I’ve written about why I wanted to start a blog here, discussing the reasons why I felt tackling a blog was the right decision for me. What I didn’t mention is the book that inspired me and forced me to turn off my inner critic and truly go for it. Blog Inc.: Blogging for Passion, Profit and to Create Community was written by Joy Cho, the creative genius behind the Oh Joy! blog. I came across Joy’s blog through the wonderful world of Pinterest and immediately fell in love. When I saw that she had written a book about blogging I knew I had to give it a read.
Not only did she give great practical tips about blogging — from choosing the right platform to design and of course creating good content — she really gave an honest behind-the-scenes look into the world of blogging. There were informative real-life tips from bloggers who have gone pro and all the little things that you need to do to make a blog successful: high-quality photographs, a social media presence, building a community and more.
Now, I don’t know if my blog will ever get anywhere close to being a huge online presence but what I do know is that blogging has helped fill a void in my life. Having a creative outlet where I can post about the lighthearted things I enjoy has been very helpful to me.
One of the most important lessons I took away from the book was to find my own voice. With millions of blogs to choose from I know how important it is to develop content that will keep people coming back for more. Have I learned how to do this yet? Definitely not. I’m still working on on my “blog voice” and figuring out how to translate all the ideas in my brain into a functional and aesthetically pleasing blog post. But I’m getting there, slowly but surely. If you’ve ever been curious about how blogs work or maybe would like to start a blog of your own I highly recommend reading the book!
Top image via Oh Joy! , second image via Glitter Guide (photographed by Grace Combs with graphics done by I’d Absolutely Love To)
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