10 Practical Tips on How to Blog for the Glory of God (Using Social Media to Glorify God)

Hi! I am glad you are here and hope this site will be a helpful resource for you. This week I am writing a mini series on how to Use Social Media to Glorify God. 
Part One-Why Social Media 
Part Two- The Potential
Part Three- Heart of the Matter  
Part Four- 10 Practical Tips on How to Blog for the Glory of God

Our God given purpose in life is to glorify God. Believers God given mission is to make multiplying disciples. But this will look differently for each of us because we are each uniquely built. Check out this video for how our purpose, mission, uniqueness and current roles in life fit together. So whatever we are doing, it is to be all for the glory of God, whether blogging, being on facebook, twitter or anything else. But it takes intentionality. Glorifying doesn't just fall out of us because we exist in the time of the apple (the sin era). 

Today I am going to give 10 practical ideas of how to glorify God through blogging, no matter the niche. Even not faith blogs can clearly, intentionally and boldly glorify God. Like my friend Leah who writes at Just Another Baking Blogger. After all every created thing shows the glory of God.

10 Practical Tips on How to Blog for the Glory of God: 

1. Remain connected to Jesus as a vine does to a branch. We can do nothing apart from God. If we want to be a blessing to Him and to others, we have to have a yielded heart. In order to see God use us online, we have to let the Lord has His full way in our hearts. We have to choose to let the Holy Spirit lead us. Before starting a post, we need to take a minute to make sure we are right with God. Here's a video of what I mean.

2. Pray. Ask God to lead your thinking as to what to write about. God can lead our thinking if we plan 
ahead or spur of the moment. Either way, He can lead us to write about the things that will 
please Him.

3. Use God's Word. His Word is so much more valuable than our opinion, seeing as though it doesn’t return void and our opinion so often does. When you write, bring what you write back to God’s Word as often as possible. If you don't write a faith blog you can still share biblical principles.

4. Have a purpose statement and strategic plan for your blog. Prayerfully think through your goals and steps to take to help you achieve your goal. It is easy to get off track and be controlled by the tyranny of the urgent without a plan. And when you have a God-given plan it help be a guard against comparison. It will provide the freedom to see other great blogs but recognize "that is not what God has called me to or gifted me in. I need to stay focused on giving by the power of the Holy Spirit what I have, not what I wish I had."

5. Followers are not your goal, they are means to your goal. It is good to try to build your platform to have a wider influence for reaching people for Christ. But don't find your identity in statistics. Keep them in their proper place, the means not the goal. 

It is helpful to think of your platform as a stewardship. You wouldn't invest money and not try to invest it the best you can and just think you're not trying. Promoting yourself can feel very uncomfortable. But making an effort to get your blog in front of readers is not in and of its self bad. If your motives are to build your own kingdom, that is obviously not pleasing to God and is something to turn to Jesus with. But if your motives are to bring glory to God, then He delights in your stewardship of what you have. (Evidenced in Matt 25:14-30, God is pleased with our effort in making things grow.) The Lord desires we work as though it’s all up to us knowing and trusting it’s really all up to Him.

Here are some ways that help grow readership:
     a. Share your posts in a facebook status.

     b. Share your posts on twitter.

     c. Make a fan page or group of your site on facebook and invite your facebook friends. When you post things on facebook, post them at time when most of your friends are online. Use your facebook page to engage with people. Ask interesting questions, share helpful insights, encouraging verses and pictures. The more people that comment or like your post, the longer it will stay at the top of your friends newsfeeds (which their friends will also see). You can tag certain friends in your status when you post your blog link, and encourage them to let you know what they think. 

     d. Be real, vulnerable. Be careful to not try to present yourself as more than you are. 

6. Link up everywhere you can. Courtney from Women Living Well shares that linking up was what helped her blog grow so much. Just remember, you are not promoting yourself, you are getting out/stewarding what God has given you. 

7. Don’t waste your blog’s opportunity to share the gospel. There are some really great gospel widgets out there. My favorite is The Story. All you do is put the html code in your side bar (see the example of what it looks like below) by going to ViewTheStory.com Even if most of your readers are believers, don’t assume they all are. Most of the students who come to Christ through our ministry are students that grew up going to church. 

8. Share what God is doing. Try to make the most of every opportunity to brag about God.

9. Visit other blogs (esp. non-Christians) and leave comments encouraging them, initiating relationship and spiritual conversation with them. Try to break the sound barriers.

10. Persevere. Keep giving by the strength of His might. When you're discouraged, turn to Jesus and ask Him to remind you what’s true. Ask Him to give you specific verses to cling to when things get hard.

Basic Blogging Tips

* Be consistent with how much you write so your readers know what to expect from you.
* Let people know what to expect from your blog.
* Use an easy to remember blog title, having it match your url. 
* Have a clear and obvious way to subscribe since most visitors are new.
* Get a group for mutual encouragement and sharing of ideas.
* Lay a Foundation for Growth
* Write dynamic headlines

Blogging Resources

BloggingwithAmy.com 
GoinsWriter.com
31 Days to a Better Blog
Weebly.com They are the host I use and I LOVE it!!! I feel like a super techie because they make everything so simple. (And if you know me, you'd know I am not a tech person AT ALL) The support has been incredible too.
Getting traffic ideas
Understanding SEO


Check out some practical tips on how to use instagram and pintrest for the glory of God over at Angi's.