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3 min read
Whether you want to blog for fun or hope to make a living from it, getting started can be overwhelming.
Perhaps you’re not even sure where to begin. Or maybe you’ve had a blog for a while, but want to propel it to the next level.
I had little idea what I was doing when I started blogging over 2 years ago (longer if you count LiveJournal; remember when that was big?). I’ve learned a lot from running this blog and even more since I transitioned to blogging for income last fall.
In this guide, I’ve compiled a list of some of the most helpful resources to make your blogging adventures less daunting and more effective.
Getting Started
Which blogging platform should you use? WordPress, Blogger, Blogspot? Should you self-host your blog? What should you name it? There are quite a few decision to make before you even put fingers to keys.
- How to Choose a Good Blog Name (nosegraze)
- How to Launch a Blog on a Budget (ByRegina)
- How to Blog Professionally {a peek inside} (Crazy Little Projects)
- How to Start a Blog in 15 Minutes or Less (Amy Lynn Andrews)
- 10 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Started Blogging (MaskCara)
Source
Design & Readability
If you hope to attract readers, you’ll need to pay at least some attention to your blog’s looks. You’re inviting others to your personal spot on the web; you want it to look good. Visitors are more likely to stick around if a blog is easy to read and navigate.
- 11 Tips for Good Blog Design (Crazy for Crust)
- Seven Mistakes Even Nice-Looking Blogs Make (Blog Clarity)
- 7 Tips for a Beautiful Sidebar (Nesha Designs)
- 6 Effective Ways To Make Your Content Easier To Read (Twelveskip)
- Ultimate Guide to Choosing Colors for Your Blog or Website (Design Your Own Lovely Blog)
Source
What Should You Blog About?
Ultimately, the most successful bloggers will recommend you write from the heart. Some bloggers fall into a niche like cooking, crafting, mommy, dad or travel, to name a few. Blog about what you know. You are what makes your blog different from the next.
- What Kind of Blog Should I Start? (Blog Ambitions)
- How to Start a Blog: Finding a Niche (Elle & Co.)
- How to Blog Without a Niche (The Scenic Life)
- 50 Can’t-Fail Techniques for Finding Great Blog Topics (copyblogger)
- The Secret to a Gazillion Blog Post Ideas (Blog Clarity)
Source
Getting Readers
So you’ve got the blog name, you know what your blog is all about and it’s looking mighty fine. How do you get people to read your brilliance?
- Top 5 Tips for Better Blog Post Titles (The Work at Home Wife)
- How to Get More Traffic to Your Blog and Keep It There (Goins, Writer)
- How I More Than Doubled My Page Views in 2 Months (Budget Girl)
- How Can I Write a Successful Blog and Get More People to Read It? (Lifehacker)
- Proven Ways to Write Killer Blog Content and Get More Readers (Successful Blogging)
Boosting Your Blog
You can supercharge your blog by reducing page load times, optimizing posts and images for SEO, or a number of other blog enhancements.
- How to Write Unforgettable Blog Posts (Lisa Kerr)
- 19 Ridiculously Useful Tips Every Blogger Should Know (Buzzfeed)
- 7 Simple Edits That Make Your Writing 100% More Powerful (Boost Blog Traffic)
- 9 Blogging Problems and How to Fix Them (Kate the {almost} Great)
- 10 Things to Check Before Hitting ‘Publish’ (Amuse Your Bouche)
Source
Blogging for Money
Making money from blogging isn’t necessarily easy, but it’s not impossible.
- 7 Ways to Make Money from Blogging (Mint.com)
- 10 Things You Need to Know Before Becoming a Full-Time Blogger (Twelveskip)
- Blogging Tips: How to Monetize Your Blog (Cooking With a Wallflower)
- Monetizing A Blog From Day One (Snail Pace Transformations)
- How Much Money Do Bloggers Really Make? (Beauty Through Imperfection)
You can also check out my blogging Pinterest boards for more resources.
Happy blogging!
What advice would you give to a blogger just starting out? What advice have you found most helpful?
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I am not seeking nor accepting submissions to add to this guide. Please do not contact me with a request to include your content.
I'm Keisha ("Kee-shuh", not to be confused with 
adamjasonp
April 12, 2015Wow, there’s so much here! An incredible resource that shares the work of others. … I don’t have much of any control over WordPress.com load times, but … Thanks for putting this together. 🙂
The Girl Next Door is Black
April 12, 2015WordPress.com does a pretty good job with optimizing speed, so you’re probably fine. Once you self-host, it becomes more of a focus. Hope you uncover useful tips!
adamjasonp
April 13, 2015Oh, there are days when it’s sluggish or doesn’t come through at all…rare, but it happens.
Chelsey
March 25, 2015This is a great guide! Thanks so much for featuring my post!
