so, you want to start a blog?

i've had quite a few people email me over the last year asking for advice about starting a blog. things like how to get a blog design, how to get sponsors, how to grow a blog, etc. so, i've decided to start a little "blogging 101" series to help answer these questions. i figured that for all the people that actually emailed me, there's gotta be at least that many people that haven't, so these tips are for you!

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i want to start off this series with just a few points to think about before you start your blog.

1. pick a good name. you want to choose a name that you love and one that's true to you. something that gives a reader an idea about what your blog will be about and one that's memorable. once you think you've picked the right one, bounce it off of other people and see what they think. let it sit for a few days, and if you still love it, go with it.

2. have some direction. it's important to have an idea of what you will want to focus on for your blog, whether it be fashion, crafting, parenting, health and fitness, cooking, or any combination of topics. it doesn't have to be permanent and can definitely change, but i promise it will help direct your first few posts and help ease you into writing more regularly and finding your sweet spot.

3. be confident. when i started out, i could never have imagined how much my blog would grow over the first year or so. never. i remember being so thrilled when i hit 100 followers (which is a huge accomplishment!) and now i'm hanging out around 2,000, which totally blows my mind. in the beginning, i doubted that people would even be interested in what i had to say, but i stuck with it because i loved doing it...and it worked.

4. be yourself. i cannot stress just how important it is to just be yourself when blogging. find your writing voice and use it! not only will it make reading your blog much more interesting and fun, but it allows readers to learn about who you really are and feel connected to you.

5. do it because you love it, seriously. blogging isn't for everyone. and that is okay. there's nothing wrong with you if you start a blog and just can't stick with it. in fact, there's probably more likely something wrong with all of us that love it and think about blogging all day long ;) bottom line, blogging should be a fun and enjoyable creative outlet, not something that adds stress or negativity to your life.

so, there you have it. just a few things to start thinking about if you're looking to start a blog! (if you're a blogger and have some additional tips, feel free to leave a comment below!)