Q: Why do you want to blog?
A: Because it’s new and I want to do it.
Q: What do you want to blog about?
A: I don’t know. You tell me.
Blogging is a power strategy for Content Marketing, i.e., communicating about yourself and/or your company to win friends, followers, clients, and customers.
Six Q’s and A’s for Beginning Bloggers
1. What is blogging all about & why are so many people doing it?
Blogging is all about putting your unique voice, opinions, insights, and understandings “out there” to (a) build an online presence, (b) establish yourself as a Thought Leader, and (c) begin conversations and relationships.
Lots of people are blogging — maybe over 200 million worldwide — for a host of different reasons. Most are undoubtedly personal bloggers writing diaries for the world to see. More and more, however, companies, institutions, and nonprofit organizations are understanding that there is a Communication Revolution going on and that the way day-to-day business IS and WILL BE conducted is turning to more authentic, transparent, supportive 2-way conversations, rather than the traditional blasting out of messages.
FURTHER READING:
Answer these nine questions before you decide to become a blogger
2. What do I blog about?
Like most marketing campaigns — as well as personal planning — you should decide on an objective:
What you will blog about has everything to do with why you want to start, build and maintain your online diary/report/journal/lecture.
If you are starting a blog for commercial reasons, then you naturally want to focus your communication towards a “target” audience. Noted social media authority David Meerman Scott suggests that all message-makers should have a clear idea of their consumer profile, i.e., specific data about your prospective readers.
Once you know whom you are writing for and why, you want to make certain that you offer content that is as relevant, informative, creative, and interesting as you can make it.
What’s the very best way to write the best blog articles? Write what you are passionate about.
The best way to improve your blog is to listen to your readers and think about them before — and as — you write.
FURTHER READING:
My story of Peter and “what to blog”
Any and all of Problogger – the hands-down online authority on How To Blog
3. How much effort will it take?
This answer, again, begins with your objective, but I suspect the real question might be: “Do I have to be writing every day to have a successful blog?”
If that is the case, then a simple answer is that Writing Consistently is more important/effective than Writing Daily.
Also, you are the one who decides whether you want short pithy blog posts like Seth Godin and Zahid Lilani or more detailed research reports like Brian Solis or something in between like Adam Singer or Suzanne Vara.
One key is to enjoy what you are doing – or it will show. Start slowly, maybe set a goal of one article a week. When you find that you want to publish more often, then find time to write twice a week . . . and so on. If you are particularly inspired on any day, then try to write an extra post or two that you can publish on a day when you have other commitments.
Another key is to realize that every time you publish new content, you are adding to your site and giving readers [some new] more and more of you. With that in mind, you want to make certain that Everything you publish is something you are proud of.
FURTHER READING:
Spend some time with the bloggers suggested above. Zahid just wrote an article on whether or not Bloggers were Writers
4. If I am not a great writer, how do I get over the fear of writing?
A Great Question! especially if you were never an English major [and what percentage of the world was?].
Here are three things to think about:
- Writing is compulsory thought. When you put fingers on the keyboard and start typing, you “force” yourself to think.
- To over come “writer’s block,” I tell my English composition students to have a reader in mind, e.g. your mother, your best friend, your least favorite uncle, etc. You may see how much easier it is to “talk” when you can envision who is listening.
- Like with any skill, “practice makes perfect” — or at least better.
FURTHER READING:
5. How do you get to blogs? How will people get to my blog?
Two questions here: the first is easy; the second is not so.
Finding blogs to read is as easy as going to Google or some other search engine and putting in some key words. I, personally, have not yet written about the “Fear of Writing” so I simply Googled it and came up with the link listed above.
A better way to find blogs, though, is to follow someone’s recommendation. I gave you five suggestions above, BUT all of those marvelous people write about subjects of interest to me, i.e., social media marketing.
If you want to read and or write about dogs, jewelry, moms, or fashion, you will need to find experts in those fields and (a) see if they have blogs or (b) email them and ask for blog suggestions.
SECOND PART OF THE QUESTION: How will people get to your blog, i.e., how will you get readers?
The basic reason why this is not so easy to answer is because it is not easy to get readers, but here are a few “streamlined” suggestions:
- Write a lot. The more you write, the more Google has to index.
- Comment on other peoples’ blogs enough and they may come to read yours.
- Publicize your blog content on Twitter, Linkedin, Facebook, etc.
- Invite people to Guest Post on your blog.
- Starting out, though, I’d suggest emailing all your friends and letting them know what you are up to.
FURTHER READING:
Go online and search for articles “How to Get Readers”: you’ll find countless titles, but Problogger is best.
