for everyone. Blogging requires a lot of patience, quiet time to write and brainstorm, creativity and the passion to write. Not everyone has the patience to write long blog posts and to see what other people enjoy reading. Some people would not care less to write long posts for other people to read. My advice here is to ask yourself 'Why do you want to blog?' If it is business related, then great. It will motivate you to write even more. For me, when I first wrote 7 years ago, I just genuinely wanted to share my knowledge out there. I liked writing and I wanted to connect with people out there online who needed help with studies or share the ways I motivated myself. I was being told a few times by my friends in high school that I give good advice and was like a 'counselor' to them when they had problems. So, I just had some free time after high school and decided to give back to society in ways that I can by blogging. Also, my mum is very supportive of me. She is my #1 fan and enjoys reading what I write. She would chat about my blog posts and give me advice on how to improve my writing. Seeing her excited about my blog is also another motivation. So, be clear on why you want to blog. It can really boost your confidence and can also become a hobby - something you always look forward to when you are at home. 

• If you really want to blog, please go for it. I support completely. It is a great, beneficial hobby. You can improve your writing skills, you are always up-to-date with topics you write about, you connect with amazing people online and you are able to make great use of being online like earning money. Yes, you can earn money from your ads. However, earning money from ads should not be the sole reason you are blogging. Your readers can tell if you are just writing for the sake of posting something random vs passionate about what you are writing and really connecting with what you write. 

• Reply to comments. It can be a turn off if people comment and you do not reply. Sometimes it is true. It is easy to overlook especially if you have lots of incoming emails and comments. Try your best to reply to as many as you can. Be aware that people have a tendency and will repeatedly ask the same thing. Be patient and do not get annoyed. Stay professional and reply accordingly. Imagine your reader may not know that you have received that same question for the 10th time that week. Respect and support your readers.

• Be aware that you can have haters or people who do not like/disagree with what you write. First of all, something I like about blogs compared to other social media is that people do not get notifications or see your blog without them clicking on the link themselves to view it. Ignore haters. If there are haters, it means you have done or written something significant enough to be talked about. On top of that, this is your personal space. Nobody asked them to come and visit. Your blog is for people who benefit from your writing and interested to read. Anyone who has a problem with that is more than welcomed to leave. Thankfully, I do not have this issue at the moment but I am aware that this can happen to any blogger. 

• Stay safe online. As much as you want to write and share, there are things that are not meant to be shared with the public. Your safety must be first. Do not share or mention places you plan to go. For example 'I will be at so-and-so place at so-and-so time and day'. It is a good idea to stay cautious of what you write. I often write about the past or things that have already happened instead of the future. 

• Finally, sit back, relax and enjoy your blog. There are many fun things about blogging! Enjoy and let me know if you have any questions :)