How To Start Your Own Blog

Please do not take it lightly when I say that starting Styled by McKenz changed my life. I know, I know, it seems so dramatic saying that a blog + Instagram account changed my life but it truly flipped my world upside down. I have grown up alongside my internet friends, pouring my heart out to strangers my entire teenage years.

I’ve made amazing friends, connected with hundreds of thousands of people, worked with brands I never dreamed possible, been featured in magazines, traveled, and created something I couldn’t be prouder of. I say it often, but my only regret about what I am doing is that I didn’t start sooner.

So many of you have reached out asking for me to share my experience as well as my tips and tricks on starting a blog and/or YouTube channel. Ask and you shall receive. Today I will be covering it all! I am so excited that you are interested in starting a blog of your own; it has the potential to be one of your best decisions yet.

A BIT OF MY BACKGROUND

For those of you who are new, which is a lot of you, let me give you a quick trip down memory lane to refresh you on how Styled by McKenz came to be.

January 1, 2016 I hit publish on my very first blog post.  I was fourteen years old at the time, a freshman in high school. I started off on a free WordPress site called styledbymckenz.wordpress.com. I was interested in photography, fashion, makeup, and writing and so my mom and I decided that starting a blog would not only give me a hobby but hopefully, it would help me discover which path I was most passionate about pursing.

this is so terribly embarrassing but here’s me circa 2016, my first few months of blogging

I also created my Instagram account @styledbymckenz that same day to showcase my outfit of the days and to promote new content that was being uploaded to my website. I took a week’s worth of photos every Sunday on a white sheet tucked into the ceiling tiles of my basement, I wore the Naked eyeshadow palette religiously, and my Weekly Wrap Up pictures were taken as flat lays.

here I am halfway through my blogging journey, circa 2018

Oh, how times have changed. A year and a half later I made the switch to a self-hosted website (the one you are reading from right now). My parents and I decided that it was the right time as my free website was out of photo storage and it was clear that my blog wasn’t just a “phase”, it was something I was very passionate about and planned on pursuing in years to come.

where I’m at now, circa 2020. still lots of room for growth but certainly nowhere near as embarrassing

Fast forward to now. I turn nineteen next week and just finished up my freshman year of college. My blog has grown wildly and I am pursuing my YouTube channel at the same time. I focus mainly on fashion and college life but dabble into other things when the time calls for it. I attended Fashion Week in February, was nominated for College Influencer of The Year, and have an audience that trusts me and can turn to me for whatever it may be. I couldn’t be prouder of where I am now and I’m so excited that you are interested in pursuing a blog of your own!

pin this post for later

THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE YOU DECIDE TO CREATE A PLATFORM 

WHAT REALLY IS AN INFLUENCER

So you want to be an influencer, huh? Well, you can’t just become one. That’s now what an influencer is. In simple terms, an influencer is someone who wields influence. However, as Paris Martineau, puts it in her online article “The Wired Guide To Influencers” an influencer is “shorthand for someone or something with the power to affect buying habits or other actions by uploading some form of original, often sponsored content”. The value and authenticity this person holds are what gives them power and influence over their viewers— alas, making them an “influencer”. When you, a viewer, like their content you choose to follow them. Because these influencers have a following and are seen as trustworthy, credible sources to their viewers, brands see value in their opinions.

Therefore, you become an influencer once you start having influence over your viewers— affecting their buying habits, spending, the way they dress. Not when you start using a preset on your photos and promote free clothing.

GROWTH TAKES TIME 

You cannot expect your platforms to explode overnight. That’s simply unrealistic. With the right tactics, your brand will grow but it takes a lot of time and countless hours of hard work and dedication. It’s also important to remember that everyone goes at their own pace. Just because Sally started six months ago and already has 1,000 followers does not discredit your year of work or make your 500 followers less meaningful. The comparison game is real in this industry and it will kill you as quickly as it created you if you let it.

YOU SHOULD NOT BE IN IT FOR THE PERKS 

Free clothes and money are great but that should not be the reason you are starting a platform of your own. You cannot expect these things to happen instantaneously either. Similar to growth, these “perks” take lots of time and even more hard work. If you are in it for the wrong reasons, I can assure you that your viewers and brands will see right through you. Only create a website if it is something you are truly passionate about and are willing to do without “reward” for a long period of time.

FIGURE IT OUT ON YOUR OWN 

I cannot even begin to tell you how important it is to do the research on your own. It is nobody else’s responsibility to do the dirty work for you. I know that may seem harsh to some, and yes I am sharing my advice + tips in today’s post, but you can’t rely on someone else to tell you everything. Trial and error will teach you far more than any Pinterest article out there. You can’t win a race by someone else running it for you.

HOW TO START YOUR OWN BRAND 

1- DECIDE WHICH PLATFORM YOU WANT TO FOCUS ON 

First and foremost, you must decide what platform you want to focus on. Do you want to create an Instagram, blog, YouTube channel, all three? Start off, with what platform(s) you want to create. As I said, I started off with my blog and Instagram account. Some people are solely insta-bloggers meaning they don’t have a website of their own and solely use their Instagram account to spread knowledge and their style.

While these things are great, what happens if society decides Instagram isn’t “cool” anymore and moves onto a different app? What do you have to offer if that happens? This is the number one reason why having a website of your own is so important; it is yours. People will never stop using the internet!

2- FIND YOUR NICHE

Next up, what do you want to talk about? While yes, your website is yours and you are free to talk about whatever you want whenever you want, websites that focus on 2-3 main categories tend to rank higher in SEO and do better overall. Not only does this make you look more professional but it’s something brands like to see when considering you for possible collaborations later on down the line.

