5 Reasons Why I Waited a Year to Launch This Blog

This might sound strange to you, but  I waited over 365 days before launching this blog. Why I waited so long. 

The ability to launch and run blogs is so easy. I could have launched my blog within hours of getting the idea.

But that was part of the problem.

The ease with which to get into blogging: Low entry, means very little planning. Very little counting of the cost.

I wanted to avoid that.

Over the years I  jumped into two other serious blogging projects without much thought. My passion for these projects faded quickly. And I eventually bailed.

I didn’t want that to happen again. I wanted this to work.

Plan and Prepare with Purpose

The idea for this blog came to me shortly after November 30, 2007. That means I could have easily launched this blog in January 2008 at the latest.

Instead, I decided to launch this blog on December 1, 2008. And during that time I was waiting I decided to develop a business and marketing plan, write articles and learn as much as I could about blogging.

Share My Plan with Others

One thing I discovered is that creating a business and marketing plan for blogging doesn’t have to be hard. In fact, my plans evolved over a handful of emails to my wife. I simply explained to her what I planned on doing.

Sharing your idea with someone will help you refine your idea, too.  do this all the time.

In this case, my wife was my sounding board. She pointed out blind spots in my idea. Expanded areas I neglected. But most importantly, she pointed out my competitive advantage.

Discover My Competitive Advantage

Halfway through 2008 my blog idea cystallized. My wife and I saw how my blog could fit into the blogging community.

By discovering my competitive advantage I saw how I could exploit weaknesses and distinquish myself…something I needed to do if I were going to thrive in a competitve place.

All I did was read as many blogs as I could in widely different fields like politics, social media and Christianity.

But that wasn’t all.

Sustain the Passion for a Year

Another part of me wanted to see if I could simply  before I launched the blog.  Having two failed blog projects under my belt, I was concerned I couldn’t.

Turns out I could.

In the course of six months I wrote 33 articles and generated 44 more titles and topics. Darren Rowse says this a good signal that I .

Naturally, when December 2008 arrived, I was ready to roll.

Abstain from Distractions

However, the most important aspect of waiting so long was that I wanted to abstain from writing, audience chasing and pursuing the approval of men.

Up until November 30, 2007, my life was consumed by writing, chasing audiences and pursuing man’s approval.

This is what got me into trouble to begin with.

Great blogging is only part writing. The other part is participation. Participation like:

  • Reading blogs.
  • Commenting on blogs.
  • Replying to comments.
  • Networking with bloggers.

In essence, great bloggers build relationships with people. This includes seeking approval.

I knew first and foremost I needed to seek God’s approval for my blogging idea. And if at the end of that year, if I still had peace with God on this topic, move forward.

You know the end of the story–I believe I found God’s favor.

What Did You Do Before You Started Blogging?

Let me know what you did before you launched your blog. Did you plan for months, weeks or days? What inspired you to launch your blog? How do you keep the blog fire burning?

One thought on “5 Reasons Why I Waited a Year to Launch This Blog

  1. Kana

    It’s the weekend before I plan to launch my blog. Then I read this. Yeah it’s taken me at at least 2x longer than you to come to this point. But I haven’t been reading and producing like mad like you did prior to launch. Though, we share at least one major reason for blogging – writing practice. In the over 2 yeas since I got the idea for this blog, I’ve read for my own information or entertainment only. I’ve written mostly, ok ok, only for myself. Reading your post and knowing all of this makes me pause. Do I need to read more, write more, plan more before I launch my blog?

    Reply

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