Just starting your blogging journey? Here is everything I did my first month blogging. Use it as a guide for starting your new blog!
Beginning my blog was like starting a new adventure. In the first month, I learned a lot about making a website and writing posts. It had some tough moments though, as I encountered many issues trying to learn new software and design a blog that looked how I wanted it. This is my story about how I took the first steps into the world of blogging.
Setting Up My Blog
(October 11, 2023 - November 11, 2023)
- Invested in Essentials: Purchased domain, hosting, thrive theme builder, and architect for full customization.
- Registered All Social Accounts (Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, X, etc.)
| Expense | Cost |
|---|---|
| Domain Registration | ~$20 |
| A2 Hosting | ~$180 /36 months |
| Thrive Theme Builder | ~$99 /1 year |
| Thrive Architect | ~$99 /1 year |
| Total | ~$398 |
Designing with Thrive Theme Builder
(October 11, 2023 - November 11, 2023)
- Designed my personalized website with Thrive Theme Builder. Of course I could have went the route of buying a generic WordPress theme from Etsy or elsewhere, but I know myself and I wanted something custom. I like to play around and have thing exactly how I want. I know I change my mind often so I didn't want to be stuck with a theme I didn't like after a few months, so I spent a little more money to have a system that I can make all my own updates myself, anytime I want.
- Used Thrive Theme Builder to design every part of my site including the header, footer, single blog post template, page template, and category pages. I can even edit the side bar on my own!
Creating Essential Pages
- Crafted my "About" Page: Introduced myself and the purpose of the blog.
- Home Page Design: Ensured a welcoming and user-friendly home page that has an opt-in at the top, along with a section with a bunch of lead magnets (The one thing I hear over and over again is that every successful blogger wishes they started their email list sooner. I'm starting right away!)
Content Creation Process
I started off writing my blog posts before going to sleep, while in bed. Before, I would waste endless amounts of time doom scrolling through the internet before falling asleep.
Not anymore! This is the perfect time for me to sit and write out outlines on my cell phone notes app. I would write as much as I could think of, as it came to me. I didn't care about keywords, grammar, or having the perfect topic.
I was just trying to write as much as I could about any topic that came easily. So in the mornings, I had a bunch on my own content to start filling up my site.
- Wrote blog posts in my notes app during downtime.
- Emailed drafts to myself for computer editing.
Number of Posts Written In First Month Blogging
My focus this month wasn't on writing blog posts, I was really just trying to set everything up to be in a position to start writing in the future.
- I have planned to do a 90 post challenge in the future once everything is ready.
- Generated six blog posts during the first month.
Continuous Learning
I took in as much free content as I could. I listed to YouTube, Podcasts, read blog posts, about everything blogging, Pinterest, and creating a website.
All my free time was consumed with this. I mean if I was cooking dinner, I was also watching or listening to something that would educate me.
Even if there were tutorials that I couldn't work along with, I would listen and re-watcher later.
