As my I journey through blogging, I’ve come across different posts about their blogging essentials. Now, here I am sharing what are my blogging essentials.
My Blogging Essentials
Seeing blogs from the internet with belonging to various niches surely have inspired me to write about my blogging essentials. This may vary from what the others think but surely, there will be similar items from the list.
The list starts with:
Choosing your blogging platform
Currently, there are numerous platforms in the web that you can choose from. I’ve tried using Multiply (which became a shopping website) and Tumblr simultaneously before moving to Blogger and eventually in WordPress.
Thank you for Pangalan.com for helping have a self-hosted blog on WordPress.org. You may check their sites in case you need a domain or hosting for blog. 😊
There are so many free platforms to choose from like Tumblr, Blogger, WordPress (.com or .org) and so much more.
In choosing the platform you are going to use remember to:
- Consider the platform since you will be dealing with this the entirety of your blogging journey (unless you move). Make sure that you are in sync with the platform you chose and you are comfortable with it.
- Remember that every platform will have codes (HTML/CSS) that you will deal with during your journey, consider your knowledge with codes when you choose since others are very friendly with it yet others may have some difficulty along the way. It’s also good to have IT friends to help you with the technical aspect of the blog (I’m glad to have met my IT friends that have been helping me).
- Choose the one that is the most accessible to you. Most of the blogging platforms have their own apps or third-party applications wherein you could download to your devices, these help us to blog more easily and more conveniently without the hassle of opening the laptop and logging in your details.
Getting your own domain
There are just so many to choose from but I chose to have mine with Pangalan.com. It was through a friend (Superaena) that I came to know about their promo (way back 2014) and immediately thought of getting mine. I registered mine for Php 199 and it’s already for a year!
What I like about them most is their customer service, with just an email or an inquiry, they would respond to you immediately regarding your concern. To be honest, I’ve never experienced anything bad (e.g. system down or anything synonymous to that). They also have their summer promo which is only until April 30, 2016 and the prices are very affordable!
Yet in choosing your own domain name, I’d tell you to:
- Avoid lengthy ones – even longer than mine. Haha!
- Choose the one that you can stick with for the rest of your blogging life. – Changing domain names can greatly affect your visitors.
- Beware of those domain name who have been used already.
Choosing your niche
This may be the toughest for me since I practically kinda blog whatever that goes on with life. I have posts from the arts and crafts genre to somehow travel posts to makeup posts and with whatever blah I have. Yet, I realized that having a niche isn’t bad after all and having those other posts (that may be outside your niche) is not really bad at all. Although, majority of your posts should be under the niche you picked.
To effectively pick a niche, I may have asked myself these and these might help you as well:
- Why did I blog in the first place?
- What do I want to write about?
- How do I find my passion?
- What are my hobbies in life or things I do when I have nothing to do at all?
- What has blogging done in my life?
Set of blogging tools and/or gadgets
Before I started this serious side of blogging, I was on Tumblr reblogging and posting some of my poems and scribbles. Then, I had my very own camera (which is featured as a Favorite Friday item here) which really helped me in capturing quality photos that I could use for my posts.
Yet with my blogging journey here’s a list of my blogging tools and/or gadgets:
- Laptop – This is my go-to tool in posting and editing my blog, photos and the codes that come along.
- Camera – I used to bring my dslr with me, all the time, up until I had to go to places which are quite far from where I live so I just use it whenever the place is quite near.
- Phone (smartphone) – It has been my go-to camera during events or places I go to. It has a high-resolution
Social accounts
These are helpful in promoting your accounts and gaining followers/readers. Hashtags are quite helpful since when you use them for searching, your post may just be directly looped in. Although, sometimes, if you already make a sentence with your hashtag, it may seem not as a tag anymore; just include it in the caption.
Lastly, for me, this is the most essential ingredient for blogging. And it is:
Dedication and Motivation
There will be those moments wherein you will feel sluggish and unproductive and that’s normal (really). Yet, through those moments one must realize that being sluggish and unproductive will never bring success. Blogging is also a hard work. Readers return because you connect with them through what you write or blog about. Even if there are personal stuff at times, some (that you may not know) have undergone the same feeling or situation you have been. Updating your blog a few times a week is not an easy thing to do. The creativity it asks of you in writing unique and heartfelt posts is quite a challenge. Whether you are blogging for fun or for career, it’s essential to be dedicated and motivated in doing it.
