In my recent post on the intersection of food and social media, I mentioned that I was preparing to start my own blog on about living with food allergies. Two weeks ago, Tayler Made Blog was finally launched, and it’s been both a fun and challenging experience so far.
Getting Tayler Made off the ground has taught me a lot about what it takes to build a voice and community online – and I still have a lot to learn. Here are some of the valuable lessons I’ve taken away from my experience so far:
- Make it personal: People enjoy blogs that have a sense of personality and character. Develop your own voice, add pictures, and include personal anecdotes in your posts to stay original.
- Your platform matters: Do you want advertising on your blog? Who should be allowed to comment? These are just a few of the important questions you should answer before choosing the platform that will suit you best.
- Hype it up: Use social networks like Twitter and Facebook to tell people about your blog – and make sure your friends spread the word, too!
- Keep it short: This is a challenge for me personally, but the reality is that few people want to read long blog posts. Say what you need to say, but do your best to be short and sweet about it.
- Use a calendar: Having a calendar or list of upcoming topics will help you remember to post regularly, even when you have a busy schedule.
- Get advice: A key asset for me has been the advice I’ve been given from more experienced bloggers. If you have a friend who is already in the blogosphere, be sure to ask them if they have any helpful tips.
Even though the blog has only been live for two weeks, I have already had some minor successes. A manager from one of my favorite restaurants replied to one of my posts, and friends with food allergies have found my entries to be helpful.
I hope to keep these successes coming, so be sure to follow along at taylermadeblog.com!
