On Friday last week I put out a call for questions about anything related to blogging on my afternoon post and Facebook page in hopes of putting together a Q&A-style post to address the questions you have have about starting a blog, marketing a blog, etc.
The questions poured in and I quickly realized that a one-time post wouldn’t be sufficient or would be entirely too long that you’d likely pass out from information overload about a quarter of the way through. Plus, I want to give each topic and question the attention it deserves and not skimp out because I’m worried about the overwhelming length of a post.
All of your questions inspired me to start a mini series on the blog: Blog Talk Tuesdays!
Each Tuesday for the next few weeks, I will dedicate one post a day to a topic related to blogging. I’ve divided your questions into several different categories and will tackle them that way. I’m a stickler for organization and flow and this seems like the best way to handle your questions.
Plus, having the posts categorized by topic will hopefully allow you to read the posts with topics that interest you and scan or browse over those that don’t apply to you.
Maybe I should create a blog post composed solely of Sadie pictures to publish in conjunction with the Blog Talk Tuesday posts for those of you with no interest in blogging? 
Now that the introduction of Blog Talk Tuesdays is done, let’s get crack-a-lackin’ with the first topic!
Oh! Before we delve into it, please know that I am not a blogging expert by any means. I’ve been blogging for just shy of two years, so my answers to your questions are based on my own experiences, research and trial and error.
I will eventually post all of these posts on my Blogging page as a resource so you may find them easily in the future.
Blogging Basics: How to Start a Blog, Blog Focus, Self Hosting and More
- How did you start your blog?
I started by blog through WordPress.com, a website that allows you to set up a free site using pre-fabricated templates. I selected a template that they already had available, made my own banner in Microsoft Paint (anyone out there remember the peanut butter cookie banner?) and started posting!
Of course I was overwhelmed and confused about the set up a bunch of times, but I turned to the valuable resource that is Google and read many different tutorials and eventually figured everything out myself. Trust me, if I can do it, you can do it. I am horrible with computers.
- Did you design your own blog?
Yes and no. But mostly no. 
I worked with The Blog Fairy on the design of my blog. We emailed back and forth many times and I gave her ideas and color schemes and overall guidance, but she was absolutely the brains behind the blog design that you see today. I highly recommend her services!
Another great resource for any blog-related questions, design and assistance is my friend and computer genius Tim Parkin, who may by reached by email at tparkin@gmail.com.
- In your opinion, what is the best blogging platform?
WordPress, without a doubt. This may sound harsh, but for the most part I don’t even try to comment on Blogger blogs anymore because I am blocked from commenting 99.9 percent of the time. But there are ways for those who use Blogger to change this. As Brittany explains, “If you use Blogger, you should allow Anyone to comment instead of Only Allowing Registered Users. I often times don’t comment on blogger blogs if I can’t just use the name/url option, which is turned off when you choose to Allow Only Registered Users.”
Also, the vast majority of bloggers I know who began blogging on Blogger have switched to WordPress. Michelle actually put together an amazing post detailing exactly HOW to transfer your blog from Blogger to WordPress which you may see here.
I also want to add that while I created my blog through WordPress, I write all of my blog posts through Windows Live Writer, a free downloadable program for PCs that syncs up with your blog when you hit “publish.” It is an AMAZING program and cut my blogging time in half thanks to the ease of uploading and cropping photos, automatic linking and other fantastic features. Highly recommended!
- Do you think it’s important to own your own domain?
Yes. Longtime PBF readers will remember when my web address was peanutbutterfingers.wordpress.com. Talk about a mouthful! It took me a LONG time to buy and set up my own domain (pbfingers.com) and I wish I would’ve done it sooner.
Domain names are so cheap (under $15!) and are easy to set up on your blog (click here for step-by-step directions for WordPress users). Having your own domain name not only conveys a sense of professionalism (do you know any companies with “.wordpress.com” in their web address?), but it also makes it much easier for people to remember you and find you online.
- How did you decide what to blog about?
When I decided that I wanted to start a blog, I always kept in mind my number one tip for bloggers: Create a blog you would want to read.
