When someone tells me they want to start a blog, the first thing I say is “YES! DO IT.” Honestly, the hardest part for most people is just getting started. That said, there are a few things I would recommend doing before you push publish on that first post. These three things will help you think through the long term vision of your blog and help you grow it from the ground up.
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Read similar blogs in your niche.
Starting a food blog? Think about which food blogs you read to get a sense of what you like or don’t like about those. Do you want to do restaurant reviews or your own recipes? What do you find useful about the blogs you read? Are there things you could do on your site that would be similar or different to those? What are the things you look for you’re checking out a new site? What are the terms you search to get to those blogs?
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Create at least 5 blog posts before you launch.
When you first start your blog, it helps to have a few posts already published so when you share it with friends and family, they can get an idea of what you’ll be posting about. I’m more likely to subscribe to a new blog if I feel like I know what to expect. I would also try to think through if there are certain reoccurring themes you could potentially create. Having some sort of “series” (even if it’s just one type of post a week) can make it easier to continue thinking of content to post.
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Help people subscribe to your site!
Make sure you have multiple ways that people can subscribe. Some people want to subscribe via email, some people want to use a blog reader like Bloglovin. If you let people subscribe in the way they prefer, it’ll be easier to get new followers. Even if your blog is new, it’s never too early to start growing your subscriber base!
