Aliyawanders

With all the drama happening on TikTok and Instagram lately, I’ve decided to restart my blog. It’s not earning me anything (yet!), but at least here, I have some control over my content and its destiny.

Having a blog means my content has a chance to appear on search engines – because let’s be real, some of my musings (or shadings) might just be useful references one day. And when that happens, I’d rather they be easily searchable than lost in the endless black hole of a social media feed. Who’s got time to scroll through my masterpiece archive when Google can serve it up on a silver platter?

Let’s not even get started on social media’s ever-changing algorithms. They’re driving me nuts – anyone else feel me? Even the so-called social media gurus are no help. Keeping up feels like trying to win a race where the finish line keeps moving. And the gurus? Their tips are as consistent as my mood on a Monday morning. I got so burnt out from constantly worrying about engagement.. Can we please get a universal manual already?

Blogging as My Outlet

Beyond the practical stuff, blogging has also become my safe space – a sort of therapy when my mind is on a rampage and won’t stop thinking. Pouring my thoughts into words feels like decluttering my brain, and it’s a relief for me. It’s like a free therapy session where I get to be my own counselor.

So, how do you start blogging? What if you’re not ready yet?

First things first – secure your trade name everywhere. TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Lemon8, X, Threads, BlueSky, Xiaohongshu (even if you don’t speak Mandarin, like me) – literally on every platform you can think of. Why? Because just this morning, I read about a TikToker with a massive following who discovered someone was impersonating her and reuploading her content to YouTube. Now she’s battling copyright issues for her own work.

The same goes for domain names. Even if you’re not ready to start blogging, lock down that name. In Malaysia, a .com costs less than RM50 a year – way cheaper than the headache of someone else owning your name. I got my .com from Exabyte.

Don’t stop at domains – secure your trade name on Blogspot, WordPress, and other hosting sites too. Better safe than sorry when it comes to protecting your brand.

For example, I grabbed aliyawanders.com, aliyawanders.blogspot.com, and aliyawanders.wordpress.com long before I even started blogging. Was it overkill? Maybe. But hey, no one’s stealing my name!

What About You?

Are you going to start blogging? Or at least secure your brand name now? Trust me, it’s worth it – even if your blog ends up being a quiet corner of the internet, it’s yours, and that’s what matters.

Just a heads-up: some of the links in this blog are affiliate links. Don’t worry, clicking on them won’t cost you anything extra! But if you do make a purchase or sign up through them, I’ll earn a tiny commission, which helps keep my blog running. Thanks for the support!

I’m so glad you enjoy my articles, photos, and videos! Let’s keep it respectful – please don’t copy, reproduce, or reupload them without my permission.

However you may share the link of any of my content. If you’d like to use something, feel free to reach out to me directly – I’m more than happy to discuss it with you. Let’s keep it professional and respectful.