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My first attempt at blogging was back in 2008. I had just had my second daughter and was still on maternity leave. My haphazardly launched “mommy blog” lasted about 12 weeks. Once I was back at work full-time, doing the mom thing and preparing for our next military move, the blog fell to the wayside. In hindsight the timing wasn’t right, nor the subject matter.
Now 9 years later (yikes!) I am celebrating almost 18 months into my new venture, Aloha Lovely. I’m still trucking along more encouraged than ever to turn this side passion into something amazing. I’ve learned a few things over the past 18 months and wanted to share my experiences. I’ll be working on a series of blog/brand type resource posts ranging from social media strategy to how to take amazing blog photos. So lets go brand your passion!
Step 1: Identify Your Passion
Ok, so why do you want to start a blog? There are many different types of blogs out there ranging from lifestyle, fashion, food, travel…you name it. What is your passion? How do you think you could share that with other people and why do you want to share it? Some people just love to write and be a part of a community. Other people look at a blog more long term, as a way to make money doing something they love. You need to figure out what your focus is and build upon it.
Step 2: Brand Your Passion
Once you have identified your passion and potential subject matter, you need to brand it. Coming up with a name for your blog as well as logo identity are all things you need to figure out before starting the more technical steps of setting up your blog. A lot of bloggers use their names as their brand identity and that is an easy go-to and totally fine. Other bloggers associated their brand name with the type of content they will be focusing on, which is another smart approach. Make sure that as you are brainstorming, that you are checking to see if your blog name options are available as domains.
I came up with Aloha Lovely as a variation of “Hello Beautiful”. Since I curate lifestyle content based on the island of Oahu, it gives the reader an idea of what to expect. Basically all things that I feel are lovely, whether fashion, design, food or island adventure.
Once you figure out your name you can either design your logo yourself or source it out. I use Adobe Creative Suite in my 9-5 life as an Art Director, so I used Adobe Illustrator to create my logo. There are many free products out there as well and one I have heard about repeatedly is Canva. If you are looking for interesting fonts to use in your logo, check out DaFont. My general advise, just keep it simple.
Step 3: Figure out the Framework
So you have a name and a logo, now it’s time to set up the basic structure of your blog. I personally use Bluehost for my domain registration, blog management and WordPress integration. It’s a very easy one-stop-shop to use. Check it out for yourself here.
It’s really affordable and I think offers a pretty intuitive pathway to setting everything up. If you click “get started now” you’ll come to the next page which offers you a few different packages. I recommend the basic package to start out with, at $3.95 a month it’s less than a cup of coffee at Starbucks. This also includes one domain. It’s great to have your domain and hosting all in the same place.
Once you select your package you are taken to a page where you can select a domain name or use one you already own. It will let you know if what you choose is available or not, although you should already know at this point ๐
After this step you are prompted to enter some final information and voila! You’ve got your blog. Well, almost. The next couple of steps involve getting set up on WordPress.
Log in to your Bluehost account and scroll down to the “Website” section. Click on “Install WordPress”.
On the next page, select the domain on which you want to install WordPress and fill in your site name and admin info. When you’re ready, click “Install Now”. Bluehost lays out some pretty simple steps as far as getting WordPress set up, it shouldn’t take you more than 10-15 minutes.
Step 4: Develop Content
Now this is really just the very beginning of getting your blog going. Before you go live I suggest you have at least a few posts published on your site. You want people to be able to click around a bit and have a great first impression of your brand. Remember, you’re branding your passion. So be passionate!
Figure out how you will organize your content, what your top menu will consist of, and write an “about” page. I suggest creating a visual experience for your audience as well. Be sure to mix in relevant photos or graphics with your copy.
You should also sign up for social media accounts for your brand. I suggest Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest as your core social platforms. You need ways to promote your content and each of these platforms has their own strengths. I actually started an Instagram account before I even launched my blog, almost like a prelaunch for the brand. Visual content is so valuable for a brand there is really no reason not to start early and build a following.
Here are my accounts if you wanna take a peek.
Instagram: @alohalovelyhawaii
Twitter: @julieestrella
Facebook Page: Aloha Lovely Hawaii
Pinterest: Aloha Lovely
Well thats it for now. I tried to keep this starter post very simple. There are a lot of pieces involved when building a brand and launching a blog and I intend to dig deeper in upcoming blog themed posts. I hope this post was helpful and if it only inspires just one person to brand their passion, I’ll be happy. Much Aloha!
Questions? Feel free to ask in the comment section below.
