Part 1: Things to Consider Before Starting

Welcome to part one of my very first blogging series! Which is, oddly enough, about how to start a blog. This is the first of four articles on this topic so I hope you enjoy them! Also, as a quick side note, even if you have already started your blog, these posts should be helpful in optimizing your blog as a whole. So read on!

Nowadays, blogs are a very popular outlet. Anybody who has the idea for a blog can start one. A lot of times without proper consideration of what all goes into it. This includes myself.

Before this blog, I had another blog that I started because it seemed like the thing to do as a writer. At the time, however, I was very young in my writing and needed to focus more on my writing craft than on platform. And I had no idea what all went into blogging.

Blogging is a lot of work, especially if you want to be consistent and work towards growing it. I didn’t realize this when I started my previous one and almost immediately wished I had spent more time studying how to create an effective one. I was never consistent with it and often had a lot of self-doubts about it. But, now looking back, I realize that all could have been sidestepped if I had properly thought through everything that goes into starting and maintaining a blog before taking the leap.

It can be hard to find quality posts on how to start a blog though. Everyone has an opinion and, while you can learn a lot from them, it’s not the same as figuring out what works best for you. But how can you figure out what works for you as well as what doesn’t without already having a blog? Well, there are things that you will have to learn as you go, but in this post, I hope to help you sidestep many of the issues I had from jumping in without being prepared.

#1: Branding

I am by far not the best person to be talking about finding your brand as a writer, but I know it is a very important thing particularly if you figure it out before starting your blog. This is something I am continually trying to understand better so I’m not going to trust myself to give you an explanation in my own words, but according to Google:

“Your author brand is an ongoing, continually evolving story that communicates what makes your work unique. It represents an implied promise to your readers of what they can expect you to consistently deliver. Your brand doesn’t have to feel cheesy, packaged, or restrictive.”

If you already understand what writer brands mean, please enlighten me in the comments. But, if you’re like me, and are still trying to learn about this topic, I recommend researching it and learning more about it. It can be very beneficial for your blog.

#2: Content

Another thing to consider ahead of time is what content you want to produce. Blogs should have specific topics they explore so the readers know what to expect when they visit. Not that you can never do a random article on something different, but I wouldn’t advise for you to do it too often.

Readers want to know what to expect when they follow your blog. So if you create a bird-watching blog and write about all the species of birds visiting your backyard, don’t do a random post on recent politics. Now, you can decide to explore a few different topics but make that decision ahead of time and act on it, it’s better not to keep changing it up on your readers.

For a writer thinking about starting a blog, I would advise identifying what are one or two key topics you enjoy as a writer. Or maybe even topics you explore in your books. For example, a blog I follow writes posts about writing and faith. This girl is a Christian writer who enjoys helping other writers and also has a deep faith. It made sense for her to blog about these topics.

When I was thinking about starting this blog I thought for a while about this topic. Eventually, I decided my heart is in helping other writers struggling to make a difference in the world with their words. Being a writer myself, I’ve realized it can be difficult to find quality advice on the internet. I’m not saying this blog is perfect by far, but it’s where my heart is. So I decided to make it solely about writer helping writer issues.

#3: Frequency

The last topic I’m going to explore today is how often should you post. This might be a subject not a lot of bloggers want to think about. I know when I first heard it was advised to blog two or even three times a week to effectively grow your blog, I wanted to run the other way. That sounded overwhelming to me and suddenly I wanted to quit.

But don’t think about it that way. Don’t let it overwhelm you. Take it one step at a time and remember to keep breathing. Because when you think of the long-term benefits blogging often can bring, you might be singing a different tune.

First off, you have to decide how often would work for you. Everybody lives a different life and has different levels of busyness. That’s okay, simply make the decision and stick with it. Because something that’s even more important than how often you post is being consistent about it.

So, after taking some time to truly think about it, if you decide that you only have time to post once a week, then make that decision and plan on it. Readers will come to rely on when you post and how often you post, if you keep letting them down then they might just find another blog to give their attention to. Be consistent! It’s so important.

If you’re just starting a blog, however, I would truly recommend posting at least twice a week. The more you can get readers visiting your blog, the more it’s going to grow. When I was trying to decide what would fit in my schedule, I decided that if I worked really hard at it I could post three times a week. I decided that it was something I was willing to put the work in for and that it would make up for it later on when it helped grow my audience. And it has! Already I feel I have noticed a difference by posting so often.

But don’t have a panic attack yet! This is short term. I don’t plan to write three times a week for years on end, this is my short term plan and by realizing that it helps me not to feel so overwhelmed by it. My advice is to plan a set amount of time that you plan on keeping up the posting schedule you’ve decided on, then stick with it for that length of time. After that, you can reevaluate where you are in your life and if it’s still beneficial to post that often. And boom! The stress just lowered a notch.

These are just a few of the things I feel you should consider before taking the leap to start a blog. They are all very important aspects that, if well thought out, can make your blog all the more stronger. It can make it a blog that readers return to time and time again to devour your posts and hear what you have to say. And that’s what we ultimately want, isn’t it?

Your turn!

Have you mastered author brands? What topics do you plan to write about on your blog/do you write about? How often do you plan on blogging/how often do you blog?

Blessings, Allyson

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