When i tell people i’m a blogger, the most common question i get asked is ‘what do you actually do?’ It sounds surprising, but blogging can be an actual job – which i have been fortunate enough to have since 2017. Unfortunately, you can’t just ‘get this job’ overnight. Whether you want to blog professionally or privately here’s a mini guide on how to start a blog. You’ll also find out what to consider when you start, as some things are irreversible.

Why Do You Want to Become a Blogger?

The most important question you need to ask yourself (and of course answer) is “why do you want to start a blog?” You need to figure this out before you even begin to consider getting into a website, choosing a name or anything else.

How to Start a Blog in 2020?

The first thing you need to realize is that it’s still not too late to start your own blog. While there are many bloggers and influencers on the market, there is only a handful of them who are worth recommending and doing their job professionally. I personally saw some bloggers rising out of nowhere and beating the already established people in terms of traffic, audience engagement and beautiful photos. As long as you’re determined and willing to work hard, you could be the next blogging star!

If you ever want to take your blogging adventures to the next level – make money, change a design, anything, you shouldn’t start your blog on WordPress. A few years ago one could slowly transition into professional blogger and learn as they go. But in 2018, the only way to ‘make it’ in the blogging world is starting the right way from the start.

Finding a great name for your blog might be a challenge, so take your time. It’s VERY important. This is how you’re going to recognized, remembered and it cannot be changed later (or at least it’s VERY difficult to change… take it from me. 😉

I started writing about clean, non-toxic beauty brands and products, which then turned into a little bit (and then a lot) of travel, which i wanted to  start incorporating into my blog and as i grew from just beauty I wanted to have an element of positivity and happiness in my name, hence how The Goofy Mermaid came to be. Besides travel and beauty tips, I also love to post about business and social media tips.

Here are a few things you should consider when choosing a name:

• Don’t limit yourself! IF for example, you’re going to be a blog about travel, don’t try to create a name that describes your current travel route like “Kirstie in Australia” as it might limit you later on. What if you decide to move to Europe later? Names like ‘Twenty-Something Travel” might sound great at first, but are you going to be in your twenties forever? Sorry to say, but nope! Another example was ‘The Hungry Partier’ who realized that his name wasn’t getting him many sponsors and he eventually grew out of partying. So… CHOOSE WISELY!
• You want to think big and internationally! I’d also avoid names that might not be clear to everyone. If you’re planning on writing in English your audience is going to be international, not just Australian or American. For instance, I know a blog called ‘Peanuts or Pretzels’. That name might be clear to Americans as it refers to a complimentary snack choice on major American airlines, but a lot of foreigners have no idea about it. When people ask what’s their blog name people usually respond ‘something with peanuts’, which probably isn’t how you want to be remembered and referred to.

• Be original! As great as something like Wandering X, Adventurous X or Nomadic X may sound at first, if you do a quick Google search you’ll realize that there are way too many blogs named like that. Your blog won’t stand out and as a result, you’ll have less chance to succeed in the industry. Same goes for ‘Blonde’, ‘Brunette’, “Ginger’ or other names referring to your hair colour.

At least half of the blogging success nowadays is your social media channels. After you’ve chosen a name for your blog and checked if the domain name is available (more about that below), you should go ahead and secure your social media handles.