Those two simple words, used as the default text for the Blog Page in WordPress can strike dread in the heart of many a beginner (or seasoned) blogger. Worse than a blank page, those two words let you know that yes, every word that you’re about to publish WILL be seen by “the world”. How will they react? Will they love it? Hate it? Will your comment section fill with SPAM from dating sites the world over?
Many times, when a blog is fresh and new, those two simple words can stop you in your tracks.
Here are some tips to help you over that initial hump and really start blogging.
1) Delete that default page. Seriously, just get rid of it. Pretend you never saw those words. Or, if you’re too nervous to delete anything at such an early stage, quickly hit “Add New” and just create a new post. You don’t need to write anything, just create a new, blank post.
2) Write about what you had for breakfast – or if you skipped breakfast, write about how sorry you were that you skipped breakfast because seriously, everyone knows that’s the most important meal of the day.
3) Hit “Publish”. Don’t read what you wrote, don’t edit, just publish that first blog post. Go ahead, it doesn’t matter. Your site is SO new that no one is going to see your first post anyway – and trust me, it’s a liberating feeling to just hit that blue button and release your content out into the wild.
4) Now, go back and edit that post – for Pete’s sake… didn’t you catch those typos???? But seriously, this is a great exercise to help you see that yes, even the worst mistakes can be corrected quickly and relatively painlessly.
So if you’re a beginner blogger – or if you’re expanding your talents into a new blog – these simple steps will help get you over the hump of “Hello World” and into a habit of daily, weekly, monthly blogging. Have fun!
