Let me tell you something right now – when you start a blog, it’s one of the best things you’ll do.
But I also know how overwhelming it is. You Google absolutely everything in relation to blogging in the hope that you’ll be able to get as much information as possible.
The best thing you can do is slow down. You’ll be more successful when you take things one step a time. There’s so much information out there when it comes to starting a blog and it’s easy to get caught in the trap of consuming more than creating.
When you start a blog, there are some key things you’ll want to focus on, and I’m taking you through each of those to help you start on the right foot.
This is a quick fire post, so if you want to read more about any of the points I’ll leave some links!
10 TASKS TO DO WHEN YOU START A BLOG
#1 | SET SOME GOALS
When you first start a blog, one of the first things you’ll want to do is set some goals. This will really help you in terms of moving in the right direction and staying on track.
Are you blogging to share your life? Promote your business? Help others in some way? Knowing your why is so crucial and will help you stay focused on your short-term and long-term goals. This will help you define your brand, messaging and every piece of content you create.
#2 | CREATE A CONTENT CALENDAR
Some bloggers prefer to be more spontaneous with their content, but I highly recommend creating a content calendar. The purpose of a content calendar is to give you strategic direction, not to keep you to a routine (although it does help with that).
It shows you the types of topics you’re blogging about and what categories you’re blogging about and when.
The thing with these is that they don’t have to be set in stone. You can move content around and switch it up whenever you see fit. For instance, if you’ve got guest posts coming up on your blog, you can track all those within your editorial calendar.
I use Asana to track my blog’s content calendar and it’s honestly my favourite system ever. I colour code everything from my blog posts, videos and emails, and I can also assign everything due dates so I know exactly when each piece of content needs to go live.
Find out more about how I plan my content and my week as a whole in my latest video!
#3 | GET SET UP ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Now I know social media can be distracting and a form of procrastination. And true, it shouldn’t be your main focus when you start a blog. But you should be on social media. And you should be focusing on building up your platforms, specifically:
Twitter
Facebook
Instagram
Pinterest
You could also consider other platforms like YouTube and Snapchat, but those are the big four. Having these channels all set up before you start your blog is really important. You want to make sure they’re consistent, with the same name, picture and brand colours.
On your blog, you want to include your social icons in your sidebar or footer and also have social sharing buttons to make it easy for people to share your content.
Read more: This is why every blogger needs a social media strategy.
#4 | FIND OTHER BLOGGERS TO CONNECT WITH
Finding a few key people who can support you on your blogging journey will be so helpful for you. Trust me, you need people who you can bounce ideas off and also who you can ask to help you promote yourself when you first start your blog.
Connecting with other bloggers is great at any stage, but especially when you’re first starting out. I have a mastermind group with three other bloggers. We have a weekly chat and a private Facebook group. Each week we have an online chat where we celebrate our wins and talk about our struggles, and it’s so helpful.
Facebook groups are also a great place to connect with other bloggers – you can join mine here.
#5 | BUILD A COMMUNITY
This is one of my overarching goals for 2018 and I’ve been blogging for four years!
Blogging is more about putting content out there and promoting yourself. It’s about connecting with your readers and creating a loyal community of friends. Show them that you care about them and you appreciate them.
When you start a blog, your community will be small and that’s fine! Reply to comments, connect on social media and develop relationships with your readers and followers.
For more ideas on how to build your community, be sure to download this free checklist!
#6 | START AN EMAIL LIST
I know. You’ve just started a blog – you don’t need an email list, right? Wrong.
Don’t wait until you’ve been blogging for a year before you start your email list. You can create one on MailChimp for free so go ahead and do it. I’ve got a tutorial you can follow here. Even if you’ve only got a few subscribers when you first start out, they’re your most loyal readers and they’ll really help to grow your brand.
#7 | FOCUS ON CREATING VALUABLE CONTENT
Focus on your content first before anything else. Honestly, none of the other stuff will work unless your content is of the highest quality. Create content that people want to read and you’ll get more traffic to your blog. Create that content consistently and that’s how you’ll get people to come back to your blog.
Analyse what your readers enjoy and create more content like that.
#8 | HONE YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY STYLE
Creating a strong visual style is all part of building a brand as a blogger. Pinterest and Instagram in particular are both very photo heavy and having great images can give your content a lot more exposure.
You don’t need to have the most expensive camera or fancy editing equipment. Just start with what you have and practice.
#9 | DON’T FORGET SEO
Search engine optimisation can be hard to understand if you’re just starting out, and I don’t expect you to learn all about SEO in an instance! But it’s good to learn the basics. I don’t want you to waste time hunting for the right information, so I’ve got a quick workshop in my free resource library teaching you the foundations of SEO – get access here.
#10 | INSTALL GOOGLE ANALYTICS
Google Analytics is the best tool you can have in your blogging toolbox. Your analytics can show you so many key metrics that will help you improve, including:
Where your traffic is coming from
How many visitors your blog is getting each day
Which of your posts are the most popular
What people are searching to get to your site
And so much more!
Get familiar with Google Analytics and the information it provides. And remember, if you want helping keep track of your monthly stats and learning how to move forward, I have an Analytics Management package at only £30 a month!
Which one of these will you be focusing on first for your online presence?
