You've finally decided to start a blog - but where do you begin? You've read various blogs for quite a while now. What these bloggers are doing is fascinating and now you want to begin your blogging journey.

There are several things to consider before jumping in.

1: Decide what the focus of your blog will be.
There are many blogs already in existence. But don't let that discourage you! You will need to choose a topic or focus that you are passionate about and have a lot of knowledge in.
However, your intent may be to record your life {and that of your family} for posterity. That's fine too! Your reason for starting a blog needs to be intensely personal - otherwise you may give up before you begin.


2: Choose a name for your blog.
Sure, a blog name like "Lovin My Toddler" is cute and shows how you deeply feel. Yet, in a few years - that child will no longer be a toddler. Choose a name that you won't grow out of in time. It is getting more difficult to find a name that has the corresponding domain, Facebook URL, Twitter ID and Pinterest Id available. But you will want to do your best in making sure all of these align. It will make you more easily remembered and found by your audience.


3: Purchase your domain name.
Now that you have chosen your blog name. Purchase your domain based on that name. There are various outlets where you can purchase your domain. Over the years, I've found that a domain host preference is a personal preference.

A few options:
GoDaddy.com

Yahoo Domains

BuyDomains.com

BlueHost.com
You can also perform a Google Search for "Buy domain".


4: Decide on a blog platform provider that fits you.
When deciding on a blog platform provider, you need to choose one that you can understand or easily learn. We continuously hear the argument that you must use one over the other. Yet there is no harm in trying them all and then deciding which one fits you best. When it boils down to it - no amount of widgets, etc,... will make your blog better than it truly is. Content is king.
A few platforms to choose from:
Wordpress.com or Wordpress.org

Blogger

Tumblr
Out of the three listed above - the one I would least recommend is Tumblr. However, you do need to make that decision on your own.


5: Choose layout and design.
If you are brand new to blogging, you may want to stick with a pre-made template. Get use to the feel of a blog platform and grow comfortable in your own blogging skin.

Once you are more familiar with layouts and design - you should seek out a template you can purchase or a designer that you can hire. Unless you are familiar with design and coding, you should not try to do either on your own.


6: Begin posting.
You can not be a blogger if you are not creating content. That is the essence of a blog. Your content should reflect your blog name, but don't feel boxed in. As you grow in the blogosphere - feel free to expand your topic base. You may eventually change blog and domain names as you expand.

Note: Always put fort a good effort to use proper grammar in your posts. "Text Speak" is not acceptable. Grammatical errors are made by even the best author. Typos happen. Do your best to review and ask a friend to look over your content for errors. A second set of eyes can always be beneficial.


7: Promote your blog.
Do spend time tweeting out your posts and linking them on Facebook. Do not spend all of your time doing this. One of the best ways to promote yourself is by connecting with others.

Visit other blogs and leave relevant and meaningful comments. Not comments like "Love your blog! Come check out my blog!".

Make friends here on Bloggy Moms and connect with other bloggers via the niche groups and forums.