It's always a bit awkward writing the first blog post. I should know, I've done it a few times before.
My first personal blog
My first blog was written when I was just 15(ish) and I can't remember what the blog was called or what it was about. I soon changed my mind about what I wanted to blog about and began another site altogether. I think at one stage, I put up a post about making a mashed banana foot mask (photos included!).
But then, sadly, school, university, and life got in the way and I didn't blog (or make foot masks) for several years, although I still wrote plenty of stuff.
Learning to blog for business
Eventually, in 2013, I got my first post-grad job as a marketing manager, and blogging became an important part of promoting the business I worked for. I quickly realised that I wanted to write again, so much more than before. And I had the focus and passion to do it long-term on a topic that I loved - small business and marketing!
Starting my own business blog
So when I started my own boutique marketing agency (at just 22 years old!), it felt natural to start writing my own posts again and document many of the things I was learning in the field. I was excited when clients told me they read my blog and enjoyed the post or decided to engage me to work for them as a result. But as you might already know from reading my story, things changed. I had babies and needed to take a little time off and figure out a new approach to business that worked for us.
This brings us here, to the first blog on my personal website. I thought I could use this opportunity to talk about what YOU might like to write on your first blog. Let's get super meta here. Because what's the point of blogging about blogging, if you don't use your first blog to write about first blogs?
What to write on your first blog
It's a bit intimidating, isn't it? You've got a fresh, blank blog screen and you need to start somewhere. Maybe you're about to launch a brand new website and you're almost ready to go, except your web designer keeps bugging you for blog content. Or maybe it's launched and you've still got the default "This is the first blog" and "This is the second blog" filler text on your blog feed. Oops.
To help you get started, here are a few ideas about what you might write:
1. What you're going to be blogging about
Quite simply, introduce your blog and tell your potential reader about what you plan to talk about (from here on out). Look at it as an introduction to the rest of your blog.
2. Your story
People love to know the people behind a business. So, take this as an opportunity to dive a little deeper into your personal story. Talk about how you got into your business, why you're doing it, and what your vision for the future is.
3. Get social
Since your blog is a little blank right now, maybe it makes sense to send potential readers somewhere else. So, use the post to give people a run-down on the social media platforms you can be found on, and ask them to follow/like you there.
And in this blog, I'm doing a little bit of everything. I've already given you a bit of my background, in a roundabout sort of way. And now I'll let you know what I'll be talking about on future blogs :-).
What I'll be blogging about
When I first hit publish on this blog, I didn't know exactly where my blog or business at the time was going, but I needed an outlet. I knew I wanted to keep blogging and sharing in between wrangling small people and I wanted to make sure I was keeping up with the industry. So, I explained to readers that this blog will be part business, part writing, and a whole lot of me.
When I first started out, I didn't mind too much if nobody read my blog, but I made a commitment to post regularly for two reasons:
- Blogging is one way you can get to know me and my area of expertise a little better before we work together. Because there's nothing like getting to know a person (and making sure they're legit and know their stuff) before you waste your time contacting them or meeting with them.
- To keep myself growing, because I've realised that if you're not actively moving forward, you're going backwards.
Now, almost a year later (at the time of editing), I can tell you with some greater confidence that you can expect plenty of blogs about:
- Business
- Blogging
- Copywriting
- Strategy
- Content marketing
- Marketing
... and I'm sure these topics will continue to evolve as my business evolves! 🙂
So thank you to anyone who has stumbled across this first post or found it shared/linked somewhere on my site or social media! I appreciate your support and promise to continue sharing real experience, knowledge, and stories that will hopefully bring value to you.
🙂 Angela
P.S. I'd love to connect with you. Feel free to send me a request on LinkedIn and let me know you came via this post!