But, What Would I Even Write About?

I've had several ladies tell me that they would like to have a blog, but they don't know how to do one and they don't know what they'd write about. So, I wanted to address those two issues. Doing a blog is MUCH easier when you know what you'd be sharing, so I'll focus on nailing down your focus or content today.

Just google, "how to write a blog," and you'll get a lot of info. I'll share what worked for me and resources that helped me get started. 

So, I spent about a year and a half intently preparing to write. You might not need that long, but at least commit to a period of time for prepping yourself. Don't start tomorrow! During that time, here's what I did:

Find blogs that interest you and read them. Which ones are you drawn to? Do you notice that you keep searching for the same kind of content? I enjoyed reading blogs that encouraged women through God's word, gave suggestions for making dinner time easier, home organization, natural health, beauty tips, and home decorating. I wanted to know what people were already blogging about before I jumped in. You're going to blog about things that interest you and that you know a lot about, so chances are the pins, pages, and tweets you follow will help you find your content. Bloglovin is a great place to begin searching for blogs.

List your passions/hobbies. This was the number one suggestion on all "how to start a blog" files, and it was the hardest one for me. Teaching elementary school full-time did not leave me with any time to "explore my hobbies, let alone passions!" I almost stopped there. Another site suggested that if it was hard to list these, then keep a record of what you spend your time doing and thinking about throughout the day. I began this process the summer before I began teaching part time, so I had some energy to list my doings and musings.

Choose a specific area or areas from that list that you are an expert in. This helped me rule out ideas for blog topics. No matter how much I loved cataloging the birds and trees in my backyard and neighborhood trail, I was not an expert in it. The word, "expert," scared me a little. What, like I need to be a soil scientist to write a blog? Instead, think about what you have experienced or spent time doing that you know you have a pretty good handle on. 

Decide on your audience and niche. Don't try to write for the world. I knew that women ages 30-50 could benefit most from what I'd be writing. I allowed Jesus to systematically go through every part of my life and get rid of the junk and replace it with truth from God's Word. I experienced drastic changes in my home, meals, and relationships. My marriage, parenting, finances, priorities, friendships, and perspectives were laundered by Jesus, and I was compelled to encourage other women to give God their hamper, too. 

Draft your blog and blurb, or that subtitle thing under blogs. This will help you keep your focus for your blog. So, many times when I would read my Bible at night, I'd have biscotti with my tea. I loved how God had made my life beautiful, not easy, but beautiful. That gave me the idea for my title, and the subtitle came from my word splash. 

Even if you're not about to start, let alone read, a blog, these ideas may help you to focus your attention and energy on the things that really matter to you. 



You may find tips on how to start a blog here:
http://www.blogher.com/blogher-topics/blogging-social-media