Ten Principles for Christian Blogging {Part 1}

This month marks my two year blogger-versary. I've been so blessed to write here at Proverbs and Pacifiers, and I'm so grateful that God has given me a place on the internet to call home. 

I’ve also been blessed to learn a lot about blogging. It’s a fun and creative hobby, and a great way to reach out and minister to people. Plus, it’s relatively safe from little hands that like to get into everything! 

So this week I want to share with you some of the principles I've learned over the past two years of blogging. 

1. Plan Ahead- Remember the old adage "Think before you speak." It applies to blogging. Sure you can sit down, type out a post and hit publish instantly, but let's be honest, it's not going to be your best work. 

Good blogging takes time. Writing, re-writing, editing, formatting, and scheduling. Giving yourself time to plan ahead also gives God time to speak into your heart about an issue. Don't rush the process!

2. Formatting Matters- I appreciate a writer who says something brilliant and makes it look good. I usually assume that writers who put time into formatting care about their content, and I'm more likely to care too. 

Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Short paragraphs- Keeps the reader moving through the posts and makes reading more manageable on phones or small screens.
• Lists- If you have three or more points consider using a list to help readers stay engaged in your content.
• Bold Words- I like to bring out the main points or my favorite lines. This makes the material more scannable and draws the reader's attention to the important parts. 
• Images- This is something I am constantly trying to improve on (and I have a lot of work to do!). I love when posts have shareable images such as the one at the top of the page, so that when I post them to Facebook or Pintrest they speak for themselves and catch people's attention. Using pictures adds color and interest to your post. I currently use PicMonkey for most of my blog images. 

*And just in case you were wondering, I love it when you share images or posts from Proverbs and Pacifiers. LOVE IT! {wink, wink}

3. Don't Expect to Succeed Every Time- I'm always amazed at which posts hit it big and which ones I can't convince anyone to read. It's just feels like some days I am begging people to click on a post, so don't be discouraged if you have a post every now and then that's a total flop. 

Just keep writing. Keeping praying and seeking the Lord. Look to Him for the encouragement you need when things don't seem to be going well. Eventually you'll find the topics that resonate with your readers, and you'll be able to provide the best content you can for the audience God give you. 

4. Do Unto Other as You Would Have Them Do Unto You- This is really just a life principle, but it applies to blogging. Be a person of your word. Blog with integrity. Give credit where credit is due. And graciously apologize when you slip up.

We are all going to say and do foolish things, on our blog and in real life. If you write for long enough you are going to say something someone doesn’t like. Just remember to treat people (even those who disagree with you) with respect, submitting yourself to the Lord.

5. Be Transparent Without Being a Train Wreck- There is a fine line between being real with your readers and word vomit. Honestly, you don't have to share EVERYTHING to be authentic. 

My goal as a blogger is to share my life in a way that brings my reader back to Jesus. I want to be real about my struggles and my successes, but only if doing so points people back to a greater truth and a lesson we can all appreciate. There are many things in my life that I don't share. Not because I am trying to hold out on you, but because it's evident that God isn't done working on those areas yet.

And yes, I know that's only 5 so far. I have also learned that nobody reads really long blog posts, so you'll just have to come back tomorrow if you want to read the rest {smile}.

*Read Part 2 here. 

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