Laura Spencer
What is blog to me? I can tell you how I’ve progressed and what I’ve discovered along the way.
Blogging was a grand experiment for me. First, I wanted to see if anyone would read my blog. Secondly, I wanted to see if it would help my freelance writing business. Now, I am wondering if I can make money from it. Finally, I want to see if it can make a difference, however small.
Initially I thought, and perhaps others might think, that blogging is mainly about writing. What I’ve discovered is that, while it helps to have good writing skills, there is so much more to blogging. Successful bloggers must be: lifelong learners, social individuals, relevant, readers, and disciplined. (Of course, everyone has their own definition of success and yours may be different.) I’ll address each area individually.
Lifelong learning is an important blogging skill, not only to start a blog, but also to keep it going. There are so many areas to learn about. First, I needed to learn the best platform for my blog. There are a lot of questions a new blogger faces. Would I use a free platform like Blogger, or will I go with my own domain name and a hosting company? (I use my own domain name with BlueHost.) When that decision was made, I needed to learn how to manage my content, comments, and blogroll. I needed to learn how to download files to my site. I needed to learn how to use widgets. In fact, with a blog, the learning never stops. I probably learn at least one new thing every day.
Successful bloggers are social individuals. Unlike the diaries and journals that I was familiar with as a child, blogs are public. I decided very early on that I was not going to blog in a vacuum. I enabled my comments (with a spam filter turned on, of course) and I make an effort to interact with my readers. I answer their comments. I visit their blogs. I correspond through e-mail with several of my readers on a regular basis. I know people today that I wouldn’t know if I didn’t blog, and my life is richer for it. I also use some of the networking tools that the Internet provides. (It seems like there is a new tool out there every day.) Currently I am on: Blogg-buzz, MyBlogLog, SpicyPage, StumbleUpon, and Technorati.com. Last, but not least, I joined a blog network, GackInk, where I can mentor and be mentored.
Successful blogs must be relevant. When someone reads my blog they need to find something to hold their interest or they won’t return. Finding something relevant can be a stretching process for the blogger. I know that the questions “how would somebody use this information?” and “would anybody find this interesting?” stretch me. I’ve found that, if I have a question about something, usually others have the same question. That question is an opportunity for me to research the question and blog about it. I also find relevant topics for posts on forums, other blogs, and in everyday life.
I’m a big believer in the value of reading. I believe that the best writers were readers first. Reading definitely prepares me to blog. I read just about everything I can get my hands on: the newspaper, books, magazines, advertisements, other blogs, and the list goes on. Reading helps me recognize the difference between good writing and bad writing. Reading broadens my horizons and introduces me to new ideas and concepts. Reading also entertains me and gives me a reason to laugh. In short, reading has made me a writer and writing has made me a blogger.
Finally, bloggers have to be disciplined. One factor that many blog experts recommend for blogging success is consistency. It’s important to post new material on your blog on a regular basis. You’ve probably been frustrated, as I have, by finding an enjoyable blog, only to discover that there are no new entries. I try to have between three and five new posts on my blog each week. Most of them time I really enjoy blogging. It’s fun. It stimulates my creativity. I can post things that help others. I get to “meet” new people. However, to be totally honest, there are those days that I just don’t feel like posting. Maybe I’m sick. Maybe I’m buried with work. Maybe there are other issues bothering me. It helps to have a backlog of posts for those times. But sometimes, it just takes discipline to get that new post out there.
So, with WritingThoughts, my grand experiment goes on. I continue learning, making friends, finding what’s relevant, reading whatever I can, and discovering how to be disciplined in my approach to blogging.
What is blog to me? I can tell you how I’ve progressed and what I’ve discovered along the way.
Blogging was a grand experiment for me. First, I wanted to see if anyone would read my blog. Secondly, I wanted to see if it would help my freelance writing business. Now, I am wondering if I can make money from it. Finally, I want to see if it can make a difference, however small.
Initially I thought, and perhaps others might think, that blogging is mainly about writing. What I’ve discovered is that, while it helps to have good writing skills, there is so much more to blogging. Successful bloggers must be: lifelong learners, social individuals, relevant, readers, and disciplined. (Of course, everyone has their own definition of success and yours may be different.) I’ll address each area individually.
Lifelong learning is an important blogging skill, not only to start a blog, but also to keep it going. There are so many areas to learn about. First, I needed to learn the best platform for my blog. There are a lot of questions a new blogger faces. Would I use a free platform like Blogger, or will I go with my own domain name and a hosting company? (I use my own domain name with BlueHost.) When that decision was made, I needed to learn how to manage my content, comments, and blogroll. I needed to learn how to download files to my site. I needed to learn how to use widgets. In fact, with a blog, the learning never stops. I probably learn at least one new thing every day.
Successful bloggers are social individuals. Unlike the diaries and journals that I was familiar with as a child, blogs are public. I decided very early on that I was not going to blog in a vacuum. I enabled my comments (with a spam filter turned on, of course) and I make an effort to interact with my readers. I answer their comments. I visit their blogs. I correspond through e-mail with several of my readers on a regular basis. I know people today that I wouldn’t know if I didn’t blog, and my life is richer for it. I also use some of the networking tools that the Internet provides. (It seems like there is a new tool out there every day.) Currently I am on: Blogg-buzz, MyBlogLog, SpicyPage, StumbleUpon, and Technorati.com. Last, but not least, I joined a blog network, GackInk, where I can mentor and be mentored.
Successful blogs must be relevant. When someone reads my blog they need to find something to hold their interest or they won’t return. Finding something relevant can be a stretching process for the blogger. I know that the questions “how would somebody use this information?” and “would anybody find this interesting?” stretch me. I’ve found that, if I have a question about something, usually others have the same question. That question is an opportunity for me to research the question and blog about it. I also find relevant topics for posts on forums, other blogs, and in everyday life.
I’m a big believer in the value of reading. I believe that the best writers were readers first. Reading definitely prepares me to blog. I read just about everything I can get my hands on: the newspaper, books, magazines, advertisements, other blogs, and the list goes on. Reading helps me recognize the difference between good writing and bad writing. Reading broadens my horizons and introduces me to new ideas and concepts. Reading also entertains me and gives me a reason to laugh. In short, reading has made me a writer and writing has made me a blogger.
Finally, bloggers have to be disciplined. One factor that many blog experts recommend for blogging success is consistency. It’s important to post new material on your blog on a regular basis. You’ve probably been frustrated, as I have, by finding an enjoyable blog, only to discover that there are no new entries. I try to have between three and five new posts on my blog each week. Most of them time I really enjoy blogging. It’s fun. It stimulates my creativity. I can post things that help others. I get to “meet” new people. However, to be totally honest, there are those days that I just don’t feel like posting. Maybe I’m sick. Maybe I’m buried with work. Maybe there are other issues bothering me. It helps to have a backlog of posts for those times. But sometimes, it just takes discipline to get that new post out there.
So, with WritingThoughts, my grand experiment goes on. I continue learning, making friends, finding what’s relevant, reading whatever I can, and discovering how to be disciplined in my approach to blogging.
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