There’s a good chance that I will never have the blog of my dreams. Or at least the blog that I dreamed of in years past. 

Back in the day, a blog was true to its etymology. The word blog is short for weblog. Blogs were logs of our lives published on the web. 

Sure, you may have shared those stories in hopes of inspiring others or even teaching a lesson, but you weren’t worried about search engine optimization or nailing your niche or trying to be seen as an expert on a particular topic. 

Nowadays, blogs are essentially online resource libraries. And we bloggers are expected to save our life updates for social media. 

Even though I miss the good ole days of blogging, the blog of my dreams isn’t just one that allows me to write about my life. I want a blog that allows you to write about your life too. Basically, I want a blog that’s like Cup of Jo but for women writers. That site covers a wide range of topics including style, design, food, relationships, travel, and motherhood. And it features the writing of women from various walks of life. 

So you may be thinking, if Cup of Jo can have that kind of blog why can’t I? Well, Cup of Jo had established a HUGE readership before the blogosphere changed into what it is today. And when you have a following as large and as loyal as the one Joanna Goddard has, you don’t have to worry about following or breaking the blogging rules. You can make your own. 

In fact, it’s the Cup of Jo community that fascinates me the most. Several of the website’s posts have hundreds of comments! 

What is the Blog of My Dreams?

The blog of my dreams covers a variety of topics – not just writing advice – and has LOTS of regular readers who comment on the posts. The blog of my dreams has fun features that readers look forward to and want to be a part of, offers space for personal essays written by me and by contributors, and makes money so that I can pay contributors. 

I recently told myself that it’s not possible to build a website like this in 2022 (or 2023). I was so discouraged by this revelation that I considered ditching blogging altogether. 

But then I remembered that this isn’t just about me. This is about you. This is about creating a space where you can share your writing and get paid to do so. This is about showing you what’s possible and being an example for you of how to succeed against the odds. 

So today I am recommitting to my blogging goals. But you know how the saying goes – a goal without a plan is just a wish. So here’s my plan to build the blog of my dreams. 

My 2023 Blogging Plans

Create a content calendar and stick to it. I need to get clear on my site’s categories, content pillars, and features and start bulk-producing content. Stay consistent by staying ahead. 

Get help with SEO. While I don’t want the See Jane Write website to solely be a resource library, I know that SEO will help me gain new readers and thus build the community. 

Start seeking sponsorships. While I’ve sought out sponsorships in the past, it was usually for in-person See Jane Write events. I didn’t feel my website had enough traffic to solicit sponsors for it. But I’ve built a pretty strong community with my email list, paid membership program, Facebook group, and Instagram peeps. I have a lot to offer businesses and brands who want to connect with creative and ambitious women. 

Launch a podcast and a YouTube channel. This may seem like a detour from the blog but it’s not. With these additional platforms, I will be able to offer even more to potential sponsors and hence make more money for paying contributors. Plus, video content will improve my blog posts’ SEO and YouTube will be yet another way for people to find out about the See Jane Write community. 

Lean into my Facebook group. My blog may never get hundreds of comments on a post. But I’ve still built a great community through my Facebook group. I can use my blog posts to spark conversation in the group and use the conversations in the group to spark blog post ideas! Plus, my Facebook group is the one area where the algorithm seems to be working in my favor. People often say they joined the group because it showed up in their recommendations or they found it when searching for writing groups. 

Stop sleeping on email. During this month’s Blog Like Crazy challenge, I noticed a significant increase in my pageviews whenever I promoted a blog post via email. So I will work on growing my email list and use my weekly emails to promote my website content. 

Network, network, network. When I first started See Jane Write I built buzz about this brand by networking my butt off both online and IRL. It’s time to get back at it. 

Let’s go!

What are your blogging plans for 2023?