I knew I loved reading healthy living blogs every day, so I figured that genre was a good fit for me. I also wanted my blog to be a little different and I knew I couldn’t limit myself to talking solely about food and fitness because I’d pass out from boredom and quickly lose the fervor I have for blogging if I could only write about what I ate or what workout I completed every day.
When I expanded my blog to include musings about my life, I knew I’d always have something to say.
Plus, Sadie loves the spotlight.
- Do you feel like it’s better to have a focus to your blog? Do you not include certain things on your blog because they don’t necessarily fit into the main focus of your blog?
While blogs are great in that they give you freedom to write about whatever you want, I think a focus is extremely important. Sure, I blog about my life, random thoughts, The Bachelorette, my dog, my wedding and travels, but my blog has consistency through food and fitness.
Every day readers know they can expect to see my breakfast, lunch and dinner and typically they’ll also see a recap of my workout in the morning. I think that this continuity is imperative because a blog full of random thoughts and musings can be hard to follow and overwhelming. Of course there are exceptions to this, as I can think of a small handful of blogs that were created on the principle of being totally random, but they attack randomness with humor and diligence that somehow gives their blog a sense of focus and organization.
- Do you think it’s necessary to post all the time to have a successful blog?
No. I think you can post once a week and still have a successful blog. If you do this, make sure that when you post, you’re posting on the same day, around the same time each week. To me, the most important aspect of posting is having a schedule. Your readers want to know when you’ll be posting so they know when to come back!
- How did you tell your friends, family and coworkers about your blog?
I didn’t right away! For a couple of weeks, Ryan was the only one who knew about my blog. I then told my family and then a small handful of my friends, explaining that I wanted to create a blog as an outlet to write about food and fitness since my desk job had me writing about pharmaceuticals and their side effects all day. It took me a couple of months until I felt okay with sharing my blog with all of my friends.
As for telling my coworkers, I wanted to keep my blog separate from work since it follows so much of my personal life and never actually told any of my coworkers. The coworkers who knew about my blog at first discovered it on their own. Eventually the vast majority of my coworkers knew about my blog. In fact, when I quit my job and explained to my boss that I was going to be pursuing freelance work, he said “And your blog, too, right?” Apparently everyone knew!
- What does it mean to be self-hosted? What is the benefit of self-hosting?
With a self hosted blog, you have a lot more freedom and flexibility and you have complete control over your site. You have the ability to install more plugins, have dynamic advertisements and can customize your site to your heart’s content. I personally switched to self-hosting for the advertising opportunities, which I’ll cover in more detail when I post about making money through blogging in this series.
***
And that was the first installment of Blog Talk Tuesdays! Phew! I hope this post was beneficial for some of you out there.
Also, please know that it’s totally normal to feel overwhelmed and nervous about starting a blog. I can assure you that every single blogger has been there. I’ve done so much reading and research about blogging and still sometimes feel like I know nothing… but I continue learn something new every single day. Blogging is a marathon, not a sprint.
If you’d like to read more blogging tips, please check out my Blogging Tips for Beginners post.
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thanks so much for this- i def need to change my ‘comments section’ for anyone to comment! xo
YES YOU DO!!! 😀
All great information Julie. And can I just say that I love the captions you always write on the pictures of Sadie…they always make me laugh!!
GREAT tips!!! I live by WLW – seroiusly, I don’t know how I survived without it before!
oh me neither. i didn’t get it until like a YEAR after i started blogging. what was i thinking!?!? such a time saver.
Oh my, I looove windows live writer! I don’t think i would have kept up with blogging if I didn’t have it. It saves SO much time!!!!!!!
Such great info!
I totally agree with the awesomeness of Word Press and WIndows Live Writer (and Gallery) I don’t know what I would do without them!
Right now, I’m a little nervous to switch to self-hosting. I’ve read that you lose all your subscribers and it can be a headache! I know I’ll have to make the leap eventually, but I’m procrastinating!
if you’re nervous, you can have someone do it for you (like i did). it’s scary, but can go VERY smoothly when someone knows what they’re doing. my friend tim is amazing (and affordable!) and i highly recommend his services. tparkin@gmail.com if you’re interested!
That helps out a lot & would take off most of the pressure! Thank you for the recommendation!
of course! good luck!
