Just Do It. Thank you advertising great Dan Wieden and Nike. A 3 word slogan so simple but a mantra we often times forget.
This is what I’m telling my client that recently approached me for tips and inspiration about writing her first blog post on a site that my partner and I are creating for her. When a client comes to us and asks a question about the web and everything that is related to it we are happy to impart our knowledge. This is when I realized that the information I was about to gather may be just the medicine I needed. So, here I am writing to inspire not only first time bloggers but to inspire myself to stop making excuses as to why I have not blogged in months and to simply, Just Do It.
1. Publish what you learn
How many times have you traveled for business or pleasure and discovered something new. I recently went to the Baden-Württemberg region in Germany and I could not stop noticing the beautiful typography everywhere – even the city sewer grates! Are you an expert in your field? Have you seen a movie that was so awesome you couldn’t stop telling your friends about it? Well these are moments worthy of a blog post. During these times of inspiration, snap a pic or even a quick video to share in your post.
2. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes
Now that you have an idea of what you want to write about, don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Sharing your knowledge, experience, research and inspiration will give other people something to contemplate. Your readers may even be compelled to write a response. The potential to engage readers if you choose to publish your comments (you don’t have too) can add to the fun of sharing your experiences.
3. The more you write the better you’ll be at it.
It’s just like anything you want to improve upon, it takes time and lots of practice. And just think what you’ll learn in the process by researching and articulating your experiences in writing.
4. Set realistic writing goals for yourself
If writing a blog post is possible every other week that’s great. More often? Even better. I would suggest (when you have a good sense of the time you can dedicate to creating your blog entries) blocking out a portion of time on your calendar, where you can sit and write, uninterrupted.
5. You don’t have to write a novel
You’re sitting down to write a post so for 1. give yourself a pat on the back and 2. you can post a funny photo and write a paragraph about it. That’s it! You just made someone’s day by making them laugh. They may then send it to their friends and so on. No need to feel obligated to write a novel every time.
6. If you have a blog on your business website it doesn’t mean you should always be posting about your business.
Don’t feel constrained to content specific to your business. For instance I own a design business and I love design but there are other aspects in my life that inspire me and broaden my talents. Maybe I want to write about taking a vacation from work! For instance I recently experienced visiting some of the Icelandic countryside and how it looked very much like a lunar landscape. Being someplace new helps me to think clearly, as it does for many people, and often times I bring new ideas back to the studio. Write about what inspires you to do your job better!
7. Making it big should come secondary
Don’t be discouraged if you don’t see any posts on your blog right away. My recommendation would be to keep sharing meaningful content, be true to what you are writing about and genuine every time you make a post. Useful and well written content will draw people to your site. Talk about your blog and post it on social media networks to help get your word out there.
Hopefully these tips have helped. I know I feel more motivated to embrace the power of the web and share knowledge with others through blogging. If there is any hesitation to hit the publish button just remember the mantra, Just Do It.
Keep being curious and happy posting!
To read the article that helped add some fuel to this post visit Smashing Magazine.
Nike image from Wikipedia