This is an example post, originally published as part of Blogging University. Enroll in one of our ten programs, and start my blog right.
I’m going to publish a post today. I don’t worry about how my blog looks. I don’t worry if I haven’t given it a definitive name, or I’m feeling overwhelmed. I’ll just click the “New Post” button, and tell you why I’m here.
Why do this?
- Because it gives new readers context. What am I about? Why should they read your blog?
- Because it will help me focus my own ideas about my blog and what I’d like to do with it.
The post can be short or long, a personal intro to my life or a bloggy mission statement, a manifesto for the future or a simple outline of your the types of things you hope to publish.
To help me get started, here are a few questions:
- Why am I blogging publicly, rather than keeping a personal journal?
- What topics do I think I’ll write about?
- Who would I love to connect with via my blog?
- If I blog successfully throughout the next year, what would I hope to have accomplished?
I’m not locked into any of this; one of the wonderful things about blogs is how they constantly evolve as we learn, grow, and interact with one another — but it’s good to know where and why I started, and articulating my goals may just give me a few other post ideas.
Can’t think how to get started? Just write the first thing that pops into your head. Anne Lamott, author of a book on writing we love, says that you need to give yourself permission to write a “crappy first draft”. Anne makes a great point — just start writing, and worry about editing it later.
When you’re ready to publish, give your post three to five tags that describe your blog’s focus — writing, photography, fiction, parenting, food, cars, movies, sports, whatever. These tags will help others who care about your topics find you in the Reader. Make sure one of the tags is “zerotohero,” so other new bloggers can find you, too.
yaodasilva2019 