I recently wrote a post about hosting your own meme. But realised, after talking to Barefoot, that I could probably add to this topic with a kind of beginners site guide. Here it is.
Remember that the Blogable Babes are all learning too. So we can share our learning curves with you as we go 😉
Starting your Meme
When I brought the #4thoughts meme onto my site from the google blogger platform I decided to host it from a sub domain. I didn’t want to include it on my main site in a category – like I have with my ad-hoc meme Life Matters – as it is too contrasting. But I wanted it recognised that I was the host, so a sub domain seemed the perfect way. (Although remember the third option is to set up a completely new domain just for the meme. Missy has done this for TellMeAbout.)
The easiest way to create a sub domain is to ask your hosts. You can do it yourself by signing into your c-panel and going to the domain section. But lets remember you pay your hosts so why not let them help.
When your sub domain has been set up you have a separate word press admin user name and password. It is like a new site.
Sub to go
Sign-in.
Click on appearance in the dashboard and choose a theme.
Initially, I would really advice you to go with a simple theme such as one of the word press teams own “Twenty something” layouts. If you are relatively new to creating a site from scratch these make it easier to get your bearings as their options are not over complicated. They are also clean and best of all – fast.
Homepage
Once you have installed and activated the theme decide if you want the front page to be made up of the blog posts or an about page. This can be changed as the meme grows. For example, I started with an about meme page as my front for 4thoughts. I particularly wanted people to read about where the meme originated and also I didn’t have any posts yet 😉 But once I had quite a few posts I changed it so the homepage now goes straight to the blog.
You should find this homepage option when you customize your theme…
AND in settings, under reading.
If you choose immediately – or later – to have your latest posts as the home page make sure you publish a blank page (see pic below). Call it blog or all posts and assign that in the settings. (See above image – option “post page.”)
Categories and Tags
Keep it simple, at least at first.
Categories
For starting a meme there really is no reason to complicate matters by having many. On #4thoughts I have only three.
- Posts
- Prompts
- Roundups.
All my posts go to posts – that is the meme blog.
When I write a prompt post it is placed in posts and prompts and the round ups are in roundup and posts. Simple!
Occasionally I may do an extra – special – post. That simply sits in posts.
Tags
Serve them as you go. If the prompt post is about hats then the tag would be hats. If someone does a round up for you then why no include their name in the tags for that post. You decide and then just keep it consistent.
Menu
Your menu needs to include everything clearly so the visitor can find where they want to go immediately. I include these on 4thoughts …
If you want to display the html code for your meme badges then you need this post.
Great post May. I changed mine from a subdomain to a separate site when I wanted to extend it as it became complicated but the subdomain did work well. I also shifted to a static home page – that is a more complicated option but it worked better to highlight the different projects.
Definitely something to think about as you expand/advance on to more than one meme as u have. I do think in general for a single meme the readers come for the prompt – so a home page with direct links or easy access works well.
Yes I think so too. Easy to navigate works well 😊
Fabulous information here, May. When I started Wicked Wednesday, I had it on my own blog, but soon realized it needed its own space, so moved it to a subdomian. In the past weeks I have been thinking about moving Wicked Wednesday over to its own domain, so I can make the site secure.
~ Marie