The Girl Next Door is Black
March 26, 2015Thank you for sharing such useful information about increasing traffic! 🙂
awomynsworth
March 23, 2015All this helpful info all in one place: Just what I needed! Thanks for sharing 🙂
The Girl Next Door is Black
March 23, 2015Oh great, glad to hear that! 🙂
FitTriangleMom
March 16, 2015My advice for new bloggers is to blog about what you love (you mentioned this) and don’t be intimidated by wordpress.org – self-hosting is easier than you would think. Thanks for sharing on the Small Victories Sunday link up.
The Girl Next Door is Black
March 16, 2015This is great advice. I recall before I switched to self-hosted, how daunting it seemed. Kind of like going from renting an apartment to owning a home. I’m glad I made the change though!
Jenny Coleen (The Littlest Way)
March 15, 2015Great list of resources! I would also highly recommend the Learn to Blog class by Crystal and Kellie.
The Girl Next Door is Black
March 16, 2015Ooh, thanks for the recommendations!
penguinsangel
March 14, 2015What a great resource, to have all these in one spot. Great idea and post!
The Girl Next Door is Black
March 15, 2015Thank you! I hope it is of much use to you!
Sam Yang
February 18, 2015Wish you wrote this sooner! One of the most useful guides I’ve read.
The Girl Next Door is Black
February 18, 2015If I had a testimonials page, your comment would definitely be on it. Thanks Sam!
Jarret Ruminski
February 18, 2015Great tips. I need to step up my game. Thanks a bunch!
The Girl Next Door is Black
February 18, 2015Hope they are helpful, Jarret!
Alexa~FurnishMyWay
February 18, 2015These tips are insanely helpful! Any new blogger would definitely benefit from reading this post. Thanks for sharing these awesome ideas and tips!
The Girl Next Door is Black
February 18, 2015Hi Alexa! Glad you like the links!
Keisha R
February 18, 2015LOVE these tips. I really think that due diligence and networking. This year, that’s my focus!
The Girl Next Door is Black
February 18, 2015Networking helps a lot! Glad you like the tips! 🙂
Carol Parker Walsh
February 17, 2015These are fabulous resources!!
The Girl Next Door is Black
February 18, 2015Thanks for your comment, Carol!
Kristie Hill
February 16, 2015Great list, thank you for including Blog Ambitions!
The Girl Next Door is Black
February 16, 2015Thanks! I love your site; happy to include it!
Mrs_ AOK (@Mrs_AOK)
February 16, 2015ARGH! You had me opening up too many tabs over here. 😀 I finally just pinned your post to come back to other links later. 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
XOXO
The Girl Next Door is Black
February 16, 2015Haha, that’s what it’s “essential”, so much info you can’t look away!
BritishMumUSA
February 14, 2015Holy cow girlfriend a months worth of reading….. This is going to be a blast to come back to time after time. Thanks for doing all the hard work!!! 🙂
xoxoxo
The Girl Next Door is Black
February 15, 2015Happy to! 🙂
Monica
February 14, 2015Wow! Wonderful resource. Thank you for sharing this. I’m pinning it for later reference. Seriously wish I had more time to read it ALL now!! 🙂
The Girl Next Door is Black
February 15, 2015Happy to hear this is useful! I will be coming back to this post myself from time to time. 🙂
momssmallvictories
February 14, 2015Great resource guide. Pinned to my Blogging Tips board. Stopping by from SITS and hope you link it up with our Small Victories Sunday and Throwback Thursday linkup too!
The Girl Next Door is Black
February 14, 2015Cool, thanks! Glad you liked it!
Theboxqueen
February 14, 2015You put together a wonderful resources guide. All the bloggers from the beginner to the seasoned can learn something new from these posts! 🙂 Happy you shared this as Sharefest! 🙂 XOXO, Elif
The Girl Next Door is Black
February 14, 2015Yay, that was my goal – a guide for that reflects how blogs & bloggers evolve.
mojoshawn
February 12, 2015Great resource! Thank-you for sharing.
The Girl Next Door is Black
February 12, 2015Happy to! Hope it’s helpful!
Very Bangled
February 12, 2015Wow- this is chock full o’ info! I (of course) clicked the ‘how to get more traffic and keep it’ link straightaway. His suggestion to write in the second person is kind of bananas, but maybe that depends on the blog content? I know I’m instantly turned off when a blogger starts every post with ‘I’ but second person seems extreme.
The Girl Next Door is Black
February 12, 2015Yeah, I took it as a general advice depending on context. If you’re giving advice, tips, or selling a product, second person becomes especially powerful. It makes the reader feel more connected.
When you’re sharing about your first time going to camp, you’re likely to use more first person speech and I think that’s fine.