Blogging with More Freedom and Less Stress- pt 1

Just over two years ago I felt the “nudge” to start blogging. Throughout the early years of motherhood I loved blogging. It was a great way to stay in touch with out-of-state family and allowed me to share photos with loved ones. Coming back to the idea in late 2017 was an opportunity for me to stretch my creative muscles once more in writing and photography. But boy had the game changed! Little did I know how much I would learn and where this journey would take me.

Throughout this special series I’m going to share what I’ve learned about blogging so far! This process for me has been much more than learning how to run a website, I’ve learned how to stay true to myself.

If you are considering starting a blog learning these lessons now will save you time and energy. I outline the steps needed to start a blog and it will fill your blogging journey with more freedom and less stress.

Why do You Want to Blog?

Determining your “why” is really important in the blogging world. Sure, you most likely want to share information with an audience. But who is the audience and what is the information?

The answer to these questions is called your niche. Knowing the nuanced details of what your specific niche entails is really powerful to using time effectively when you blog.

Once you have a “why” it will help drive this project forward when you inevitably get frustrated or have writer’s block. It’s the foundation upon which your blog is built. Because remember this is all about creating more freedom and less stress so you can share your message with an audience!

Secure a Name for Your Blog

Determining the name for your blog and website is a very personal choice. I recommend you allow yourself to think broadly. What you may want now for your blog may change in the future.

Choosing a name with a very narrow niche like Recipes from Rachael is fine if she knows that she’ll only ever talk about recipes and anything food related. But if she’s slightly unsure it may limit her topics down the road. Instead choosing Rachael’s Recipes for Life, leaves the possibility open to a wider range of topics without having to potentially rebrand.

For me personally I knew I wanted my blog to be a place that offered intentional ideas on how to live life more efficiently. My blog covers a wide range of topics. It is also driven by striking visuals grounded in nature, a simple lifestyle, and our cabin. You can go here to read about the story behind why Pine Daisy House was the name I chose.

Buy a .com

If you are wanting to be serious about your blog and are open to it’s possibilities for years to come I highly recommend purchasing a URL (a website name). Each year you will pay an annual fee to keep your URL active and owned by you.

It is also very important to consider establishing an account with this same name on every major social platform. Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and You Tube are all important potential platforms to share your message with an audience!

Keeping socials in mind will inform your decision on a name. Creating a wordy website name like “Rachael’s Recipes for Life” makes for a tricky IG handle. So she may head back to the drawing board and ultimately land on “Rachael’s Recipes ~ Life Around the Table” for her blog (rachaelsrecipes.com) and use RachaelsRecipes on social media. Do you see how there are subtle nuances to consider when selecting a name?

We’ll talk more about establishing a social media presence in part 2 of this series.

What is a Hosting Site?

To publish a blog to the internet you’ll need a web host. Think of your blog like a storefront. Most stores need to rent a space right? That’s what a hosting site does. A web host allows you to post a website on the internet. A web host will likely charge an annual or monthly fee, not unlike the rent you would pay to have your store in a building. I use the hosting site, Blue Host. It has been a wonderful web host for me.

Use a Website Building Software

Just like a web host is the brick and mortar space of a retail store. A website building software are the shelves, racks, hangers, counter space, and even the cash registers found within in the store. Once you have secured a web host, then you’ll need to determine which website building software you’d like to use.

While I’m not a professional in this category by any means I have learned a few things. The main thing being, I want to own all the content on my site. So I chose to be self-hosted. As a result I sought out and found a great self-hosted website software. The software I use can be found on WordPress.org. This article and the links within it are incredibly helpful to understanding the WordPress software on a wider scale.

There are many website softwares available, and this step in the process is worth the time spent on research. Once you get your blog up and running changing website software (and not losing any old content) can very hard to do without professional help.

Choose a Website Theme

Continuing with our store analogy… A website theme is like your store signage and color scheme/decor on the inside of your space. You can also think of it as your storefront window.

Since you have a general idea of what your niche will be select a theme that will support your overall blog message. If you are starting a photography blog look for a theme that will highlight the photographs on your site. A cooking or food blog will likely require a theme capable of plug-ins for printable recipes. A financial blog? Well then perhaps something really clean and easy to read.

This is when your creative side can really shine. Be mindful of user readability on various devices and how you want your site to feel. Background color against font color will also impact user experience.

Also consider plug-in capabilities. If you have side bars, how do you plan to use them? Will you showcase your blog categories, popular posts, and your instagram feed as I do? Could you ever include ads on your blog as a way to monetize? All of these forward thinking elements will continue to contribute to the idea of reducing your stress as a blogger down the road.

Theme selection can be free or may require a fee depending on the website software you choose. And just like all of the above decisions, research and patience are your friend. Choose a theme wisely. One that will stand the test of time and keep you from doing more work down the road.

Be Yourself and Embrace Your Voice

Today’s topic of establishing and creating your blog is nearly complete! The through line in these steps should be that you stay true to yourself and vision. Allowing your own unique message to be shared with an audience is exciting and humbling at the same time. So as you take each of these first steps allow your initial vision to ground each decision and the research you undertake. Patience will pay off as you go slowly and move forward with thoughtfulness and intention.

In the next part of this series we will talk about the biggest part of your blog, the content and how to merge it with a social media presence if you wish to!

So until next time…

With hope for you and your intentional home,