If you’ve worked with us before, we’ve probably told you to start a blog (here are 9 good reasons why).
Whether you’re looking to start a new blog, or add a blog to your existing website, we’ve broken down the steps below to get your blog online efficiently, effectively, and looking great right away.
If you are starting a new blog website, already have your domain, hosting, and WordPress, proceed directly to Step 1! If you haven’t yet registered a domain, purchased hosting, or installed WordPress, you can do it right now (and then proceed to step 1).
If you are adding a blog to your existing website, it’s best to go to the person who built your website first. They might tell you your site is already ready for you to begin posting blogs, or that they can add one quickly for a great price, or even better, for no charge! However, if they come back to you with a quote beyond your budget, don’t let that stop you from creating and sharing quality content! We’ve come up with this simple and cost effective solution where you will build a simple, branded blog on a new domain and link to it from your main website. Begin by registering your new domain, purchasing hosting, and installing WordPress now, and then come back here and start at Step 1. (Tip: Choose a domain for your blog that is similar to your main domain, for example, ours could be thebordenformulablog.com)
1. Choose Your Design. Approximately $50-$150, takes about 7 to 11 minutes
Start with a clean, responsive WordPress blog theme/template that can be easily customized. Our favourite are all professional, come with clear instructions or support, and are SEO optimized. We recommend:
FOODIE PRO on the Genesis Platform
A minimalistic theme that looks great with just your brand name, a bio, and a photo, but can also grow with you into a full robust website. Foodie Pro is the most flexible Genesis theme to date.
View + Purchase
AUTHENTIC from Code Supply Co.
A highly customizable blog theme that is easy to use, and comes with excellent theme support.
View + Purchase
BRUNCH THEME on the Genesis Platform
A simple and clean theme, great as an add on blog for an existing website.
View + Purchase
If you’d like to browse other Genesis themes that might serve you well, click here.
If you’d like our advice on choosing a theme, or how to organize or create your content, we’re here for you.
Purchase your theme and move forward!
2. Download + Install. No additional costs, takes about 3 to 5 minutes
After you’ve completed your purchase, download and save your blog theme’s zip files on your hard drive. It’s simple. To install:
- Log in to your WordPress site
- From your WordPress Dashboard, go to Appearance
- Click on Themes
- Click Add New, at the top
- Click Upload Theme, at the top
- Choose your zip file on your hard drive, click Install Now
- Click Activate
Well done, move on!
*If you purchased a Genesis Theme from StudioPress, your new blog website will be hidden from visitors while you are working on it until you are ready to take it live (step 4). If you purchased the Authentic theme and want it to be hidden to visitors while you work on it, you can download and install a plugin to do just that. Note, we think you can skip this and just get your site finished in the hour!
3. Build Your Blog WebSite! Free! Spend 30 minutes — or as long as you want.
Customize and create your blog (don’t be worried, less is often more, and if you are stuck, just get in touch with us). It’s like putting a puzzle together, except your theme download comes with complete instructions and great support (we’ve contacted them often, and you can too!).
Make sure you include a logo or your brand name, your bio, and your contact info. You can (and should!) add your social media feeds, and enough content to understand who you are, what you do, and why you’re great!
You’re almost done, seriously!
4. Take Your Site Live. Free, incredibly satisfying, and takes about 1 minute.
If you built your website on a Genesis Theme from StudioPress, login to your WordPress dashboard. From your Dashboard, at the top of the page it reads:
Your site is currently displaying a “Coming Soon” page. Once you are ready to launch your site click here.
Click that link to officially take your site live and make it visible to the public!
Congratulations!
*If you built your website on the Authentic Theme and installed a plugin to hide it, turn off the plugin now.
*If you built your website on a temporary domain, now is the time to move it over. Contact your host for help.
5. Create Your Content.
Developing a blog strategy will help you plan, organize, and create your blog content in the most efficient and effective way. On our Borden Communications blog (which we actually lovingly call our {Un}Blog), we have five categories that we write about and share: Better Business, Better Living, Bordenosophy, Interviews with Mosquitos (other small businesses making a difference), and current news and events. We plan everything we post on a content calendar – yes, a paper calendar on a clipboard in our office! This helps to keep our team organized, posting on track, and also ensures that we rotate through our sections/vary our content, so that our blog posts are timely and representative of all of our projects and passions. If you need extra support planning and organizing your blog, we can help.
6. Share! Priceless
Please share your site with us so we can congratulate you + share as well! Get social too + email your friends and family (people love good news + to congratulate each other!).