Thank you for this! I’ve discovered a lot of this in the past month haha 🙂
I am absolutely loving this idea for Tuesdays. I have just recently started a blog, and there have been many sleepless nights worrying about how to do this and that. My problem is that I want everything done yesterday, and every time I read about blogging it’s confusing and overwhelming. I really appreciate your thoughtfulness!
totally agree. i am SUCH an immediate person and want everything instantly. i have to remind myself to take a deep breath all the time. i have to realize that getting your blog where you want it to be takes time.
Loved this post. Who do you use for hosting (and do you like it)? I’ve heard some nightmare stories about pretty much all of them and am wanting to make the switch but am scared of picking the wrong one!
i use site5. they’re 5 BAZILLION times better than bluehost. i first used bluehost and my site went down ALL THE TIME.
Awesome, thank you!!
Oooph..I’m in a year-long contract with Blue Host… :-S
i was too – and i left. it really got THAT bad. i think it depends on what server they put you on though, so you may be totally fine!
Looking into switching today! I have had it with Bluehost. Bluehost = the devil 🙁
What a great idea for a series! I know I’ll be looking forward to Tuesdays–I’m always ready to keep my marathon going. 😉
Thanks so much for this! I’ve been considering moving away from WordPress, but I’m so intimidated by the thought of it!
These are great tips!!:) thanks so much!
Looks like I have some “de-wordpressing” to do. I think I can spare $15 a year for a domain name!
haha yes!!! i don’t know why i was so nervous to do it, but it’s not too bad and totally worth it for a more professional and “legit” domain name.
Blog talk Tuesday is a great great idea!
Great tips. Oh! And Sadie totally deserves the spotlight.
Wow!! This was such an educational post, I feel like you just gave a seminar or something via your words.
Thanks, from a newb!
Great post, Julie! I loved reading your advice, especially about self-hosting and domain names. I need to get on the domain name thing stat!
yeah. I love the new series. thanks for posting the answers to these questions. it’s brilliant to see & learn hoe others blog because it’ll help me improve my blogging.
great information thank you so much for sharing!
Seriously, you rock. Thank you so much for doing this. You are helping us “newbies” out greatly!! 🙂
i’m so glad! i know i felt SO overwhelmed and lost in the beginning.
Thanks so much for this post! It was really helpful- can’t wait for next Tuesday’s edition! 🙂
GREAT post Julie! I like this series already! A quick question for you… (well I hope it’s quick anyway!) I’m looking to buy my domain through wordpress, but am worried about people trying to access the old (well, my current) URL via their readers. Is there a way to automatically re-direct them to the new domain? Did you have an automatic re-direct set up? If it’s a lengthy process, any links you could provide would be great! Thanks! 🙂
yes! you can definitely do this! here’s a link with instructions: http://en.support.wordpress.com/site-redirect/
I love this series! Thank you so much for starting it and I can’t wait to read the rest. I had read a couple of tips on other blogs before starting my own and I am so glad I went with wordpress and bought my own domain. I just switched to self-hosting a month ago and it rocks.
Already loving “Blog Talk Tuesdays” – this is great, Julie!! 🙂
So $15 PER YEAR for a domain name? That’s it. So would you have done this on Day 1 of your blog. Right now, I think my husband is the only one who reads my blog. Is it still worth it?!
And clearly, I need to stop using blogger. thanks for this post. I’m looking forward to the rest of the series 🙂
yes! i would absolutely do it b/c you never know where your blog might go!
This is such a great idea! I can’t wait to hear more!
I love WLW — I can’t believe how much easier it is to use.
I love this idea for a series! And you gave such helpful answers! Oh mannn I really want to be able to use WLR. It takes forever to upload pictures and everything through WordPress. But I have a mac. 🙁 I wish they would make a mac version!
have you looked into ecto? i know a lot of mac users blog w/ ecto, though i’ve heard it’s not nearly as good as livewriter & i think you have to pay for it.
I wish Windows Live Writer was available on Mac’s! I’ve heard there are similar programs, but they’re not as good.
I think I am going to be a big fan of blogging Tuesday’s.
