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Start a Blog With This Story…Yours
So you want to start a blog but don’t know where to start? In my last post, How to Start a WordPress Blog that Makes You Money, I talk about starting a blog about what you’re passionate about. Of course, there’s a little more to it as I point out in that post, but a thought popped in my head this morning (scary, right?) that got me thinking about another approach in starting a blog if you’re stuck for a blog topic.
What if you start by writing “your story” first. That’s right–your story. Believe it or not, we all have a story to tell and chances are, there are a lot of people out there that would love to hear about yours.
The Challenge of Starting a Blog
When I talk to people who want to start a blog, their number one challenge is they don’t know what to write about. Nine out of ten times, after having a conversation with them, I find that they have a story to tell. They’re either very knowledgeable about a specific subject, or have experience with something that other people would pay money to learn.
Examples of Great Stories
For instance, I have a friend who lived on three different continents and has a great amount of experience traveling, moving, and settling down in a new country with kids. You know what that means. You have to find schools, doctors, dentists, playgroups, etc. Even if she had help in finding all of these things, others would want to know how and where she got this help. She could probably write a 100-plus page ebook filled with information that could help families facing a transcontinental move. Not only that, she’s funny and would fill the book not only with detailed checklists but lots of humor and funny stories.
I also have a neighbor who turned a hobby of fixing up old pinball machines and video games into a real business. How many people do you think would devour that information? I’m sure there are plenty of men (or women;) out there that would love to learn how this former marketing executive turned his fun-filled hobby into a money-making venture.
I never thought I would turn my story, which is my love for finding deals and making money from home, into a 30-plus page e-book that I give away for free on this blog, but I did (Note: I took my e-book off the blog temporarily to update it).
So What’s Your Story?
You know you have one. Funny thing is, once you identify it, you probably will get excited about sharing it. Chances are you will be pretty passionate about it. It could be something that you have years of experience with or something that happened to you over a brief amount of time.
Are you a travel guru? Do you know how to handle a travel crisis like when all the flights to your city get canceled because of a fast-moving blizzard approaching the east coast? Who do you call? How do you get home before you’re stranded?
Do you plan awesome kids’ parties without spending much money? I know lots of moms who would love to get their hands on information that could tell them how to do that!
Did you join a local Zumba class and lose 30 pounds? How did you do it? Did you change your diet too? What did you eat? How many days a week did you go to class? Did you have a friend attend the classes with you? People want to know!
See where I’m going with this? Your story could be your blog topic if you’re having a hard time coming up with one. Start writing it and see where it takes you. Just write…don’t do any editing at first. It could take you one day to write your story or two weeks. However, the more passionate you are about your topic, the easier it will be to finish it.
What To Do After Your Story is Written
Once you write your story, you’ll have a pretty good idea about what your blog should be about. Did you write 5 pages or 30 pages? You can break down the different sections of the story and turn them into blog posts. Viola! You may have 5 or more blog posts already written to kick off your blog. Or, you can do a final edit and turn your story into an ebook you give away on your blog for free in exchange for a visitor’s email address. You’ll be on your way to starting a subscriber list of people who are interested in your topic.
Need help finding your story? Leave a comment below describing your hobbies and interests, and I’ll try to help you find one.
Bookmark this post and come back again to let us know when you’ve finished your story; I would love to review it here on MyMochaMoney.com!
Now that you have your story…learn how to make money with a WordPress blog! I created a step-by-step guide that will help you start a self-hosted blog on WordPress for as low as $2.95 a month AND get a free domain name through my link at Bluehost.
This post may contain affiliate links.
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