Well, I guess that’s it for my blogging essentials. Thank you for reading this lengthy post. I hope this will be helpful. 😁
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I wish I knew about Pangalan.com before I started! That way I could have saved a huge buck </3 Thank you for the helpful tips. I'm sure starting bloggers such as myself would very much appreciate it 🙂
I only knew of Pangalan.com through another friend as well. I’m glad to have read her post way back! 😀
That is a good list of blogging essentials! I started on Blogger back when I was only blogging for my friends, but when I decided to take my blog public, I switched to WordPress.org. It’s so much easier to use and has fewer issues than Blogger. Picking my domain name took me a really long time too! How did you pick yours?
With my domain name, I just used my Twitter username. It has been somehow sentimental of me to use “Mariaisquixotic” <3
Whew, you could write a post as an overview or going into details, 10 posts would not even cover all the essentials. Blogging though is easy, thanks to the platforms now available. The hard part is deciding on what niche to focus on.
Very helpful tips, Maria. Every aspiring blogger should follow your advice, it’s better to do it right the first time, and all the time.
Since you’re into giving blogging tips, this post, Bloggers growth path may be of interest and help to you and your readers
Thank you for that 🙂
I like your list. When we start we don’t usually think about these thing, it become more of a learn as you go process. Truthfully the learning never stops because things are constantly changing.
I agree. The learning never stops. Even pro bloggers can learn a thing or two from newbies. Blogging is one heck of a community 🙂
And we should not stop learning, learning is forever! Hahaha! 😛
I know I really need to find my niche but no matter how hard I think about it, I still can’t decide which one. I want to write about everything that I am fond of hahaha this is a fantastic post especially those who are new to blogging 🙂
Usually every bloggers starts that way. Personal blogs are all about you and what you want to write about or share. In time, you may find your niche and work towards it.
Ugh! I wish I learned about Pangalan.com sooner! Also, I was on Multiply and Tumblr and WordPress before I hopped onto Blogger, I found WordPress too complicated haha
Before, I tried tweaking it with the WordPress.com but I gave up also. Now, I got help from IT friends so it made things easier. 🙂
The blogging essentials you’ve shared are really helpful to aspiring bloggers. Wish we have read something like this before we started our blog. We really could have avoided a costly mistake. Anyway, now, we’re enjoying also a self-hosted blog on WordPress.
Gettin your Domain is the first step to reach wider audience. In choosing a name, prefer easier terms so people can easily pick it up. Patience and Dedication must be maintained in blogging – and that can be a tough thing to do.
These are all great tips! Having your own domain name and picking a name you plan to stick with is very important. And social media is very important for connecting with readers. We recently started an Instagram account and I am indeed learning the benefits of hashtags! 🙂
You’ve pretty much summed up the things that I’d advise myself to someone who wants to start blogging. I wish I had enough money when I started and got domain and hosting. I just bought my own domain last year but I’ve been blogging for 5 years (almost 6 now). When I transferred I lost many followers. Oh well.
Regaining those followers might be hard. 🙁
I certainly agree about sticking to one niche. In this way, you can easily focus on one field. Plus, the factor of reaching the specific audience is easily targeted.
That is an excellent post ! What a fantastic guide for new beginners , I think you must have thought of everything that comes along with blogging . I love seeing bloggers helping other bloggers , very well explained everything , great job !
Thank you, Klaudia!
I bought my first ever domain in Pangalan.com! It was referred to my by a friend. I only paid Php 199 for the first year. It was their famous promo so I knew I had to take it. Haha.
xx, Janine | Wandering Ella
So how many domains you have now? Haha! Mine too, I learned it from a friend of mine and got hold of that famous Php 199 promo and now, I regret nothing! Haha <3
Yeah, I agree with pointers itself. Nice post for new bloggers! I’m a new blogger too but thankfully, I am born in the IT side of the world. Hehehe
-Jerny (www.thejerny.com)
Lucky for you to be on the IT side!
Great list! I do believe those domain name and niche would be useless if there is no motivation. I always think that having a domain name would keep me blogging but then just realized that youre right. Motivation should be there.
The list is really great and I liked that it is to the point. I love blogging and my essentials include exactly the things you described. I loved the tips you shared on choosing your platform and host !!!
