Blogging for better health can be a great motivator for numerous reasons. The self-imposed deadlines of weekly posts can work wonders when it comes to following through on health and fitness goals. Sharing with an audience of readers with similar interests provides a much-needed sense of community. Your fitness journey can help connect you with other like-minded individuals, and all experience levels can benefit each other in many ways.
Chances are, your blog will become your baby and be a big part of your life. That’s great. Just don’t overdo it. As with anything else in life, balance is key. It’s also the reality that your family and friends probably won’t be overly interested in your posts so take that with a grain of salt. Your focus is not their focus in life. We all have our own goals and fires to tend to.
Tend to the Technical Stuff
A little planning can go a long way, especially when it comes to fewer headaches down the road. The first challenge is to come up with a domain name and get it registered. Next comes deciding on a web host and blogging platform. Many people go with WordPress due to its capabilities for those who don’t write code. In that case, a host optimized for WordPress hosting like SiteGround or WP Engine is best.
Beyond that, take some time to choose a theme that fits your posting needs. Some customizing will inevitably need to take place, but a lot can be accomplished before the grind of publishing posts begins. Get feedback from a few people as well to make your site as user-friendly as possible. It also goes without saying that visiting similar blogs is essential.
Hone Your Niche
Practically everyone makes New Year’s resolutions that entail healthier living in some shape or form. Yet, being too general often becomes a downfall. Take the time to truly figure out a focus for your blog that aligns with your goals. Will your main focus be on weight loss? Diet tips for diabetics? Or perhaps an ongoing illness means you want to focus on diet and exercise tips for yourself and others. A mental health blog might be focused around getting out more or developing good coping habits.
On the one hand, each focus can entail elements of the other, but it’s essential that readers know in an instant what your site is all about. Come up with a tagline of three to five words that cues them in, like “Gluten-Free Living,” “Fitness after Forty,” or “Cultivating Positivity.” The possibilities are endless. Just remember out of millions of possible readers, a tighter focus actually equates to finding the right readers.
Researching and Writing Posts
One of the best aspects of blogging for better health is the way it can serve as an excuse and motivator to get some much-needed reading done. If there are books related to your niche that you’re interested in, why not post the occasional book reviews? If you want to try out new recipes and tweak them, make that into a post category as well. The same can be said for workout clothes, videos, fitness accessories.
When all else fails, never underestimate the power of a roundup post where you link to other helpful articles and provide a short description of each. Linking to other sites is key to good blogging practices.
Connecting with Readers
Organic traffic will inevitably bring readers your ways as more posts are published, but it’s essential to spend time sharing your posts on your social media sites. Take the time to join and actively participate with online groups that are a good fit for your health-focused blog.
In person events can be great as well for spreading the word about your little online corner of the universe. Also considering doing guest posts on popular sites as a way to gain new readers.
Goal Setting
As you continually plan posts, keep your primary focus on your goals of blogging for better health. It can be tempting to throw up a quick post when the week gets away from you, but honor your readers with quality content. If that great content always reflects well on the health goals you are striving for, that means you are that much closer to staying on track and seeing progress in action.
Make space for both long-term and short-term goals. Write down your daily, weekly, and monthly goals. Turn those into posts where you report on your progress. Also don’t be afraid to report on when you falter. That is part of the process as well. Show readers you are human. Beyond that, write about your quarterly, yearly, and three to five year goals. While you’re at it, why not even take a look at the next decade?
A blog is a representation of a vision, and having a vision is a great way to get yourself to where you ultimately want to be.
What steps have you taken when it comes to blogging for better health?
Thanks for reading. I hope this information was helpful. Until next time!
Amy Goodrich
Crazy cat lady, life and food lover, certified biologist, and holistic health coach.
