Hello! My name is Mary Beth, and I am a Smaller Blogger.
I started my blog, New Life Steward, in May of this year. I have been an avid reader of blogs for the last four years. I was a lurker, you know, the kind that hangs around and never comments. I always had a secret desire to be a blogger though. I only mentioned this to a few friends because I thought it a silly notion–seriously, what do I have to say? Who would listen to me?
Then earlier this year as I was mapping out some goals for myself, the Lord pressed upon my heart the idea of starting a blog. The idea stayed in my brain and festered until it grew into something that I just could not hold in my brain anymore. I begged my husband for the money to buy a domain name and hosting, and New Life Steward was born. I had absolutely no idea what I was doing, but I was determined. Now here I am, 3 months later, and I’ve learned a few things I’d like to share with you, my fellow small blogger–although I believe these apply to anyone in the blogging world.
9 Lessons from My First 3 Months of Blogging:
(PS: It really stresses me out that there are 9–I really like even numbers, but oh well, 9 goes nicely with 3.)
- Just write and keep writing: There will be moments when you sit and stare at the white screen and that blinking cursor will mock you. Just write something, anything. Push through. At least then you’ll have something to start with. Some of what I thought we my worst posts have been quite popular.
- The difference between Twitter and Facebook: Let’s be real here, if you are blogging, you are probably on Facebook or Twitter or both plus Pinterest and Instagram. I have observed that Twitter is a great place to make friends with other bloggers and get quick answers. I share my posts on Twitter, but get very few clicks. Facebook, on the other hand, brings a large portion of my traffic. I’ve discovered that Facebook is a great place to connect with your fans and share your posts. I’m still learning how to utilize Facebook to its fullest potential.
- Go to Twitter School: I read most of that series during my first few days/weeks of blogging, and boy did it make all the difference. Twitter is a confusing world with symbols, norms and a language all its own. Make sure you understand it, so you aren’t being annoying and to maximize its potential!
- Link Up and comment: The only link-up I knew about when I started blogging was Top {Ten} Tuesday. I wrote specifically for that link-up the first few weeks. Then I read Courtney’s Guest Post: My Journey to 5000 Followers in the Smaller Bloggers Series and realized there were oodles of link-ups! I followed here advice and found the link-ups from this tidy list that fit well with what I blogged about and began linking up daily to multiple sites (I’d love to have you at my link-up WIP [Work in Progress] Wednesday!) I also faithfully comment on the post linked up before and after me on every link-up. This has been a huge traffic/reader booster! I’ve also met some GREAT women through these link-ups!
- HTML: HTML was very intimidating to me at first. Then I realized that a lot of it could be accomplished with a simple copy/paste. The few things I needed to know (like centering a graphic in a widget on my sidebar), I googled. My most helpful idea with HTML has been to create an HTML document on my desk top. I save all the HTML code that I use frequently on that document for quick access when I’m writing a post. I have all the link-ups organized by day, my various blog buttons, a Feedburner subscription box, a text box, and various other items all saved on that document.
- Be brave: Whatever idea you have that gives you butterflies in the pit of your gut, do it! Tweet the person you really respect. They almost always reply (and who doesn’t love a Tweet!). Submit that guest post. You may get turned down (I have!) but you might not (Here I am, guest posting!). Start that series or link-up or book study. Whatever it is, take a deep breath and jump! You never know until you try.
- Set boundaries: I’ve found that its highly important to set boundaries in regards to time spent blogging. I have set parameters for when I blog, check Twitter, Facebook, and e-mail. I have to admit that I’m not perfect at keeping these boundaries, but if you don’t set them, you will most likely go overboard and get burnt out or neglect other responsibilities.
- You cannot do it all: We are human after all. When I first started blogging, I joined every challenge, book club, whatever that I came across. I found myself way over-committed and unable to really enjoy any of them. Lots of things look fun to be involved in online. Prayerfully consider what will be most beneficial for you.
- Stay true to who you are in Christ: If you only remember one of my lessons, remember this one. Stay true to who you are in Christ. I found that writing a mission statement both for myself and my blog helps me keep focus. I know what I’m aiming for and what my standards are. Write yours and then stay true to that. We don’t need a bunch of cookie cutter blogs. We need YOU.
My first love is Jesus Christ followed quickly by my husband and my son. I am now a stay at home mom, writer, and blogger. My career was first in teaching and then in Marriage and Family Counseling. Living in a small, Southern town in Mississippi, we enjoy SEC football, walking around barefoot, and playing outside. A day to myself would be spent napping, blogging, and reading with a bit of reality TV mixed in! Please come chat with me on Twitter!
Photo Credit: ClickFlashPhotos