Thank you so much for this blog. I just started my own a few weeks ago and I’m loving it. I know your Blog Talk Tuesday will give me new things to think about. Way to be awesome. =D
Thank you for this! I have been contemplating on starting my own blog for a while now & this has definitely and inspired me to do so 🙂
I’m glad you shared that you use Windows Live Writer. I read that Kath from katheats.com uses it too and I’ve been thinking about downloading it for a while (I’m downloading it now!). Thank you for your awesome tips!
Thanks so much for the blogger comment tip… I am going to make sure my comments are open to everyone right now!!!!!!!!
Yes! Definitely do this! 🙂
“Blogging is a marathon, not a sprint.” LOVE IT!
Thanks for linking to my post and spreading the WordPress love!
of course! you did a great job. i love all the screen shots!
Great series! And timely for me. I’ve been in the process of setting up my own domain with self-hosting and talk about baby steps! I feel like there’s more “error” than “trial” for me right now 🙂
Although I’m nostalgic about Blogger because it made it so easy to get started, I feel the same as many on its usability. I hate commenting on Blogger blogs as well and don’t want all 2 of my own readers to be annoyed – ha.
I was on the fence about blogging for a while because I just didn’t think I had time to do it. But what I also realized is I was all over the map on topics and it made it difficult to focus on topics for posts. Now, I am at a point where I feel as though I’ve *finally* found my niche with the blog and want to give it a fresh start. I will definitely be following this series!
Thanks for the tips! Does anyone know of a program like the Windows Live Writer for Macs?
yes, it’s called ecto, but i’ve heard it isn’t nearly as good as live writer, unfortunately. 🙁
SO helpful to hear how you made these decisions – thanks for sharing!
This was SO helpful. Thank you!
Thank yo for posting this! You gave some great tips! 🙂
This is such a great post, Julie!! 🙂 I am soooo glad you confirmed my undying love for WordPress too, heh. I am looking forward to getting rid of the .wordpress from my URL soon, but unfortunately there are TWO other prettylittlewords out there!! Not sure how I’m gonna handle that one….a tip for future bloggers: google your potential blog name BEFORE committing to it…wishing I had thought to do that! Haha.
I can’t tell you how excited I am about this series!! Thanks for putting it together 🙂
And although I AM interested in all things blogging, I also wouldn’t be opposed to a whole day each week of Sadie pictures… and captions. Her captions are my favorite part!
WOW — thanks so much for this! I just recently posted thanks to a friend who helped me out a bit on my comments section. Starting a cool blog is harder than it seemed…not that I’m even close yet — Already checked out The Blog Fairy–thanks for the referral! You have helped me out a bunch – can’t wait to get back from my vacay in the Sates to get started — honestly – thank you! xoxo from Trinidad!
I love Blog Talk Tuesdays!!!!
& awesome advice! Like the domain name- I’ve been thinking of doing it for a while, but just never have. I also need to shorten it- I wonder if I could just do http://www.gyas.com? or if I would lose readers. hmmm…maybe I should just stick to the greekyogurtandappleslices.com. I guess cutting out wordpress would definitely help!
that’s definitely a tough one. i only did pbfingers.com b/c peanutbutterfingers.com was unavailable at the time (i’ve since bought that one, too). even though it’s long, i think the whole name is better than GYAS.com b/c it’s hard to know what that stands for. there are plently of blogs out there with long names (healthytippingpoint.com, for example) that are really successful!
Thanks Julie!!! I will stick with the full name, but drop the .wordpress. It’s just so ridiculously long right now.
Great tips! Thanks for sharing…can’t wait to read the rest of them…I’m always trying to learn more!
Thank you a million times over for this! I have so many ideas for my blog and life thanks to this great community!!
Thank you!!!!!
Thanks for the great advice. I look forward to reading this post each Tuesday. I love your blog!
Great tips Julie! Thanks so much for this 🙂
Thanks for sharing all of these tips. Currently my blog is hosted by Squarespace, which I like, but my sisters and I just started another blog on WordPress…considering switching my main blog over now too!
I’m absolutely loving this Blog Talk Tuesdays series! Thanks for the time you take to answer all the questions. Can’t wait to read more!!
I love this idea for a series! I started my blog a few months ago but only recently (in the last week) committed to posting a certain number of times a week- the goal is 5!. I will be following this series closely! I love your blog!! Read it religiously!! Hope one day I can have a blog as half as awesome as yours!!