A number of the ladies in my most recent creative writing class were interested in starting a blog of their own, but didn’t know where to begin. They were also interested in jumping on to social media and getting involved in the writing communities there. I offered to share my experience of both in order to help them so am putting pen to paper here.
Core themes
Before doing anything, it’s important to spend a bit of time thinking about what your core themes are going to be. For a couple of the ladies it was to do with physical health issues they had experienced, for another it was to share the therapeutic effects of writing. My core themes are centred around writing, wellbeing and faith.
Whether you choose one core theme, or a few themes that intersect well, clarity is everything. It will help you stay on track later on, and be able to find the readers that will connect to your work the most.
Branding and Aesthetics
It might be easy for us self-deprecating creative types to feel uncomfortable with talking about brand, but it is important. If you have lots of different images and styles across each of the platforms you choose to work in, it is much harder for readers to identify which work belongs to you.
With a consistent brand, people will see a post from you and say, “I know this person. I’ve liked what they’ve had to say before. I’ll read this.”
My brand is centred around my core themes, but I also have a complementary brand colour palette and fonts on Canva that I use to create images with a consistent mood and aesthetic – calming, light, cool hues. This is the tone I enjoy looking at myself. If I like it, then chances are someone else will.
Choosing Platforms
It’s always good to be present on as many different platforms as you have time for, and to make sure they are integrated. For example, if someone reads something I wrote on my blog, I want them to be able to find me on YouTube and Facebook as well. Linking between platforms helps drive traffic to your other sites, and, most essentially your own personal blog where you can collate e-mail subscriptions and build closer relationships with your core readers.
I chose WordPress for my website over ten years ago, and I haven’t looked back since. They have different levels of subscription plans which open up more and more features. At its core, it can provide you with a choice of simple templates you can use. At a simple level, all you have to do is choose your title, upload your banner and publish your posts. I have a slightly higher level plan which enabled me to choose my favourite template, which I could then adapt to match my brand, and to add some extra widgets like e-mail subscriptions, archives, and links to socials. It also enabled me to buy the domain name – oliviamccabe.com – which I have connected to WordPress instead of their own URLs.
In addition to my website, which includes blog posts, a bio, a book page and a podcast page, I also have a Facebook page, and profiles on X, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest, LinkedIn and Medium. All of these sites point back to my website in some way.
Content and Routine
Whatever you do, choose a schedule that works for you. The important thing is to be consistent with your posting. People who like your work will come looking for you. But if you end up not posting, after a while they may get bored and look elsewhere. If you’re juggling other commitments outside of writing and creating social media content, don’t sweat it. Just don’t over-commit and under-deliver. It’s perfectly OK to publish once a month and let the body of work you produce build up slowly over time.
Here is my own routine, along with the description of the content I produce on each platform:
- One blog post a week on any subject that falls under one or more of my main themes of writing, wellbeing and faith
- One podcast episode a week on the theme of Slow Living
- One Facebook reflection a day which is usually geared towards matters of faith
- One Instagram post a day which feels like a diary entry and sharing part of my life
- Three X posts a day which are nearly always dialogue with the writing community on there who are fantastic
In addition to this, I respond daily to people in my feeds, and I follow hashtags that are important to me such as #writingcommunity #slowliving #quietlife #faith #spirituality #wellbeing. You might like to start following hashtags that are important to you.
Tone and Voice
This led me to ask the question, who am I and what am I about? I am a joyful, peaceful, reflective, optimistic, and helpful person. These are core values that are important to me. So is my faith in God which fuels everything I do. It’s really important to me when I write to reflect those things. If I am not being helpful, or sprinkling a little bit of joy into the world, then I am not being consistent in my work. That being said, I do recognise the abyss. I am no stranger to trials and tribulations. I just choose not to stare too long into it.
Above All Else, Have Fun
When starting a blog as a writer, the single most important thing is to have fun. Paint pictures with words, get messy, be yourself, unleash that unfettered imagination, and let the words dance around the page as you figure out how to slot them together. Your voice is unique and precious. You have something valuable to share with the world. Don’t hold back. Don’t hide your light. Be bold and courageous and let yourself glow.
If you have any more questions about blogging, writing, or social media, feel free to drop them in the comments below. I am always here to help.
Olivia McCabe 