8 Tips on Starting a Self-Help Blog
By Jane Hurst
Different people face different challenges every day. You can use what you have learned from facing your challenges to help others face theirs. One way to help other people is by starting up a self-help blog. You can offer advice from your own personal experience that will help other people going through similar experiences. When starting a new blog there are certain things you need to know. Whether it is a personal blog about how to raise a child, or a self-help blog, certain guidelines will help you create a unique and readable blog. Here are 8 tips to get you started on your self-help blog:
- Be honest
Your readers want honesty. They want to know what you have gone through and accomplished. Even if you are still going through something, let your readers follow you on your path. Your readers will be more inclined to read and spread the word about your blog if they believe what you write. - Write from the heart
This is your story to tell. Not only should you be honest, you should write in a way that feels best to you. Pick a style and stick with it. Blogging allows you to be creative, so take advantage of this medium to promote your creativity. You may read blogs that interest you, but they are written by someone else. Be sure to stick with your own writing style and people will take note of that. Write what you feel and your readers will stick with you. - Promote yourself
You are your own best marketer. You need to get your blog name out in the blogsphere and make sure people know about it. You can use your social platforms to promote your blog or you can write some articles to encourage potential readers to visit your website. You need to get your name out there so people will visit your site. - Construct a good website
When your readers find you, they will be looking at how your website is constructed along with your actual blogs. Be creative. Look for the best free website builder to construct your site. Your webpage should reflect your inner you. Tell a story with your layout and make it interesting. Readers prefer an interesting web site to one that looks like all the others. Do your homework and check out other sites in different fields. Be sure to create your website from scratch with your own ideas. You can fine tune your website as you go along. - Avoid plagiarism
If you write from your heart and construct your website to suite you, there should be no danger of plagiarism. However, it is tempting to go to other sites and see what other people have written. It is okay to use other sites as a model, but do not copy them. Do not ever use the copy/paste function in your blog. People will find out and you will lose your readers. - Act on your ideas
You are telling readers how to better their lives. Be sure you are acting on your ideas in your real life. You may blog about something you are going through at that moment and offer your readers solutions. Remember to take your own advice and help yourself along with your readers. As you are feeling the benefits of your own advice, you can blog about how your advice has helped you become a better, happier person. - Encourage people
Your readers should and will respond to your blog. Encourage them in your replies. If a reader is facing a certain problem, you might write another blog in response to their issue. You can offer them advice and help in your blog. In other words, you blog does not have to be exclusively about yourself and what you are going through. That should be the main bulk of your blogs, but occasionally going beyond what you are dealing with will help your readers and expand your knowledge. - Be interesting
This is probably one of the most important lessons to learn with blogging. What interests you may not interest your readers. Once in awhile you may write a blog that does not get responses or that ends up with negative responses. Take this into consideration and tailor your blog to fit your audience. Try not to repeat advice in future blogs and keep your audience interested in what you are writing about.
One thing to remember when writing a self-help blog; if you have experienced it, know that other people have been through the same situation too. People are always looking for help in figuring out ways to feel better. Take the time to create an interesting blog that comes you’re your heart. Your blog can offer people guidance to a more fulfilling, happier life.
