3 Savvy Steps to Starting Your Own Blog

With summer around the corner, you may have your summer plans to a T or are scrambling last minute to ensure you have a productive four months. Whether you are working, interning or traveling, it is valuable to have a personal project on the side to keep your creative juices flowing. One project, great for young professionals, is keeping a blog.

You may have thought about starting your own blog several times, or even made a WordPress account and have never posted (guilty!). The fear that you don’t have time to write entries or enough ideas for content is normal, so here are some guidelines to show that starting (and continuing) your own blog is as easy as 1, 2, 3.

1. You don’t have to be an expert on the topic you choose.

What are you passionate about? What are you working on this summer? Whether you have a knack for thrift store shopping, traveling on a budget or your summer internship is filled with learning experiences, if you love your topic you will love writing about it week after week. Most importantly, your blog should showcase learning about your subject and sharing it with the world.

2. Platform is key

Now that you have your theme, choosing a platform that compliments it will attract viewers. WordPress may be an easy go-to, but if you plan to incorporate photography, Tumblr is a better option. Google Plus is also a fast growing platform geared towards professional postings. Another tip is to create your own domain. This may cost a small amount, up to about $30/year (startbloggingonline.com), but this separates the jargon of using a sub-domain and guarantees full control over your blog. 

3. Promote It!

There are many advantages to having a blog including showing future employers and building personal SEO. By promoting your blog and gaining weekly followers, employers will be more impressed and your SEO will increase. To do this, connect all social media platforms to your blog such as on your Twitter and Instagram about pages. After posting a blog, make sure you tweet or add it to your LinkedIn. Friends and family will enjoy reading your thoughts and word of mouth is a great promotion tool. Also, make sure to keep posts on a schedule (weekly, biweekly, monthly) so viewers know when to check in for new posts.

You did it! I can see the excitement on your face…

Source: startupstockphotos.com

This guest blog post was written by PRowl staff member Melissa Tait.