I remember when I first decided to start a blog. That was 3 years ago. Then I remember when I actually did start my blog. That was a little over a year ago. Why was there such a big gap between deciding and doing? Because I was TERRIFIED. I thought for sure no one cared what I had to say. I thought for sure no one would even bother reading it. I was comparing myself to all of the other amazing bloggers I followed and didn’t think I would ever be able to measure up. Bottom line, I was filled with self-doubt, anxiety, and fear around the process. Fast forward to present and I have built a successful blog that actually does have followers, does receive positive feedback, and does have people actually reading the content. So what changed? Me. I realized blogging wasn’t some scary, out of reach goal, but instead something I could do and could do well.
If you are reading this and feeling as though I am speaking directly to you, then great! Keep reading because this post is all about my top 7 tips on how your goal of blogging can absolutely become your reality!
JUST START
As with anything, you need to start somewhere. So… just start. Don’t overthink it. Don’t overanalyze it. Don’t talk yourself out of it, just do it. Find a comfortable space, grab a cup of coffee or tea, and just start writing. It’s literally THAT easy. For some reason people seem to think blogging needs to be hard when in reality, it’s actually really quite fun. Sure, some people may feel more comfortable writing than others, but more than likely if blogging is a goal of yours, you are someone who likes to write. One of my top recommendations in regards to starting is to start guest blogging first. This is great for a few reasons: First, it’ll allow you to get your feet wet with blogging without the commitment of formally starting a blog. Second, collaboration is key when it comes to marketing yourself and your business or brand, so when you guest post for another blogger, not only are you introducing yourself to their audience, but you are introducing them to yours! It’s a win-win! Lastly, it’ll take the pressure off and allow you to enjoy the process which will likely lead to you feeling more confident in starting your own blog!
FIND A WRITING STYLE WHCH IS COMFORTABLE FOR YOU
If you’re a mental health therapist like me, I think the idea of blogging seems even more daunting because of everything we have learned from our education. My entire college career consisted of writing papers. Literally all I did was write paper after paper after paper. And of course those papers had to be appropriately written, formatted, cited, etc. When I started blogging, I got stuck in that mindset that my writing needed to sound super professional. This lasted about a total of 5 minutes when I quickly realized the content sounded super stuffy and no one was going to want to read it. I mean, I didn’t even want to read it. So, I found a writing style which worked for me and my target audience. If you compare my blog to my college papers, there is a big difference, but both have the same outcome: Information being shared about a topic I am passionate about. That’s it. You can still reach the same goal by taking a different route.
PICK A TARGET AUDIENCE
Who do you want to reach with your writing? What age group? What population? And why is this important? Because you are blogging for a reason: To share information with people. To help people. To inform people. For example, I really love helping people (hence why I became a social worker!) so I wanted to create a platform where I could share tips, advice, and general information with people so they could learn more about mental health and wellness. I also love supporting fellow mental health professionals and wanted to create a space where I could inspire them to learn more about reaching their professional goals. Sure, I love shoes, bags, and clothes but if I started a fashion blog that would make no sense because that’s not what I am passionate about nor is it my area of expertise, right? Think about who you want to reach with your writing and why. This will help you generate content, narrow in your target audience, and increase the likelihood of the content being read by your target audience. Additionally, it’ll help you remain authentic and true to what you want to share with the world.
PICK A TOPIC
So now you’re probably thinking…what do I write about? And here is the really exciting part. Are you ready? You can literally write about ANYTHING. Think about what lights you up, what you are passionate about, what information you want to share with others. It can be anything relevant to you, your career, your area of expertise, your passions, etc. There is no right or wrong answer. My main piece of advice here is just make sure you are true and authentic in whatever you choose to write about. People can pick up on inauthenticity from a mile away, which will then deter them from wanting to read what you have to say. When you write about what you love, it comes through in how you write and people will want to keep reading what you have to share! (Side note, when inspiration strikes, write the idea down! Ideas come to me at the most random times, so I keep a note section in my phone of the ideas as the come so I don’t forget!)
KEEP WRITING
When I first started my blog, my biggest fans were my husband and my mom. Literally. They were the only two who read my blog, faithfully. I couldn’t even get my sister and brother to read it consistently. My husband read it because he was forced out of solidarity and my mom because well, she’s my mom and that’s what mom’s do. You can imagine the panic I felt in the beginning, as I was thinking that my worst fear was going to come true: No one was going to read my blog and I was a failure. But then I switched my mindset and reminded myself of WHY I wanted to start a blog in the first place. I wanted to help people and share my wisdom with the world. So, I kept at it. Instead of focusing on how many people would read it, I started focusing on what I was going to write about. When I stopped worrying so much about the audience size, I was able to focus on the actual content. When I was able to focus on the actual content, the content was GOOD and people started to notice. So, when you start blogging, just remember that with anything you need to plant the seeds and let it grow. Have patience, trust the process, and just keep writing.
AVOID THE COMPARISON TRAP
It is so easy to fall victim to the comparison trap and at one point or another, we have all found ourselves there. When it comes to blogging, this is especially difficult to avoid because it seems like nowadays everyone is a blogger and thanks to social media, we see bloggers everywhere. We see bloggers on Pinterest and Instagram with thousands and thousands of followers and then we immediately feel insecure and insignificant in comparison. So, stop comparing yourself. There is always going to be someone who is more successful than you or someone who has reached the same goal you set out to reach but this doesn’t mean you can’t reach that goal too. It doesn’t mean you can’t be successful, too. There is room for ALL of us to grow. There is room for ALL of us to succeed. And guess what? Even if another blogger has the same type of content, same target audience, same beliefs and values, they are not YOU and that is your superpower. Stay true to who you are and let the rest fall into place.
HAVE FUN
Blogging shouldn’t feel like a chore. It shouldn’t feel like work. It should be FUN. I think there is a big misconception that blogging needs to be difficult and I think a lot of this stems from the pressure we put on ourselves to always be perfect. Remember, progress not perfection. There are times when I feel so inspired and I can write 5 blog posts at a time. Then there are times when I am not feeling as inspired and so I don’t write. There is no right or wrong answer. You can write as many or as few posts as you want. You can post 4x a month or 0x a month. Do whatever works for YOU and most of all, have fun!
Don’t let negative self-talk, doubt, fear, and anxiety hold you back. You have important information that someone out there is just waiting to hear. If I had listened to my inner fears, I wouldn’t be writing this post which means you wouldn’t be reading it and taking one step closer to your goals. It’s a domino effect. The time is now. You got this.
I would LOVE to know what spoke to you today and encourage you to comment below and share with me!
I am passionate about helping clinicians realize their potential and reach their dreams of owning their very own PRIVATE PRACTICE!! I would LOVE to support YOU on a deeper level in your business. Would 1:1 business support feel like something that would help you get to that next step a little easier? If so, I’d invite you to email me at counselingservices@smsteeves.com with what you’d like support around and I can send you some options of how I can support you in getting there.
ALSO!…Click HERE to learn more about my PRIVATE PRACTICE DIGITAL COURSE!! This course is broken into a series of 8 modules which cover ALL of the basics needed for you to begin this journey towards starting your own private practice. These modules include training videos and worksheets to personalize for YOUR practice! PLUS, I added some special bonuses for you!!!
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