How to: Start a Blog
another question i've been getting a lot lately is how to start a book blog! i remember when i first started bookishsmaug and how disorganised everything was, from the layout, to the designs, and even the content. after 3+ years, here i am still *trying* to post consistently, but still doing what i absolutely love to do :) i'm just here to give you guys a few tips and tricks that i found useful while blogging for the pass three years, so i hope some of you guys can get something out of this blog post!
a fresh mindset and low expectations
a majority of the time we start something because we get this burst of motivation. for example, on my previous post on journaling i mentioned that you should keep the journals personal, meaning you shouldn't journal the way people expect you to (with all the beautiful decorations and penmanship), rather you should fill it with whatever you see fit. this is the same with starting a blog! you should only start one because you WANT to, not because you feel like you HAVE to.
i know book bloggers would like a platform to share their thoughts and feelings for books, which is how we receive books and various other sponsorship opportunities. but honestly, if you're new to the book community, paid collaborations and free products shouldn't be the reason why you want to build up your own platform. you should create a space where you can promote something without expecting anything out of it. to make myself clear, there's nothing wrong with monetising your blog!! but monetisation shouldn't be the reason why you want to start a blog (or any type of platform for that matter) in the first place. if you want to earn a huge following and hear from sponsors, be ready to work for it, because it isn't easy, and it takes time. always start with where your passion lies.
deciding on a theme
this takes a lot of time guys! i remember changing how my blog looks more than three times :/ the key is to not put too much thought into it! if you overthink the design for your blog, you'll never end up finishing your blog. what i suggest instead is to experiment for a bit and keep the theme for a few days. don't change things up in the middle of your blog renovation. if you have a theme in mind, stick with it for a while!! changing your mind last minute will drive you mad. no one expects you to find your style in your first try. it's good to look for inspirations so you'll have an idea of what you might want your blog to look like. it's so much fun trying to look for your own style. once you find it, you'll know that you want that style to stay. but of course, everyone's different, and you might be the kind of person who change things up every few months or so. and that's okay! just make sure it doesn't stress you out too much, because the design or your blog is not what's most important when starting one.
what should i post?
of course this is entirely up to you! :) you shouldn't restrict yourself to only posting something specific (for example, i'm a book blogger, but that doesn't mean i should only post book related things). you're free to post whatever you want whenever you feel like it! ideally, you want to promise your audience content that you can produce consistently.
side note: UNLESS your blog is personal, i think it's good to keep in mind that people would like to get something out of reading your blogposts :)
well, where should i start then?
i'd say decide on the content you want your blog to focus on first. i'm not going against what i said about being able to post whatever you want on your blog. you still can (and definitely should!), but putting out a "main focus" helps establish an audience faster. and i think it also allows you to create content that much easier. the one thing that matters most when it comes to blogging is preparing new blogposts to share to your audience. consistency is so important, and it is the key to a successful blog! if you start earning followers, people are going to start putting their time and trust in your blog, so be sure to stay organised and keep up to date with fresh new content (but don't forget to stay authentic and true to yourself x)
sorry this was a little short! but i hope it is somewhat helpful ^^' let me know if you guys have anymore questions!
cath x