From Theme To Content:  Creating A Blog Does Not Have To Be Stressful

Blogging is such a fun way to express yourself. You can write about nearly any topic on the planet, share it with your friends, family and blogging buddies and have fun discussions in the comments section at the end of each post. You’ve probably got tons of ideas swirling around in your head that you can’t wait to share with the world, yet you start to get stressed out whenever it comes down to actually creating the blog in the first place.

Don’t worry. Every blogger has been where you are right now and experienced that same anxiety and confusion about how to start. But once you get your blog up and running, you’re going to be so happy, and you’ll wonder why you put it off for so long in the first place. Here are three quick tips to help you get your blog off the ground without stressing out too much.

Get Some Help Setting Up Your Blog:

You can easily follow a free, online create a blog guide written by an experienced blogger that shows you how to set up your blog one step at a time, covering domain registration, web hosting, 1-click WordPress installation, themes and layouts. But if that still leaves you in a state of panic, most major web hosting companies like Bluehost have a tech support team of superheroes who will walk you through the process in a live chat. So fear not, baby blogger. With a little guidance, you’ll soon have your first blog up and running in no time.

Brainstorm Topics For Blog Posts:

There are all kinds of ways to come up with blog topics. It helps if you limit your blog to just a few main topics instead of your posts covering every random topic under the sun. This not only helps you create more valuable content for your readers, but it also helps them to know what to expect from you. Nobody likes it when they follow a new blogger because they loved her post about DIY furniture, only to be bombarded with posts about horses, sugar-free candy, car care tips and eleven other topics that have nothing to do with that original post. Staying on topic helps to keep people coming back for more.

Following other bloggers in your niche can be a great way to come up with ideas for blog posts. You’re not going to copy them, of course, but you’ll often find that one of their posts sparks ideas about related topics that you can write about in your own posts.

Another tactic is to simply take your previous blog posts and just dig down deeper into them. For instance, after publishing this post here about stress-free blogging tips for new bloggers, I could do an additional post that goes more in depth into how to set up your first blog. Then I could do another post about five methods for brainstorming blog topics. Then I could follow that with a third one about how to write blog posts quickly using outlines and templates.

See how that works? Pretty cool, right?

Use Outlines And Blog Post Templates:

No two bloggers create content in exactly the same way. Some just put their fingers on the keyboard and blast their way through an entire blog post by the seat of their pants. They have a basic topic or headline that gives them an idea of where they’re going, but they really have no idea how they’re going to get there when they first start typing. If that approach works for you, then go for it! There’s no wrong way to write a blog post. But if that method stresses you out just by reading about it, then just write a post the way your English teacher taught you to write essays back in school – by starting with an outline.

Outlines and article templates give you a structure on which to flesh out your blog post. Come up with a topic, then write down 3-5 main points that explain whatever it is that you’re trying to explain. Then just go fill in the space under each of those subheadings with your ideas. You could also use premade blog post templates, either ones that you wrote yourself or ones that you picked up from another blogger or freelance writer. Just do a search for “free article templates” or “free blog post templates” and see what comes up.

Starting a blog isn’t really that complicated. Sure, it’s new, and like all new things blogging can seem a little intimidating your first time out. But there are lots of great resources out there to help you get set up and get your first posts out of the way. Check out some of the ideas in this post and then come back and share your own adventures in blogging.