Create your first blog post on the topic you know better than anything else. Be sure to link to other websites/bloggers in your niche and notify them when you publish your post. Do some research in the area you feel a passion to. Share some statistics and figures: people love posts with data.Think of your first post as the center of it all, the core that links out to other posts, just like this little graphic I created underneath. The first step is to find an agency. The rest comes afterward. What makes a blog successful is being able to interlink posts so there is a natural flow from one post to another.
What should my first blog post be?
There are two common approaches you can take with your first blog post. This is one of the most critical things you’ll come to learn when figuring out how to start a blog.
The first is to use your first post as an introduction to your blog and what you’re setting out to do.
The second is to jump right into your content as if you’ve been doing it for years.
There are pros and cons to each one, but my favorite is the second option because it gives you a better chance of writing something that will potentially get traffic over time, rather than something that gets buried on your site, never to be seen again.
For example, if you’re starting a food blog, and your first blog post is an “about me” style introduction to your blog and why you’re getting started, eventually that post will get buried underneath all the recipes you publish.
But if you just get right to the point and make your first blog post a recipe on something like chicken and rice casserole, that post can eventually get traffic for a long time, whether that’s from Google, Pinterest, etc.
Put it this way: your intro post won’t do much for your bottom line, but getting to the actual content can help you create something that can potentially stick around and get traffic and income.
When friends or family ask me what their first blog post should be, I tell them to act like they’ve been there before: save the intro for your about me page and get right down to business.
First blog post ideas
Whether you start with an introduction or get right into the type of content you’ll be creating, below you’ll find a few ideas on what to write to make your first post a success.
Whatever you write about, remember the most important thing is that this is the official start of you committing to blogging.
It matters less what you write about and more that you’re sitting down, writing and publishing a post.
You’re going through the process for the first of (hopefully) many times, and it’s a good feeling to finally get something out there at all.
So don’t get hung up on coming up with the best ideas: focus on getting something up and live.
Your first blog post as an introduction
Although I don’t love this route, using your first post as an intro can be a nice quick win under your belt.
It can be hard to jump right into the meat of your blog content, but posting a 300-word intro to your blog is pretty easy.
So if you’re about getting quick wins and building momentum, it can make sense to go with an intro for your first post.
If you’re going this route, remember the basics: who, what, why, where, how, when.
You can address all these areas and more in your intro post without going overboard.
Who: give a quick intro on who you are, your background, your interests and anyone else that might be relevant to your blog, like family.
What: describe what your blog will be – this is good practice as a blogger, but it also helps build expectations for anyone who sees your first post.
Do you focus on recipes? Videos? How-to tutorials?
Let your readers know what they’re getting into with your blog.
Why: a lot of first blog posts describe the genesis of their blog. Maybe it’s to get their creative ideas out into the world, or maybe it’s to help the blogger organize their own ideas and projects.
Whatever it is, readers often like to see the reasons behind bloggers bein’ bloggers.
Where: you don’t necessarily have to give any specifics here, but if you’re looking to build a community on your blog, it’s nice to let people know where you are.
Are you in the hot and dry Southwest? A busy city? Letting readers know your general location can help set the scene for upcoming content.
How: this is similar to your what, but how are you going to go about blogging? Will you post weekly recipes, or focus on social media and update your blog whenever you have time?
When: if you plan on a blogging schedule, let know readers what it is. Some bloggers like to publish posts on certain days of the week, or have specific types of content, like videos or Q & As, go out at certain times of the month.
This may not be something you’re concerned about, but if you do have a schedule, telling your readers about it can help you stick to your plan.
Pro: writing an intro blog post can be a quick and easy win to say you’ve officially started your blog
Con: in time, your intro post will be completely buried and really won’t get traffic or generate income
Recommendation: I love the idea of introducing yourself, your blog and your intentions, but I think that serves a better purpose on your about me page, where people will visit over time.
Most intro posts get buried and never seen, so I’m not a huge fan on this approach.
Your first blog post as real content
This is my preferred approach for a first blog post because it skips the fluff and gets right down to business.
If you’re creating a food blog, this means starting with a recipe right off the bat.
If you’re in the DIY or home improvement niche, it means doing a tutorial or how-to project as an example of what your blog will cover in time.
I also like this approach because the more you blog, the more you figure out your style, preferences and voice.
If you start with an intro post, it’s not that you’re losing much time or energy, but you’re also not working toward developing your blogging voice.
Start with a real post, though, and it’s the first time you’ll begin to see what you do and don’t like about blogging, and you’ll start to notice things you want to do different in the future.
Creating an About Me Page
If you go this route, I think it’s smart to still build about your “about me” page with info about you, your background, vision for the blog and what readers can expect from you.
All that information is super helpful and necessary, especially if you want to build trust and loyalty among your readers.
But an about me page is a much more prominent place to do that instead of your first blog post.
Pro: writing “real” content will help you get to the good stuff faster – this is how you get traffic, readers, income and momentum.
Con: writing a full blog post can be difficult, especially if you’ve never done it before.
Recommendation: start by writing real content, but tackle an easy topic or subject first, instead of attempting a massive blog post on your first try.
How to write your first blog post
There’s no “right way” to write your first blog post other than to get your thoughts down.
If you’re going with an intro-style post, it’s good to include:
- your background, interests and expertise, if any
- what you hope to accomplish with your blog
- contact information or social media links
- a call to action to email, comment or follow you elsewhere
As you’ll see from the blog post examples below, there’s not much else to it!
You can dive into your story as much as you’d like, but as I recommended, it’s also good practice to present that information on your about me page.
If you dig right into your content, how you write your posts depends a lot on your niche, style and topics.
Again, there’s no right way to write these first posts, but if it feels like you’re having a hard time getting your ideas down, it can help to create an outline first, or make a bullet list of things you want to cover.
It may take some time to find your blogging style and voice, so don’t be afraid to make this first post “rough.”
You can always go back later and edit it once you’ve refined your blogging process, but the important thing is you get it done rather than waiting a long time to get it “perfect.”
first blog post examples
* The Friendly Teacher
Hannah at The Friendly Teacher does a great job with her first blog post.
It’s an intro that goes over:
- the purpose of her blog
- her background and interests
- her approach to teaching reading
She also announce a giveaway on the page, which is a nice way to kick things off.
Overall, the page is an intro, so it won’t get much traffic over time, but it does do a great job of introducing Hannah, her personality and what she hopes to accomplish with her blog.
