To Blog or Not To Blog?

That is the question…

For some writers, at least. In fact, one of the first questions my clients ask me is, “Should I start a blog?” My response usually is, “Do you want to start a blog?” And no, I’m not being snarky. It’s a valid question & the answer to that is how I determine the best route forward for the client. Let’s say that…

No, I Do Not Want To Start A Blog

Okay, fair enough. Since this isn’t a real conversation, I’ll give you the most common reasons for why you may not want to start a blog.

• I don’t know what to write about.
• Aren’t there enough bloggers already?
• I’m not a very “techie” person.
• I don’t have time to do all that.

My solutions to the above are…

What to write about: Anything you damn well please… that speaks to the audience you’re aiming for. It’s not as tricky as you might think. I use two rules of thumb when I write blog posts: 1) I write what I want to read. And 2) I write what’s relevant to the people I’m trying to attract.

Technically, I have two separate blogs within one website. One is titled simply, ” Elsa’s Blog” and is where I share on more of a personal nature –  things that affect and matter to me on a social, emotional, and spiritual level. Here, I take the conscious risk of being off-putting to some readers. Why do I do it then? One word: authenticity. 

Someone asked me once if I was afraid of pushing away prospective readers who might disagree or dislike some of my viewpoints. Short answer: no. The longer answer is a bit more complex. I really don’t want to alienate anyone or push them away. But – there’s always a but – I also know no one is everyone’s cup of tea. If you try to please or appease everyone, you will fail miserably… and be miserable. The older I get, the more I agree with Sir Anthony Hopkins:

There’s no rule here. You can choose to play it safe, be hearts and butterflies and have inspiration ooze from your pores. That is totally fine, and welcome in these crazy times. Or, you can choose to write about topics that matter to you with passion and fire. OR, you can evolve from one to the other as you develop your style. It’s okay to be a work in progress!

In my For Writers blog, I focus entirely on the topics of writing, publishing, and promoting. Here, I keep my beliefs and personal opinions to myself. No one reading the PTA blog gives a flying fig what I think about the current social climate or what my spiritual journey is, nor should I expect them to. We are all about the craft in here, friends. (However, if you are curious about the other stuff, click HERE)

As to whether we’re saturated with bloggers: yes… and no. Meaning, yeah, there’s a ton of bloggers out there. A TON. But that’s not reason enough to not do your own thing. Even if your “voice” is similar to someone else’s, it’s still relevant to someone. It’s about expressing yourself creatively for the joy and contentment it brings you and may bring to others.

Not techie? That’s okay. There are several blogging platforms that make it easy and painless… and dare I even say FUN to build your blogging platform. FYI, I use WordPress with Bluehost as my website host. I use Canva to design my graphics (and everything else!!)

As for time, that slippery rascal? Typically, writing a blog post takes me about an hour. Longer if I have no ever-loving idea of what I want to write about. Remember, I’m a pantser, so I usually wing it. But for you plotters (or especially time constraint bound) there’s a “cheat sheet” of sorts I use to help activate my brain box. It’s technically a social media calendar, but it’s a great idea source. Another option is to do a simple search online, like, “blog post ideas” to get the ideas flowing. If time is an issue for you, then planning and organization is key.

So, If I’ve Convinced You To Blog….

And you’re thinking, I don’t know where to start, no worries. It’s relatively simple, thanks to the many blog platforms available. As I mentioned above, I use WordPress hosted by Bluehost.

I’ve used them since day one (about five years ago) and have never had an issue they didn’t resolve quickly and painlessly. There are tons of customizable themes and are easy to work with. Blogger and Wix are very easy to use, but I have too little experience with them to judge fairly.  Check out each platform and see if what they have to offer suits you.

Once you pick one, set up your blog theme in your choice of colors, fonts and style… and start writing!

If I missed something you’d like to know about blogging, drop your question in the comments. Or, if you’d like one on one help with this, schedule a session!

Elsa Kurt is a multi-genre, traditionally & self-published author of over twenty-five books. She is also a speaker and creator of Path To Authorship, coaching for new and aspiring authors. Thanks to her fabulous ADHD, she also designs several apparel lines, took up roller skating, and is pressuring her long-suffering husband for a fourth dog. For more tips, insights, and observations on the author’s life, visit Elsa HERE. For all of Elsa’s links, visit HERE.

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