Sophomore year, I was a sitting in the kitchen of my sorority house brainstorming names for my blog.
I dreamed of creating a blog ever since I discovered health influencers and bloggers; however, I quickly realized how much information from these powerful online platforms was unsubstantiated and anecdotal.
I wanted to be an expert in the science behind nutrition and health. At the same time, I was itching to get my feet wet in the blogging space to see if it was an avenue I truly wanted to pursue. There had to be some way to intersect the two…
ENTER: All Hails the Kale
I didn’t know what I was doing, but I quickly learned how challenging blogging can be. A beginning blogger has to be a jack of all trades (unless they have a budget to outsource) – photography, writing, editing, marketing, negotiating, scheduling, SEO, etc.
Learning how to blog is extremely difficult — especially as a Type A person…
I’m still learning every day, but in today’s post, I wanted to share what I wish someone told me when I was sitting in the G Phi B kitchen at the genesis of AHTK.
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1. START WITH YOUR WHY
It is critical that you know your “why” — what is it that drives you? The reason shouldn’t be for $ — if that’s the case, blogging probably isn’t for you; blogging rarely makes money off the bat.
Simon Sinek, author of Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action, said in his TED Talk — the third most popular TED video of all time:
“There are only two ways to influence human behavior: you can manipulate it or you can inspire it. Very few people or companies can clearly articulate WHY they do WHAT they do. By WHY I mean your purpose, cause or belief – WHY does your company exist? WHY do you get out of bed every morning? And WHY should anyone care? People don’t buy WHAT you do, they buy WHY you do it. […] All organizations start with WHY, but only the great ones keep their WHY clear year after year.” – Simon Sinek
Your why should be the core of your blog or business. This is what separates the mediocre from the great. This is how your voice gets heard in the crowded online space. This is how you influence your audience through inspiration, NOT manipulation.
2. FIND YOUR NICHE
Sure, the blogging space is crowded, but that should NOT discourage you from pursuing it. You can also make noise in this crowded space by finding your niche.
It may sound counterintuitive, but the smaller your niche, the better.
Seth Godin, American author, entrepreneur, marketer, and public speaker who has written 17 bestsellers, wrote on his blog:
“There’s no such thing as a niche that’s too small if the people care enough. If you think you need a bigger market, you’re actually saying that the market you already have doesn’t need you/depend on you/talk about you enough. You might not need a bigger niche. You might only need to produce more value for those you already serve.” – Seth Godin
It’s tempting to want to jump from having 0 followers to having 100k followers, but you have to provide value to your audience before you even think about the numbers. This can be done through educating, informing, entertaining, or inspiring. If you aren’t providing value to the audience, why is your blog a worthy read?
Seth’s concept is that in 1,000 True Fans written by Kevin Kelly, the overall message is that to become a successful creator, you don’t need to try to reach everyone. In fact, your time is better spent with a smaller audience. You have the ability to create content that serves that unique audience and you can develop a stronger relationship with your audience.
3. CHOOSE A PLATFORM
Remember when Instagram blacked out TWICE?! How about the change in Instagram’s algorithm?
There are so many things we can’t control when it comes to social media platforms. Don’t get me wrong — I LOVE social media, but I don’t own it.
There’s a chance that another Instagram blackout will occur or worse, Instagram will shut down just how Vine did circa 2016. #RIP
This isn’t to say that you shouldn’t use social media to get a larger reach, but it would be beneficial to have your own blog to serve as the mothership for all other platforms because you do have control over a blog.
To create your own blog, you can sign up for free. I recommend starting with a free blogging platform to test the waters and if you enjoy it, invest some money into buying a domain and self-hosting.
I use WordPress for my blogging platform and BlueHost for self-hosting. I started AHTK on WordPress and bought my domain, self-hosting, and customized my website after committing a few years of seriously blogging.
4. PICK A NAME
Picking a name is not easy, but it doesn’t have to be perfect…
I chose the name, All Hails the Kale, for two reasons:
First, it pokes fun at the idea that healthy food -like kale- is unappealing. I’m very sarcastic, so it’s on brand. 😉
Second, it is lighthearted and fun; try saying “All Hails the Kale” out-loud and not smiling or laughing! The amusing name pairs very well with my goal of relaying the not-so-exhilarating scientific literature in a fun, relatable way.
I created the name with the intention of changing it later, but here we are four years later with a customized website and logo.
*TIP: Don’t get caught up in creating the perfect name. Jordan Younger, the blogger behind The Balanced Blonde, changed her blog’s name as an established and well-known blogger in the industry. You can always re-brand; don’t waste valuable time trying to create the perfect name.
5. ENGAGE
Network and engage with those who are in the trenches and who are just as hungry as you are, but do so genuinely –people can smell bull sh*t from 1,000 miles away. Support others and bring other people up; there is room for EVERYBODY!
Also, if someone comments or DMs you, RESPOND! They are spending their valuable time and attention on your platform and deserve a response.
6. QUALITY > QUANTITY
If you’re focusing on how many followers you have, you may need to reconsider the metrics you’re prioritizing. Growth hackers talk about vanity metrics, like the number of followers.
As best-selling author Ryan Holiday said in his book Growth Hacker Marketing:
“Vanity metrics are metrics that feel important, but are ultimately superficial or worse, deceptive.” -Ryan Holiday
Bigger isn’t necessarily better. Disengaged or fake followers < engaged followers.
A large following with disengaged or fake followers is useless. Again, people can smell bull sh*t from 1,000 miles away. Focus on engagement.
Having engaged followers is a byproduct of producing high quality content, showing up consistently, engaging with your followers, and being patient AF.
7. STAY IN YOUR OWN LANE
The barrier to entry into the blogging industry is low because blogging can be free. It’s difficult to avoid playing the comparison game when there are a gazillion other bloggers.
However, focusing on Brenda’s successful blog is unproductive and discouraging; it’s a waste of your time. Good for Brenda, but that is her journey, not yours.
As Tony Robbins, American author, public speaker, life coach, and philanthropist says,
“Where energy flows, attention goes.” – Tony Robbins
Focus your energy on your blog and become OBSESSED with it. You have to be your #1 fan. There’s a dichotomy to this concept: you can be on your backfoot reacting to what’s going around you, or laser-focused on building your own blog and future.
8. JUST F*CKING DO IT
Never will there be a perfect time to launch. There is no formula that will produce the perfect photo, blog post, blog name, etc.
You can’t control the results, you control the effort you put into the process. You have to respect the process, jump into the trenches with a tentative goal and strategy, hustle your 🍑 off, revisit your goal and strategy, modify, and repeat. You learn from engaging.
Marie Forelo of MarieTV said it best:
“Clarity comes from engagement, not thought.” – Marie Forelo
Thought is great but if you don’t dive into the trenches, you won’t ever gain skills, knowledge, and experience to reach your goals.
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TAKEAWAY
Fail fast, fail often. Don’t exhaust your energy and lose confidence by overthinking the process, JUST DO IT! Blogging takes time and if you want to do it seriously, you have to respect the process. Although it takes an immense amount of time and generous hustle, it is the most rewarding and fulfilling thing I’ve chosen to do!
What blogging tips should I share next??
DM me if you’re starting a blog – I’d love to hear your story! 💕
xx hails
