Whether you’re an amateur blogger or a professional who makes a living with your site, you probably know that blogging can be a pretty singular pastime. In many cases, a serious web publisher’s spouse doesn’t know much at all about blogging–nor do they have the interest to learn. Sure, your husband or wife might read your new posts every now and then and compliment your work. For the most part, though, bloggers simply don’t show their spouses how easy it is to translate their interests into a successful blog.
By failing to share your own passion for blogging with your spouse, though, you’re missing out on a great way to improve your relationship and grow as a couple. When a husband and wife are both involved in blogging projects, it helps them interact, bounce ideas off of each other and appreciate more of the benefits of marriage.
Here are a few simple tips for getting your spouse started on the path to successful blogging and using it to build a stronger marriage.
1. Help Them Identify Their Passions and Talents
The first step in launching a successful blog is figuring out what your most marketable interests are and how to translate them into good web content. Your own blog might be about making money online, but that doesn’t mean your spouse’s blog has to be about the same thing.
Blogs are seldom successful unless their topic is something that the writer is interested in, so help your spouse make a short list of his or her favorite hobbies and passions. Help them choose one topic that they think they could write something about every day.
2. Show Them That There Are Successful Bloggers in Every Niche
Your spouse might initially be skeptical that a blog about their specific interest could be successful, so show them some examples of other bloggers who have made their mark in the same niche.
Regardless of what your spouse’s passions are, there are bound to be several examples on the web of bloggers who have created successful blogs on that topic. By showing your spouse some of these sites, you won’t just make them more excited about blogging–you’ll also help them “learn the neighborhood” and know where to go to start professional relationships in their chosen niche.
3. Setup and Launch Their First Blog
If you’re a veteran blogger, you probably know all the basics of choosing and purchasing a domain name, installing a content management system, and editing design and appearance. By doing all of this for your husband or wife, you’ll help them surmount the first big hurdle and get right to blogging. Give them a brief tutorial on how to post to their new blog and manage links and comments, but don’t make it too overwhelming.
4. Help Put Together a Simple Blogging Plan
Those of us who have been blogging for years know that the keys to success are gradual but consistent publishing, link building and interaction. Show your spouse how slowly your own blog grew in its first few months, and make sure they realize that success will only come with patience, consistent posting, and communication with other bloggers.
By putting together a very simple blogging plan that your spouse can follow, you will make their success much more likely. Help them plan things like their posting frequency, article topics, linkbuilding activities and social media presence. By putting together a road map for their first few months of blogging, your husband or wife will have a better understanding of the steps they need to take and will be less likely to abandon their new project.
5. Offer Advice, But Let Them Grow and Develop Their Own Style
As they get better at blogging, your spouse’s writing style, posting schedule and linkbuilding tactics are probably going to become vastly different than yours. There’s nothing wrong with offering your advice about how they can better their blog, but don’t fall into the trap of thinking that their site needs to follow the same path as yours if it’s going to be successful.
Once your husband or wife has become comfortable with managing their blog, start asking them their opinion when it comes to your own site. You might be surprised at how much some fresh insight can improve your own blogging experience. And by involving your spouse in your own web publishing projects, you’ll both start to feel more like part of a blogging team.
In time, your spouse’s blog might even go on to be more popular than your own . . . but remember, it isn’t a contest! Help your spouse celebrate all of their blogging milestones, and always remember that their blog’s success is also helping you build a more vibrant, mutually satisfying marriage.
Phil Van Treuren writes on Killer Campaigning, a blog about political campaign strategy. His wife, Jessica, writes on Chic Relationships, a blog focusing on women’s relationship advice.