How to Start a Blog From Scratch

If you’ve read anything about online marketing in the past few years, you know that you need a blog. You need a blog to draw traffic to your website, to help your audience see your more personal and approachable side, and, of course, to help Google find your site and show it in search results. What if you’ve never blogged before and you’re starting from zero? This post will help you if you’re trying to start a blog from scratch.

Answer These Questions Before Your Start a Blog

1. Where will your blog live? Starting a blog is kind of like moving to a new city — the first thing you think about is where you’ll rest your head at night. Fortunately, determining where your blog will live is much easier than house hunting. You want your blog to live on the same domain as your website. On this site, the blog is fully integrated with my static pages, which means when you click the link to read this post, you also may explore the rest of the site (I hope you do) to see who I am and what I’m about.
2. What will you write about? This question may seem obvious as first, but it’s not always as easy as it seems. Depending on your business, there may be several different directions. Before you start a blog, think through the types of content that will solve your customers’ problems. One of the best sources for blog content is the questions your prospects and customers ask. If you hear a particular question time and again, it’s likely an excellent topic for a post.
3. How often will you post? This is one of the most difficult questions to answer. Several years ago, I made a New Years resolution to post twice each week. That one didn’t make it past January 2 because it wasn’t realistic. I had too much on my plate to create two posts each week. I was discouraged when I missed my goal, but I should have been more honest with myself about my time and resources. Don’t shoot too high; you can always add another post. Be realistic.
4. What platform will you use? This site is built on WordPress, which I’ve used consistently since 2006. I use it because it works — it allows me to keep the blog integrated with the rest of my website — and it does an excellent job of arranging my content so that search engines find it more easily. If your blog will be integrated with a…