Before you even hit the ‘Publish’ button on your first post you’re going to want to make sure you’ve laid the right type of foundation for your blog.
For some of you that might even mean getting back to the “basics” of what a blog really is! For others it’s building out a bit of strategy as to who you are, what your brand might be, how you’re going to name your blog, and even finding the right URL and domain name (as well as blog hosting) so you can set yourself up for long-term sustainability.
Ultimately this is simply a refresher for some and for others it might just be the key “starter kit” they need to get going!
I’ve written a bunch of posts that cover many of these topics and I hope to expand on more as the time progresses – my goal is to provide as much helpful guidance to you (both new and seasoned) with your first blog before you even begin to publish!
And when you’re ready to launch that blog you can head over to my Guide on how to Launch a WordPress-Powered blog!
Here are some of the topics already covered:
1. What is a Blog? What is a Blogger? What is Blogging?
- I try to provide a firm foundation here for anyone who is new to blogging. Good stuff to know, of course!
2. 20 Reasons Why You Should Blog
- I think blogging is one of the most effective forms of communication out there today, especially online. There are also many other reasons why you should blog as well! Check that post out for more details.
3. 10 Blogging Personas to Help You Target and Focus Your Content
- If you’re not sure how to start blogging then it can be helpful to see what others have been doing before you. Perhaps you need to find out where you “fit” in the blogging ecosystem? Take a look at those blogging personas to start.
4. The Definition of a ‘Professional Blogger’ or ‘Full Time Blogger’
- Curious about what a Full Time Blogger or Professional Blogger is all about? I break down a definition here for you to review. Perhaps you’ve got the makings of a ProBlogger one day? Who knows? I didn’t think that I would ever do it!
5. The Ultimate Guide to Choosing the Right (and Best) Domain Name For Your Blog
- Ready to find your domain name for that awesome blog-to-be? Check out the above guide for some pointers!
6. 10 Sites to Check for Domain Name Availability
- So you’ve got your name from #5 above and you’re ready to find if it’s available? Use the services listed in this post to check them out!
7. It Pays to do your Research When Naming Your Blog
- A 3rd blog post about domains and naming? Sure. This one will impact you greatly so you’re going to want to make sure you don’t have some serious grief much later down the line. Do your homework!
8. 10 Key Considerations When Deciding Between a Free Blog Service and a Self Hosted One
- So now you’re ready to get a blog but which one should you try? A free one? A paid one? Check out these considerations so you know which one to choose!
9. The Ultimate List of Blogging Platforms, Blog Software, Free and Paid (100+!)
- Don’t think you’ve got enough choices when it comes to blogging software? Think again! Check out this informative list of one of the largest collections of blogging apps on the web.
10. How to Choose The Right Blogging Platform
- Lots to choose from, right? So how do you choose the right one to use? Check out my guide above and that’ll set you straight.
11. 20 Great Hosting Solutions for Your New Blog
- So you’ve decided that you’re going to go the “paid” route when it comes to blogging? Great! Here are some great blog hosting solutions that you may want to consider!
12. 5 Sites That Analyze and Test Web Hosting Services and Providers
- You know you want to self-host and you’ve done some of your research (thus far). Here are 5 more tools to use to help you decide on that right hosting provider for your new blog!
13. 10 Reasons Why I Use WordPress
- Regardless of what you ultimately choose in terms of blog platforms I support you fully! I just have an opinion when it comes to the best blogging software out there. It’s WordPress, for sure!
14. 10 Differences Between WordPress.com and WordPress.org
- There’s no secret: I LOVE WORDPRESS (see #12). But perhaps you didn’t know that there was a difference between the .com and the .org? Take a look
15. Vision Requires Execution for Your Blog to Grow and Succeed!
- Great blogs require some sort of vision for what they want to be and where they want to head. You don’t have to have everything figured out but if you don’t want to be “just another blog” out there then you’ll need to consider a bit of vision for it!
16. Successful Blogs Set Realistic Yet Challenging Goals
- Besides just vision you’ll need some realistic and challenging goals. Set them and be square!
