You have bean reading apologetics books and attending apologetics conferences. You have been reading apologetics blogs and you feel like it is time to jump into the blogosphere. How should you go about starting your own apologetics blog? Here are ten steps to starting your own blog.
1. You need to begin by choosing which site you want to host your blog. WordPress and Blogger are two of the most popular but there are many other good ones as well. This is my WordPress site and my personal blog is on Blogger for you to compare. Each has their own strengths. I think the WordPress templates look nicer, but if you want to monetize your blog with ads, Blogger is easier. Either one works well.
2. Choose a name for your blog. Be creative but not too creative. It should be catchy but it also should give people some idea of what your blog is about. Don’t pick something that only you will understand. The original name of this blog was Apologia but I changed it to Hope’s Reason to go along with my ministry and journal. Pick something you can stay with longterm.
3. Don’t try to duplicate another blog. Don’t go to your favorite blog and try to do exactly what they are doing. I love Apologetics 315 and Poached Egg. But I don’t want to do what they are doing because they are already doing it and they are doing it far better than I ever could. Find your own way. Sure, you can learn from others, but find your own identity.
4. Find your own specialization, preferably a topic you already know about. It is fine to include general articles on apologetics. But it is nice to also have some focus. For example, my area is New Testament and I have particular interests in the historical Jesus and the Jesus myth. I will have other articles on intelligent design, ethics and other topics, but I always remember where my strengths really lie.
5. Blog regularly. You do not have to blog every day, but at least try once a week. Some bloggers get all excited and then only blog once every six weeks. That won’t work. If you blog regularly, people will know to come back.
6. Edit your blog posts or get someone else to do it for you. Mistakes will always creep in. But if your posts are filled with horrible grammar and spelling mistakes, people will not want to read what you are writing.
7. Make sure to fact check. Even worse than spelling mistakes are factual mistakes. Don’t base a post on something you saw on Facebook without doing your homework. If you start spreading urban legends, people will soon give up on you.
8. Make friends with other bloggers. Promote their posts on your blog and see if they will promote yours. See if you can do a guest post on their blog and invite others to guest post on yours.
9. Promote your blog. You have great things to say but if no one knows about you it is a waste of time. Use social media to get your blog posts out there.
10. You do not have to respond to every comment. Once you get out there, people will comment on your posts. That is exciting. But if you respond to every comment and counter-comment, you will never have time to blog. Choose carefully how you will respond and don’t be afraid to end the conversation.
My bonus suggestion is to have fun. Blogging can be very fun and don’t forget it or you will be that blogger that gives up. Enjoy the interaction and the new friends you make. Learn from the commenters and don’t take everything so seriously.
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