Thank you, Nimisha! 🙂
Really good for beginning bloggers. In the beginning everything is hard. I didn’t even know what domain to choose. Great tips for starters and hopefully it will help them to get online! xo sabine http://www.sofarsosabine.com
Nice guide for those new to blogging. I started blogging years ago already and just returned this year. I wish I knew about pangalan.com because I was really looking for domain providers that are PH-based. well next time 🙂
I agree, when blogging it’s always better to start with your own domain and hosting. I see lots of bloggers wanting to upgrade and finding it a nightmare to change data bases and keep followers.
I completely agree that you need a lot of tools like the basics of WordPress and to set up your social media accounts. But you definitely need dedication to stick through the hard and slow building of blogging. I think you have it right that you need to be ready with all of these things!
I love this list! I started blogging in 2011 – but it was more of a “I -have -nothing- to -do- so- I- might- as- well -write” kinda thing. I only started blogging seriously last year. It took a blogging coach to make me realise all how important these blogging essentials are. Like you, I mostly write about my life – so it was hard for me to pin down what my niche and who my target audience should be. And choosing a domain name, I can’t emphasise enough how important this is! My first blog was called “the desperate subic housewife” – ironically, we’re moving out of Subic in a few weeks. I’m sure glad I decided to change handles months ago. Hahaha. Thank you for this! There are some things I never considered such as creating complimentary social accounts, so super helpful!
Dedication and motivation, true essentials indeed! I actually write very slow (because I tend to reread and reread the little I’ve written haha) so it does require a lot of my time. I started back in Multiply, just to write about the happenings in my life. I restarted on WordPress when my son was born. And then finally got my own domain a couple of years back.
Your post is jampacked with information that a starting blogger like me need to know. I am blogging for a few months yet but with this tips, I hope to be just like you mate. I started blogging quite late already and wordpress is very friendly to me,I find easy to navigate than the others. thanks for sharing mate!
cheers! http://www.masterryo.wordpress.com
This list is awesome. Being a blogger, I understand that even 20posts aren’t enough to cover the essentia. But you fid a fantastic job. This is such an informative post. I am writing an eBook ob blogging for bloggers who are newbiews. Would love to include this post in that. Is it okay if I share the link in my book?
http://www.haircaresquare.com
I found that starting and maintaining a blog has become more and more easy. We live in a time that thrives on online content. I do still think that dedication and motivation are what makes a blogger. It’s certainly isn’t easy churning out content regularly and it can sometimes be disheartening trying to maintain a blog when you think no one else aside from you is invested in it. You just have to keep going and let your passion push you.
I have everything except my own domain because as for me, blogging is a hobby. Although my peers motivate me to better at this craft. This is very motivational. Will surely consider these ideasn
It’s a very good list! It could have helped me alot a few month ago 🙂 But I guess that it’s a good reminder.
You are obviously super motivated and very inspiring. Keep up the good work 🙂
Picking a specific niche has been hardest for me, maybe because as a personal blogger I wanted to tackle everything I want. Perhaps when I get more serious in monetizing I’d pick a certain niche, but not now hehe. Agreed on getting your own domain too, self hosted even, right now I only have a domain cos I’m not too bent on paying for hosting yet! XD
multiply sounds awfully familiar, i believe i once had an account at least 10 years ago. But i thought they just shutdown, didn’t know that they’ve converted into a shopping site! for me, i think choosing a blogging niche is the hardest, which is why I chose to adopt ‘lifestyle’ as my niche as it pretty much encompass everything. well, i’m a typical libra. horribly indecisive.
Yes on dedication and motivation. For me, these two essentials are indispensable. If bloggers have these, they will persevere.
I agree especially with the last point. Blogging is hard work and I think it’s natural to feel lazy, unproductive and sometimes even discouraged for whatever reasons – having low readership, etc. But in the end you have to go back to the reason you’re blogging in the first place, that’s where your inspiration is.
P.S. I love how you blog abt something you’re truly passionate about – art and calligraphy. Keep it up. 🙂
Hey Maria this is one practical post! I so agree with the domain, it’s so important to have your own without the silly second part like .wordpress or .blogspot . It took me a while to get my own domain for my first blog but I didn’t wait at all on my second blog cause I knew how important it was. Great post, gonna share it.
Dedication and Motivation! Because you can have the most advanced camera and laptop in the world but if you lack dedication and motivation, you’ll go nowhere. It’s important to remember too that quality of posts should never be taken for granted. Quality over quantity, always.