There might be different reasons for starting a student blog. Some do this for a school project, whereas others see it as an opportunity to share their ideas with the world, create a portfolio, or acquire certain professional skills.
Whatever the purpose is, blogging can be a great hobby for a student that has the potential to grow into something much bigger and more meaningful than just a hobby. But the big question is where to get started?
If you are planning to create a student blog yourself, read on to find a step-by-step guide that will get you on the right track.
Find a Way to Balance Blogging and Studying
The first thing students have to understand before starting their own blogs is that it can’t be done overnight. A personal student blog is a large project that requires decent preparation and turns into a full-time job in the future, meaning it will take plenty of your time to do everything right.
So, the first thing you should do is find a way to balance blogging with your studies. Turning to a cheap paper writing service can save you plenty of time, reduce stress, and help ensure that you will succeed in both undertakings. So, don’t hesitate to do it in the early stages.
Get Clear on the Concept
After you have a reliable helper by your side, move on to shaping the main concept of your blog.
Take your time to do some research. At this stage, you want to answer a number of important questions, such as:
- What is the purpose of my blogging?
- What is the main topic/idea I want to cover?
- Am I qualified enough to write about it?
- What kind of an audience do I want to reach?
- Is this niche trending?
Answering these questions will help you get clear on the idea of your future blog and suggest the right direction to move in.
Name Your Blog and Choose a Domain
After identifying the purpose, idea, and target audience, the next step is choosing the name and domain for your future blog.
The name should be related to your general topic. It also should be something snappy, something that your readers will easily remember. For example, the EssayService name speaks for itself: everyone understands it has something to do with academic writing. And, of course, it has to be original to make it possible for you to develop a personal, recognizable brand.
Feel free to research other blogs in your niche to get some inspiration and ideas for your blog’s name.
As for the domain, typically, it is the title of your blog. The only catch here is that the domain name shouldn’t be taken by someone else already. So, we stress the importance of thorough research once again.
Select a Suitable Platform and Web Host
Before you start building your blog, you need to select the right web host and blogging platform. Today, there are plenty of options. Yet, most often, aspiring bloggers are choosing between a website builder or a CMS like WordPress.
Which one is better? There are many factors to consider before making a decision. For example, a good CMS will give you more freedom in terms of functionality and design, whereas site builders typically have a web hosting bundled by default. Apart from this, you should consider the following aspects:
- uptime;
- bandwidth and storage space;
- free domain registration;
- security;
- available upgrades, etc.
Carefully study all options available out there and weigh out all pros and cons to find something that works best for you.
Create an Account and Register Your Domain
Once you’ve decided whether you will be using a website builder or a CMS, move on to creating an account with the chosen platform. Typically, creating an account doesn’t take much time.
After this, you will also need to register the selected domain name.
Customize
Step six takes you to the most fun part of starting a student’s blog – customization. During this stage, you will work on your blog’s looks.
Depending on the blogging platform you’ve selected, you might have some templates or themes to use as the foundation for your design. Using them can save you some time. But even if there are no templates, both CMSs and website builders typically offer users an easy and intuitive way to customize their blogs’ designs.
Take your time to play around with different options until you get a perfect design for your blog. And then, take some extra time to select and add any apps or plugins to expand your blog’s functionality.
Publish Content and Promote
Finally, when everything is ready, you can move on to filling your blog with lots of high-quality content and growing your audience. In terms of publishing content, be sure to have a solid content plan and be consistent.
As for promoting a student blog, feel free to test different approaches. Leverage various marketing channels and tricks to get your blog noticed. Most importantly, never stop analyzing and improving the result.
Wrapping Up
So, that’s how you can build a student blog from scratch. And now that you have a step-by-step guide, be fearless and start acting. Good luck!