Blogger Series #1| How to start a Blog (highly requested)

How are you guys liking my blog now? :D Yaay or Naay? I wasn't completely satisfied with it before, but I am now. I worked really hard on it, looks like an official blog now.
I'm going to buy my own domain soon too, so it's more mine. This took all night long. but I finally made it perfect, according to me :) There's lots of new things added such as the banner, social media links, pages, instagram, sponsors, categories, and links. The theme is the same, it's called the "Simple" theme that can be found on templates.

A lot of people have a blog these days or are starting out to blog. I thought I do this blogger Series/tips post that was requested by five followers of mine. Two who were thinking about starting a blog and three of them who are have just started blogging. I can't decide what you should publish, but thought I'd take an hour and a half to give you ideas on how to start a blog :) I wish somebody helped me when I started out on October 2013 :( I was pretty much confused when I started out, but now I'm a expert. Well, no but pretty knowledgeable than most newbies. Hope this helps! 

Blogger Tips
1) You don't have to blog about a specific label. You can do more than one.
I blog about books, beauty, entertainment, and lifestyle. I don't like labels - I rather blog about things I feel deeply about, which can be almost everything. You can do a no label blog, or a blog with many labels. 

2) Find a website to blog on. 
I find Blogger to be the best one, you can create lots of things on and can even make it super fancy as well. Tumblr is nice as well, I think of photoblogs when I think of that so that could work. Other popular spots are Wordpress and Squarespace. Most people use Blogger and Tumblr. This one's an actual blog and my Tumblr is a photoblog.

3) Pick a good theme.
I do my themes from basic codes, I heavily edit them so it looks nothing like the original. I don't have any experience in working in computers or webdesign, I just learn from tutorial websites and on my own. You can find more on templates on the blogger section. Other websites are Blogger Themes. BTemplates, and BestFreeTemplates . For tumblr, theres tons and tons of websites if you just search "tumblr themes." Usually at the end of a blog, theres a link for the credit for the theme: you can take a look at those. You can even buy themes if you are really seriously on blogging. It will be completely customized by your choice - it can be custom made or a pre-made theme. If you would like more detail on that, I can help you find someone - just shoot me an email femmmefatalee@gmail.com

Don't make your theme super complicated and all over the place, you can keep it simple or make it fancy while being organized. Most popular ones are two column or three column. theme. Adding a good banner with your blog name or some kind of information looks amazing, I would highly recommend it. 

4) Pick a good Url.
This should be something that relates to you or your blog. You're making a blog about you or something you love doing. Don't write "Sugahplumxoxo" or "ZaynMaliksWifey" and even worse "princess." Most likely you are not a princess, and even if you were - I've never heard an actual princess call herself that anyway. Mention your name in it or something creative such as, beautybybenish, benishsconfessions, benishkhanworld, stilettohighstandards, fifthavenuefashion, cakemyface,  brainyreads, dollmyface, vanitygirl, thefabsociety,  couturedoll, theflowershop, etc. 

5) Be genuine, and blog about what you actually like.
Do NOT blog about something that's popular, which you don't actually like it. Don't say you like it too since "everyone likes it" instead make your argument about why you don't like it. Share your thoughts, views, and opinions to everyone. Be genuine, add pictures in your posts. Make it fun! Don't just blog without actual pictures. Blog atleast twice a week, I started blogging once a week. As time went on, I started blogging twice a week. Now, I blog about 4x a week. The more you blog, the better. You can make your posts sweet and short to the point. Atleast have two paragraphs of some sort. If you're going to write lengthy posts, always include pictures of some sort. I love including gifs - it makes me sound funnier. Also, never blog just to receive free products, that kills the point of blogging.

6)Make your first post interesting and make it count.
I started off mine with a small introduction about me, what I was going to post about, then ended it. Then I made a lengthy post a couple of days ago. You can start off small - them BOOM! Go big. You can make a detailed post in just your first post too while adding the introduction. It's upto you. If you are serious about blogging, then keep a planner or a notebook as I do. Brainstorm ideas and topics, write them down, then blog about it! I'll be adding another detailed post soon on Topics to Blog about. You can also take a look at the things I blog about, and see if you want to blog something similar to it :)

First Post Ideas

Beauty Bloggers

• You can start off doing a makeup tutorial of some kind - 
• Smokey eye makeup tutorial
• Royal Purple Dramatic look
• How to Highlight + Contour
• Simple everyday makeup look. 
• Review of a particular brand or product. 
• Makeup collection with pictures and a few details. 

I wouldn't recommend doing your favorites until a few posts later. First let people see you, your idea of makeup and skincare, then give your favorites. It's upto you though, if you want to do your favorites - go ahead. If you want to do skincare, you can do a post about

• Your skin type and which products work for you
• Skin routine
• Review of a skincare product. 

