- Have multiple posts drafted - One of the things that I was most worried about when starting this journey was if I would have enough content to make it worth while to even blog. I'm happy to say that 3 weeks in that it has not been an issue which has built confidence to continue! At the time I am writing this, I have nine (9) drafted posts ranging from ready to publish to notes jotted on the fly.
- Write thoughts as soon as you have them- see the first sentence above about my concerns again! Pretty sure I stole this a from George Couros (@gcouros) blogging post, but it rings 100% true. If I don't have something to take the idea down right away, it's gone! For the blog, I simply installed the blogger app on all my devices (of which I always have one with me...I probably have a problem...) and when an idea strikes me, I open the app and start a new post with that thought. It takes maybe 30 seconds. Then, I've fed into the thought above. On a side note, I apply this same strategy from my songwriting except I prefer the Evernote Moleskin notebook as my medium for that. There's just something about have those thoughts and that process down on paper.
- Do some homework - during one of my morning sessions, I took some time to read up on when to post because I wasn't satisfied with the number of views I was seeing. Let me be clear. I'm writing first because I enjoy it and think I have some valuable things that share. I would encourage you to keep those things in mind as you jump in and/or continue. But I do want to make the most impact I can, so I did some home work. Here are some resources for you if you are interested:
- 5 Ideas to Help you Blog - George Couros post mentioned above
- Top 10 Mistakes Bloggers Make - Podcast
- Hubspot blog - INFOGRAPHIC!! I love infographics!!
- Huffington Post article - formatting is weird, but had the best information, I thought
- Don't give analytics more time than they deserve - this is placed well after the previous learning. Analytics are great for growth and improving of your platform. Jon Acuff (@jonacuff) talks and warns not to be consumed by them and I can see how that can quickly happen. I give myself one peek at the analytics a day for the purpose of growth and improvement.
- Dedicate the time - Time had always been the obstacle for me. I have two amazing kids and an incredibly hot wife all of whom value my time has daddy and husband, respectively. I started this journey my first (official) day back on contract and have gotten up at 5:00a very weekday morning to study and write. It has been incredibly motivating! To learn more about the #5AMClub via the 30 Days of Hustle, check out Jon Acuff's blog.
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- Click Publish! - This has been the hardest part for me. As I stated in my first post three weeks ago, I am apt to think my thoughts are less than they are or should be. That first click was incredibly hard for me, but each post after has gotten a little bit easier.
I'll finish by saying your thoughts are worth it and you have something valuable to share!
Blog away!
B
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