Author: Evan Hoeflich

It’s so important to realize that your blog does not have to be perfect.

Too many people are paralyzed by the fact that they think everything has to be “just right”.

Unfortunately this results in most aspiring bloggers/writers to never even get started.

The great thing about a blog is that it’s supposed to be flexible, transparent and NOT perfect!

You will see with my blog here that it’s nothing fancy, or elaborate, or professionally written.

But more importantly it’s a platform that helps get my message out to interested readers.

The objective behind this post is to tackle one of the most common obstacles I see in blogging and that’s getting your blog started.

Keeping in mind that a blog is somewhat an extension of yourself and should contain different layers.

You are free to write what you want, when you want to and how you want to.

Strive for providing value and not perfection.

So here is an easy tip if you’re wondering how to start a great blog…without trying to be perfect

Keep is SIMPLE!

Focus on getting your thoughts published rather than having the perfect format or the best images or the most creative headline…

As stated above, (especially if you haven’t started your blog yet) the main goal is to jump over the big hurdle I see and that’s to just get your blog started and in the works.

You’d be surprised how many people don’t even begin the blogging process based on artificial fears and barriers that build up over time.

It’s vital that you adopt the right mindset in order to break free from the shackles that fear and procrastination hold over you.

As the Nike slogan goes, just do it!

However, back to my main point, do yourself a major favor and keep your blogging strategy and design dead simple.

This means picking a WordPress theme that’s attractive yet clean & easily navigatable for visitors, sticking to a set content generation schedule, being aware that blogging is a long-term approach, and learning some really basic SEO techniques.

This is a simple yet effective approach if you’re wondering how to start a great blog.

Another quick tip is to make sure your content is helping people find answers to their questions or solutions to their problems in your given niche.

And this comes down to creating immense value.

Is every blog post going to be a home run? Of course not…

But as long as you have a strong urge to help others by sharing valuable insight, tips or tricks…you are ahead of 99% of the competition.

So to sum things up, keep it simple when it comes to creating a blog, provide valuable content and overcome the biggest hurdle and just get started.

Have you started your blog yet?

Too often when it comes to someone who is just starting their blog, they often ask…

“How long will it be until I start seeing results?”

And to be honest, that’s a very hard question to answer as there are so many variables when it comes to blogging.

What I CAN say with confidence is that everyone who starts a blog should have a long-term mindset.

Some of the most successful blogs have taken months and even years (yes years) to take off and generate consistent traffic.

Similar to investing in the stock market, blogging is a long-term investment and not an overnight success.

What’s The Problem With Most Beginner Bloggers?

This is a simple question to answer…

~> They GIVE UP too soon!

Some bloggers are 3 feet away from success and throw in the towel just a little bit too soon.

You need to stick with this business model for at the very least 1 year before making any conclusions.

Even that is far too premature to say something isn’t working.

Domain age and consistency with your blogging is crucially important when it comes to search rankings and organic traffic.

And to establish this, you need time to work on your blog and flesh it out with valuable content.

Think of it like a fine wine, it only gets better the more it ages.

Does sticking to a long-term approach scare you?

Are you afraid you will waste loads of time without any return on investment?

Well, maybe you’re not in this for the right reasons.

I’d advise you to read my post on creating value through your blog rather than looking to make money.

Stick To It and Stay Committed!

Now that you realize you need time and patience to build a successful blog, it’s time to stick to your plan for the long-term.

Come up with a schedule that works for you and make sure to post at least 1 blog article per week.

There’s no excuse that you cannot write a 300-500 (or more) word article every week.

If this is serious enough for you, you will find a way to do it.

Like anything in life, the rewards are worth the sacrifice if you do things correctly.

Blogging can be a really fun way to make an extra income or just get your ideas out for people to see.

So hopefully this has somehwat shifted your mindset, and especially if you’re just starting out….Think long-term.

I look forward to seeing your blog up and running for years and years to come!

So I still work a full-time job because of simple fact that I enjoy what I do.

However, I also run a solo ad business and this blog here all while working full-time.

All of this can be done if you set yourself up properly for success.

In this post, I will share with you how I am able to run and grow my blog , while working over 40 hours per week!

Let’s get to it…

1.) Stick To A Schedule

It’s vital that you stick to a fairly strict schedule especially when you are just starting out.  Make sure at the very least that you are writing one post per week (if you can do more, even better).

For example, I normally write a blog post every Friday night when I am done with my work week.  If I happen to miss Friday, I will try and do it that Saturday.  The important thing here is that you’re consistent with your posts.

Stick to a schedule over a long period of time, and the results can really start compounding.

2.) Remain Patient

Was Rome built in a day? I know, that phrase is totally overused…However, it correlates directly when talking about blogging.

You must realize that some of the biggest blogs today took months and months and months to start generating significant traffic.

Let’s put some “long term” glasses on those eyes and be clear that this is a marathon and not a sprint.

3.) Track Your Wins

Following up on my point above, it’s important that you track your wins.  This could mean marking down your first day of over 10 organic visits….making a commission from an affiliate banner…getting 1,000 subscribers on your email list…nailing a kick ass guest post opportunity etc.

Noting these wins are what psychologically keeps the momentum going.  Step by step and win by win, you can really start to feel all of your hard work paying off.

Track ALL Wins!

4.) Stay Inspired

The great thing about blogging is that you can literally write anything that’s on your mind.  You are not restricted to the type of content you can produce…Just make sure it’s valuable for the reader.  Since it’s your blog, you’re in control.

Keep posts fresh and don’t be afraid to mix up your topics, language and try new things.  Stay inspired by realizing that you have a voice and your blog is the platform to share your message.

I hope this post helped some of you full-time employees out there who are interested in starting a blog or maybe already have a blog but don’t know how to keep it going.

There is nothing wrong with blogging part-time and in fact, it’s how many of the top bloggers started.

Keep at it and never give up!