How to Become a Teacher Blogger!
Have you ever thought of starting a blog?
Are you looking for ways to bring in some extra money?
Do you like to write?
Maybe starting a blog is something that you would enjoy!
If you have ever considered starting a blog, it can be scary! What if I am unsuccessful? What if I stink at it? What if no one reads it?
These are all valid concerns, but if you don’t try… you’ll never know!
Research the blogging platforms
There are so many to choose between. I have a self-hosted blog for which I use Blue Host and WordPress. Blue Host is where I host my website and WordPress is where I actually type my articles. WordPress does have its own hosting services but through this, you have less independence and ability to monetize in different ways. For more information on self-hosting check out this article that I think explains it well: Beginner’s Guide to Self-Hosting Your Blog.
If you decide to use a free blog, you can use WordPress.com or Blogger.
Brainstorm Content
Before you launch your blog, you want to have your first 5-10 posts prepared. Before you can begin writing, decide what purpose you want your blog to serve. I am an inclusion teacher in a middle school setting and this is something that I have a challenging time finding material for. So, I began my TpT store to post the resources I was making and then it seemed like a natural expansion for that to begin a blog.
If you aren’t sure what you want your focus to be, don’t rush into this. Take time, scroll through Pinterest. What calls out to you? If you start a blog to just start a blog, you are going to have no passion for what you are writing about and your readers will stop coming back.
Decide on Your Financials
You need to determine ahead of time what you are willing to spend money on. When I first started, I decided that I was going to put $0 into my blog. But because I did it as cheaply as possible, I was not very successful. You can start a free blog and then change it later, but if you want to do it right you should invest some money.
You can choose to spend money on blogging courses:
You could choose to spend money on memberships to help you build your blog:
- Stock Photos, I love iStock
- Automatic Scheduling, I love Tailwind
- Email Marketing, I love ConvertKit
Create a Schedule
If you say to yourself that you are going to blog in your free time. Then you have a hobby. If you want to make your blog profitable, you need to treat it a little more seriously. You need to schedule into your calendar when you are going to work on your blog.
When you are creating your schedule, don’t just schedule in “blogging” from 5-6 pm on Tuesday. Be more specific.
Schedule into your blog exactly what you are going to accomplish in that hour. Have one appointment that is “1 blog post” or “create 10 pins” for how long you anticipate that will take you.
This will help you stay focused and to hold yourself accountable.
Find your Tribe
I get the best advice through Facebook groups and following fellow teacher bloggers on Instagram.
Being able to learn from the people who have succeeded before you will help you to be more successful also.
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