So you’ve thought about starting your own blog. Or perhaps you’ve started it and have gotten stuck on what to do next. Frances Moffett, creator-in-chief at black girl, create — a platform that discusses issues that affect African American women and highlights black-girl creatives — shares some tips for starting your own blog.
- Stop overthinking — just do it.
“Starting a blog can be nerve-racking, but once you launch it, it can be a blast,” Frances says. “People tend to overthink the process — like what to write about, how to write about it, how often — and then they forget to just be themselves.”
This goes hand in hand with our psychological perception of others. “What will others think of me?” and “what can I write about that others will think is cool?” are questions that constantly plague the mind of a writer before settling down to write the blog post. Just write it. Stop censoring yourself.
- Create content that speaks to your passions.
Frances says, “Write about what you’re passionate about. Write about it in a way that’s real to you; everyone already has a ‘voice’ for their blog; the key is not being afraid to use it. And don’t be afraid to experiment.”
This speaks directly to the first point. We all have a voice that is unique to ourselves. Show the world yours.
- Share regularly on social media.
“Post and share your content at various times of day on different days and see if there are any patterns on when people are reading your stuff,” she says. “Keep track of what content gets the most likes, shares and views; that shows you what your people want to read.”
Get your content out there. People today are constantly bombarded with information, so you need to show them what you want them to read — your writing! — because your audience is not going to find it on their own. If you find regularly posting to social media stressful or time-consuming, there are apps for that. Try using Tweetdeck for scheduling tweets on Twitter and ScheduGram for Instagram, just to name a couple.
Frances says, “Most of all, have fun with it. There’s no secret formula for blog success, so give yourself the liberty to have fun creating.”