Welcome to my Blogging 101 Series where I will address everything from A-Z about blogging. My goal here is to help new bloggers and even current bloggers design and start their blogs, manage and promote their content well, and overall get a grip on the challenges blogging presents.
I’m here to help YOU! Check back each week for a new topic (which are listed below!). I will be updating this post with the links to each new post as well, so definitely bookmark this page!
A little about me – I am a fashion, beauty, and lifestyle blogger, so there may be sections of this that do not apply to you if you’re a different type of blogger – just keep that in mind!
So! Without further ado, here is my guidebook to everything you need to know about blogging! This will be split up into a series with the following topics, so stay tuned each week!
Week 1 starts TODAY! Tune back in tonight at 7 p.m. PST for the first topic!
Blogging 101 Series Topics
POSTED: Week 1: Steps to Take Before You Start Blogging
- Defining your blog
- Brainstorming ideas for posts
- Research
POSTED: Week 2: Setting Up and Designing Your Blog
- Picking a blogging platform that’s right for you
- Self Hosting vs. Free
- Design Your Blog
POSTED: Week 3: Writing Process
- Editorial calendar
- Do’s and don’t’s of writing posts
- Reviewing and editing
- Giving credit/Links
POSTED: Week 4: Photography Part 1
- iPhone Photography
- Photo Editing Apps
Week 5: Photography Part 2
- Posing
- Selfies
- Lighting
- Digital Camera (Point-and-Shoot) Photography
- Tripods and Self Timers
- Best Free Photo Editing Online
Week 6: Promotion of Posts
- Checklist of what to do for each post
- Bloglovin’
- Google+
Week 7: Blogger Networks
- What they are and how they work
- My favorite networks
- How to utilize them
Week 8: Monetizing Your Blog
- Product Reviews
- Sponsorships
- Giveaways
- Affiliate Programs
Week 9: Building Your Reputation in the Blog Community
- Commenting do’s and don’t’s
- Blogging friends
- Networking
Week 10: Conclusion of Series, Summary, and Q&A
DISCLAIMER: I am absolutely no expert. I don’t make my living off of blogging, I haven’t been at this for years, and I do not have a huge following. But I also think this is what makes me unique – so many “Blogging 101” posts come from well-established bloggers with massive followings, their own photographers, access to Photoshop and other resources, and who make a living off of their blog work. I love reading those posts because it is incredibly inspiring and helpful to hear what their advice is to us newbies. However, there is merit to hearing from somebody not so high up in the blogosphere as well. It’s hard for a lot of us to get started when we A) Little to no social following; B) Little to no money; C) Little to no experience; D) Little to no support.
These are tips, tricks and pointers about what worked for me and I understand that everybody is different. My hope is that this helps at least a few people get a better grip on challenges blogging presents!