Wondering how to start a successful blog? I’d love to share with you everything I wish I had known when starting a blog (but took me over 1 year to find out!) All my details below… (updated 2020)
The Desire
It was the end of 2016, and I was home on my (unpaid) maternity leave with my second baby. I desperately wanted a way to contribute financially to my family during this time period, and I also wanted a creative outlet. Furthermore, I longed for a way to become my own boss, and I would be lying if I said I wasn’t determined to show my daughters the importance of being a self-sufficient woman. And so was born my desire to not just start a blog, but to start a successful blog.
I, most likely similar to you, was full of ideas, full of excitement, full of amazement (we’ve all seen the incredible success stories… $100,000/month… don’t mind if I do!), and full of confusion.
Where do I start? What is actually the most important aspect of a blog to focus on? How do I monetize the quickest? Who is my target audience? What courses and Ebooks can I trust (should I really invest in that)? How much time do I have to dedicate to see income? How important is social media involvement? Overall, what do I do when starting a blog? The list went on and on. So I decided to research…
The Research.
I’d compile a list of resources little by little. However, my educational process always felt like one step forward and two steps back. I’d think I was on to finding something out and it would turn out to be a sales pitch for an advanced course I didn’t yet need (I was just trying to get the basics!). I needed someone to lay it all out for me. Someone to tell me what were the most important steps and exactly what to do first.
I needed the elementary level education before I could even wrap my head around the graduate degree information that was being pushed in front of me in the form of paid courses.
Unfortunately, I never did find one FREE specific resource that laid it all out for me when starting a blog. (And trust me, it was not for a lack of searching!) Now, I should note that there were and are SEVERAL paid courses that do just this. However, they will require a good investment. And while I do definitely see the importance of investing in your passion and do believe in the age old saying, “You have to spend money to make money”, I just did NOT have any money to spend at that point. After all, that was half the reason I was starting a blog in the first place! (Note: when you are starting to be profitable, I would HIGHLY recommend investing in yourself with the “right” courses. They can make a HUGE difference!)
What I’ve Learned About How to Start a Successful Blog
So, I promised myself that in time, I would give back and share with other bloggers exactly what I wish I had known from the beginning. Exactly what I needed to know but didn’t even know to ask. I promised myself to share the basics, the elementary education thrown into one textbook instead of a library of novels.
I am now over one year into what I consider to be full-time blogging. While it is true that I continue to work my part-time job, and raise my two little toddlers being a work-at-home mom (when not working outside the home), I dedicate every waking moment to my blog making it my “full-time” job even if I can’t put in 40 hours a week.
Throughout the past year, I have fought tooth and nail for every bit of information that I have acquired. I have also shelled out hundreds upon hundreds of dollars on courses and I’m a bit embarrassed to say that only 50% of them were actually worth the investment.
During this time, I FINALLY, without a doubt, can say that I now know the important first steps in starting a blog. I FINALLY, without a doubt, say that I know exactly where I wasted my time and where I smartly invested it. I also can FINALLY, without a doubt, can say that I know what resources to take advantage of, and when I am being scammed. Lastly, I can FINALLY say without a doubt that I know the blogging secrets!
Spilling the Beans.
Wanting you to know this all as well (without having to wait a year and spend thousands of hours to do so), I’ve compiled my information into an Ebook titled “ Everything I Wish I Had Known When Starting a Blog – But Took Me Over Over 1 Year to Learn!”.
And the best part… this resource is 100% FREE.
You may be wondering why I’d give it away for FREE (when 99% of other experienced bloggers charge a hefty amount- and rightly so… after all, they (like I) put in the hard grueling hours to acquire the knowledge firsthand)? Well, I consider it my way of giving back and honoring a promise I once made to myself. Blessed to have found some very helpful and caring experienced bloggers along the way over the past year, I feel it is my turn to return the favor and give back to another blogger (you)!
If you are interested in a copy of my Ebook, please leave your email below and I’ll send one directly to your inbox!
Wishing you the best of luck in your journey with starting a successful blog! You got this!
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