I began my blog talking about clothing, makeup, my faith, life, and just about everything in between. These days my website is focused mainly on fashion and college life. While yes, I do talk about other things, I try to limit those “other” posts to one day a week or push those topics over to my YouTube channel where I have free will to talk about whatever the heck I want.

3- COME UP WITH A NAME 

Once you find your niche, it’s time to come up with a name for your website/brand. There are a few key factors to remember when choosing a name: 1) does someone else already have this same name? If someone owns a website under the name you are interested in, you are not allowed to use the same one. 2) Will you like the name in three years? I almost chose the name Kenzie’s Kloset for my brand and four and a half years later I am so grateful I went with Styled by McKenz. It’s a much more professional name and suits me just the same now as it did when I was fourteen years old. 3) Is it available across all platforms? The name of your brand should be consistent across all platforms. I would never have my website named styledbymckenz.com and my Instagram be mckenziemorgan. Keep it consistent and make sure you’re using the same name so that viewers and companies can easily find your various platforms.

4- CREATE YOUR SITE/ACCOUNT 

Once you’ve got those first few things figured out, it’s time to actually create your website. Additionally, I recommend creating your Instagram account at the same time. You can keep your blog stuff on your personal Instagram but I find it to be much more professional to have a separate Instagram for your website. I do this, that way my personal life is kept personal and because high school/college friends don’t want to be bombarded with a bunch of self-promo. Obviously, it’s up to you but this is what has always worked for me.

There are so many different sites to create your website on, among the most popular are WordPress (which I use), Blogger, and Wix. I started off with a free WordPress website and am so glad I did. WordPress is super user friendly + there are tons of tutorials out there that can help you set up your site in just a couple of hours. The template I started out with was called Button and you can see a glimpse of my old website here.

I would not recommend going self-hosted right away as it is quite the investment financially and it is a bit trickier to get the hang of. I would recommend doing what I did; start a free site and see if blogging is something you really enjoy. If later on down the line you are really serious about it and want to take the next step in a business direction, make the switch to a self-hosted website. If you want to learn more about going self-hosted and how to do so, read this post.

5- POST CONSISTENTLY 

I cannot stress enough how important it is to post consistently. Over the last four and a half years I have only ever missed posting on one Sunday. ONE— and it was because I was traveling so the post went up on Monday instead. I have kept a posting schedule since the beginning of my blogging days and while yes that schedule has varied over the years (some months only posting twice a week, other months posting every single day) I have always kept some sort of order.

Of course, missing a day isn’t the end of the world but it’s important for your viewers to know when to expect content form you. Your favorite tv show doesn’t come on a different day each week, now does it? No, so you should treat your website the same way.

6- QUALITY OVER QUANTITY 

The more content your website has the more experience/examples you have to show off your work. Think of your website as a resume in that aspect—at least if your website is intended to be more of a business than a hobby.

However, remember quality over quantity reigns true for content. There’s no use putting out three blog posts a week if they are crappy in content, cut back to twice a week if you have to in order to get the quality of your posts up. Don’t rush through your posts: plan out outfits, dedicate time specifically for photoshoots, and remember that there are some days where writing just comes easier than others. If you’ve got writer’s block, wait for that wave of inspiration; I promise it will come!

7- STAY TRUE TO YOURSELF 

Be yourself! It shows through big time when you don’t. Plus, your viewers are your friends and you should feel as though you can be your authentic, weird self around them. This tip is so important if you want to start landing brand deals and working with other companies. They want to see a blogger that is super in touch with their audience and can share their honest opinions 100% of the time.

8- ENGAGE, ENGAGE, ENGAGE 

Engaging is everything. Like, everything. If you want other people to read, like, and comment on your posts you’re going to have to do the same for others as well. Post engaging comments on other people’s blog posts, like hundreds of posts a day on Instagram, pin your blog posts to Pinterest boards. Never stop engaging because it is the number one way to grow your platforms.

That also goes for responding to comments. You need to be replying to them as much as possible, answering people’s questions, and thanking them for stopping by. This shows your viewers that you value them and it will keep them coming back for more.

9- TREAT YOUR HOBBY LIKE A BUSINESS

The number one way to take your blog to the next level is to start treating your hobby as a business. You should be acting like a professional if that’s the direction you want to take your platform. Find a few bloggers who are doing things you wish you could be doing and start taking note of their habits.

Do they post four times a week? Do they share a mix of high fashion and affordable fashion? How do they engage with their audience? What kind of sponsored content are they producing? Mimicking other people’s actions (WITHOUT copying) can be super beneficial.

10- EXPAND YOUR BRAND

Expand your brand! About six months after I made my blog I created a YouTube channel to start sharing makeup tutorials. They are on private now because they are so god awful embarrassing but this was one of my first steps towards expanding my brand. Although I didn’t start consistently using my YouTube channel for another few years, I had still created another platform that could be used. I now use my YouTube just as much as my blog, have a Pinterest account, Tik Tok, Facebook page, etc. If I had the time my next expansion would, without a doubt, be starting a podcast. Maybe one day!

And last but certainly not least, find the courage to just do it. At the end of the day, you can ask me as many questions you want but I cannot hit publish on that first post for you. You have to do it. You have to want to do it. You have to find the confidence within yourself. And I know it’s hard (trust me, I’ve been there), but I promise you it is so very worth it.

I hope you found today’s blog post helpful. If there is anything I did not cover in today’s post that you still have questions about, please don’t hesitate to leave them in the comment section below. As always, thank you so much for your continuous love and support. I wouldn’t be here today without you!

With love, McKenz

Latest Post: Spring 2020 Semester Recap
Related Post: StyledbyMcKenz 2.0
Instagram: styledbymckenz //YouTube: McKenzie Morgan //Pinterest: mckenzmorgan