How to start a Blog? Hmmm, that is the million dollar question. Okay, maybe it’s not. Who cares. Just be honest with yourself and have fun. I have been writing The TRUTH about Motherhood for going on two years now. In the beginning, it was slow moving. I had NO idea what I was doing writing my blog. There were things I wished I’d known about blogging.
Back then, there were no how to start a blog books.
I knew I wanted to write but had no idea how to get my writing out to the masses or what to write. But then I got the hang of writing my mommy blog. Here’s some wisdom that I’ve picked up along the way. Not the least of which is make your follow me, contact me, subscribe to me areas very clear and easy to find. Mine is located on the sidebar and under the “About” tab ( in case you were wondering and wanted to follow, subscribe, or contact me:).
How to start a Blog without Blowing up the Joint
Decide beforehand what YOU want to write about on your blog. What interests you? What’s your expertise? What’s your niche? What can you talk about endlessly and NOT bore your readers to death? Don’t go into this blindly.Try to have some sort of direction in mind.
Choose your community.Getting a blog following is hard work. Keep writing, keep working and get involved in a community of people who you’d want to read your blog. This was a piece of sage advice given to me by one of my favorite bloggers, Heather Armstrong of Dooce. I will admit at first I scratched my head and had no idea what this meant. Then I realized, build a tribe, surround yourself with a community of readers who are reading you for the reason you intended.Retain your integrity. This is VERY important.
Me, I want readers to read my mommy blog for my writing. But you also have to interact with your audience, reply to comments, go visit their blogs. Get to know them and let them get to know you. I want to grow a community of sisterhood through motherhood.
Be honest.Be Fearless. Let your guard down.There is nothing I hate more than someone who ONLY writes about sunshine and rainbows. Yes, some days life is sunshine, rainbows and bubblegum farts but some days, most days, I’m a woman on the ledge and my kids are tantruming and pushing me to jump.
Other days, they make a grilled cheese sandwich seem magical. It’s not always pretty. If I want inspiration, I’ll go read Enjoying the Small Things. Mostly when I read a blog, I want community. I want to know that I’m not the only one whose kids still sleeps with me, that someone else’s 3-year-old is subsisting on chicken nuggets, that it is perfectly normal to not like your kids every minute of every day. I want to understand your misery and share your joy..not feel like I’m a loser and you’re a liar.Write with your heart on your mommy blog or whatever kind o blog you have. A great example of being fearless and honest Jennifer Kindhouse and JessicaGottlieb.
Make it well written. I understand that some people feel that their blog is “their” space, like a diary. To an extent, I do agree. But if you want/expect your blog to be read by a lot of people, you have to play by the rules….of grammar. Nobody wants to read run-on sentences, misspelled words or choppy, nonsensical ramblings. Believe me, I edit for a living, it’s no fun. Having tools like the punctuation checker – seo tools centre would be a huge difference-maker in your writing game.
Pay attention to how you write. It is as important as what you write. Hell, be brave use some of those big words that you learned in college and knew before you had children. You know the ones from way back when you actually conversed with other adults on a regular basis? Great examples of this would be Laura @ A(n)(Un)common Family and Fadra (Fay-dra) @ All.Things.Fadra
NO CAPTCHA! People will not comment on your blog if it’s a whole big brain teaser ordeal and optometry test. In fact, they will probably loathe you for it. Believe me, I learned this early. Thank you Mommakiss!
NO self-starting playlists! There is no reason that my ears should be assaulted by your blaring music on your blog. We probably don’t have the same taste in music. Every blogger is not the same. I don’t want to be subjected to banjo music just to read your blog.
No matter how wonderful the blog may be, I will move on ( mostly because I am already listening to my own playlist. FYI: Iron & Wine + Crambone blaring=Ear bleed for me!) Don’t do it. And yes, I have been guilty of this myself. You know there are no rules if someone has not already broken them, hence the need for the rule:) I’m sharing my hard-earned wisdom of how to start a blog.
