Earlier this year, a friend decided to start a blog. I had no idea what I was doing when I started writing Cooker and a Looker in April 2012. Looking back, some of the things I did make me palm my face. Other stuff I totally fluked. Here are my fourteen plain-talking tips for starting a blog.
1. name of the game
Choose your blog name wisely. There are only so many times that you can explain your blog name without it sounding like an apology.
Hi! I’m Amanda from Cooker and a Looker.
Looker? Yes, well, it comes from a joke my husband told….
2. look before you leap
Check that no one else is using instagram, twitter handles or a Facebook page under your proposed blog name. Search the internet for your blog name. Don’t forget image searches. I’d been blogging for a while before I realised that if you searched “cooker and a looker” images, this bird showed up.
3. up for grabs
Even if you have no intention of being a twit, snavel your handle up now. Do the same with a Facebook page, instagram, pinterest, vine, go and get it all. You mightn’t need it yet, but it’ll save a massive hassle if someone else should start using it instead.
4. wordpress or blogger?
I started on blogger and then migrated myself to wordpress. I prefer wordpress because I feel like I have more control over my site. If you can afford it, go straight to self-hosted wordpress. If you decide to use wordpress, DELETE the automatic “hello world” post immediately!
5. write five posts
While you’re dicking around in the background, choosing a theme and grabbing twitter by the handle, write five posts and set them to private. Then, when you’re ready to tell to the world about your site, you’ll have content to hock to entertain and educate your readers.
6. don’t hold back
or hold back. Whatever.
Your blog is your space. There are no rules, except the ones you want to make for yourself.
7. practice makes perfect
Perfectionism is crippling. If you wait until your post is perfect, then you’ll never publish a single post. Do your best, then send it into the ether. Better done than not at all.
8. timing is everything
There’s nothing more satisfying than bashing out a post and pressing publish, but if you’re writing at odd hours it’s likely that no one will read it. Use the schedule function instead. I like reading blogs first up in the morning. I like to picture my readers, like me, slumped on a chair in their jammies, hair unbrushed, sipping coffee. I figure if I publish a post then, they might appreciate something to read until the motivation to make lunches strikes.
9. working for the weekend
In my experience, publishing posts on a weekend are a waste of good content. This might not be true for your readers, but come Saturday, mine seem to find better things to do that read my rantings.
10. out of the picture
Photos are king; at least for food. If you don't have a great photo of your recipe, then people just aren’t inclined to cook it. That said, be honest. Don’t muck with the photo so much that it’s not representative of the real deal. There’s nothing more frustrating than cooking a recipe, only for it to turn out nothing like the pictures.
11. good neighbours become good friends
Read heaps of blogs. Comment on lots of them. Look for Blog Rolls on others' blogs - they're a great way to find some new favourite blogs, be inspired to write better stories + take better pictures and, probably, make some new friends.
12. be prepared not to be liked …
Not everyone will like you or agree with your point of view; be respectful and engage in debate. Try not to be sad when you lose a subscriber. If you notice your numbers drop remind yourself of Dita Von Teese’s quote about peaches.
… but don’t invite the haters
I’d been writing for a while before I learned about a mob called Get Off My Internets (GOMI). They’re a group of people who enjoy critiquing blogs. I made a conscious decision that day that I would never visit their site or read their posts. I’d found something that I loved to do at a very sad time in my life. I was frightened that if I read a critique (I’m using that word very loosely), I’d change the way I wrote or worse - stop writing altogether.
13. take out the trash
Should you receive a comment on your blog that is disrespectful to you, your family/friends or other readers - delete it and don’t think about it any more. Stuff like that doesn’t deserve to take up space in your head or on your blog.
The same goes for spam. I hate clicking to read the comments on a blog post only to discover that they’re just people flogging fake handbags, sunglasses and get-rich-quick schemes.
14. fun and games
Blogging should be fun. I love blogging. It's had such a positive impact on my life, but it can be tough to juggle everything. Sometimes the words just won't come, sometimes work is busy and your kids are sick, sometimes it's more important to be completely present on a family holiday. Give yourself a break, remember you make the rules and step away from the inter webs.
