Blogging started back in 1994. At that time, they were mostly the work of a single individual about a single subject. In 2017, it’s estimated there are more than 440 million personal and corporate blogs in existence. And they cover far more subjects that we can even begin to imagine.
Blogging can be a very satisfying pastime. Sure, there’s a learning curve – just like there is for everything. But today, it’s easier than ever and there are plenty of resources to help you along the way. Done right, a blog can even be monetized to provide a source of revenue in your unretirement.
If you are considering blogging, there are 5 things I would recommend giving careful thought:
- Think about the platform. There are many places to blog. Sites like Google’s Blogger have been around since 1999. In recent years, Tumblr has become extremely popular. This blog (and our first one, HR Bartender) are on a self-hosted WordPress site and it has worked very well. Just do your homework about what platform you want to blog on.
- Figure out why you want to blog. Maybe it’s because you have something you want to say. It might be to find clients for your consulting business. Or to directly make a little extra money. But it’s important to know why you’re blogging, because it will drive other decisions along the way.
- Never say never. Be open to opportunities as they arise. The reasons you blog may change over time. Just understand how that change impacts other aspects of blogging. For instance, if you just blog for fun, you can immediately publish whatever comes to mind. If you want to monetize, your readers and potential sponsors may have different expectations.
- Carefully choose your blog’s name because, no matter why you blog, you will need to market So, develop a name that helps you accomplish your blogging goals (see #2). Just remember, it can be very hard to successfully change your blog’s name and rebrand down the road.
- Think about how much time you want to spend. Blogging can sometimes take a lot of work. You might start off slow – maybe once a week. Then put yourself into the shoes of your audience. Knowing what your audience wants is important when deciding how long a post should be or how frequently to publish.
Don’t worry, these considerations aren’t designed to scare you. Taking a little dedicated time on the front end should help eliminate a few frustrations down the road. And, if you’re curious why the list has little to do with writing, it’s because we all have something to say. That part you’ve already taken care of!
Do you have any questions about blogging? Let us know and we’ll try to answer them!
What is the best method for deciding what you want to blog about? I’ve toyed with the idea for a few years but often come to the conclusion, “who would want to hear from me?”. I guess it’s defeatest but its something that comes to mind. Thanks for your post.
If one-tenth of one percent of the US population wanted to hear what you had to say, you would have more than 30,000 readers. Just remember, there are 2 big reasons blogs fail, 1) no marketing and 2) the writer gave up too soon. We can’t tell you what to write about . . . just find find something you really enjoy writing about. Because if you don’t enjoy it, chances are you may become a victim of #2.