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How to write a Blog without Alienating Too Many People
For the LOVE of GOD, NO AUTO REPLIES! Do you know how insulting it is to take the time to read your blog, leave a comment, get excited to see a reply in my inbox only to open it and realize that it’s a generic “thank you for commenting” response? Not cool! This may be the cause for myself and your blog to divorce. I won’t be back. How rude!
SOCIAL MEDIA! You must have a twitter @DeborahACruz and FB fan page, at the very least, if you plan on growing your blog. You must have the appropriate buttons available for your post to be shared on these venues. It is very annoying when I read a fabulous post that I want to share with the world and I have to copy and paste the url. I know it sounds absurd but trust me, make it all as easy as possible for your readers.I’d also recommend getting an instagram account and a Pinterest account. You get the picture?
Don’t be afraid to network. To get love, you’ve got to give love. Be yourself and make some comments. Meet some people. Jump into some conversations.Like some fan pages. Make some friends. Get to know some fellow bloggers. Your biggest asset to building your following is your networking skills.You can’t just write to the abyss and expect hoards of people to find you. You are the face of your brand.No one’s buying if it’s not out there on the shelf! Remember that. Write it down! I’ve met most of the wonderful people I know, and learned a lot in the process, from networking on social media sites. It’s very important to know how to utilize sites like Twitter.
Join some focused communities! Not only is this a great way to network, it’s a great place to find like-minded individuals (fellow bloggers) who will want to read your posts. It’s also a great place to hone your writing skills, get advice and build your audience. There are many great organized communities to join.
Earn Yourself a Comment Mafia! What’s a comment mafia? It means you better get your ass out there and comment on your friends’ blogs and support those ladies that you want to share a community with if you expect them to do the same.This goes back to building your community. I can not stress the importance of this one. These are the ladies who will help you with everything from a kid with diarrhea to how to design your media kit and they will RT, Sparkle, love on posts and point you in directions of opportunity. Do the same for them. Don’t hoard your success. Share what you learn.
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There is room enough for all of us in the bloggy world.Karma baby.Put out into the world what you want back. I am blessed with a great group of women who have helped me tremendously. They laugh at my jokes, cry with me when I am sad, lift me up when I am down. I try to do the same.I’m not perfect, and we are all busy women, but damn it we’re there when we really need one another.Love my girls! You ALL know who you are and listing you would just be name dropping:) Check out my This Blogger’s Life series.
Be Proud of what you do!If you are ashamed of what you are writing or feel like you have to hide your true feelings on a subject, don’t write about it.People can detect smoke being blown up their asses and most people will feel that it’s disingenuous and they will not return.
Never try to be someone you aren’t and you must remember you can only tell YOUR story.
That’s how to start a blog
Now, that’s all the wisdom that I have time to share today but why don’t you let me know any words of wisdom that you might have. What pointers would you give a newbie if you were explaining how to write a blog?
106 comments
Great suggestions, thank you! I’ve just recently tried to jump in with both feet in the blogging world, and I know that I have some work to do….networking is very important like you said. And the part about finding your niche is where I’m at now. 🙂
You go girl! Have fun, be true to yourself, and honest with your readers:)You can make it as big or little as you want but you just have to know what it is that you want from your blog…going in.Good luck!
I totally agree with you Kim. The secret to towards blogging is getting as many people as possible to access your blog, and the easiest way to get those people is through networking.
This is really a terrific list of advice for anyone and everyone who’s starting a blog. You moms are as powerhouse as they come in the land of blogging, people would do well to follow these basics. Also stopping by to say thanks so much for listing me in your blogroll. I think you already know how much I appreciate the support. xoxo
You rock my socks off too, but you already know that don;t you?:) I agree. I would have loved to have had this list when I started my blog.Now its out there for the next round of bloggers:)
Great idea! I’m new to blogging and feel lost most of the time. Learning as I go along hoping to get a little advice here and there. This is an awesome blog! Thanks Again!
Love it lady! Great tips and reminders!
Thank you. I think we can all use any tips that help make it easier on us, right?:) I know I could have used this list about 2 years ago.
Love it! Makes way more sense than the bajillion other posts out there about this same subject!
Aww, thanks for saying that. I know there are some great pointers out there,some just seem a little technical. I figured this list is the advice I would give any of my girlfriends if they ever asked:) SImple and to the point.