17. How Many Hours Should You Spend on Your Blog Per Week for it to be a Success?
- This is a very common question that is asked and one that you should be prepared to handle if you do jump in, even if you’re not going to be a crazy-serious blogger. Here are my candid thoughts as well as an idea of how to create a strategy for growth.
18. Do You Share Your Emotion on Your Blog’s Sleeve, So To Speak?
- How much emotion should you share on your blog? How much is too much? Too little? I explore and share some thoughts on this subject and you should consider it for your blog.
19. The Growth of a Blog is One of Steadiness, Consistency and Not Speed
- Finally, before you start, it’s best to remember that your blog will grow over time and the goal is not one of speed but rather consistency.
Good luck! I hope these posts give you some framework of thinking as well as some practical steps on how to get started with that new blog.
Ready to move forward with launching a WordPress-powered blog? Check out this series here and I’ll walk you through the steps!
this is definitely one for the “favorites” folder! everything that i have already bookmarked, and more! ha!
thanks dustin!
This is great! I’ve already sent a link to this post to a couple friends interested in blogging.
You give Problogger some tough competition.
ah man, i really appreciate you sharing the link with potential bloggers! that makes my heart smile!
problogger is my hero…! i’ve learned a ton from that guy.
I agree – already forwarded this to some potential-bloggers!
thanks bro!
Thanks for the reminders John.
sure thing lance!
Definitely sharing this with a few friends who have been asking about my blog, and how they could start their own.
thanks ben!
John, this list is stout.
thanks bro! i’m trying!
Stout?
Like Guinness?
perhaps!
Surely you’re running out of things to write about!?!
What HAVEN’T you covered?
a lot….! more to come! i’m getting the “basics” out of the way before we dive in deep.. can’t wait for those!
PS I like the new ‘have you subscribed by rss yet…’ thing underneath the comment reply check box but I think it needs a little more space between the two. They seem a little cramped
PPS I also forgot to say that I LOVE your talent at post layout.
That list was so easy to read just because of the way you laid it out!
ah.. shhhhhh. i was going to have a contest…. to see if anyone saw the “small” change… i guess you would have won that…..
What do I win?
eh……
John – Great topic. This is full of useful content to get a blog started. Thanks for sharing…
sure thing steve!
do you have a gravatar?
http://tentblogger.com/gravatar/
Great post. Wish I had known about it a couple of weeks ago when I bought my domain and set up my blog! Ha. Thanks for the information.
sweet! you’re on a roll!
Thank you very much for this info. I have already referred to this post a bunch of times.
neato! don’t forget about gravatars! http://tentblogger.com/gravatar/
Hey John, I’m just getting started with my own travel blog and am really enjoying it. The more I read other people’s blogs the more I am finding out about a world I didn’t really know existed. This is great info. Thanks.
awesome! go for it!
don’t forget a gravatar: http://tentblogger.com/gravatar/
Very helpful, thank you so much.
sure thing……!
I posted this question on a different post, but maybe it goes better here.
Would you even use WordPress if you are trying to design a site that will eventually have 30,000 pages, and you need them to be nested pages?
I found this site the other day, which is similar to what we are thinking of:
http://www.iep.utm.edu
Theirs tends to be posts arranged around categories which are then also organized alphabetically. Our organization would be similar.
Basically, I am asking if WordPress is good as a scalable CMS solution.
probably not unless you’ve got a clear vision for it. there are other systems that might work better.
Hi John, I’m so excited that you have all of these series. I’m not new to blogging, but I am going to start with this one anyway, because I know I will learn a lot. Watch out for my tweets as I go through these (so glad I have vacation next week–lots of time for reading!)
This site is so helpful and useful. Your starting blog help is incredible.
Zach you should check out John’s e-book on the foundations of blogging. Super helpful —> http://tentblogger.com/blogging-starter-kit-ebook/
Thanks Ben, I really appreciate it!
I have to say, I’ve been reading quite a few of your articles and they’re doing a lot to help me getting my blog started. I just wanted to say thanks.
sure thing josh!