If it wasn't for my morning pages repeatedly telling me that I want to start a blog and renewing my motivation to regularly post to it daily, this blog wouldn't be here at all.
So here's my advice from one just starting blogger to another:
#1"Pick your blog theme? How? I don't even know what I want to write about?"
Whenever I read the advice to pick a theme and create a blog around it, I was like: "but, but, but I don't know what I want to write about, and I know I certainly can't limit it to only one thing?!" I decided to say "fuck that" and just write what I wanted to. My theme, then, if you must categorize it, would be "personality blog", but that doesn't even fit the mold. It's an blog where I post artwork, share music and internet videos I like and then reflect or write long form about something on a Monday. That's what I'm bringing to the table, and hopefully people will find it and like it enough to keep coming back every week.
#2 Quantity leads to Quality.
The blank page is a terrifying sight, I know, but you've got to overcome it and write. Just write about whatever. At the start it is all about getting over hang-ups and creating a habit of blogging.
#3 Social Media Optimizing?
This one is a good idea. If you don't share your posts across multiple platforms then no one is going to ever find it. I have a twitter, and instagram and a facebook page which I share things to. It's early days so I'm not sure how effective it has been, but my page views do grow with every day, so some progress must be being made. I highly recommend setting up a Hootsuite account because you can send out and schedule posts in advance all from one place, which is really helpful because, well, life happens!
#4 Make it personal!
I love reading blog posts for the human voice of the writing. If I didn't want to get to know the author of an article I was reading, then I would read the news! Stay true to you. Don't put on airs, because this blog is an extension of you. It's your voice out there in the interwebs, so keep it respectful. A good rule of thumb I like to keep in mind is to ask yourself "Would I want to show this to my grandma? Would she be proud of me after reading this?" If the answer is no because she'd probably go and rinse my mouth out with soap, then maybe you shouldn't post it. Another thing to keep in mind is the fact that the internet is a wonderful networking tool. You never know who could be reading your work. They could really like it and reach out to you for an opportunity, or it could be someone in HR researching your name after you submitted a resume. Moral of the story: put your best face forward.
#5 Find Blogger friends and Comment on their pages
 |
| Ugh. Barf. |
This is something that I struggle with and rarely do myself. I think the fact that I read a lot of my blogs on my phone really influences if I leave a comment or not. Part of the key to having a successful blog (or so I've heard) is to comment on other people's blogs. This is done with the hopes that they will come back and read and comment on one of your posts. I feel a little cheap doing this as it feels disingenuous, only posting a comment to get something back in return, so you need to ask yourself "why am I leaving this comment?" If it is because you genuinely enjoyed the content, then please leave that comment! If you only are doing it so that it leads to a page view for your adsense revenue, then maybe you need to rethink what blogging means to you.
#6 Always end blog posts with a "call to action"
 |
| Dance, readers, dance! Muahahaahaha! |
I am so shitty at this. Part of me feels cheesy asking a question at the end because I'm like "everyone will know it's just a cheep shot to get people to reply to me so that I am validated through comments" but no, it's all part of creating a community through your blog. I started this blog with the hopes that I would find like minded people
#7 Schedule and write posts in advance
 |
| (c) Toothpaste for Dinner |
As I said in point three, life happens. If you're serious about your blog, you're going to need to be posting regularly to keep people interested and coming back for more. If you have themed days, like how I have Tunesday where I share a song ever Tuesday, try to plan those posts well in advance, write them and schedule them to go. Hunker down one day and hammer them out, and then boom, you have just taken care of Tunesday for the next three months! I like to use Hootsuite to schedule advanced posts, and also have a good old fashioned paper calendar that lays out what I'm going to be posting when. Find the system that works best for you.
#8 Word limits, lists and click bait titles
There are so many limits put on bloggers before they've even started writing! "Don't make your posts too long! People don't like to read!" If people don't like to read, why are they even looking at a blog? Word limits are something I really disagree with. I don't want to edit myself to suit other people. Even if I post into cyberspace and only get silence in return, fine. Eventually I will attract the people who are willing to read slightly longer-form blog posts. Heck, I'm sure Dan Carlin got the same pressure to edit down his podcasts, but his 4 hour long, multiple chaptered Hardcore History podcasts have a huge following. There is an audience out there for everybody so keep doing what you're doing.
That being said, as a student of Graphic Design and user design, people do love lists and bullet points. They love things that are easy to read and have lots of blank space that breaks up blocks of text. I wish there was a way to create columns in these posts to shorten the line lengths. Eyes get tired when they have to travel too far, lazy peepers.
To me, the urge to create a catchy title feels like selling out before you've even started. There is some truth to it though. But lets be real, hasn't everyone caught on to those click-bait titles and can spot them and their horrifically ad-riddled posts a mile away? Dear humble readers, I assure you, if I ever use a click-bait-esque title, it will be done with the most heartfelt hipster irony and so I hope you enjoy it. A little wink from me to you.
#9 Have fun!
The truth of it all is the likelihood that your blog brings you fame and fortune is very slim, so if this is something you're going to be putting your heart and soul into make sure you enjoy it! That joy will come through in your posts and your readers will be able to tell.
Let's talk, dear readers!
Does reading a blog on a mobile device without a physical keyboard deter you from leaving a comment?
Are you thinking about starting a blog yourself? What is stopping you?
Is there anything you'd like to see done differently on this blog? If you've been checking in for a while, thank you! I'd really value your input!
Have a lovely week, guys!
No comments:
Post a Comment