I like your ideas, as always, and love you for your honesty. I must add though, that bloggers whose posts are always depressing really end up turning me away. I read other blogs to be inspired and feel validated in that Motherhood has so many common experiences and I’m not alone. I also read blogs to be inspired. I am not at all captivated by bloggers who write regularly about how crappy things are for them without a burst of joy or contentment in their once in a while. A little complaining and doom is okay and I’m very supportive but when the posts are regularly depressing, I tend not to come back. No one wants to hang out with a constant Daisy Downer. You end up getting depressed yourself. So yes, sunshine and rainbows ALL the time isn’t ideal but neither is darkness and constant complaining. You know what I mean?
Love you, my friend:)
Bruna,
I do agree, I think we have to be real when we write. I think too much up or down is bad in excess. I do however know that there are some blogs who are geared towards very specific groups, i’e loss or cancer, and those may be a little more “down” at times because that is their reality. For me, writing is a way to achieve some catharsis and I am sure others are trying to survive their situation. I know what you mean though. No one wants to read a blogger who’s bitchy ALL the time. LOL
Great post friend!
Jess,
Thanks sister!
Oops, I spelled their went I meant to say there. Hee hee…typo! Sorry:)
I love “what not to do” posts and this is no exception. Will be RTing.:)
Erin,
Thanks for the Rt and the kind words:)
Fantastic advice!! Thanks for paying it forward.
And point taken about run on sentences! Oh how I love them though;)
LOL!I think I probably do talk in run on sentences.But since I spend a good deal of time reading other’s writing,grammar counts:) And I love paying it forward. I think there are so many little things that we have no idea about when we start blogging that any advice from someone a little more experienced, who’ve already made the mistakes, is helpful. Thanks for stopping by!
A to the Men on the playlist point. Nothing tweaks me out more than some strange song starting when I visit someone’s blog. Reading blogs is my quiet happy time…I don’t need someone’s christina aguilera blasting at me by surprise!
OMG,I understand completely.I have been to blogs where the content is fabulous but the auto start play list is so overpoweringly annoying that I’ve had to leave the blog. Not to mention, depending on the song, some have actually scared the hell outta me.Just say no to auto start play lists!
I would love it if you could find a minute to maybe check out my blog and give me some feedback as an experienced mommy blogger. https://bonniebabies.blogspot.com/
Great info especially for newbies like me. Thanks!
Aww,thanks for stopping by.Isn’t it so much fun starting a new blog? It can be a bit overwhelming, I know. That is why I wanted to share this list. I figure, if I can help someone get a solid beginning the rest won’t be so hard:)
that’s a lotta kick ass wisdom, friend. Want some honestly and fearless? no bra today. that’s right. whew, that felt good.
Girl you know you are fearless and honest!You go with your free tata self. I do my best work with free Tatas:)LOL
Yep, yep. and yep…I agree with everything 100%
I recently wrote a similar post, and one thing that I think you also need to do to be succesful is to pay it forward – once you figure out what you are doing, help others grow, share your knowledge, etc… just like you are doing by sharing this post!
Aww,thanks Nat! I think it’s our duty to try and spread our knowledge. You remember how hard it was trying to figure it all out and all the rookie mistakes we made? Well,if I can save someone from making my rookie mistakes and provide a little of the guidance I was looking for, I consider myself lucky to be able to help.
I loved this, mostly because while I have been blogging about infetility for 5 + years, I just recently got serious about my blog. Invested some $$ had it redesigned etc..and Now that I am on Twitter (how I found this post) and FB, I find that I love my blog even more.
what a great list!!!!
Yey for Twitter!Twitter is one of my greatest assets as a blogger for networking. If you can master Twitter,you can open doors where there was once only walls!You go girl!!! And congratulations about kicking your blog up a notch!wootwoot!
Great advice! Thank you for imparting your wisdom, Jedi master!
Aww,thanks sweet lady! I’m not sure about the Jedi master part but I certainly feel that these are some things that I have learned over the span of my blog thus far.I’m sure there is much more to come.P.S. I LOVE YOUR BLOG. I tweet it and FB it and you are on my blogroll. I think you are one of the best little sleeper foodie/family blogs around!