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63 Comments
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November 1, 2017 at 5:29 AM[…] I decided that I wanted toย create a series ofย blog/brand resource posts. So far I have written a How to Start a Blog post and aย Free Fonts post. This post will give an overview of how you can be your own blog […]
For the Love of Design: 15 Free Fonts | Aloha Lovely
August 25, 2017 at 5:28 AM[…] How to Start a Blog: Branding your Passion […]
Kimberly
August 22, 2017 at 4:13 AMGreat tips for getting started. I’m a brand designer so I spend a lot of time doing this for myself and others. The most important part is to definitely be passionate about you do since you will spend so much time working on it! Great share!
julie@alohalovely.com
August 22, 2017 at 8:42 PMThanks Kimberly! I think passion is really the key to longevity too!
Fi Morrison
August 21, 2017 at 7:49 PMGreat tips, thanks for sharing! I am 11 months into my blogging journey and I wish I had these tips at the start to avoid lots of hassle to begin with. I love how you chose the name of your blog based on your location and your niche, it fits so perfectly!
julie@alohalovely.com
August 22, 2017 at 8:40 PMThanks so much Fi!
Nicole Banuelos
August 18, 2017 at 6:48 AMSuch great tips! And Canva is awesome, I use it for my pins! ๐
julie@alohalovely.com
August 18, 2017 at 6:53 AMThanks Nicole!
andrea
August 18, 2017 at 5:53 AMAnd you picked out BlueHost – that’s what I have too ๐
Rosalie
August 17, 2017 at 1:34 PMSuch a great post – it’s so important to have passion and write what you love ๐
Megan Acuna
August 17, 2017 at 10:13 AMNice guide! Branding something you’re passionate about is hard work but it’s so much fun!
julie@alohalovely.com
August 18, 2017 at 5:48 AMI agree, you gotta have some passion to want to put in the work.
Tanvi Rastogi
August 17, 2017 at 10:01 AMThis is such good practical and useful information. People starting now have so many great resources like this to learn from.
โฅ tanvii.com
julie@alohalovely.com
August 18, 2017 at 5:48 AMThanks Tanvi!
Tara
August 14, 2017 at 8:36 AMthis is amazing, excellent job and so thorough! I wish I saw this when I started!
julie@alohalovely.com
August 14, 2017 at 7:49 PMThanks so much Tara!
Shannon
August 12, 2017 at 12:51 PMAh man, I wish I had seen this a couple years ago when I started my blog!
Amy Blake
August 12, 2017 at 1:39 AMAwesome post! Writing about what you love is key!
julie@alohalovely.com
August 12, 2017 at 6:31 AMAbsolutely!
celeste
August 11, 2017 at 10:03 AMThank you for sharing these tips with us. It really helps to hear what others are doing. ๐
julie@alohalovely.com
August 11, 2017 at 5:48 PMThanks Celeste, Aloha!
Tia Cox
August 11, 2017 at 6:58 AMCouldn’t agree more, love your photos!
julie@alohalovely.com
August 11, 2017 at 5:47 PMThanks so much Tia!
Stacey
August 9, 2017 at 6:49 AMSuch a thorough and great post! It can be an overwhelming and challenging experience! Thank you for laying all out for us.
julie@alohalovely.com
August 9, 2017 at 8:19 PMThanks Stacey!
Britt | Sweet Tea & Thyme
August 8, 2017 at 4:49 PMThis is so inspirational and such great content for beginner bloggers!
julie@alohalovely.com
August 8, 2017 at 9:56 PMThanks so much Britt!
candy
August 8, 2017 at 10:56 AMAll new bloggers should read your post and this would help them tremendously. Hard starting out and this would be very helpful.
julie@alohalovely.com
August 8, 2017 at 11:01 AMThanks so much Candy! I hope it helps someone ๐
Alison
August 8, 2017 at 7:07 AMThis is great information & super helpful for new bloggers! I think we all start off blogging having no idea the actual time commitment it will be!
julie@alohalovely.com
August 8, 2017 at 10:51 AMTotally. A continuous time commitment!
Torche' Nash
August 8, 2017 at 5:26 AMThanks for the information! As a new blogger, it’s always helpful for me to gain more insight from other bloggers who have more experience.
julie@alohalovely.com
August 8, 2017 at 6:20 AMIts a never ending learning curve! Thanks for stopping by.
Natalie @ Obsessive Cooking Disorder
August 8, 2017 at 5:03 AMSo glad to see how excited you are about blogging ๐ Keep it up!
julie@alohalovely.com
August 8, 2017 at 6:20 AMThanks Natalie! Aloha.
