“Awesome blog! Do you have any tips for aspiring writers? I’m planning to start my own website soon but I’m a little lost on everything. Would you advise starting with a free platform like WordPress or go for a paid option? There are so many options out there that I’m totally confused .. Any tips? Cheers!”

Thanks Natalia for your question! I can definitely understand your confusion. It wasn’t too long ago that I started Inexpensive Chic and I had to figure all of that out and do my research. My advice would be to start with a free blogging platform– WordPress or Blogger. Both have everything pretty much laid out for you, so you won’t have to worry about a lot of coding or anything. There are both pros and cons to this, mainly being you won’t have as much customization as you would on a hosting site where you hav to pay a monthly fee.

For beginners though, either of these sites is perfect! I prefer WordPress because it’s a little more professional in my opinion. I have tried Blogger before, but I just didn’t like it as much and I felt like I didn’t have enough options. A lot of people prefer blogger though, because they find it easier. My suggestion is to try both and see which one you like best and stick with it. Or, take a look at lists like these

via makemoneyasyoutravel.com

(http://www.peppervirtualassistant.com/blog/2012/07/03/blogger-vs-wordpress-which-works-best-for-you/ and http://heartifb.com/2011/11/15/why-new-bloggers-shouldnt-use-blogger/) that lay out for you the pros and cons of using Blogger vs. WordPress.

Other general tips to keep in mind when starting a blog 

• Pick a niche. Fashion and beauty are two very broad categories. That’s not a niche. Try narrowing it down further. Inexpensive Chic’s niche is “a fashion blog that shows you how to look like a million bucks without spending  a million bucks.” Or in other words, it’s a fashion and beauty blog for people on a budget. Other blog niche’s may be a DIY blog or a street style blog, etc. Be as specific as you can because that will keep your focus in one place, something that’s very attractive to readers.
• Quality over quantity. We’ve heard it a million times before and it’s true! Don’t rush to put a new post up just because you feel like you haven’t blogged in a while. Only put up your best work. Take your time. Readers would rather read a well organized and thought out post once a week, than a new post everday that’s rushed and is filled with grammatical errors. Trust me!
• Be engaging, authentic and add personality! Being bland won’t get you very far. Just be yourself!
• Network, network, network! I cannot stress enough how important this is! Social networking is huge. If you start a blog, make sure you set up a fb page, twitter account, IFB account (if it’s a fashion blog), pinterest , etc. and get the word out. You’ll gain more followers and could possibly start earning money this way.
• Success won’t happen overnight. When I first started this blog, my average view per day was 14. Mostly from friends and family. It takes time and effort to build up an audience, so you just have to be patient.

I hope this advice helped you Natalia, and any of you who may have had a similar question. If you want me to answer more specific questions about starting a blog just email me at niyahnashidasimone@gmail.com. I’d be happy to answer any fashion or beauty realted question that you come across. Your question and answer could be featured in the next post…