I hosted a Launch Your Blog masterclass last month and it was incredible!! The women were so eager to learn everything about launching their own blogs. So much information was shared and so many amazing questions came up. I meant to record the whole thing and I was so excited to start that I forgot to hit the button.

It then occurred to me that I have never written a blog post about launching a blog. Crazy right? This is where I truly love to help women. Launching a blog can feel so incredibly overwhelming with all of the different pieces that you need to know.

In this blog, I am only going to break down the first 10 steps for you to launch your blog. I do NOT want to overwhelm you or scare you away from starting your own blog. Plus, hey, if you are ready to hire help to get you started, I have room for one woman as a 1:1 coaching client.

LAUNCHING YOUR BLOG THE RIGHT WAY

Why is this so important?

When I started blogging, I just started. I didn’t know anything about it. I didn’t know what blogging truly was because it was never on my radar until I started one. It was years of struggle. Learning something new every day and spending countless hours researching and watching YouTube videos just so that I could get a grasp on what I needed to do.

I don’t want that for you. I have done all of that. I have spent those hours already so that you don’t have to. Launching your blog in a way that is simple and uncomplicated means that you are more likely going to do it.

In my masterclass, we covered 27 steps to launching your blog. I broke them up into three different phases.

Phase one is planning.

Phase two is building.

Phase three is preparing.

In this post, we are just going to cover pieces of phase one. Phase one is really all about the setup and behind the scenes of your blog.

YOUR FIRST 10 STEPS TO LAUNCHING YOUR BLOG

Are you ready? I am so excited to help you on this journey to blogging. I am going to break down and talk about the first 10 steps you should take to launch your blog.

Step One| Write out your why. This is such an important piece of the puzzle and one that many bloggers do not do. Taking the time to write out your why means that on the harder days of blogging, you will be able to go back and look at why you are blogging. Your why will keep everything in perspective and allow you to continue to move forward.

Step Two| Create your blogging goals. You can’t really know where you want to go with your blog if you do not have goals set. Start with creating 30-day goals. When you are new to blogging, it may be hard to know what it is that you truly want to set goals for. Here are some goal ideas that you can begin with.

Step Three| Plan your blog schedule. What day or days of the week do you want to publish on? My advice, when you are just starting out, begin small. Start with one blog post per week or one blog post every other week. Oftentimes, bloggers are so excited to start that they begin with two or three posts a week and quickly realize that they are going to burn out fast. You can always change how many times you post so start small. My blog schedule has changed many times over the course of the years that I have been blogging. Life changes and things happen. Create a strategy that works with YOUR life.

Step Four| Create a writing plan. This is different than a blog schedule. I want you to think about your weekly schedule. Include everything that you need to do and things that are important in your life. How much time can you commit to writing blog posts? Knowing when you can write will also help you with knowing how much time you can commit to posting to your blog. Create a plan that works with YOUR life. You are more than your blog so be sure to be honest with what you can do.

Step Five| Choose your niche. Are you struggling with what to write about? I have a blog post where I give you five lists that will help you narrow down your blogging niche. When it comes to choosing your niche, remember that it is about your knowledge AND your passion. You can’t succeed if one of those pieces is missing.

Step Six| Pick your domain name. This is a question that comes up so often in different blogging FB groups. Everyone is going to have an opinion so I want to share mine. I mean, you are after all, here to learn about blogging. When it comes to choosing your domain name, don’t get so caught up in using a keyword that you get stuck. I absolutely LOVE using names that have meaning behind them. It is a great way to break the ice with your readers and your followers. Yes having a keyword in your domain is a great way to let everyone know what it is that your blog and website are about but it isn’t the end-all, be-all. If you are in love with a name that doesn’t include a keyword, USE IT!!

Step Seven| Pick your platform. Again, this is a topic that bloggers and blogging coaches are going to have a HUGE opinion about. If you are looking for a great way to narrow it down, here is a workbook that you can use to help you. I love Wix. I always have and I always will. When it comes to picking your platform, think about what it is that you need it to do for you now and in the future. There are so many amazing platforms out there. Take your time and choose for what YOU want and need, NOT what others are suggesting to you.

Step Eight| Choose your theme. Now that you have a platform picked out, you need to find a theme that works for you. Do some research. Go to Google and see what you love and hate about different websites. Look for what is important to you and then see if you can find it in a theme. You can also head to Etsy to find some amazing themes for any blogging platform that you choose. I have purchased from Etsy before and loved how easy it was to upload it to my Wix website.

Step Nine| Blog branding. We tend to think of branding as just being the colours that you choose for your website and blog. That isn’t the case at all. It comes down to colours, fonts, how you make your readers feel, the language that you use and so much more. Think about all of the pieces of your branding. Your branding will change over time so don’t get so caught up in it. Start and some of your branding pieces will come to you as you continue growing. More tips on how you can brand your blog.

Step Ten| Start building your website. This part will have you crying. This part will have you laughing. This part will have you wanting to throw your computer out a window. Remember to have fun with it. Remember to take your time. The branding colours that you chose, may not look as good as you thought they would. Don’t be afraid to start over and change things as you go. Don’t allow yourself to get caught up in the building stage that you never hit publish. Publish it and fix it as you go. You will ALWAYS find something that you dislike about your website.

Grab a copy of the Planning Your Blog Launch self-audit checklist below and make sure that you have done everything you need to do to ensure a successful blog launch.