Geneva B. On The Go
August 7, 2017 at 6:04 PMGreat advice. I have started several blogs over the years and only now I figured out that I need to focus on my passion, otherwise it’ll just be a waste of time.
julie@alohalovely.com
August 7, 2017 at 8:31 PMTotally agree Geneva!
Brian Ell
August 7, 2017 at 4:10 PMNice tips Julie. I like how you approach it from the perspective of building our blog as a passion. That’s the best approach. It ensures we will be in it for the long haul. Monetary gains will not be the one and only priority.
julie@alohalovely.com
August 7, 2017 at 8:31 PMYup! Money should follow the passion. I think people can see if you have passion or are just looking to make a quick buck ๐
Yolanda
August 7, 2017 at 11:14 AMI also started blogging twice before figuring out what I could figure out what I could write passionately about. I know now it is key to sticking with out. Great tips here for newbies.
julie@alohalovely.com
August 7, 2017 at 8:28 PMMuch Mahalo Yolanda!!
Christina
August 7, 2017 at 11:08 AMThis was useful! And,totally jealous! I would kill to get stationed in Hawaii!!
julie@alohalovely.com
August 7, 2017 at 8:28 PMThanks Christina! You need to get out here, it’s an amazing place. Aloha!
the sophia diaries
August 6, 2017 at 12:50 PMThese are all amazing tips for sure! I never heard of bluehost until it was toot late but maybe in the future xD
julie@alohalovely.com
August 6, 2017 at 4:26 PMThanks Sophia! Never too late to switch things up. Aloha!
Maya Maceka
August 3, 2017 at 3:20 PMHonestly, these posts are always so helpful! I’m sure you will be helping out a LOT of newbies with this one… Pinned!
julie@alohalovely.com
August 3, 2017 at 7:46 PMThanks Maya!!
Caroline
August 3, 2017 at 5:09 AMThis is a great guide for beginners! As a blogging newbie there is so much to learn and I’m still trying to figure out my branding. I invested in a logo and am busy working on my content before launch. Thanks for sharing your knowledge!
julie@alohalovely.com
August 3, 2017 at 7:44 PMThanks so much Caroline! There are so many resources out there, just tried to keep this really basic. Aloha!
Christine
August 2, 2017 at 10:42 PMI too started a blog that fell by the wayside but two years on and now I have found my passion and my voice. I’m almost 6 months in and I love it!
julie@alohalovely.com
August 3, 2017 at 7:40 PMThat’s fantastic Christine! Keep it up!
Bria @ Tendril Wild Blog
August 2, 2017 at 9:59 AMI love how you gave a bit of your backstory and explained each step in developing a successful blog. You can’t just decide you want to start a blog and then launch it 10 minutes later – there’s actually a lot of behind-the-scenes action that happens. ๐
Also, your logo immediately caught my eye – it’s gorgeous!
Recharge Your Batteries to Relieve Stress
julie@alohalovely.com
August 2, 2017 at 8:16 PMThanks so much Bria! There is so much to do before you can even launch. This is just my version of scratching the surface I guess. Aloha!
Jessica Lam
August 2, 2017 at 8:32 AMThis is a wonderful guide for new bloggers โ short and sweet, and very well-written! PS I love your blog name!
julie@alohalovely.com
August 2, 2017 at 8:12 PMThanks Jessica! There are so many resources out there, mine’s just adding to the mix. You never know what voice will help you learn.
Andrea
August 2, 2017 at 7:59 AMI wish I had this read before I started my blog!!!!!! This is a fantastic resource! Thank you for sharing it! ๐
julie@alohalovely.com
August 2, 2017 at 8:12 PMThanks so much, hope it helps in some way ๐
Harmony, Momma To Go
August 1, 2017 at 12:37 PMI need a new logo- I don’t think I can do it myself though!!! I had a blog back in 2010, it lasted a year! It’s hard work!
julie@alohalovely.com
August 1, 2017 at 8:21 PMSuch hard work! I either have too many ideas or not enough, lol.
Robin
August 1, 2017 at 12:05 PMHi love your blog! I had a blog, but so time consuming I had to give it up to do my real life. lol… but I enjoy reading them!
julie@alohalovely.com
August 1, 2017 at 8:17 PMThank you so much! Yes, so time consuming. I’m trying to get more strategic and better with time management. An ongoing battle!
the adventurer
August 1, 2017 at 11:24 AMYou are so inspiring! I have been following you for over a year now (not sure the exact time) and I have loved everything you have shared with us and seeing you and your blog prosper and grow =o) Keep it up!
https://dreamofadventures.com/
julie@alohalovely.com
August 1, 2017 at 8:16 PMAwww, you are just the sweetest! Thank you so much for the support and encouraging words!! Aloha girl!!