Keeping up a blog is one of the most versatile and rewarding activities one can have. The act of blogging teaches you so many things. As a blogger, I also know the ins and outs of search engines, how to compile a good paper, how to talk to companies, and many more life lessons. As a blogger, there will be many times when you will feel it’s the best and worst thing you’ve done. Today, I’ll drag you along to teach you some pointers to starting as a blogger. So, let’s go novice, time to experience the fun and exciting parts of being an online writer.
Should I Blog or Not?
It seems that many individuals get into blogging for all the wrong reasons. They will connect the fact that they can create a grammatically correct sentence and the fact that they have a computer and voila, they’re a blogger. That isn’t the case or every Facebook using pre-teen that floods their emotions in a status update would be considered one. Then the phrase, “blogging is just graffiti with punctuations” would be true.
Blogging is way more than that, being a blogger involves being a reporter, photographer, master emailer, and sometimes your own personal assistant. You have to know what you’re writing, why you are writing it, and if you’re strong enough on your views. As a blogger, you WILL be tested on what you write by the comments that you get.
Lastly, you have to be a huge self-motivator. It is just as easy to not feel like blogging for a day, week, or even a month without consequence, but once they do come, it can be very difficult to get your audience back. Are you ready to blog? If so, think about what you want to blog about.
What Should I Blog About?
One tip that I always want to give to bloggers is to blog about what you are actually interested in. Your readers will catch on in no time that you don’t enjoy what you write about based on your tone. If you love what you write about, the passion will be there and your readers will feel like you care about what you do.
The actual subject you write about can be anything. Of course there are the obvious topic choices, like technology, photography, and so on, but there’s also a sizable audience for other topics. For example, If you are a great cook, even if you aren’t a professional, having a cooking blog will be great for you. The choice is based on your love.
Despite our point of writing what you love about, we must also be realistic. The subject you write about must have some substance, a sizable existing audience, and a topic that will last as time pasts. If you can’t write more than five posts on the topic because ideas become dry, the blog won’t last. If there isn’t an audience to read, there won’t be any interaction for it to grow. If it’s a topic that is seemingly temporary, you’ll feel that your time is wasted.
Where Should I Blog?
There are a ton of places to have your blog hosted on. They all depend on the tone you want to project to your audience and your budget. For example, WordPress is the popular choice, but it doesn’t offer the readily available social aspect found in Tumblr for instance.
Then there’s the issue of money. WordPress.com and Tumblr are both free domains. However, there are many domains that charge for the quality. In addition, most domains that cost offer you a personalized domain. This is seen as more professional and viable for readers to see the domain personalized. However, you must consider your funds first.
For this reason, I recommend domains like WordPress and Blogger.com. They both offer you with a free webpage, plus the option to upgrade to a paid domain in the future. This allows you to plan for the future when such a blog domain will be more necessary.
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Chitra@SocialVani says
Blogging is no less than a business these days. However, it is also a fact that too many people are coming into blogging these days, making the business saturate. Nevertheless, if you have a different viewpoint on anything, blogging is the best way.