This post has been in the back of my mind ever since I started blogging, and I think it stems from a feeling a lot of new bloggers tend to have. Seeing high definition photographs featuring the newest releases and knowing you can't reach that "standard" can be a little intimidating when it comes to the early blogging days, or may even prevent someone from starting a blog at all. What I want to convey to everyone is that what you have is enough - you don't need anything but an internet connection and something to access it with. One of my main hesitancies when it came to starting a blog was that I didn't have a fancy camera, I didn't own high-end makeup and I didn't have the money to keep reeling in new products for review weekly. Because I wanted to blog so badly, I made do with what I had, and I feel proud of what I have achieved that way. I wanted to share a few of the ways I made the best of what I had, and hope that it helps reassure or give someone that extra push they need...
Hosts
The great thing about starting a blog is that it is free. Through platforms like Blogger and Wordpress you can set up your own space easily with a pre-made template and start posting right away. I definitely recommend Blogger for beginners as it is easy to navigate, easy to post with and best of all easy to customise when it comes to your theme. A basic Blogger template is perfect when you're beginning, and if you throw in a custom header you're good to go!
Camera
I use my iPhone camera and natural lighting - that's it. Sometimes in a shot, you can tell I'm not using an expensive camera. Other times, my photos look bright, clear and stunning and I am so proud of them. On a blog, the photo size can be very forgiving in terms of not stretching and looking blurry. If you don't have an iPhone or other smartphone, you can borrow a family members and transfer the photos in a pinch through an app like 'Dropbox', which you can access through any computer afterwards.
HTML
Once you get a little more comfortable and feel the need to spruce up your blog, there are so many HTML guides available to help you out. Anything to do with coding can seem intimidating at first, but most of the guides are a step-by-step tutorial and all you have to do is find the box and paste in a code. A lot of people manage to transform their basic Blogger template into something completely different and custom through this method.
Content
This is one of the most important aspects of a blog because it's what is going to draw people in. You don't need to spend any money in order to create amazing content. Write about the products you already own and love, review samples, make wishlists. Lifestyle posts are some of my favourite to read and cost nothing to create. When it comes to content with a little creativity you can create amazing posts without breaking the bank or spending any money at all!
I hope this has been helpful or at least reassured someone that they don't need to spend a fortune to create content! What would be your #1 tip for blogging on a budget?
