Day 1 – Why be a blogger?

Welcome to the Be a Blogger in 5 Days program. You’re day 1 into what will hopefully be a long and fruitful journey of starting a new site and unlocking future opportunities and potential in the huge world of blogging.

Since you’re here, we can all assume you would like to start a blog or website, and are really eager to jump right into it! But it’s equally important that some of these 5 days will not always be days of action, but rather, days of introspection, preparation and conceptualization. 

Today will be one of those days. And I want you to really think about what fires you. What topics can make you sit up and think and debate and write for hours on end? Cos blogging is like running multiple marathons, getting better and better over time, and letting months and years of honing your craft reap benefits at the end, and should not be seen as a short term thing. 

Still here? Great.

Start with Why

Before we go into the What, let’s start with Why. Think about why you want to be a blogger. Why are you so passionate about this particular set of topics that makes you want to write, talk and basically spend a big(ger) portion of your life dedicated to it?

Once you can answer that, you will be able to find your voice, and work that perspective into everything your blog should be about.

Together, your niche or topic and your why will form the bedrock upon which your blog will be built. 

Breaking your niche down into content verticals

Now that you’ve found your raison d’être, it’s time to break down your niche into different content verticals or pockets. Say, for instance, you’re a parent, and want to share parenting tips and lessons. You should start thinking about breaking down your site into various categories of content, like: 

• Parenting Tips
• Traveling with Kids
• Maintaining Work-Life Balance
• Child-Friendly Recipes
• Time-Saving Tips
• Pregnancy Tips
• Funny Stories (Because that’s what having a child gives you in abundance)

Doing this not only gives you some clarity in terms of the types of content you can write, it also helps you decide which categories you can provide more value, or unique perspectives, and the types of content you should really hone in on.

I know this is a lot to think about, and perhaps you’ve already done some of this exercise, but it’s always good to review and get clarity before going on to the next step. So, take some time, let it sink in, and come up with a structure for why you’re going to be a blogger, what you’re going to share, and how your life experience shapes you up to offer a unique perspective on this particular subject.

That’s it for Day 1! Phew!

For Day 2, we’ll build upon what we’ve done today, and think about domains! Check back for updates.