I never knew that I was going to start a health and wellness blog.
It was the summer of 2017.
I was experiencing the worst bout of depression in my entire life. Everything, family, friends, passions, seemed to be numbed out by my dark state of being.
During those summer months, I began relying ever so slowly on one of the few things that still gave me hope – writing.
Writing had been my savior more than once, only this time I had an idea that sprung from my depression; I decided to create a health and wellness blog related to anxiety to help others overcome their struggles. At first, I was a little hesitant and nervous, not sure what I would write about or how I would appear to others. But over time, and through the tremendous challenges that depression brought my way, I decided to use my struggles in my favor and start this blog.
A few years later, I officially launched Upplifter.
1. STRUGGLES AND CHALLENGES
Like any entrepreneurial endeavor, you will face certain struggles and challenges.
Now if you’re lucky, those struggles won’t completely derail your progress. But like most entrepreneurs, you’ll likely find yourself in some tricky predicaments. The key then becomes how you respond to these struggles and challenges; do you let them veer you off course, or do you find a way to push forward?
As a blogger, many of the challenges you face will revolve around being consistent with your blog posts. Finding this consistency will look different to each person, but writing at least one post per week, mixing in two-thousand plus word posts for SEO, writing about the topics best suited for your blog, and many other questions will arise on the level of challenges.
Understanding that you’re going to face challenges and struggles will mentally prepare you for the ups and downs that naturally come with running a blog.
2. YOUR WHY
This may be the most overlooked aspect of any blogging and entrepreneurial endeavor.
Understanding your why is a foundational piece of the health and wellness blogging puzzle. Your why could be any number of things; maybe it’s a passion; a hobby; or you simply want to make extra. Sure, you might know what you want to write about, but do you truly understand why you want to write about it?
Why is it so important for you to get it out to your audience?
And why do you have such a passion for researching and learning about this topic?
Your why should be the foundation of everything you do with your blog.
When thinking of your why ask yourself:
Is this a topic that I could talk about for days on end and never get bored?
Does this topic bring out the best in me?
3. CHOOSING YOUR NICHE MARKET
One of the most common mistakes of bloggers is the idea that a “general” blog about many different topics will succeed. When most amateur bloggers begin their journey, they tend to think people are going to be interested in every detail of their lives and multiple topics that have no relationship to each other. But this is far from the truth.
The truth is that blogging, like any successful endeavor, needs a target audience, or a niche topic.
I use the word discover because finding your niche is a process of discovery. Some may have their niche right away, but many do not. It could take weeks or even months to drill down and discover what specific topic you can blog about consistently and create a successful following.
Here are a few questions and pro tips on how to discover your niche:
- It’s okay to change your mind. Give it time, patience pays off.
- What are you an expert in or love to research?
- What topic do friends and family come to you for advice?
- Be sure to get as specific as possible when drilling down.
- What areas of interest do you have the strongest passion for? Make a list!
4. NAME AND BRANDING
When choosing a name for your blog, you want to think about your brand.
What does the brand represent? How do you want to portray your blog? What health and wellness topic are you niching down to discuss?
Coming up with a name can be as simple as using your name, or it may take some more thought. You can use a name that relates to your niche, or you can use uncommon names that seem to intuitively stick. Some of the biggest and most well-known companies in the world (Amazon, Google, Uber, Twitter, Etc.) have names that don’t necessarily tell you what they do. When it comes to blogging, sticking to a name that tells you a little bit of what your blog is about is a good thing, but it’s not everything.
Take Upplifter, for example. When I created it, the name was purposely misspelled (because I couldn’t secure the domain for Uplifter), and it doesn’t tell you what I talk about, but it does imply that it’s “uplifting.”
Choosing a name can be tricky, and many bloggers tend to overthink it. Although names are important, they aren’t everything. If you have a quality blog, people will visit your page no matter what your name (unless it’s something offensive or too vulgar).
Here are some general name guidelines:
- You can use your full name if it makes sense.
- Be careful of the length, you’ll want it small enough to fit into a domain.
- Try, when you can, to incorporate what you write about into the name.
- You don’t need to be trendy or overly creative; sometimes simplicity works best.
- Take your time and write out a bunch of ideas before choosing one.
Lastly, you may want to consider trademarking your blog name and logo if you decide to run it as a business.
5. BUSINESS OR PLEASURE
The next step in the process is to decide whether the blog will be for business or leisure/pleasure. You may start off thinking one way, and end up doing the exact opposite.
Remember that answering this question is important, especially if you are wanting to create a business around your blog.
The way you will write your posts, enhance SEO, and market them will be very different from a more casual, laid back non-business blog.
Be sure to take some time and think about what you want out of your blogging. Some people just want to get their thoughts out, others want to help people, and others want to help people while making a living. There is no right or wrong answer, but you must be clear on this.
6. MARKETING STRATEGY
One of the biggest mistakes that new bloggers tend to make is trying to market to everyone.
There isn’t a single topic in which every person on the planet is interested. I understand wanting to get your blog out to as many people as possible, but that won’t do you much good if the majority of the people you are marketing to don’t have an interest in the topic you’re discussing.
Once you do have that subtopic or niche, then you can begin assessing which marketing tools to use.
Below are some popular ones to consider:
SOCIAL MEDIA
The most obvious marketing platform, of course, would be social media. Each platform has its unique audience and therefore, you’ll want to use your niche to dictate which platform would work best for you.
If you already have a large following on a particular platform, then you can always use that to leverage your new blog post. But if the majority of your followers or friends are not interested in your blog niche, then it will be a moot point to post about it.
