If you're a blogger, looking for tips or blogger-friendly companies, you've come to the right place!
Brand Yourself
-Select a name for your blog that people will remember.
-Avoid copyright issues
Select Your Blogging Platform
-Blogger: www.blogger.com
-Word Press: www.wordpress.com
Consider Purchasing Your Domain
-Blogger will give you free hosting and a free blogspot.com address, however, Word Press does not offer free hosting.
-Owning your own domain costs as little as $10/yr- I purchased mine through the Blogger platform, using Google Checkout.
-Owning your own domain helps with your branding, allows people to easily recognize your web address and remembers it, and helps with SEO (Search Engine Optimization).
Set Up Your Blog
-Choose a theme
-Select elements such as colors, fonts, etc.
-Setting up a blog can seem scary, if you’ve never played around with web design, but it’s not as scary as it may appear to be. If you’re willing to learn as you go, you’ll do just fine.
Design and Installation Help
-Visit www.thecutestblogontheblock.com
-Choose from pre-designed blog templates- layouts, banners, elements, etc.
-Use their FREE blog layouts (I do!)
-Follow their many tutorials on how to set up your blog, and install backgrounds, change fonts and colors, make a custom header, etc.
-Make a custom Timeline Cover to match your blog’s theme for your Facebook page!
-Download and Install the Alexa Toolbar to track your ranking and traffic.
-Track traffic through Google Analytics.
Design Packages
-If you’d rather not design and set up your blog yourself, you can pay a professional to do it for you!
-Little Bee Marketing: http://littlebeemarketing.com- Custom designs for blogs, FB pages, graphics, mobile pages, and more!
Must-Have Elements for Any Blog
-Social Media Bar
-About Me section
-Contact Info
-Visible Archive to Past Blog Posts
-Ways for others to ‘Follow’ Your Blog
-Comment Section
-Lots of high res, quality photos
-Share buttons for social sharing
*Set up an e-mail address specifically to use for your blog. I use gmail.
Best Blogging Practices
-Abide by the Blog With Integrity code of ethics
-Blog often: daily, if possible
-Make a blogging calendar or schedule and stick to it
Treat Your Blog as Your Website
-Make a warm, welcoming homepage that will make others want to keep coming back.
-Add ‘tabs’ or pages to your blog. Some ideas for pages include:
About the author
Recipes
Tips
Travel
Contact
Media Kit
Review Request
Special Services/Advertising
Reviews
Networking
-Your blog will not grow (ie: gain followers), if you don’t network.
-Visit and follow other blogs. Leave comments on others blog posts, and ask for a follow back (leave your blog address) within your comment.
-Don’t discount social media. If you have a blog, you need a FB page! You don’t have to have a Twitter account, but it is helpful, as Twitter reaches a whole new audience.
Set up blog profiles through Pinterest, LinkedIn, Google+, Instagram.
-Connect with your audience!
Link Accounts
You can easily link your blog to your Facebook page, and link your Facebook page to your Twitter account. Update your blog by posting- your post will then post to your FB page, and your Twitter account- killing three birds with one stone!
Helpful Tools
Photobucket (www.photobucket.com) -for editing graphics and photos
PicMonkey (http://www.picmonkey.com)
Canva (www.canva.com)- Create free social media graphics
Hootsuite (www.hootsite.com)- for managing social media accounts
For Questions, Help, etc...
Contact me!
E-mail: themommyblog83@gmail.com
Follow my blog: http://www.mommysblockparty.co
Brand Yourself
-Select a name for your blog that people will remember.
-Avoid copyright issues
Select Your Blogging Platform
-Blogger: www.blogger.com
-Word Press: www.wordpress.com
Consider Purchasing Your Domain
-Blogger will give you free hosting and a free blogspot.com address, however, Word Press does not offer free hosting.
-Owning your own domain costs as little as $10/yr- I purchased mine through the Blogger platform, using Google Checkout.
