Five Simple Steps To Successfully Launch Your Blog
A few years ago, when the dream to write began to stir in my heart, I toyed with the idea of starting a blog. And although I could envision the final product, I had no idea how to create it. I didn’t even know where to start.
Maybe you have also felt the Holy Spirit nudging you to start a blogging ministry. But, like me, you don’t know where to begin.
These five simple steps will guide you as you launch your blog:
- Clarify your purpose. When I felt called to start a blog, I longed to share with my readers how our extraordinary God interacts with them, right there in the midst of their ordinary lives.
How about you? What message has God pressed into your heart? Who needs to hear it? What blog posts will you write to help your reader draw closer to the Lord? With a well-defined purpose, you are ready to start exploring the next steps to starting your blog.
- Consider your resources. As you begin planning your blog, it’s important to assess your resources. Do you have available funds to invest in your blog? How much time can you devote to writing your blog posts and maintaining your website? Based on your assessment, how often can you publish blog posts?
- Conduct your research. After you consider your resources, take some time to explore other blog sites. Which ones grab your attention? What do you see others doing that resonates with you? Which posts seem too short, too long, or just right? Hoping to monetize your blog? Check out bloggers who have products for sale. If you are able, consider investing in some classes on blogging. At COMPEL Training, we’ve created some excellent courses just for bloggers.
- Cultivate your expertise in technology. Running a blog website requires more technological savvy than I initially realized. Based on your level of expertise, you may need to invest some time and resources in learning the technology necessary for a blog website. Or if you have adequate resources, consider outsourcing the work. Check out our Communicators Marketplace to find vendors ready to serve your blogging needs.
- Cling to the sovereignty of God. When you’ve answered the questions in the above steps, you’ve created the plan for your blog. As you step out in faith and start publishing your posts, you will learn building an audience takes time. Sometimes people don’t engage with our posts as we hoped. We can easily feel our efforts are in vain.
The most valuable lesson I’ve learned in my years of blogging is this: God is sovereign. He promises us His Word will never return empty but will always accomplish His purpose. (Isaiah 55:10-11) Some readers won’t hit like or comment on posts, but they will send you a personal email or a text. But even if human responses are absent, our posts will still have an impact because God will use them for His glory.
When we walk in obedience to God’s calling on our lives, blogging becomes a rewarding ministry. As you hit publish on your computer, whisper a prayer to God. Ask Him to take your words to those who need to hear them. And trust that He will.
Happy blogging!
Shirley Desmond Jackson
Which of these steps will be your focus as you prepare to launch your blog? We are here to cheer each other on!
Shirley Desmond Jackson
Prompted by gratitude, Shirley Desmond Jackson loves to teach others the truths found in God’s Word. Her driving passion is to help women connect with an extraordinary God who meets us in the midst of our ordinary lives. Shirley has written many Bible studies and devotions and will soon release her first book. In addition, she serves on the COMPEL Executive Volunteer Leader Team as a Critique Group Leader. After serving on the foreign mission field in Paris, France, she married her best friend, Mark. Together they raised three children and now serve as shepherds in the Married Ministry of their church. Shirley loves perfecting her French-language skills, cooking with her husband, and spending time with her family — especially her first-ever granddaughter. You can connect with her on her website at shirleydesmondjackson.com, as well as on Facebook or Instagram.
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