Hi Krysta! Thanks for all your great advice. I love reading blogs with a little edge. I wish I were more edgy, but I can’t pull it off. And it’s important to be ourselves, right?
I have a question for you: there have been times when I’ve tried to leave a comment for someone, but couldn’t figure out how using their set-up. I just tried to leave one on the Shamrock Shake post, for example. Does this make any sense?
Um, by the way, whats blogher?
BlogHer is THE community for women bloggers. They are who does the BLogHEr blogging conference every year.They also syndicate posts and I recently saw a need for food/craft/recipe posts. If you want to be published in syndication ( for $) I think YOU, my friend, should go and create yourself a profile and submit for syndication. I have the info. if you wan that:)Hugs mama. If you have any other questions,let me know:)
Very nice list, thanks for helping us new bloggers out. I’m a father-blogger, not a mom, but I’m hanging out on the mom blogs because I like them better — the dad’s curse too much! I hope that’s ok?
I started my own blog Perfecting Parenthood to talk about my thoughts on the best kids in the world (my own, feel free to debate!) and how they got that way: Our parenting style, how we teach the children, safety, activities, and all those other things parents blog about. It’s my way of casting a shadow since my wife, a teacher, already has a successfull blog called Nucleus Learning.
Anyway, if anyone has any comments or suggestions for me then I’m all ears. Again, thanks for this list.
Dad Seeking Perfection.
First, I want to say Welcome. Of course, its Ok if you are hanging out with us Mama bloggers. We’re all parents. The Daddy’s may curse ( then again so do some of us Mommies) but you will have to see past all of our boob and vag talk. Hope it’s not too much:)
I am certainly going to stop by your blog. I love finding new parenting blogs. I love that you talk about the best kids in the world. I think we all do:) I’m glad you enjoyed the list. I’m just trying to impart some of the hard earned wisdom that I’ve learned over the past 2 years.Happy parenting, my friend!
Great post! I’ve been blogging for a year and a half now and I wish I’d read this sooner.
I NEED to get better at commenting on my friends’ blogs. I’ve been slacking lately. At EVERYTHING!
Sad to say though, I do have CAPTCHA. I know it’s annoying, but so is spending your morning deleting spam comments. Sucky spammers.
LOL!I had captcha too!But I was given strict orders by Mommakiss to GET RID OF IT! Now that I have, I had better REALLY love the blogger to endure the CAPTCHA. Some of the Captcha is so ridiculously hard, I feel like I’m taking the fucking LSATs again:) Don’t worry Mama, for you, I will endure the Captcha ( I may curse about it:) but I will do it). Thanks for stopping by.I’ve missed you on Twitter!
P.S.I agree SPAMMERS SUCK donkey dick! I don’t know how many times I have to tell them that I don’t want my penis enlarged!Oye!Leave me alone, I have no penis!LOL
These sound like great tips. I don’t know squat about blogging so I appreciate all the help I can get.
Crystal,
Once not so long ago, none of us knew SQUAT about blogging. It’s a learn as you go process. I just thought I’d try and share what I’ve learned from my experiences.I hope they are helpful:)
Oh please. I blew up the joint a long time ago.
xoxo
LOL! Yes, I am in complete agreement with that statement..You DID blow up the joint a long time ago and you keep blowing it up, over and over again! That’s your bloggy magic that you do. You rock with your fearless self.
First off, THANK YOU for posting this. I saw you on Momoir’s Facebook page. Your post has so much useful information. I love when a blogger lets me know how they found me so I make a point to do the same 🙂
Thank you! I agree, it is nice to know how somebody found me and I always like to know how to find my readers to check out their blogs too.
Please teach the rest of these internet hooilangs how to write and research!
I try. You’ve just got to know which rules you can break and which ones you can’t!
What fabulous advice! 🙂
Thanks mama! I’ve leaned a lot from my bloggy friends, you are certainly included in that group:)
Awesome advice, lady! I’m slightly annoyed by number whores. Getting real readers and comments takes a lot of work. And not everyone is going to be Mama Kat, so get over it already. Just do your thing and embrace it!
