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)

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)

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)

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)

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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