-Owning your own domain helps with your branding, allows people to easily recognize your web address and remembers it, and helps with SEO (Search Engine Optimization).
Set Up Your Blog
-Choose a theme
-Select elements such as colors, fonts, etc.
-Setting up a blog can seem scary, if you’ve never played around with web design, but it’s not as scary as it may appear to be. If you’re willing to learn as you go, you’ll do just fine.
Design and Installation Help
-Visit www.thecutestblogontheblock.com
-Choose from pre-designed blog templates- layouts, banners, elements, etc.
-Use their FREE blog layouts (I do!)
-Follow their many tutorials on how to set up your blog, and install backgrounds, change fonts and colors, make a custom header, etc.
-Make a custom Timeline Cover to match your blog’s theme for your Facebook page!
-Download and Install the Alexa Toolbar to track your ranking and traffic.
-Track traffic through Google Analytics.
Design Packages
-If you’d rather not design and set up your blog yourself, you can pay a professional to do it for you!
-Little Bee Marketing: http://littlebeemarketing.com- Custom designs for blogs, FB pages, graphics, mobile pages, and more!
Must-Have Elements for Any Blog
-Social Media Bar
-About Me section
-Contact Info
-Visible Archive to Past Blog Posts
-Ways for others to ‘Follow’ Your Blog
-Comment Section
-Lots of high res, quality photos
-Share buttons for social sharing
*Set up an e-mail address specifically to use for your blog. I use gmail.
Best Blogging Practices
-Abide by the Blog With Integrity code of ethics
-Blog often: daily, if possible
-Make a blogging calendar or schedule and stick to it
Treat Your Blog as Your Website
-Make a warm, welcoming homepage that will make others want to keep coming back.
-Add ‘tabs’ or pages to your blog. Some ideas for pages include:
About the author
Recipes
Tips
Travel
Contact
Media Kit
Review Request
Special Services/Advertising
Reviews
Networking
-Your blog will not grow (ie: gain followers), if you don’t network.
-Visit and follow other blogs. Leave comments on others blog posts, and ask for a follow back (leave your blog address) within your comment.
-Don’t discount social media. If you have a blog, you need a FB page! You don’t have to have a Twitter account, but it is helpful, as Twitter reaches a whole new audience.
Set up blog profiles through Pinterest, LinkedIn, Google+, Instagram.
-Connect with your audience!
Link Accounts
You can easily link your blog to your Facebook page, and link your Facebook page to your Twitter account. Update your blog by posting- your post will then post to your FB page, and your Twitter account- killing three birds with one stone!
Helpful Tools
Photobucket (www.photobucket.com) -for editing graphics and photos
PicMonkey (http://www.picmonkey.com)
Canva (www.canva.com)- Create free social media graphics
Hootsuite (www.hootsite.com)- for managing social media accounts
For Questions, Help, etc...
Contact me!
E-mail: themommyblog83@gmail.com
Follow my blog: http://www.mommysblockparty.co
Here are some places you can sign up online for Blogger Outreach Programs
Ah Goo Baby
Affordable Style
Amazing Clubs
Baby Bjorn
Bella Find
Belle and Blaire
Blogger Match
Boon
Case Crown
Carmex
Honey Dumplings
Joovy
Omni Hotels
Rubbermaid
Uncommon Goods
WowWee
Ah Goo Baby
Affordable Style
Amazing Clubs
Baby Bjorn
Bella Find
Belle and Blaire
Blogger Match
Boon
Case Crown
Carmex
Honey Dumplings
Joovy
Omni Hotels
Rubbermaid
Uncommon Goods
WowWee
Thank you for sharing this information! I signed up with as many as I could. Some of the links were not working though!
ReplyDeleteGreat list of resources! Thank you for sharing, it'll help a lot of bloggers get started!
ReplyDeleteWow... great list of resources. Thank you for sharing them!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for sharing-- until this year I never thought of any of my blogs as businesses, so I am way behind in learning how to monetize. These links will be helpful for sure.
ReplyDelete