This is a sample post, originally published as part of the Blogging University. Join one of our ten programmes and start your blog today.
You are going to publish a post today. Don't worry about what your blog looks like. It doesn't matter if you have already named it or not. Don't feel overwhelmed. Just click on the "New Post" button and tell us why you are here.
Why are we doing this?
- Because new readers get more information that way. Who are you? What is your blog about? Why should they read your blog?
- Because this will help you focus on your own ideas and what you want to achieve with your blog.
The post can be long or short, contain a personal introduction to your life or a message, become a manifesto for the future or simply briefly state what things you would like to publish in the future.
To get you started, here are some questions for you.
- Why do you keep a public blog and not a personal diary?
- What topics would you like to write about?
- Who do you want to get in touch with through your blog?
- If your blog is successful in the coming year: What do you want to achieve?
These are not rigid questions. The beauty of a blog is that it is constantly evolving, depending on what we learn or who we meet. However, it is good to know where and why you started this blog. And beyond that, you can get more inspiration by formulating your goals.
You don't know how to start? Just write down whatever pops into your head. Anne Lamott, author of a great book on writing, says that you need to give yourself permission to write a "first bad draft". Anne raises an important point: Just start writing and edit your draft later.
When you're ready to publish your post, add three to five keywords that capture the theme of your blog: writing, photography, fiction, parenting, food, cars, movies, sports, etc. These keywords will help readers interested in your topics find your post more quickly in the Reader. Make sure that one of the keywords is "zerotohero" so that new bloggers can find you.