Get your blog ready for blog launch.
When new bloggers first start writing on the Internet, they run to websites that encourage microblogging. Websites like Reddit, Twitter Tumblr, and Quora, encourage you to send out quick statements or questions to the readers on these sites. Yet, while those social media platforms have their place, they certainly cannot replace a blog.
Further, blogging requires so much more than going to someone else’s platform and microblogging to their rules. The real gig lies in real blogging, and yes, even if you are broke, all you need is a Gmail address to get started on a blogging journey. In fact, if you know what you want to blog about and have the time, you can fully launch your blog with ten posts in days.
Blogging does require hard work and due diligence, but when you start on a simple platform like Blogger or WordPress, you write, share pictures, and join the social connections found on your blogging platform.
There are several steps to becoming a new blogger. Follow them and within a few days you will launch a blog and begin your writing journey.
Nine Steps to Blog Launch
You can take nine steps to do anything. Simply take each one, check it off your list, and move to the next step. Setting up and performing a blog launch takes a few days, but the hard work and determination will launch you into an amazing dream!
Take each step and build your vision.
Choose an amazing name
So, before you can even set up a blog launch, or open a blogging account, you must choose an amazing name and topic.
Choose something somewhat general, so that you have plenty of topics to write about. Topics like gluten-free recipes, family finances, beauty tips for moms, blogging for dads, and activities for kids all make good starter topics. Then Google the topic and perhaps even search for a website with your topic.
If you find that someone else has already chosen your blog topic, consider how you might change it up. Think about stepping up with an extension of that topic, or give thought to how you might write about similar ideas but with your own viewpoint.
Think about my blog URL. I blog about special needs parenting, but I also blog about how to blog and write as a special needs parent. My personal viewpoint is through a special needs parent lens.
Choose your platform
While most professional bloggers choose WordPress, many others pick Blogger or Squarespace. Each one has its own unique technical aspects and brings a learning curve. Choose the blogging platform you feel most comfortable with.
While WordPress has its own methods and uses plugins. Blogger runs a bit more old-school with its blocks and simplified apps and themes. While I personally do not have experience with Squarespace, I do understand that it too can get technical.
Search for your URL idea
Next, since you already know your topic or at least have some idea what it will be, think about your URL—you know the web address.
Sign up for your account with the blogging platform of your choice, and then type in the URL you think you want. See if it is taken. Ah, yes, Grasshopper. You will not be alone in your blogging journey.
If your URL is available, the blogging company will add its URL to the end of yours. For example, youramazingblog becomes youramazing blog.blogger.com or youramazingblog.wordpress.com. Later, if you want to drop the software part of the URL, both Blogger and WordPress tell you how to do it.
Set up your blogging theme
Each blogging platform has a set of themes that are free. Once you get into your dashboard, try out some themes you like. Arrange the layout if you can and see if you can “look” through a live view, such as another person would see if they came across your blog.
Even if you don’t keep the theme you start with, use it while you get settled with your blog and shop for cute themes later. For now, you want your blog to look good and easy to read.
Start a post
Next, it is time to take the blog software for a test drive and learn how to write a post. Are you excited?! You should be. Yes, it really is that easy once you set up your blog. This is the reason why you wanted to blog, right? You wanted to share a message with the world. Now you are ready.
On both WordPress and Blogger, starting a blog simply means clicking on a button that says something like “New Post.” Once you click that, you write. Your blog post should be at least six paragraphs long, but in all seriousness, even twice that would be awesome. Generally, shoot for between 800-1,000 words.
Write using a beginning idea, the meat of the idea, and the end of an idea, or a summary. Write just like a burger, with two buns and the filler in between. Plus, don’t forget an amazing title when you finish!
Find your photos
Now comes the fun part. If you take amazing photos, you simply upload them to your blog. If you use your own personal photos, use a free photo editing program such as PicMonkey or Canva to add your name or blog URL to the photos. Take a look at the photos on my blog. My blog URL is on most of the images. Why? Because they belong to me.
If you need photos from somewhere else, there are plenty of free domain photos to use on your blog. Unsplash and Pixabay are frequently used by bloggers. Choose copyright-free photos from sites like these two, so you know you aren’t stealing photos from someone. Credit the photographers where necessary and add them to your blog posts!
Once you find all the photos you need, add them to your posts and save your work until you launch your blog.
Write about ten posts
This sounds a bit daunting at first. Plus, it is simply the reason why I told you to plan to launch a blog in a few days, not one. Since you want to launch a blog, it really makes sense to write ten posts or more before you actually hit launch on your blog.
Just make sure that you stay on topic and write as much as you can with each post. Don’t forget to use the spelling and grammar checkers for any errors in your writing. And, even a free app like Grammarly really helps you out with those errors that slip past you.
When you finish your writing of ten posts, then you can get started hunting for pictures to add to your amazing posts.
Make one last check
Finally, once you get all of your settings adjusted, and your blog posts the way that you want them, you launch your blog. Before you hit launch, check for the following
- Your post URLs contain the title to your blog
- Each blog post is free from errors.
- Your bio is written along with a nice headshot.
- A nice, simple logo is included
Because no one knows about your blog yet, you hold the gift of launching the blog and relaunching it, you need to. Check to see that everything looks the way you want it to be.
Put out social media posts
Finally, since you are a newbie blogger, you probably won’t have a social media following. So, copy the URL of one or two of your blog posts and paste them on your social media channels. Another really important and final step to blogging is to shout out your posts on social media networks. You can even use your personal accounts at first or ask your friends and family to share your blog. This will help you get noticed.
Even if you do not yet have business social media accounts, you can share your amazing blog links on Facebook, Twitter, or even Pinterest this way. Getting the word out is super important to help build links back to your blog.
Later, when you create social media accounts for your blog, you simply add in more links to your blog from your new accounts. Now you have links from your personal social media and your blog social media. This becomes important later when you push to get more blog traffic.
Finally, keep writing
Set your blog up this way, and then leave it for a day or two, so you come back to it with fresh eyes. Trust me, it will be there when you get back.
When you sit back down at the keys, write yet another post or two, just like you did with the first two. Then, make it shine even more.
Think up amazing content to share with your readers and keep it coming on a regular basis. No, you don’t have to post every day, but posting several times a week really keeps put on Google’s radar. Share posts. Visit other blogs you find. Write comments on other peoples’ blogs.
Jumpstart your blog launch with social media, blog visits, and sharing your URL with everyone you meet!
Yep, it is the blogging wheel of life, my friend. Keep writing as much as you can.
Blogging is not for the faint of heart, as you can see. It takes long hours and years of work to build a blog that others enjoy and want to use.
