WOOHOO! Got the first “Ask Rachel…” Question! I am (HOPING!) to make a weekly feature of “Ask Rachel…” where I answer reader’s questions (on ANY topic!) and give some advice (FO FREE!). Submit your questions here!
Alright let’s jump into it!
Hello!
I am a struggling twenty-something working on starting my own lifestyle/life fails blog. Do you have any advice for me as a launch into this new endeavor? I have written some practice posts to get those”first post” jitters and to be sure that it is something I actually want to take on. I am currently working on design layout, etc. but am very nervous to officially “launch.”I’d love any advice, encouragement, etc that you have for me.
Thank you!
Ahh thank you for the question! I can totally relate to being at that point of “Is this something I actually want to take on” when I first started blogging.
Some back story for you: I have been blogging on and off since high school (What up LiveJournal days! Who else remembers those?? Drop me a comment!). I would go through spurts where I posted multiple times a day to not at all. I’ve had a public blog, a private blog, and an anonymous blog over the years. I have constantly struggled with this pressure I put on myself to create the “perfect post” or “perfect content schedule” … I would obsess for hours over what other bloggers were doing and constantly compare myself…
…Which reminds me of episode 4 in Girls season 5 where Jessa tells Hannah she spends too much time reading articles and content on-line that it’s actually made her stupid and is the culprit of her writers block…
//giphy.com/embed/R4cg7eliMAfok
As bitchy as Jessa was in this scene, there’s some serious truth to it… I digress…
I actually put so much pressure on myself that I stopped enjoying it and would ultimately stop writing.
So the first point of advice: Limit how much content you are consuming on-line!
Seriously this is so important, I found that if I spend hours reading other peoples work, I lose my voice completely. I do like to read 3 bloggers regularly for inspiration, education, and fun, but any more than that I have found to actually be harmful.
Which leads me to my next question/piece of advice: Why are you blogging? What is your blog’s mission?
Write that shit down! Seriously, WRITE IT DOWN. Cherish this. Never lose this. As your blog grows you will have challenges that may pull you away from your original mission or purpose, so stay connected to your “Why” – as in “why you are starting this adventure”. Click here for more tips on how to write a mission statement.
Whether your are blogging for money, fame, or fun – just remember to let go of the fear.
Seriously, let it go. In the blogging world they say that your first “hate” comment or e-mail means you’ve made it. So really the only thing to feel “concerned” about is apathy… but at the end of the day if you are clear and focused about your blog’s mission, it will connect with someone (because emotions are universal, and nobody is so unique that they don’t have a tribe out there).
3 Big mistakes I see with new bloggers include (there’s more I just won’t get into all of them in this post):
- They filter. They filter their thoughts and words so much that we never really get to know them or their personality.
- They try to please everybody, and end up connecting with nobody.
- They have a really ugly/crowded layout that makes it impossible to stay on their site or finish an article.
- They are afraid to self promote (because people need to know you are out there!).
Ready to kick your blogging up a notch?
Grab the goal setting guide to reach all of your blogging goals!
//app.mailerlite.com/data/webforms/105659/r3g2e5.js?v3
I hope that helps!
Do you have a question you want some advice on? Let me know by clicking here!
tcmdisqus 
May 3, 2016 at 12:16 pm
LiveJournal! I totally forgot about that! It was my jam…I had never thought about over-consuming content. It’s a brilliant (and so simple!) reminder to cut back and focus on your own voice and purpose.(If I could add an emoji right now, I would give you multiple thumbs ups)
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May 3, 2016 at 3:44 pm
Haha I still go back to LiveJournal and read my old posts sometimes haha.
Thanks girl! Love your blog! You have your voice nailed and it’s such a good source for those days I feel like I am the only one who just cant adult.
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May 3, 2016 at 1:02 pm
This was extremely helpful- you hit the nail on the head. I found myself filtering my thoughts, worrying too much about layout and reading so much online content that I felt mine could not compare. I’m ready to just make it happen.
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May 3, 2016 at 3:43 pm
Thank you Julie! Do it! Drop me a link to your blog so I can check it out 🙂
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May 3, 2016 at 3:43 pm
This is great advice! I remember how incredibly nervous I was the first time I hit "publish." I just signed up for the goal setting guide and it looks quite helpful! Thanks for sharing it.
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May 3, 2016 at 3:47 pm
Thank you Beth! Hope you enjoy it!
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May 4, 2016 at 2:29 am
This is great advice for the beginning blogger! I can’t believe it’s only been eight months since I pressed "publish" for the first time! I can definitely get on-board with not getting too bogged down with online content. I’ve found that it really drags me down when I get into too many blog courses, webinars, Twitter chats, etc. Just be you and focus on your mission. Thanks for sharing!
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May 4, 2016 at 10:20 pm
Totally agree Lori! One of the most liberating feelings is unsubscribing or hiding groups and promotional products from my feed or inbox when I feel overwhelmed!
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May 4, 2016 at 9:22 pm
Great tips for launching a blog! I remember when I started out, I was so nervous and thought that there was no way that I could come up with consistent content. Actually, last moth, I got a little discouraged, but reminding myself why I wanted to start the blog really helped. And now this is something that I remind myself any time I sit down to write a post
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May 4, 2016 at 10:19 pm
That’s awesome! I think staying connected to our "why" is so important!
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