Blogs were started back in the 1990s. At that time, they were mostly the work of a single individual about a single subject. Today, it’s estimated there are about 130 million blogs in existence covering more subjects that we can even begin to imagine. For that reason, it can seem like a Herculean task to start a blog. Which brings us to this reader’s question.
Hi Sharlyn. I’m an HR pro with 10 years’ experience and my PHR. I have a passion for all things human resources. Since being downsized last year and feeling out of the loop, I started using Twitter.
I’m thinking of starting a blog and really have no idea where to begin. My dream would be to move into consulting but I have to be realistic and find a job. I’m hoping to start something that could eventually get me going in the consulting direction. I really love your stuff. Would you mind a little advice for a social newbie?
It’s hard to believe I’ve been blogging for five years now. At the time I decided to start blogging, I knew nothing about it. So I read three books – Andy Wibbles’ book “Blog Wild!”, Darren Rowse’s “Problogger” and a book on WordPress design. Once I started blogging, I reached out to other bloggers and asked questions. Kris Dunn at the The HR Capitalist and Laurie Ruettimann at The Cynical Girl were very gracious and helpful as I started blogging.
Looking back on my experience, there are 5 things I would recommend to others who are considering blogging.
- Decide why you want to blog. It might be to make money. Or get a job. Or find clients for your consulting business. Before you do anything…decide why you’re doing it. That answer will drive other decisions you need to make about platform, hosting, naming, marketing, etc.
- Never say never. Like many things, the reasons you blog will change. And that’s okay. I’ve seen many bloggers start because they want to share their expertise and later decide they want to make money. There’s no reason you can’t do both. Be open to opportunities as they arise.
- Think about the platform. I made the decision to blog on a self-hosted WordPress site and it has worked well for me. Others swear by Tumblr or Blogger. Do your homework when it comes to what platform you want to blog on. Because from what I hear, it’s a real pain to change platforms or hosting.
- Choose your blog’s name carefully. Regardless of the reason you’re blogging, you will want need to market your blog. So you have to create a name that helps you accomplish your blogging goals (see #1). It can be very challenging to change the blog’s name and rebrand – no different than when companies do it.
- Consider how much time you want to dedicate. Blogging takes work. Sometimes a lot of work. When I started, I published once a week. Only when I was comfortable did I up it to twice a week, and so forth. Also, consider your readers. Put yourself into the shoes of your audience. How many times is good to post? How long should a post be? If you’re trying to get people to read your blog, these are things to consider.
All of these questions aren’t designed to scare anyone away. Au contraire – it’s to set you up for success. Taking the time on the front end will hopefully eliminate a few frustrations and the possibility of abandoning the blog.
And, if you’re wondering why the list has very little about writing, it’s because we all have something to say. We all have a passion that we can share. That part you’ve already taken care of.
Got a question or suggestion about blogging? Leave it in the comments.
Michael Carty says
Congratulations on five years of great blogging, Sharlyn! Any idea when exactly your “blogiversary” is?
For anybody that’s interested in taking the plunge and giving HR blogging a try, can I please also recommend this fine post from Sarah Miller (@whippasnappahr on Twitter)?
http://www.xperthr.co.uk/blogs/employment-intelligence/2013/03/getting-started-at-hr-blogging.html
Cathy says
I think a blog allows prospective employers or clients to hear your voice and sample your point of view. For a job seeker or career changer, this is particularly important to consider. I once selected a candidate for an interview based on her blog’s content and style; I could tell that she wrote very well, her point of view would be valuable and that she would be great fun to work with. When I started my own blog, I took your advice, Sharlyn, that it can be very simply whatever I want it to be. I wanted to make a career change, and used the blog to establish background and credibility in the field. I have never engaged advertising or guest bloggers for that reason, and I don’t pay a lot of attention to broad readership, because it isn’t the point. Great post; good advice.
Morgan O'Donnell at TWU Health Studies says
Great post! I wish we would have had this when we started our departmental blog. As it is, we managed to find our way, but we are always looking to fine tune our approach.
Sharlyn Lauby says
@Michael – Thanks for the comment and sharing Sarah’s post. My “blogiversary”
iswas May 8.@Cathy – Totally agree. Find what makes sense for you and go for it. Everyone will have a different reason. That’s what makes blogging terrific. Thanks for the comment.
@Morgan – Thanks for the comment. Feel free to share your thoughts and wisdom.
Jennifer McAfee says
I started a blog recently, and I found “Content Rules” by Handley and Chapman to be invaluable. This book focuses specifically on how to build content and leverage social media to get that content out there. I actually took notes! I like to write and don’t have difficulty finding content, but this book helped me think about different ways to package that content to keep things new and interesting.
Sharlyn Lauby says
Thanks for sharing Jennifer! I’m adding the book to my summer reading list.
Hr Mole says
Thanks for this post and all the comments above, I am finding the resources really useful as a new blogger.
Kyle Jones says
All five of these are VERY good points to consider when blogging. For me, the sixth comment would be…..Be prepared to fail and be ready to pick yourself back up and go again. This may be appear to be a bit negative but it isn’t. I made the mistake of listening too much to the “rule” that a blog should have one topic. I tried to contain myself and any blog attempt I made over the past few years ultimately failed within two months. WHY? I tried to conform even though I knew my topics of interests ranged from Doctor Who to HR. Then, last November, I finally had the realization that I could do both – if I wanted it badly. After I made that discovery the rest of the bullet points began falling into place. My branding suddenly made sense…my blog posts became regular….it just felt…right.
Thanks you for the info!
Sharlyn Lauby says
@HR Mole – Thanks for the comment. Feel free to add your experience anytime.
@Kyle – Great point! Thanks for sharing.
Michele Hicks says
Sharlyn,
Thanks so much for the insight. I am just beginning down this road and I am trying to really listen to tips from bloggers that I admire so that I can develop into a successful HR blogger.
I know for me a sticking point has been naming the blog because as you state it is branding and that is certainly a bear to change down the road. Deciding what I want to represent and being open to changes that occur presents an added layer to the final choice I will make.
I appreciate all of your hard work!
Sharlyn Lauby says
Hi Michele. Here’s an article from ProBlogger about choosing your blog name.
http://www.problogger.net/archives/2006/02/16/choosing-the-domain-name-for-your-blog/
It’s quite extensive! Hope it helps.
Michele Hicks says
Thanks again, Sharlyn.
The link was awesome and helped provide other great tips along with the issue of the name.
For better or for worse, I chose HonestlyHR. It is a work in progress but I am hoping to improve it daily to get it where I want it to be. All of your advise is helping me do just that!
Sharlyn Lauby says
Michele – Love the name! It tells me exactly what to expect when I read it. And people will be looking for “honest HR”.
I’ll be subscribing as soon as I finish typing this. Thanks for sharing!
Kyle Jones says
Michele – I agree with Sharlyn…..love the name. I think any name that has more than one meaning and can be used in a variety of ways is a good thing. HonestlyHR has a “refreshing” feel to it and it made me picture a large glass of lemonade/sweet tea/smiles/positivity/etc. Great job with choosing the name.
Now, on to your logo! Remember to be simple and creative. Kudos to you!!
Suraj says
Hey, Thanks for the informative post. Starting a blog is really easy, but maintaining it for a long time is very hard. We should have clear vision about what niche we want to blog. Here is my mantra for blogging “ Start a blog with blogger, Create Great Content , study competitors, work on search engine optimisation, make new friends online, use social media to the fullest and Monetize blog with adsense and its alternative.My Take on blogging http://www.diggbloggers.com/2013/05/how-to-start-blog-for-free.html Last but not the least maintain it. Cheers.