I’ve been an avid blog reader for years. I’m an observer, a researcher, a planner. I’m not much of a spontaneous risk taker. You could say I like to play it safe. When I’m about to do something, whether it’s taking a trip or buying a shirt, I will read every article, review, and blog I can find in order to fill my noggin with as much information as possible. There is just something so helpful (and fascinating) about reading someone else’s experience with whatever product or endeavor I’m about to add to my life.

 

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

 

Quite a few years ago when I started running, I became obsessed with reading fitness blogs. I loved hearing stories of other non-runners who became runners. I found blogs that were so inspiring and experiences that I could completely relate to.

A few years later when everyone in my social circle started to get hitched, I became obsessed with wedding blogs. Not just wedding blogs, but specifically two kinds of posts: 1) pictures and videos of real bridesmaids wearing real bridesmaid dresses and 2) bridal shower planning. Yup, if you’ve ever purchased a bridesmaid dress or planned a wedding shower, you get me. I used other people’s experiences to help me find the perfect shape dresses for my body and to plan some pretty stellar showers.

These days I’m into anything related to health/wellness and travel.

I’ve always kind of envied the bloggers themselves. Creating a blog is something I’ve always wanted to do, but I never could come up with what my message would be. And, to dedicate so much time and energy into putting a blog out into the world is such a big project I wasn’t sure if I was up for it.

True story – and this is slightly embarrassing – last year I watched every single episode of Sex & the City. Start to finish. If you know me, that is kind of a big deal, watching a whole series start to finish is not my style. But by about season 2 I was channeling my inner Carrie Bradshaw. I began seriously toying with the idea of starting a blog of my own. I enjoy writing. I love getting wrapped up in a project and working towards a goal. But still, I couldn’t find my voice. I couldn’t figure out what kind of posts I could possibly write that could ever fill a blog.

Then, a few months ago, the opportunity to step waaaaay outside my comfort zone came my way. I couldn’t say no to seeing the Himalayas, even though I was suuuper apprehensive. The encouragement I heard from friends, relatives, and strangers is really what sold me to sign up for this crazy trip.

I was teetering on the edge of my comfort zone, and inspiration pushed me.

With that rush of excitement and confidence to follow what felt intriguing, I decided to start my blog. I took a deeper look at what I would want to write about – travel, fitness, life in general – and then considered what really ties it all together. Positivity. Encouragement. And, good vibes.

Ultimately, I decided my blog would be a pit stop for inspiration. A resource for people looking for a push. And, I accepted that it might be hard, it might be time consuming, and it might not work out as planned. However, I was up for the challenge.

If you are also teetering on the edge of your comfort zone, let me help you take that leap. Starting a blog is no small feat. I’ve learned so much and made so many mistakes over the past few months. And I’ve loved every minute of it. I’ve put together some of the most helpful tools and resources I’ve found through my research. Hopefully these can help you too!

1. Web Hosting

So basically there are two types of blogs (1) blogs you invest in and (2) blogs that are free. There are many pros and cons to each. Free blogs are great if you’re looking for a simple hobby or if you are unsure if you’ll stick to “this blogging thing”. If you’re looking to get serious, a self-hosted blog is the way to go. Self-hosted blogs allow you the freedom to create your own domain name (like www.everestandbeyond.com). They also allow you to monetize your sight if you are hoping to make a few dollars with your new hobby.

I chose to invest a super small amount of money in my blog by using BlueHost as my web hosting service. Set up was super simple. BlueHost will link you to WordPress which is the site you’ll use as the dashboard for your blog. From there, you can customize your blog to be literally anything you want it to be.

Bluehost is super dependable and widely used. It’s also super affordable. You can pay as little as $3.95 per month depending on all the fancy options you choose. I chose the basic option for only 12 months. Like I said earlier, I’m not a risk taker. However, I’m thinking I will definitely need to extend and upgrade soon enough. Click here to check out BlueHost yourself.

 

2. Promoting with Social Media

Once your blog is set up, you’re going to want people to read it, right? Social media is a great tool to promote your blog and to tell all your friends about your work. The most effective social media for promoting your blog beyond your friends and relatives will be Pinterest. How many times have you stumbled upon someone’s blog via Pinterest when your looking for recipes, or travel tips, or work out ideas? Umm…probably thousands.

In order to reach the most people through Pinterest, or any social media, you want to post a LOT and at the most effective times. And, since you unfortunately can’t spend all day playing on Pinterest, you might want to look into a service that will promote your pins FOR you.

Tailwind is a fantastic tool I discovered to help you manage your Pinterest boards. Tailwind will pin your pins for you on a set schedule, making sure to hit the points of day where your pins will see the highest amount of traffic.

With Tailwind I’ve been pinning every single day for the past 3 months. I’ve been putting my blog in front of thousands of new eyes and I’ve seen my page views skyrocket. You can get a free trial of Tailwind here to get a feel for it.

 

3. Is anyone actually reading this??

Who’s looking at your blog? When? Where are they? Google Analytics will give you the low down on your blog traffic. It will show you which posts are most popular, the time of day your blog is most looked at, the countries your readers are from, and lots and lots of other helpful information. You can then use this information to create more posts to speak to your readers. You can also expand on your more popular posts to create more content you know people are looking for.

My favorite feature is the Real Time feature where you can see how many people are reading your blog at any given time. (Only slightly addicting! I possibly have Google Analytics open right now…)

All you need to set up Google Analytics is a Google account. And a blog. 🙂

 

4. HELP, I DON’T KNOW WHAT I’M DOING!

If you’ve read this far in the post, you’re probably pretty serious about starting a blog. (Or maybe just really bored.) If you’ve made it this far, but still feel unsure about creating a blog of your own, I encourage you to go for it! There are so many resources out there to help you along the way.

I am not a tech savvy person. Even though I did so much research before I started my page, I still was pretty clueless when it came to putting it all together. Luckily, the internet is SO helpful. I found some amazing resources on YouTube to guide me through setting up BlueHost and WordPress. Below are links to my favorite YouTube Tutorials.

• How to Create a WordPress Blog
• How to Create A WordPress Website – best for business websites
• How to Use TailWind – quick 11ish minute tutorial
• Google Analytics – quick 11 minute overview

 

5. Unbridled Confidence

My last tip: just do it. If you have been hemming and hawing over creating a blog, just do it. If you’re looking for a hobby or a project, just do it. If you’re scared of putting your thoughts out there, stop, just do it.

There is nothing more magical than someone who relentlessly follows a passion.

The journey can be awkward, and dirty, and uncomfortable. But the journey is also so rewarding.

So go on with your creative self and carve out your little corner of the internet.

 

Comment below if you’ve used any of these tips!