Bloggy version of love the skin you;re in, right?:)
I really, really needed something like this today! Thanks so much for giving us the benefit of your hard work and experience and just laying all out so succinctly. Bookmarked! And following. Cuz you are just truly awesome… obviously 🙂
Aww,s o sweet! thank you!
All sage advice! 🙂 I dig it. The community aspect is part of what makes blogging so fun! It makes perfect sense to “pay it forward” when it comes to tricks and comments… and “pay it backward” too for that matter! Start a blog and bring a friend! 🙂
Community rules for me. I love to write but the community aspect of my blog was a added bonus. Before I started blogging, I had no idea the networking and friendships that can be built through social media.
Absolutely brilliant. I won’t lie … Blogs with the security code makes me very stabby. That is a huge deterrent for me.
Also, I think that when you write, you should be more concerned about quality than quantity 😉
LOL!Yes, stabbity comes along with trying to figure out what the hell it says. Some are not too bad but some are like trying to pass a security test to gain entrance into Quantico:) I do completely agree, quality rules!I don’t care if you have 5000 posts in a year, if they don’t engage your reader…what’s the point?
I am not a “mommy blogger”, but I am a new blogger and these tips were very helpful. It can be a bit overwhelming when you’re staring out. It’s great to find helpful tips and things like this.
Stopping by from Sunday Funday link up
Fantastic tips on building a better blog. Really, I’d totally co-sign this! Found your post through the Sunday Funday Blog Hop and yes, I Stumbled it. 🙂 Have a great day.
Thanks so much for stopping by and stumbling me:)wootwoot! I will be making my rounds to check out my readers tonight. I will be sure to stop by your blog then:)Happy Monday!
Good Lawd, the captcha & self-starting playlists annoy me to NO END.
These are great tips. I’m not quite ready to link up Twitter & Facebook to my blog, but I’m getting there. Slowly but surely.
Thanks!
LOL! I am working on a how to for twitter as we speak. You might want to check it out, I think it might be helpful. I know when I first started twitter I was overwhelmed and didnt know what the heck to do. I learned by trial and error:)
Great tips! As a new blogger, thank you so much for sharing! These kinds of tips are invaluable. Thanks!
Had problems leaving my URL in the field. It’s http://www.mamatrack.com
YOu are welcome! I love to share any wisdom that I can. I hate all the little stuff that gets tedious, so much easier if there is a little cheat sheet so you can focus on the important stuff..like the content:) Happy Mothering!
Love all of this!!
Great advice!
Thank you! And thanks for stopping by my blog!
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Thank you! I’m incredibly new to the blogosphere (hey, just 10 years late to the party…) and am looking for all the help I can get.
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You are very welcome. And welcome to the blogosphere. It;s a great place to be with some really wonderful people!
Great tips and sound advice! I think finding out what you want to write about and who you want to write for is definitely key. I started out writing to keep track of what was going on and share it with friends and family, but it’s recently turned into more writing for me and for a larger audience. And I’ve never had more fun.
Yes, yes, and YES! Great post that kicks us blogger moms in the butt! I really like that you say support each other. Like @tiffanyRom of SITS girls says, when one of us makes it we ALL make it!
Following via Sunday hop. Stop by soon https://shallowocity.blogspot.com
CHEERS!
This is a unbelievable post. I’m really happy to have found this! I cannot wait to let everyone know about this.
Yey, for sharing!
Good to see that some people really write good content nowadays. Offtopic: I don’t know why but i’m having javascript errors viewing your website on Internet Explorer.. can you check it please? Best Regards
thanks for letting me know!
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Awww,thanks so much!You are on the right track!Building a community is the key!Don’t loose sight of that.
I know I’m a little late commenting on this post, but I just wanted to say thanks. I’ve been fiddling around with the idea of starting a blog for some time, and finally got down to business a week or two ago. While I was working on it, I somehow found this post of yours, and your insights really helped me! Thanks for taking the time to write this. 🙂
I’m even later with my response because I’ve been crazy busy but THANK YOU. Your kind words mean alot to me. Please send me your link so that I can visit your new blog!Good luck!
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