How To Start A Blog: For Beginners! / Tutorial 😊

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Lately, my friends had been asking me a lot of things about blogging and how much I know about it- well..? I don’t know much, but I know how to start-! One of my classmate, Chinnie, asked me if I could do her a favor and make a simple tutorial on how to start a blog.

If you’re a person who’s interest on starting your own blog then this post is probably for you, too!

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Step 1. What’s your BLOG about? / Pre-Blogging Phase

Of course, first thing’s first- Before starting your own blog, you must first know what type of content you’re going to make in the future. This part is very crucial- because without content your blog will be boring and empty- lol.  In my case, I posts random things such as tips, what happened on a specific day, my hobbies/interests, recommendations, photos of plants, poetry, and some advertisement for my other social media accounts- ehem!

Check out my WattPad story by clicking at that noun over there
or by clicking the blinking WP logo.

To make it more simple, my blog is a journal.

You can make a blog about technology, art, fashion, poetry, business, celebrities, gardening, music, cooking… literally the possibilities are endless.

Your blog has something to say about you and it’s your story to tell; and what’s amazing about it is that it doesn’t have to be anything specific and let your imagination fly.

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Step 2. Choose Your Blogging Platform

Blogging is one of those many things that shouldn’t be confusing; well… it could be.

Choosing a blogging platform is one of the hardest thing to do if you want to start blogging. Why? because you have to consider a lot of things; complexity, customization, user interface, convenience… and the list of complicated words goes on.

Three of the most commonly used platforms are Blogger, Tumblr, and WordPress.

On my previous experiences, I’ve started using Blogger when I was younger for a school project- that’s when I started blogging… but the customization was very outdated and  too complicated for me that I got convinced to switch to something better; which is Tumblr. Though Tumblr was amazing, together with how much you can customize your own theme, add a lot of widgets (like music/radio), and a large crowd, there was a lot of downfalls to it- it always lagged and it looks very unprofessional. I still use Tumblr up until present, don’t worry- but not as much as WordPress.

In my opinion,  WordPress is the best platform that you can use for your blog- especially if you don’t like things the hard way- like me. Also, I recommend using it since I’m using it right now.

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2.1. Making An Account

This is the easiest part of the tutorial- and also important. How can you start blogging without a blog?

First, you have to have an account… like for example on WordPress.

Sign-up for an account by clicking this “Get Started” photo below.

As for me, I’m only a “Free Account”- which means everything that has to with my blog WordPress doesn’t charge me with anything, but with that there’s a lot of downfalls to that. Also, being a free account I don’t get much freedom about the customization, storage, and the domain I use… but regardless, I’d stick with it for awhile unless I get enough money sooner- oho!

NOTE: My blog isn’t about me whining and complaining about everything, lol. Actually, being a freeloading blogger makes me more hyped and passionate about sharing things. It urges me to prove that being a true blogger doesn’t necessarily require you to buy your own domain in a heartbeat- that I have to start somewhere, work for it and to make more crazy contents that not just for me to enjoy but to everyone that supports and love me. Well, to be honest with you I can’t really afford it yet- but soon! Cheese~

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Step 2.2.  Customize Your Theme

WordPress doesn’t allow much customization for Free Users-  but if you’re not a freeloading blogger like me, then you’re probably in most luck because you’ll get to experience the things that I haven’t experienced yet in my life-

Maybe HTML? You’ll get to code HTML- I love coding and exploring HTML… or some kind of tech that I’ve never seen yet. Who knows?

Nah, seriously- the customization that you can do with Free Account is sufficient enough. You have to use and maximize your resources every once in a while- A lot of themes got the same customization levels and you can pretty much add anything that you think are necessary for your blog. Add images that you think look cool, Connect your other social media accounts, show your followings, flaunt your followers… etc.

It takes one’s creativity to build a ship from the scratch- if you want it that bad, then you have to make a way. Don’t find it, yes! make it!

Learn something new everyday.

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Step 3. Make Your Contents

Now that you have your own blog you have to fill it with amazing and interesting things that you do- Wow! Coming from me, lol.

TIP: You can use some of these people’s blog whom I know and adore for reference.

@vinnieh   @lovely   @ate_jham

This is where our Step 1 comes into the frame. You start writing about the things you’re passionate about and tell other people about it- Your writing skill is important at this phase. You have to make good titles, cool headlines, and catchy phrases that’ll hook your readers and want to come back and read more of your works… isn’t that amazing!?

This is very technical and specific. Keep your rainbows and sunshines; and practice-practice-practice!

Always write from the bottom of your heart- and what I mean with that is to never write about the things that you don’t want to write about or you’re not passionate of. Let’s say you’re the best writer in the universe, still, you can never fake authenticity and passion.

Also, if you think that you’re not good enough at writing, there’s always room for improvement. It’s never too late to learn new things- especially good things.

NOTE: You’re writing for yourself and for the people who’ll appreciate it and not for the negative-minded people who’ll ditch and say bad things about you- duh?

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Step 4. Consistency and Purpose

CONSISTENCY. Upon registering an account/blog you should’ve been expecting for your
audience- audience that you can’t let down. Yup! The people who can either make or break you- Being a blogger’s like living as a celebrity; sans the fancy lifestyle and the paparazzi chasing after you. You’re making a community where you and other people can communicate with each other to share ideas, make friends with each other… and build memories together.

On Blogging, being consistent means a lot-inactivity means that you’re not interested on what you’re doing, and people hates that.

Blogging is a long-and-hard process; though anyone can make a blog, not everyone can “REALLY” do it.

Being consistent means you have to post on a routine; reply to comments, return the favor by following back, and make efforts to thank them every once in a while. 🙂

PURPOSE. As a blogger, you have to know your purpose- To persuade, to inform, to entertain, and etc. Every blogger knows this- You mustn’t do it for the money… because there isn’t any. Blogging had always been very controversial for being “The Lazy People’s Job”. Well, it’s not really a job- it’s more of a hobby; and some got the chance to earn tons of money or millions by doing what they love- and I’m hopeful that I’d get to do the same someday.

Basically,  the money didn’t came from the blog itself but the… Uhh.. I’m saying too much.

The bottom line of this step is that you must be consistent about your blog. Blog because you think that you’re hooked to it and not because you’re expecting something out of it.

Enjoy it!

In the end you’ll know that it’s the only thing that mattered.

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Bonus! Step 5. Visuals and GIFs  

Visuals are very important when you’re making a blog post.

A photo provides a different appeal and impression to words and texts. Remember, photos has different emotions and stories behind it. Select the best few ones that you think suits your blog posts- or better take your own photos- that way you can make stories about it and make an awesome poetry to go with it- it’s up to you, haha!

Aww, sorry about the GIFs again- The tutorial on how I make my GIFs will be up soon after our finals. That’ll take long, or maybe forever to make and I don’t have that much time yet- poop.

Grades are important-er. 😂

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Posted 2/24/2017 12:41AM

“Only I can change my life. No one can do it for me.” -Carol Burnett

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