Blog-tember Day 26 - Guest Post Lara Casey

Blog-tember Day 26 - Guest Post (Lara Casey)

I am really excited about today's post! When I read Bailey's Blog-tember prompts today's post stood out to me. I just started blogging this month and I don't really have any blogger friends yet. Then I started thinking about my favorite bloggers and if I could ask anyone to write a guest post who would I choose? Without a doubt the blogger who has had the biggest impact on my life and whose posts I've reread the most is Lara Casey. She is encouraging, challenging and authentic on her blog. I knew there was no way she'd say yes if I asked her to guest blog but what did I have to lose!? She is all about believing in what you can accomplish. So I sent her an e-mail and guess what!?! She said yes! I was floored by her generosity in writing this post and I couldn't believe she said yes!

Thank you Lara! You are such an encouragement to me! Thank you for taking the time to write this post! I asked her to share her top blogging tips. I found them very valuable and I hope you will too!

Hi! I'm Lara, and I'm so grateful that Natalie asked me to share some blogging tips on her site. I've had a blog since 2004, way back when most people heard the word "blog" and thought I really meant to say "blob." No one had a clue! And now, even my mom has a blog : ) 

A few quick tips:

- If you have one person reading your blog, celebrate (even if it's your mom!)! That's one person you could potentially encourage with your story, or whatever it is that you are sharing. Ignore the numbers, and imagine your readers as real people. If you have "only ten followers," think about those ten people in a room with you. That's a lot of people! 

- Our office rule is that, if you're not excited about it, no one will be. A simple tip: write about what excites you, and people will catch on. People can sense when you are bored, and they get excited when you are sharing what you are passionate about.

- This piece of advice is what has grown our company and blogs: have a mission for what you are writing about. Knowing WHY you are writing a blog is so important. The same goes with social media. Because it's really easy to get distracted. Knowing your why will keep you on track, and help you create content that engages the people who need your specific words. For me, that means always coming back to the Gospel. I am compelled to share what I share because my WHY is God's power to change people. That always fires me up!

And a bonus tip: it's okay to blog for the joy of it, and not make money doing it. I have a private blog where I share family updates every week with close friends. It has been so meaningful and helpful for me to have a sacred space to share. I keep this in mind with my public blog, too. I want to have the same joy with both.

Thanks again for having me, Natalie!