| How to Start Your Own Genealogy Blog |
| One of the best ways of sharing your family research with family members, or with a wider audience, is to start your own genealogy blog. Perhaps this is your dream but where do you start? I know I personally found the prospect daunting. Thankfully, there are now several platforms such as Wordpress, Blogger, or Wix, that offer free blogging templates which make it easy to get your own website up and running. I settled on Wordpress.com, as it’s pretty intuitive to use and doesn’t require any coding skills. It offers a multitude of fun templates or themes to choose from so you can personalize the look and design of your website. You can also test out the various tools and features, such as social sharing, which offer additional functionality. Now that you have you blog set-up, you need to decide what to write about. I’d suggest starting with topics that will resonate with readers. For example, write about an ancestor’s unusual occupation, the journey they took to America, a personal achievement, or the struggles they experienced. A story that is noteworthy, or that contains some intrigue, is a good choice. For example, I wrote about how I discovered the truth behind the family story that a relative had lost his arm. Alternatively, you might enjoy writing mini biographies of your ancestors that follow their life stories from start to finish. My top tip is to always add photographs, maps, or pictures as illustration to engage your readers. Similarly, the inclusion of local and social history will provide context and make your stories much more interesting. To build an audience it is also important to write regularly, so decide how often you are going to post an article and try to keep to schedule. Take my advice on board and you will be well on your way to having your own successful genealogy blog! |
