“It takes a lot of courage to show your dreams to someone else.”
Erma Bombeck
Blogging has been around since the late 90’s and still today is one of the best forms of content sharing and engagement. Some make a living off of blogging, some just blog to share their passion on a subject.
Today, there are 77 million blogs on Tumblr and 56 million on WordPress (including Passion Squared) according to Wikipedia. WOW.
Blog Platforms We Love
WordPress
We love Get Handsome, a blog created by hairstylist and men’s groomer Luke Makovic who blogs about grooming, life and style (yummy food included), using WordPress.
Tumblr
We all love MAC Cosmetics, and can learn so much by how they use Tumblr to share the MAC experience.
Our Four C’s To Blogging
Commitment
Like anything, making a commitment is a big deal. So be sure you are fully committed to your blog and your community that will be engaging with it.
Consistency
Both online and off, consistency is the foundation of growth and success. Once you make a commitment, the consistency of how often you post on your blog is key.
Content
We say that your content is your marketing, and that cannot be more true than on your blog. Your content is why people want to engage with you, your content is the value you deliver through your blog.
Courage
You will need a lot of this one. When we put ourselves and our dreams out there for all to see, it takes courage. Know that some blogs will be super awesome, some will get no response at all. We must have courage to create and share what we are passionate about.
So now what you ask? Here are some tips for you to consider before diving into the blogosphere.
Why Start Blogging?
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You have something to say and are passionate about sharing it.
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You want to create more value around your brand.
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You want to become more discoverable on the web.
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You are looking for a new creative outlet.
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You want to be seen as an “expert” in your field.
What To Consider Before You Begin?
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What is the theme of your blog? (beauty, hair, fashion, how-to’s, men, make-up, business, etc.)
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How much time will you commit to posting?
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What resources do you have available to help you?
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Where will you find content ideas?
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Are you ready to go all-in?
How To Get Started.
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Pick a platform. (WordPress, Tumblr, etc.)
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Choose and image/theme that fits your brand.
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Connect and integrate your website and social pages to your blog.
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Set a schedule on how often you will post including the types of posts that connect back to your theme. And commit to it.
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Play with test posts, the more you practice and play, the easier it will be. Practice makes perfect (or what we like to say, perfectly imperfect)