{"id":34437,"date":"2017-08-08T06:33:47","date_gmt":"2017-08-08T06:33:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.lvh.me\/blog\/2017\/08\/08\/keys-to-creating-a-blog-prepared-for-email-marketing\/"},"modified":"2026-10-15T16:48:28","modified_gmt":"2026-10-15T16:48:28","slug":"keys-to-creating-a-blog-prepared-for-email-marketing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mailrelay.com\/en\/blog\/2017\/08\/08\/keys-to-creating-a-blog-prepared-for-email-marketing\/","title":{"rendered":"How to create a blog step by step and get it ready for email marketing"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Creating a blog isn’t as simple as it looks at first glance: you need to choose and get certain services and tools so the result looks professional and, on top of that, is ready for your Email Marketing campaigns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With that in mind, I’ll use this post to cover both ideas:<\/span><\/p>\n\n

    \n
  1. How to create a blog from scratch.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. How to optimize it and get it ready for Email Marketing<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n

    Let’s get started!<\/p>\n\n

    <\/p>\n\n

    \u00b7 Before you start: what a blog is and what it’s for<\/h2>\n\n

    A blog is a website, or a section of a website, where articles on a topic are published regularly. It can be personal or a company blog.<\/p>\n\n

    For a brand, it’s a way to attract visits from Google, show what it knows and turn readers into subscribers and customers. If you want to dig deeper into the definition, the types and some examples, check out our article what is a blog<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n

    Here we focus on the practical side: how to create yours step by step and how to get it ready for email marketing from day one.<\/p>\n\n

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    Turn your readers into subscribers<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Create a form for your blog in Mailrelay and let your subscribers know about every new article.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
    Create a free account<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

    \u00b7 Creating a blog from scratch: everything you need to know<\/h2>\n\n

    To create a blog, you need to consider a series of factors and get them right from the very beginning.<\/p>\n\n

    The most important ones are:<\/p>\n\n

    \u25ba Your blog’s name and topic<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n

    The first thing you should do, before you even start creating your blog, is choose its name.<\/p>\n\n

    An option that has been on the rise in recent years is a personal brand blog<\/strong>, that is, a site that carries your name and where your image is the main reference.<\/p>\n\n

    Some examples:<\/p>\n\n

      \n
    1. My own blog<\/strong>, where I write about Marketing and offer my services as a WordPress web designer.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    2. Ana Mata<\/strong>‘s blog, specializing in Growth Hacking.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    3. Jose Argudo<\/strong>‘s blog on online marketing and content strategy<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n

      If you’d rather leave your personal brand aside, another very interesting option is to look for a different name for your blog, one that reflects your content and values while quickly coming across as original and easy to remember.<\/p>\n\n

      Some examples: El Perro de Papel, Publicidad en la Nube or Marketing and Web.<\/p>\n\n

      \u25ba Get your domain and hosting<\/h3>\n\n

      Once you’ve defined your blog’s name and topic, the next step is to get the domain and hosting. These are services you can buy<\/p>\n\n

      separately, but the most common approach is to get both from the same hosting provider to avoid problems and surprises<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n

      \u25ba Which CMS should you choose?<\/h3>\n\n

      There are several CMSs or platforms on the Internet where you can create a blog. The best known and most widely used of all is WordPress<\/strong>, but there are others such as Blogger<\/strong> (owned by Google) or Drupal<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n

      My recommendation is to go for WordPress, without a doubt.<\/p>\n\n

      \u25ba It’s time to design your blog<\/h3>\n\n

      The design part is my favorite, because this is where you can develop the idea you have in mind and give it shape from a creative point of view.<\/p>\n\n

