as told by me

Do you remember? 2 years ago....in September??

If you didn't sing it in your head, please go back and try again.

Anyway, 2 years ago, on the first Thursday of September, a young woman published her very first blog post on Hope For The Hot Mess.

It was me. I was her. Just for transparency purposes, not trying to confuse anyone.

Even though it's not a big deal to anyone else, I always celebrate this, because (albeit a small one) it's a milestone.

In real life, I don't talk about the blog that much, but when it comes up, you would be surprised how many people tell me they've been thinking about starting a blog, too. Honestly, I'm shook at how many people I've talked to about starting their own blog, and if you're thinking about it, I'll tell you what I tell everyone else.

Do. It.

Seriously. It went from a crazy idea to my favorite hobby in the world and I wouldn't give it up for anything. I love writing, and I love blogging.

I believe we were created to create.

In a world where we constantly consume content - through social media, the news, TV, etc. - I honestly think we need to create a little bit more.

So today, I am going to share with you how I got started with my blog. You're welcome. You don’t have to follow this order, but I set it up in the way that made the most sense to me. Do what you will, the world is your oyster.

Brainstorm Content Ideas.

Before you do anything else, you have to have an idea of what you will write about. After all, it's a blog, and there are countless niches. What do you want your blog to be about? Choose a few different categories of topics that interest you. When you have an idea, write a blog post in Word, a notebook, anywhere. You don't have to have a platform to write a blog post, and it's helpful to try it and see if you even enjoy it, plus once you're ready to post, you'll have some content ready to publish. I wish I would have written more content before I launched my site, because I would have had some backup posts ready when I got busy or overwhelmed.

Make a plan.

How do you want your blog structured? How often do you want to post? The best advice I ever got was to be consistent. It doesn't matter how often you post, as long as you post consistently. Once a month, once a week, twice a week, it's up to you, but readers want to know when they can expect your next post. It's difficult to build a subscriber list when you don't consistently publish content. When you decide how you want to structure your content, stick to it.

When I started my blog, I was so scared I wouldn't be able to write new content every single week. But I paid for a website, and I told myself that if I was going to spend money on this brand-new hobby, I had to make it worth my while. I decided on posting once a week, and that's been my deal ever since. Thursdays is blog day, that's my new normal. Some weeks I do get busy, and those weeks, the posts tend to be a little shorter, but hey, a post is a post, and that's all that matters.

Organize your content.

When first starting out, it's not too hard to keep everything organized, since there isn't that much content yet, but once you've published some pieces, and have a handful of ideas, it's helpful to organize them. I have a content calendar in Notion, and I use it to list topic ideas, make notes, save photos, and keep track of when everything is getting published. You can also use a regular Google Calendar to put ideas and drafts and plan ahead. It also helps to look ahead by a month so that you can plan any seasonal content to publish at the perfect time.

Ask Questions.

This is probably the most helpful step. I knew that a friend of a friend on Facebook had a blog, and I really liked the way she did hers. I didn't know her personally, but I subscribed to her blog and reached out, asking if I could buy her a cup of coffee and pick her brain about blogging. After all, she knew a lot and I knew nothing. The worst that could happen is she says no.

She said yes. And that is how I met Keri Papili, author of Coffee With Keri.

Keri was so gracious and patiently answered all 25 of my questions in detail (and yes I had a notebook and I legit took notes) and gave me some tips of her own. We had a great conversation, and I am so grateful she took the time to help me get started. I'm a HUGE fangirl of hers, but it's cool because we're friends now and she's fully aware that I think she's the bomb.com.

If you follow a blogger and love their work, ask them how they do it! We love blogging and talking about blogging. If you have any questions and don't know who to ask, look no further. I'm happy to chat and help in any way I can.

Research Platforms.

Many bloggers start out on WordPress, because it's free. WordPress has a prebuilt blog template and it's quick and easy to start posting. I did not choose WordPress, simply because I wanted my own domain. I'm a person who has to go all in, and if I didn't have a real website and domain, I didn't know if I would stick with it. Coffee With Keri is on Squarespace, and I loved the design of her site, so I tried it out with a free trial. I also tried Wix, but didn't like the design capabilities as much. Squarespace was pretty inexpensive for the basic plan, and comes with a free domain for the first year, so it was easy to get my ducks in a row. I recommend trying out a few and finding what platform feels right to you. If you just want to get started and don't have the funds, do a WordPress blog and see how it goes. You can always upgrade later. There's nothing stopping you from starting now.

Choose A Name.

This is honestly the hardest part. Choose a name for your blog that encompasses what you want to write about, your passions, your name, and who you are. When you pick one, keep it in your head for a few weeks. Does it fit? Can you picture it on a mug or t shirt? Would you be excited to share the name with a friend or colleague? Does it make you happy?

If so, then grab that domain and get started!

Keep Going.

I won’t lie to you, it’s hard to blog consistently. That’s why it’s so important not to stop. Try not to worry too much about what others think of your work, because at the end of the day, its yours, not theirs. Your hobby, your thoughts and feelings, your blog.

We write for ourselves, not anyone else.

Of course, I try to produce content that I think others will want to read, but I always have to remind myself that I write for me, not anyone else. Sometimes, the posts that I’m most nervous about are the ones people need to read the most. Sometimes, the post I almost didn’t publish becomes my most popular post. So keep on keeping on.

You’re doing great.

"Teach me your way, O LORD, that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name." Psalm 86:11

“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” 2 Corinthians 4:16-17