Well, not exactly start it as much as actually maintaining it. I know you are probably are aware of how to start a blog. Sign up, name your blog, and bang on your keyboard. Isn't that about right? Just about. However, I think you are probably reading because you want to know how to be successful at it.
What does that mean? Be a successful blogger.
To some, and rightfully so, it may mean that you are making money, have a big following, and are consistent and focused. Too many people focus on the first two parts of that phrase as a measurement of success.
And although all those things may be true, what I believe makes a successful blogger has nothing to do with money and following. Instead, I think most importantly it means that you are consistent and focused. Those other two things? The money and the readers? Well they are an extra bonus. And we can save that for a later post.
Today, though, we will focus on measuring the success of blogging by... well... blogging.
What does it mean? Being a blogger.
It means that you have decided to put yourself out there. To the world. You have decided to write your story. Whether that be on a personal level, or topic specific. DIY. Fashion. Cooking. Which brings me to our first key point to becoming a sucessful blogger.
Number One. Figure out what you want out of blogging. If it is a way for you to keep track of your life, your memories, and kid's milestones, and so forth? Then stick with that. Decide how much you want to share, what is appropriate for you to share, and how you are going to go about sharing that.
If your goal is to write your story, then do that! Remember that this is your space. Share what you would want to read 5,10, 20,50 years from now. Even if it's just a moment that you had over a bowl of cereal with your family. Share it. It may not be "important" or "major" at the time... but I guarantee you will smile when you read it down the road.
If you want to be topic focused and create a fashion, DIY, home decor, or other blog, then do a lot of research. Follow blogs that are focused in these topics and learn from them. Email them. Don't be afraid, even if you think they are a "big blogger." Whatever does that mean these days anyway? Many of them will reach out to you and help you.
If your goal is to connect and grow in readership, have an appealing blog design. I know I know, don't judge a book by it's cover. But I promise you, more people are likely to stick around if they first land on a page that is pleasant to look at. They are then more likely to read your story, and better yet, come back.
I have found that if you blog about what something you really enjoy, then it will come naturally and easily for you.
Once you figure out why you want to blog, and what you want out of blogging, then you can actually begin to blog. Which brings me to:
Number Two. Be consistent. Don't let your blog fall behind. If this is something you cherish, keep up with it. If it's a hobby of yours? Don't forget about it. If it is something that you want to grow and maybe in the future make money from? Work at it.
I don't want to hear that you do not have the "time." Trust me you do. That is, if it is something that you are passionate about. If you aren't, then, yes, you won't have the time. Because you see, we make time for the things that matter to us. Whether that be having a spotless house, reading 100 books in a year, or working out. Everyone has something that they do for me time. For me, that is blogging. For others, it may be something else. So if blogging is a passion of yours as well... make time.
Pick a night, or a couple nights of the week where you just blog. This is what works for me. I jot down ideas throughout the week, and then during my designated "blog nights" or "blog naps" I blog about those ideas. Usually by then, I can zip through posts because these are just my... well.. ramblings. A normal post takes me maybe 15-20 minutes to write? So then I schedule about 3-4 posts during a nap or night time. If they are posts where I'm actually trying to give tips, advice, or {cringe} quote articles? It means I actually have to put more thought into it. Which also means it takes more time. Which means I limit posts like this to just a couple times a month.
Scheduled posts have been the saver for me. If you were to sign in and look at my blogger right now, you would see that I have close to thirty posts scheduled. Now, this has taken me nearly a year to build up. But I cannot tell you how comforting it is to me knowing that I have "fill-in" posts on weeks that I am just darn too busy. Those weeks happen way too often.
Try to schedule a little at a time, and watch as your numbers grow.
Scheduled posts have been the saver for me. If you were to sign in and look at my blogger right now, you would see that I have close to thirty posts scheduled. Now, this has taken me nearly a year to build up. But I cannot tell you how comforting it is to me knowing that I have "fill-in" posts on weeks that I am just darn too busy. Those weeks happen way too often.
Try to schedule a little at a time, and watch as your numbers grow.
But most importantly,
Overall, it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks about you and your blog. First, decide the purpose of your blog, and then work towards it.
Blogging is as fun as you allow it to be.
As time consuming as you make it.
And as big of a priority as you put on the list.
But at the end of the day, remember, it is just that... blogging.
