Should You Start a Design Blog?

By Melissa Michaels

These days it seems everyone is starting a blog. I started my blog The Inspired Room on a whim a few years ago thinking it would be a great complement to my decorating business. It was a way to get my name out there, showcase ideas, and offer my services to new clients. But I really underestimated the potential of a blog to shape my business. In fact, my blog has become my business, bringing me more opportunities than I ever could have imagined.

That said, maintaining a blog is a lot of work and not everyone should have blog. So how do you know if blogging is really right for you?

Here are the A,B,C's you might want to consider before you set off into the world of blogging:

A - Analyze your business goals.

This might be a strange question, but do you NEED to start a blog? If you have a full time job in a design center or a full client load and plenty of connections, starting a blog might be a distraction you don't need. If you are looking for new clients or want to expand your horizons and accomplish new things, blogging might be just the platform you need to follow your dreams.

Write out your goals and ask yourself if blogging could contribute to your success or just be another thing to add to your to-do list.

B - Be prepared for the time investment.

Blogging can take a lot of time. Depending on your goals, a blog can be something you update infrequently as you have time, or something that can become a full time job all by itself. If you love writing, enjoy online connections and are prone to want to do well with whatever you start, the creative outlet and connections in blogging very well could end up taking up more time than you ever dreamed. Many bloggers start out with a lot of enthusiasm and excitement only to burn out when they realize their blog has consumed all of their creative energy.

If you are going to start a blog, start out by pacing yourself with a reasonable posting schedule from the beginning. In spite of the temptation to blog several times a day to showcase all the ideas in your head, pace yourself to be able to keep up with it long term. You can always pick up the pace later if you decide you have the time and energy to do more. 

C - Consider your expectations.

Some people start a blog hoping to have lots of readers, make money or expecting to be featured right away on a big blog or in a magazine. Building up a readership and developing connections takes time. For most bloggers, success won't happen overnight -- it takes hard work and determination.

Are you prepared to be patient and realistic in achieving your blogging goals? In order to be truly successful with blogging, you'll want to set more realistic goals you can control such as posting quality content on a regular schedule, reaching out and getting to know other bloggers, and accomplishing manageable tasks for the beginning stages of your blog.

Consistency, patience and a lot of trial and error will likely be the keys to achieving your goals. Some people get a lucky break early on, but most everyone can find personal satisfaction and various measures of success in blogging if they are consistent in delivering quality content and have realistic expectations from the beginning. Each step along the way can be exciting and extremely rewarding!

Melissa Michaels is the creator of The Inspired Room, a popular design blog dedicated to inspiring readers to embrace the home and life they have. Each day The Inspired Room delivers fresh and affordable ideas to make a house a home. Read by over 100,000 people each month, The Inspired Room has been featured on HGTV.com, Apartment Therapy, Re-Nest, The Washington Post, The Seattle Times, The Oregonian and other publications.