Here are some social media platforms that can be used to promote your blog:
- Pinterest: Believe it or not, Pinterest is a gold mine for promoting health and wellness blogs. A good majority of my page views and blog followers and email subscribers have come from Pinterest. Pinterest is essentially a search engine, so when people type in a particular health and wellness topic, if your pin ranks well, you will be seen, which in turn drives traffic to your website.
- Facebook: Facebook is a good platform to post informational content, so a blog post fits that sector perfectly.
- Twitter: Twitter can also be used to share informational content, but this can be used to connect directly with your audience. It’s also a good way to share exciting news about your blog in smaller portions.
- Instagram: Although Instagram is one of the most popular social media sites in the world, it’s typically not known for promoting blogs; however, if you can build a following through your IG account, you can get them back to your website by directing your audience to the web link in your bio.
- LinkedIn: I would say that behind Pinterest, LinkedIn may be the most underrated social media platform for bloggers.
FAMILY AND FRIENDS
When you first launch your blog, there is nobody better to help promote it than family and friends.
Now, depending on the topic, they might not be as interested long-term in your material. But to start, family friends are a wonderful way to get the word out about your new blog and website.
Start by contacting at least twenty people closest to you; parents, siblings, cousins, friends, acquaintances, coworkers, classmates, etc., and let them know you are launching a new blog. Write something up, a quick three or four-sentence blurb, that describes the blog’s mission and a basic overview of what you will be discussing. Send this out and ask if they could help you promote the blog by sharing with their friends or posting on social media.
Family and friends were my first true fans, and without them, my blog wouldn’t be where it is today.
JOIN GROUPS, FORUMS, AND ATTEND SEMINARS
Depending on the niche that you select, there are likely going to be many opportunities to join groups, forums, and attend seminars on that topic.
The first place to look would be social media sites like Facebook and LinkedIn. You can also try sites like meetup.com and other professional sites that promote and discuss a certain cause or niche topic.
Seminars, trade shows, and webinars are also excellent events to attend to connect with other people within your niche market.
ATTRACTING ORGANIC FOLLOWERS
Like any online venture, you want to build up your SEO (Search Engine Optimization). You do this by writing high-quality, niche content that is directed towards the same topic. You should write the majority of your content for your niche audience.
One of the biggest and most common mistakes new bloggers make is trying to write for everyone with too many topics that don’t relate to each other.
A blog about cooking, traveling, playing guitar, and your favorite TV shows are not going to get you tons of subscribers and followers unless you’re already famous or well-known. For the far majority of people, this is not the case.
Pick one, or at the most, two niche topics that are related, and write 80% + of your posts about these topics.
EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS
One of the most underrated ways to not only promote your blog but also to sell products (if you intend to go that route), is using emails to respond to your readers.
But why email?
It seems too generic and outdated.
Well, think about it.
Does everyone have Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn?
No. But I guarantee you almost every single person you know has an email.
Research and data have shown that email marketing is one of the strongest techniques you can employ to grow your audience and sell products, sign people up for sessions, and many other items.
You do this by adding what is known as an email opt-in form on your website so that people can sign up for your email list. But it’s important to remember to add a freebie that a subscriber gets when they sign up (a helpful tips sheet, short email course, YouTube tutorial, etc), otherwise, they will not have as much incentive to join your list.
Email marketing is still a very powerful way to market your blog.
7. THE WINS
Although I am going to be real and honest with you about the potential pitfalls of health and wellness blogging, I also want to share the wins.
There have been many wins in the last few years, and running Upplifter has taught me a whole bunch about staying persistent, working hard, and having a little faith in the process.
One of the obvious wins over years has been watching my website views and SEO grow to the point of consistently hitting numbers that seemed impossible when I started. I have consistently posted at least one well-written and researched blog post once a week for several years now and the payoff is higher website traffic, more email opt-ins, and higher search engine results.
Another win has been brand recognition and notoriety – and not in the cliche and ego-driven way. But the people who legitimately love what Upplifter stands for and the helpful information it provides. That alone makes the blogging worthwhile.
Lastly, a blogging win that was someone unexpected was building a diverse skillset. As a health and wellness blogger, you will learn all sorts of valuable skills including; writing, researching, editing, SEO, website creation and design, email marketing, social media marketing, and much more.
BLOGGING RESOURCES
Below are some resources I have used to help me get started with creating a new blog:
Disclosure: This page contains affiliate links, meaning I get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.
CREATE AND GO BLOGGING COURSE: In my opinion, this is THE best blogging course you will find. It was worth every penny I spent as they continually update the curriculum for no extra charge. I learned almost everything I know about blogging and how to start a business around that blog from Create And Go. They go in-depth on every aspect of blogging and I wouldn’t have a successful blog today with this course. Here is a listing of all Create And Go courses.
AMIRA LAW LEGAL TEMPLATES: Amira and her team are incredible. I purchased all of my legal templates from Amira as she is an expert in the online world, especially blogging. Instead of spending hundreds and thousands of dollars going through a lawyer who doesn’t specialize in blogging, I highly recommend Amira Law. Here is a listing of all Amira Law Legal Templates.
IN REVIEW
Creating a blog is a fun and adventurous journey that can bring all sorts of unexpected experiences your way. Blogging about health and wellness has helped change my life for the better. I’ve connected with more people than I can count, and have honed my writing and entrepreneur skills in the process. If you are thinking of starting a health and wellness blog, be prepared to work hard, do a lot of research, and improve on almost every writing skill that you have. Good luck!
Although we strive to provide accurate general information, the information presented here is not a substitute for any kind of professional advice, and you should not rely solely on this information. Always consult a professional in the medical and health area for your particular needs and circumstances prior to making any medical or health-related decisions. For your health-related questions, please seek the advice of a licensed physician or any other qualified health care provider immediately.
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