5 Reasons to Start a Blog Today
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My favourite bloggers and podcasters often share one regret: they wish they had started sooner.
And you know what? My regret is the same. I spent years wanting to blog but instead focused on a laundry list of excuses. Underneath it all, I was afraid. Afraid I wouldn’t be good at it, afraid of looking silly, afraid no one would read what I wrote or worse yet, people WOULD read it and dislike what I had to say.
There’s always a learning curve when we do something for the first time, but I was afraid to publicly learn and improve my writing. Now, I wish I had a whole backlog of cringey beginner posts instead of just random half-written sentences in my Google Docs. I can’t help but wonder what my blog would look like and how much I would have improved if I had just STARTED!
Are you in the same boat? I hope these five reasons to start your blog will help you finally take the plunge!
1. You’ll regret waiting to start your blog more than the mistakes you make
I know you're afraid. It can feel so awkward showing up online with authority and wondering what your Aunt Sally is thinking or worrying Susie down the street will judge your unfiltered marriage advice.
But be honest for a second - is this your first time reading a post like this? Probably not. I’m willing to bet you’ve read dozens like it!
You have this nudge on your heart, and it's not going away. There’s a good chance the Holy Spirit is prompting you to share what you know. You can keep putting it off, but it will be more time sitting in disobedience.
If you start now, I know you’ll look back and be so glad you jumped in even if you don’t like it and change your mind. Those first few posts will be the hardest to hit “publish” on, and on the other side of that action is peace.
2. There is Room for You
“Blogging is dead” people say, and for so long, those words made me panic. The rise of social media may make it look like people don't care about long-form content anymore, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.
When you search Google for tips or answers to your questions, do you know what you’re reading? Blogs. When you pull up Pinterest and search recipe ideas, homebirth inspo or toddler tips, do you know what you’re reading? Blogs.
Blogging has changed over the years and we may not “follow” blogs as closely as we used to, but there is room at the table for your heartfelt words! Even if the topic you want to write on has already been covered, it hasn’t been covered by YOU.
I know that sounded cliche. I used to roll my eyes every time someone said a line like that until it was reframed from a Christian perspective. It's possible God has carved out a specific group of people who will only be able to hear your message from YOU.
You don’t even need to be an SEO expert to get eyes on your blog (coming from someone who is still very much trying to demystify SEO) If you commit yourself to blogging regularly and share each post multiple times on a platform like Pinterest or Instagram, blogging could become a stream of income for you, whether you want to get into affiliate marketing, ad revenue, or create your own digital products.
3. The next step will become clear once you take action.
So many experts will tell you to “niche down” and figure out your topic before you get started. It's intimidating trying to commit to a topic you’ll be happy to write about for the next decade without ever writing about that topic!
It wasn't until I started blogging consistently that I gained clarity on what I like writing about. Once I developed a consistent writing routine, the ideas began flowing!
If you’re feeling uninspired, it’s probably because you’re sitting in inaction.
I always recommend at least doing a trial period to decide if you enjoy writing. About a year before I started my blog, I decided to act as if I had a blog and a publishing deadline and commit to writing weekly posts in my Google Docs. By doing this, I confirmed I loved the writing aspect, and once I got my blog up and running, I had a dozen or so posts to pull from.
Take some small action today, whether it's sitting down and writing a pretend post for your Google Docs or finally setting up your site!
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4. Your Confidence Will Grow by Blogging
Like I said, it can feel so hard to put yourself out there and be vulnerable on the internet. But once you do it, you'll realize any negative feedback you get is not nearly as scary as the lies you were slinging in your head.
Publishing your thoughts online is a powerful way to face your fears. I know your confidence will grow through the process. Soon you will find yourself constantly opening up your own website just to stare at what you've created!
5. Blogging will be fun!
I can tell this has been on your heart for a long time. You will love having a creative outlet and writing with purpose!
I finally took my blog seriously shortly after having my second child. Life was busy with an 18-month-old and a 3-month-old, but I was in desperate need of a creative outlet! The sense of completion that comes with hitting “publish” was just what I needed in that busy season.
I love being creative, but I don't always have the capacity or desire to pull out a bunch of craft supplies. Blogging is a beautiful way to create something with only a laptop or phone.
The book Create Anyway was pivotal in my decision to pursue blogging even in a busy season of motherhood. I highly recommend grabbing a copy!
get it on Amazon.ca I get it on Amazon.com
What could go wrong?
If you start blogging and decide it's not fun, you can stop. Worst case scenario, you've lost a few hundred dollars in website fees, but you’ll finally be able to stop thinking about blogging.
So, are you going to do it? Are you going to finally start your blog? If you do, PLEASE send me an email or a DM! It can be hard to find other newbie bloggers, and I would truly love to chat with you.