      To design your blog, you’ll need:<\/p>\n\n

        \n
      1. A template or theme<\/strong>. If you choose WordPress, you have nothing to worry about. There are around 12,000 templates, both free and paid. You just have to find the one that best fits your needs.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      2. Images. This is a key element, because we live in a very visual environment and your goal should be to capture your readers’ attention. If you have the resources, the best option is to work with a photographer so you have exclusive photos. If that’s not your case, there are plenty of free-license stock image sites on the Internet.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      3. Plugins or add-ons<\/strong>. These are the tools that will help you improve your blog’s design and features. There are around 34,000 plugins for WordPress.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      4. Corporate identity<\/strong>. Finally, don’t forget graphic elements such as the logo, colors, fonts, shapes, etc.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n

        \u25ba Complementary services<\/h3>\n\n

        Once your blog’s design is ready, you should connect it to complementary services such as Analytics or Facebook, and also register it in Google Search Console so it starts being indexed.<\/p>\n\n

        \"create<\/figure>\n\n

        <\/p>\n\n

        \u00b7 How to get your blog ready for Email Marketing<\/h2>\n\n

        Now that your blog is up and running, it’s time to start building your Email Marketing strategy.<\/p>\n\n

        If you’ve chosen Mailrelay as your bulk email software (I hope so, since you’re here), these are the steps to follow to get your blog ready for Email Marketing:<\/p>\n\n

        1) Create your first subscriber group<\/h3>\n\n

        Once you’ve created, verified and set up your account, the first step is to create one (or more) subscriber groups<\/strong> so you can start capturing the email addresses of the people who visit your blog and turn them into subscribers.<\/p>\n\n

        You can start by creating one group and, as your blog’s traffic grows, create others to segment your database properly.<\/p>\n\n

        2) Create signup forms<\/h3>\n\n

        The next step is to create a signup form<\/strong> so you can start capturing the emails of your blog’s visitors<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n

        Creating a form in Mailrelay is very simple. To do this, go to the Signup forms<\/span> section, then to Custom forms<\/span> and, finally, click the \u201cCreate<\/span>\u201d button.<\/p>\n\n

        These are the details you’ll need to fill in:<\/p>\n\n

          \n
        1. Name<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        2. Group field type<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        3. Groups<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        4. Success URL<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        5. Error URL<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        6. Confirmation URL<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        7. Fields<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n

          Once you’ve filled them all in, click the \u201cView code<\/span>\u201d button and you’ll see the HTML code you need to embed the form in your blog.<\/p>\n\n

          3) How to add the forms to your blog<\/h3>\n\n

          Adding the forms to your blog<\/strong> is as simple as copying the code I just mentioned and pasting it into the section of your site where you want it to appear.<\/p>\n\n

          The most common places to add a signup form are:<\/p>\n\n

            \n
          1. Sidebar<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          2. Footer<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          3. At the end of your posts<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          4. Blog header<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          5. Top bar (hello bar)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          6. Pop-up<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n

            4) Set up autoresponders<\/h3>\n\n

            The last step in getting your blog ready for Email Marketing is setting up autoresponders.<\/p>\n\n

            This is an optional feature you can use depending on your level of expertise.<\/p>\n\n

            Specifically, autoresponders let you send automated emails when someone subscribes to your blog, which makes them ideal for:<\/p>\n\n

              \n
            1. Sending a welcome or thank-you email.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
            2. If you offer a \u201cgift\u201d to encourage people to subscribe, you need to set up an autoresponder so it’s sent automatically.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
            3. Sending offers, promotions, discounts, etc.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n

              I hope all these key points and tips prove really useful and help you in the exciting world of Email Marketing.<\/p>\n\n

              \"Content<\/figure>\n\n

              <\/p>\n\n

              \u00b7 Content strategies for your blog<\/h2>\n\n

              Content is king in the digital world.<\/p>\n\n

              A good content strategy is what attracts and retains your audience. Here are some essential points to boost your content.<\/p>\n\n

              \u25ba Create an editorial calendar<\/h3>\n\n

              An editorial calendar is the basic tool for organizing and planning your content.<\/p>\n\n

              It helps you keep a consistent publishing frequency and makes sure your content is varied and relevant to your audience.<\/p>\n\n