6. What are the biggest blogging mistakes?
This is really easy. Check the Guest Post by Suzanne Vara: Avoid These 9 Blogging Blunders
And you might want to check out my own 10 Biggest Mistakes Made by Social Media Newbies
MORE QUESTIONS?
Great! Ask away in the comment section OR, better yet, add your own answers.
I’m not sure if I really want to blog but I think it will be interesting to learn all about the world of blogging.
With this advice I now see a purpose for blogging, and I can see making blog writing a hobby.
Well I read a lot of commercial blogs before, then eventually got spammed by advertisements. I wonder if it’s possible to make a blogging site that consists of updates of some type of show or etc?
Actually, Patrick, if YOU would like to write a blog that consists of updates of certain types of shows, I imagine others would want to read it — so Go For It!
I have done a fair amount of research on the whole concept behind blogging, and I think it is a great medium to use to express one’s various interest, as well as, as a tool to empower others to go out into the world and do great things. I am still in the process of brainstorming what sort of direction I’d want to take my blog, if, in fact, I decide to blog seriously. I have also come to understand that blogging takes persistence and patience if one is to get a strong following. I am excited to see what the possibilities yield.
I think I will try to start a blog after I find the thing I’m passionate about. Probably traveling around and blog something about the trip. It sounds fun to have my own blog and write about the things I like.
thank you for the great advice shari i will be sure to apply everything you mentioned above when i start my first blog post
Thanks, great advice. Before I read this blog, I was really unsure of what topic I should blog on my website. But now, I’m not only sure, but very confident about blogging too! Thanks a lot!
Wow wonderful advice, this is exactly what I have been looking for to get me started on the blogging network.
Thanks!
Blogging is all about putting your voice, opinions, insights, and understandings “out there.” In other words, take the opportunity to let the world know how you feel, what you feel, and how much you feel about it. So let start blogging.
This was a very helpful article. It seems so hard to find what to write about but it seems to be more than what you trying to write about. It is the inspiration, motivation and heart you put into the writing that shows who you are and why you are trying to tell the world of your experiences.
Now, Yoartra, what do YOU want to tell to the world?
That is a very good question. I have many past experiences with dancing and how it had effect me during my high school years. Even though i don’t know how to start writing about it, i still would like to give a shot at it.
So blogging is basically your own website where you write anything you want to write. For you to get more readers you tell people about your website either on facebook or twitter, etc.
Perfect understanding, Marneisha.
What if the writer has no idea what to say in their blog? Sometimes they’re out of things to talk about. What if the readers gets bored on what you are talking about? What should you do to catch the reader’s eyes again?
All good questions, Virginia. Except perhaps in a class, no one MUST read blogs. Therefore most people choose to read blogs where the writer[s] discuss information they want to know.
Once again, Thanks for the great advice Shari *
This is very helpful to blogging beginners like myself…I still haven’t written my first post yet…but I’m working on it and this really helps.
Shari thanks for sharing and monitoring the lost souls of this new social media concept. Currently I am at the opposite side for embracing this new concept of formalizing my views to the mass. Yet, your article has eased my dread of exposure to the world. Like any child, we tend to have tantrum when faced with the absence of knowing the outcome and directions. I tend to stand at odds about a systemic change for reconstructing our lives towards a new form of separation in integration as a whole. Social media have become a hot topic within these last past weeks.
Hi Renee, and thanks for commenting.
I hope and trust this semester’s experience will both relieve some of your anxieties and offer you some useful technology to accomplish some things you hadn’t even thought of.
🙂
Interestingly enough, your anxieties are identical to those of one of my best friends, whose “tantrum” went public last week on her Sunday morning TV talk show when she was interviewing a social media guru like me.
🙂
One other thing, now I know who “panthercoyote” is and I have to tell you that you may miss some of my class emails. I have filled out your BEBO email request twice but do not have time to do it every time I email you.
See you Monday,
Shari
Excellent advice Shari, I am sure you are having a lot of fun doing the workshops.
When it comes to blogging, content is the king and “passion” is usually the queen.
My advice to overcome fear of writing is to remember this quote that one of my favorite high school teacher use to say again and again about writing essays. “Essay is a loose sally of mind.”
I don’t know why but I feel you can apply that to blogging and make it work, it has worked for me so far. Just my 2 cents about writing a blog post.
Shari
Thank you kindly for the mention. Blogging as we both know is hard work and there is commitment to yourself and readers but also an expectation of quality information to your readers. Someone who is not a great writer who practices will become one. How do we learn to ride a bike or read – we practice and practice.
Blogging is not an overnight success. It takes time to build relationships with readers and to get into your groove. It is about creating your niche, learning and growing within your community. Blogging has to be about something you really like or that will show in your writing.
Thanks again Shari!