You Can Be a Blogger in 2020

There are so many more resources now to help you get started as a blogger. And they aren't all paid resources either. There are so many free options out there to help you get started, help you grow and help you succeed as a blogger in 2020.

Most of the time, we overthink things that we really want to do. We question our skills and our abilities. We wonder if we have the time or if it is something that is going to benefit us. Blogging isn't just about making money.

How to be a blogger in 2020

Blogging is about creating a connection to those around us. The bloggers that are most successful make their readers feel like they are a part of something. They make their readers change the world that they are living in for the better. A connection is a key piece of blogging.

You really really want to be a blogger but writing is a skill that you do not possess. Writing is a skill that you can acquire if you practice and practice it. I am lucky enough to love writing and I think that I am pretty good at it. I do have a friend that wants to have a blog and be consistent with it but feels that her writing skills aren’t good enough.

HOW TO BE A BLOGGER IN 2020

ASK FOR HELP. We all seem to think that asking for help is a sign of weakness. However, sometimes it is the hardest thing to do. Do you have a friend who would be willing to look over your work and edit it for you? Ask them. Your friend wants you to succeed just as much as you do. I ask for help. There are a few times when my posts can get emotional and I will send them to a friend. I ask them to read the post over and let me know if they make sense. No matter how good of a writer you are, it is EXTREMELY hard to edit your own work. If you don’t want to ask someone to do it for free, see if you can exchange services. This way you are both benefiting.

GET CREATIVE. Remember the blog post that I shared about different types of blog posts that you can share. (These 6 types will help.) These can be of a HUGE benefit to you. Create videos and share them on your blog. Share your photography on your blog. Create lists on your blog. Invite guest bloggers onto your site. You can even create a blog where you have multiple bloggers on it so that you only need to write once in a while. The ideas are endless. Get creative and showcase your strength.

Remember that most people don't truly read through blog posts. They skim the important sections so that they walk away with something they hadn't learned yet.

TALK LIKE YOU DO IN NORMAL LIFE. You don’t need to get all fancy and write big words and talk super formal. You won’t sound like yourself. I mean unless that is how you sound in your everyday life. Your readers want to relate to you. The best way to do that is to sound like yourself. Write in a conversational tone.

Keep in mind who your ideal readers are. Let's say that you are a lawyer but your ideal readers are us common folk. Do NOT use lawyer language. Your blog posts will go right over their head and they will not want to read your blog posts anymore. You need to know how your readers are talking and talk to them in their language.

START SMALL. Create 1 blog post a month. (I recommend more so that you keep your readers engaged but this is a great place to start if you need to start small.) This gives you days and days of you to work on your blog post.

Knowing how much content you can create is better than not creating any content at all.

Don't be afraid to be a beginner. Start where you are. By starting small and building up your confidence, you will begin to build up your blogging muscle. Do 6 months of 1 blog per month and then increase it to 2 blogs per month for another 4 months. Keep doing this until you are where you want to be.

Knowing what your blog goals are before you begin to blog, helps to set the foundation for your vision. It gives you a roadmap to know where you are headed.

DON’T OVERTHINK YOUR BLOG POST. I have been there before. I write a blog post and keep rereading it and changing it because it just doesn’t seem right. I overthink my blog before I even hit the publish button. How have I fixed this? I now only allow myself to reread my blog posts 1 time. Otherwise, I become obsessive and I won’t hit publish. This is where a friend comes in handy to read it for you. They can tell you if it is confusing or if there are mistakes that you need to fix.

THINK ABOUT YOUR STRENGTHS. We all have strengths. Maybe writing isn’t yours but what is? Bring your strengths into every blog post. Whether that is talking to your audience via audio-only or creating videos so your audience can see you. Maybe you are amazing at creating graphics. Use your skills and your strengths to your advantage. That’s the point of them. To get started with this, create a list of your strengths and your weaknesses. Ask friends or family for help if you need to. This will narrow down where you can put your blogging focus.

CONTINUE BLOGGING. You can get better and you will get better with writing with practice. Keep practicing. This doesn’t mean that you only practice on your blog. Start a journal. Work on creating a short story. Just keep writing. Don’t give up. It is so easy to throw in the towel and walk away but who is that really serving? If you have a story that you are passionate about sharing then continue on. It will get easier. It just takes time.

Don’t make quitting your blog a regret that you will have someday. There are ways to move past your inability to write. Perseverance will help you win this battle. Keep going and I promise that you will not be disappointed.

The waitlist for the Digital Blogging Intensive is now open. For 2 days, you will be a part of a live intensive where I will help you walk through every step of the blogging process. You can set up your site as you watch, you can ask questions as the days go on or you can just take notes and set up your blog after the intensive.