Full disclaimer..I am not a blogger. However, once I finish this post I guess I can call myself one because this is, in fact, my very first blog post! My husband and I are self-employed and we know there are numerous benefits of blogging for business. We just never had the time and to be honest, the idea of blogging terrifies me. Writing has never been my favorite. I’m a bit of an introvert so I’m not a big talker and sharing my ideas and feelings does not come easily but we are in the process of rebranding and decided it is time to make it happen.

This post is more for me than you. The purpose is basically to face my fear and take that first step. I haven’t done a lot of research specific to the topic of how to blog when you’re not a writer. It’s just me, pen, and paper – learning and making it up as I go along.

So, here goes nothing…

STEP 1 – SEEK INSPIRATION

I spent several years researching, making multiple lists about blogging, pinning and saving hundreds of blogging tips, ideas and articles across my social media platforms. You may not want to follow my EXACT methodology unless you have quite a bit of flexibility in your timeline. Chances are, you don’t. 

Most of my inspiration comes from Pinterest. I look for design ideas, business tips, organizational ideas, home & family life and so on. I have found some great articles and blogs via Pinterest. You can also try Facebook, Tumbler, or good old Google search to find great bloggers that fit within your niche or who really speak to you.

I came across an article by Rebekah Radice called How To Find Your Perfect Blog Niche (and Make a Profit) and I found it incredibly helpful. The article is clear and concise, helpful and motivating. She presents excellent questions to ask yourself that really help to bring clarity and focus to your writing.

I also signed up for the 30 Day Blogging Challenge ran by Sarah Arrow of Sarkemedia for inspiration and motivation from a variety of new and experienced bloggers.

STEP 2 – DO SOMETHING CREATIVE

For me, this is very necessary because my writing block “wall” extends across many creative outlets and endeavors I’ve considered over the years. Drawing, painting, hand-lettering, art-journaling all sound amazing and frightening at the same time. If you’re like me and the thought of writing leaves you with a knot in your throat, step back and start with something that doesn’t seem so scary.

I have a small black sketchbook that has been tucked snugly away in my nightstand for a several years. It sat empty for quite a while. Every clean white page so neat and perfect just begging for attention while also taunting me with the insane idea that anything I added to those pages would need to be perfect. Why?? I have no idea.

Then last year, on my 34th birthday I made a list of “34 Things to do While I’m 34” and the first thing on my list was “Art-journal this list”. I didn’t complete all 34 things. I didn’t even finish art-journaling the list but it was a start. I’ve even become somewhat consistent about adding new doodles. Baby steps.

STEP 3 – WRITE SOMETHING

I’ve been trying to figure out how to blog even though I’m “not a writer” for quite a while now. Nearly every related article I’ve read says to “write, write, write and then write some more”. So a few years ago I bought a pretty little journal and put it in my nightstand with my sketchbook. Then a couple of years later, I actually wrote in it for the 1st time. Then a year after that, I wrote in it a second time. To date, I probably have a total of about 12 entries but hey, a start is a start.

So, start a journal, write a poem, a love letter, an email to a friend or even an adjective heavy shopping list. Anything!

STEP 4 – DISCOVER YOUR VOICE

This has been one of my biggest obstacles. ‘Authenticity’ is the key word repeatedly mentioned by experienced bloggers and marketers everywhere. That means being the real you (or me, in my case) and that can be scary and uncomfortable. However, blogging is quickly becoming an essential part of running a business and for many it’s the entire business. 

If fear or lack of confidence is what’s holding you back from growing your business or brand then lets work through that together. You are awesome and amazing and you have a story to share.

The lovely Crystal over at Money Saving Mom recently shared her story of over-coming her fear of sharing photos of herself after some rude trolls said some very mean things. Her post really gave me the motivation I needed to just Let.It.Go.

STEP 5 – WRITE YOUR FIRST BLOG POST

You’re ready. You’ve dipped your toe in to test the waters, the creative juices are flowing, you’re inspired and confident in yourself and your abilities. It’s time to take a deep breath and just start writing. 

• Brainstorm
• Rough draft
• Edit
• Polish
• Publish

Let the words flow and don’t worry about spelling, grammar, or punctuation on your first pass. Don’t stress over SEO and keywords or how long an ideal blog post should be. Just write until the wall is broken down and then write a little more. You can always tweak later. Just take a deep breath and put pencil to paper or fingers to keys. You can do this! 

I just did!

Sidenote…You may want to set a time limit goal for yourself. I didn’t, and I got stuck on “polish” when I should have been hitting “publish”.