Finally, an insurance-style disclosure statement: I'm not the boss of you. This advice won't be suited to everyone. As they say on the ads: please consider your own circumstances before following any of the advice laid out above. You make the rules, remember?
more resources
If you’re looking for proper advice from qualified sources, I recommend these posts by Stacey Roberts of Veggie Mama and Mrs Woog of Woogsworld:
history of a blogger: the veggie mama evolution,
blogging as an alternative to a traditional media career
how I doubled my unique visitors in six months and tripled them in a year.
are you a blogger?
what advice would you give someone starting out?
mumabulous says
I admit to reading GOMI. I cant bloody help myself. Don't worry - you've never been mentioned there but I have 😉
Amanda, Cooker and a Looker says
For being fass-ulous no doubt Brenda! 🙂
Aleney says
Great tips Amanda! 🙂
Amanda, Cooker and a Looker says
Thanks lovely. x
Samantha says
Thanks so much for your great advice! I must admit the blogging idea has seeded in my garden for 2014 so all of the above is honest, real and invaluable! Keep up the interesting and authentic posts!
Amanda, Cooker and a Looker says
How exciting Samantha. Pop back and let me know when you're live? I'd love to read it. 🙂
Ed@The Tunnel says
Your tips are spot on. Even the observation about posting on Saturday. It is generally a wasteland for The Tunnel too - but we still post then cos satire has to hit the presses when inspiration strikes!
And read Mumabulous. A very funny and thought provoking blog.
Amanda, Cooker and a Looker says
I'd read The Tunnel every day of the week!
Aside from Campbell's guilty enough legislation my favourite post would have to be your open letter to Amanda about her open letter to Sinead about her open letter to Miley.
Note: I broke my own stupid weekend rule today. I'm not even the boss of me!
Robyn says
Great post lovely, I'll definitely share it. I've never hear dog GOMI before and I certainly won't be going there! The only thing I could add would be to work out what your own voice is and us it - maybe easier said than done but it's so much easier to write when you do xx
Robyn says
Dog GOMI?? Another tip - check spelling before pressing publish :)))
Amanda, Cooker and a Looker says
Dog GOMI. Freudian slip?
🙂
Beth Mantle says
Love this post, Amanda! You are my oracle of blogging goodness. 🙂
Amanda, Cooker and a Looker says
Oracle of blogging goodness? Can I put that on my business card? 😛
Sally@Toddlers on Tour says
Some great advice here.
I agree with you about the weekends. People don't seem to be reading posts.
Don't take offence at the amount of people that will "Like" you then "Unlike" you just as fast on Facebook, Twitter etc.
Oh and always add an image to a post.
muvvaluv says
Some great tips here! Many thanks!
Kate Burr says
WOW! Thanks for the great info - for a newbie like me this is AWESOME!!! Cheers Kate
Have a laugh on me says
Some sound advice there lovely. I'd have to agree about writing what suits you AND always having an image. I also prefer to read blogs that aren't full of HUGE chunks of text, and LOOOONNNNGGG sentences. x
theveggiemama says
I don't brush my hair. I also slump. Perfect blog-reading combo with coffee x
Glenda @ Healthy Stories says
I publish in the mornings now too, which makes it morning for Aussie readers and afternoon for US readers. I do publish on Saturday mornings though and I find that I still get decent readership on the post.
Jules says
I love what you've written. Agree about the shadowlands let it freeze over, keep your warmth away. Totally agree about deleting negative, hurtful comments, the argument about free speech corrodes all manner of decency. Boundaries for sure. Thank very much 🙂
Jenn Jay says
thanks this was very helpful as am about to embark on self hosting with WP!
Lauren @ Create Bake Make says
Great tips, this post would have been very handy when I first started out 🙂
Cindy @Your Kids OT says
Love these tips. I've never heard of GOMI but I will do my best not to go there...but you know once you've been told not to do it the temptation is so much greater. (p.s. I'm really a teenager than never grew up).
Erika @ Ever-changing Life of a Mum says
Just came across this on my Twitter feed. Thanks for the great down to earth tips. I just launched my blog a couple of months ago so find these very useful! I will do my best to stay away from GOMI, who needs that kind of negativity in life?!
Amanda, Cooker and a Looker says
Glad it was helpful Erika. I hope you grow to love blogging as much as I do! xx