Be sure to be detailed and helpful. As time goes on, you can always do a mix match post of these - beauty bloggers tend to be extremely popular. I started off my first beauty post doing a skincare routine then a review of a product. You can do individual reviews or do many reviews in one. You can give the actual links, I don't usually give clickable links unless the product was sent for review.

Fashion Bloggers

 You can start off doing an OOTD(Outfit of the Day) -Show where you bought or where the items are from. Give the prices, it saves people time. "Oh, I love this.. Lemme go on the website. $115? Waste of money, not worth it." Show a lot of affordable products, because not everyone is rich or has an exceptional job that pays well. If it's expensive, give an alternative/dupe that costs much less than it. You can do:

• OOTD
• Talk about fashion
• The current trends that are in
• Elegant black dresses
• Where you shop at. 
• Similiar dresses

Give pictures of the actual product or you can post pictures with you wearing it.

Book Bloggers

• book review of something that you have recently read
•  a book you didn't like. 
• Discussion topic
• Your favorites
• Book Clubs
• Bookish related websites/apps
• Book collection

My first book review was of two books that I didn't like which were highly popular, those work best because people will know you're being genuine and honest. You don't claim to like the same things others do, always give honest reviews. You can show off your book collection, recent books you liked or didn't like. Always give the publishers information, the publication, synopsis(Summary), genre, and than pass off your thoughts. Be sure to include a picture of the book! (Note: Don't take pictures off of other people's blog without their permission, even if you give credit.)

Fitness Bloggers

• Daily fitness routine
• Ab day
• yoga, 
• kickboxing, 
• Aerobics
• Healthy Recipes

Show a mini 15 minute workout combining all of these categories or a specific one. You can do a long 30 minute workout as well. You can use pictures or use youtube videos as your guide, if you think people might not be sure of what to do. You can write about healthy recipes, include pictures. Be specific and provide alternatives if things are not as easy to purchase. Show bad results of eating fast good, give healthy eating tips, and so on. Know what you're saying and if it's actually good, don't promote or share something that can actually harm someone's body.

Entertainment Bloggers

These are funny bloggers a.k.a part of me as well - These are the type who blog about life like famous youtubers such as FouseyTube, Superwoman, TrueStoryASA, and so on. You can share your views on aspects of life. Challenge a celebrity out there and what they're doing if it's good or bad - Kim Kardashian anyone? I made a post about her Kimye Vogue Cover. You can blog about a contraversial topic while being genuine and funny such as, 

• Things you hate about society
• Poor vs. rich
• Annoying people at school
• Bullying
• Expectations vs. realities

Journal/E-diary bloggers

You can blog about your personal life. You can write about your typical day in life, write about what you study and how you study, what are your 

• Goals/aspirations/dreams
• Ten things about you
• Share the things in your room
• Introduce your family, and so on. Share pictures of course!

7)Be appreciate of other bloggers and interact with them.
The best way to get traffic and get your blog out there is being genuine and active. Check out people's blog, notice what they post, see something you like, then compliment about it. Always leave your link in the comment, that way people are welcome to check out your blog. Guest blog on popular accounts, if you email me - I can send you their links. A great way to interact with others is through Google Friend Connect(You can find this gadget on layouts when you add gadget) This allows people to follow you. ALWAYS follow people back, it's just better. You can always join BlogLovin. I've only joined two weeks ago, and have more than 1,000 followers. 

You can also join blogger networks, look at mine on the sidebar. They help generate traffic, interactions with fellow bloggers companies, and you receive freebies as well. Follow people you like, check out their blog links in the bio. There are also blogs who advertise and feature other bloggers, sometimes If I like a blog I might feature them. There are extremely popular blogs out there with thousand of followers who charge a small amount of fee for promotion.

As time goes on, if you're active and genuine - people will love you and your blog :) 

Perks of a Genuine, Good/Popular Blog
1) Satisfaction of Achievement,
2) Lots of traffic - see the fifty comments or so people receive?
3) Product Samples(Freebies) 
4) Blog Awards.
5) Fame/Features on Popular websites, magazines, tv shows, etc.
6) Knowledge and Experience.
7) Career Opportunities.

Just don't forget to be humble, remember how you started.

I hope this really helped you, if you need any more help then ask me on my instagram or shoot me an email at femmmefatalee@gmail.com Stay in tuned for my next post! Feel free to leave your blogger link below, I love checking out and following new blogs:) 

"If I create from the heart, nearly everything works; if from the head, almost nothing."

Marc Chagall

With love,

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femmmefatalee@gmail.com