Kate Hand, onwer of Betty La La and editor of All Things has kindly gien us her 3 top tips for those just starting out!
You have made the exciting decision to start a blog. Maybe this will be a hobby, the start of a new business venture or an outlet to express your thoughts and creativity. Whatever the reason, here are three ways to make sure you use those initial bursts of excitement and energy to get started!
1.Just Do It!
You could spend days, months or even years trying to form the perfect name, niche or logo for your blog. Whilst these things do matter, the key is to just get started. As Marie Forleo says ‘clarity comes from action not thought’ meaning that by taking action your ideas will evolve naturally and you can refine and perfect along the way. The most successful bloggers have made their name by taking consistent action. Even if you make a mistake, you will still be moving forwards so pick a topic that you are passionate about, go ahead and start to build your blog.
2. Be Bold
Putting your heart and soul out there for the world to see can be scary. You may have all sorts of thoughts about what others will think, or whether anyone will even read your blog and this is something that even the most experienced blogger goes through. Remember, everyone is unique, you have a way of looking at the world that nobody else has. You have experiences and solutions to problems that we need to know about and by revealing more about yourself, your audience will be able to connect with you on a deeper level, building your readership and most importantly relationships. As a beginner, you can start small, only ever post what you are comfortable with and over time your confidence will grow enabling you to become your most authentic self.
3. Beware, the comparison trap
Everyone has to start somewhere, so beware of comparing your first month of blogging with someone else’s sixth year. It’s too easy to look at a blog that has been going for a number of years, with a fancy design, hundreds of followers and comments on each and every post, become disheartened and think ‘I’ll never be as good as that’. You will. We all have blog envy from time to time, but used correctly this can be turned into a positive. Look at what you like about your favourite blogs, the layout, the fonts, design elements and use that to inspire the development of your blog but never as a reason to hold you back.
So, if you are just starting out, you have nothing to fear. Make a start, be bold and soon you will have a blog that’s brimming with inspirational posts.
I would also add that it takes time to find your blogging voice and a style that you are comfortable with, so the sooner you get on with it the sooner you’ll find it!