Guest Post: Blogging Basics Everyone Should Remember

I recently had an acquaintance ask me how to get started blogging.  She loves cosmetics and wanted to write and share her knowledge with others who have a similar interest.  The tips I gave her can apply to any level of blogging.  In fact, remembering the basics is important even to seasoned bloggers out there who might otherwise stray from what drew in their audience back in the beginning.

• Choose a user-friendly blogging platform. The service you use doesn’t necessarily matter to your readers, but it’s important that you feel comfortable navigating the software.  Your main goal is to write, after all, not spend hours trying to figure out how to add tags to your post.  Feel free to explore a few different services before settling on something – it’s easier to move your blog before you’ve developed a following and you want to avoid distracting your readers from content by changing layout every day.

• Choose your topic. You may already have this figured out: you have a passion for shoes and you want to talk about the dynamics of choosing shoes based upon wardrobe, how to organize a closet full of shoes, and why one should never shop at XYZ shoe store.  Stay on topic as much as possible.  It’s okay to stray off topic every now and again but your readers will want to know what to expect.  It’s a good idea to write a mission statement for your blog and include it in the About page.  Remember to review it every now and again to make sure you are staying true to the original idea behind the blog.

• Write write write. You don’t have to write every day, but write consistently.  Again, your readers want to know what they can expect out of your blog.  If you know that your schedule is going to get a bit crazy next month, write your posts ahead of time and schedule them to post on days you know you won’t be available.  You can keep a library of posts in your drafts queue for posting later.

• Know your audience. This is key!  Is your topic entertaining or educational?  If you are writing for entertainment and have an audience full of mothers, for instance, you may be dooming yourself if you write gigantic posts because your readers will skim or skip it entirely if they don’t have time to read it.  If you write about how to make a quilt but you neglect to include information on choosing a pattern or preparing the fabric, you are leaving out important details.

• Know yourself. What is special about you?  Anyone can write about what they made for dinner but no one is going to care if you followed the directions on the box and then wrote about it.  If you have tips and tricks for an easy but delicious meal made from scratch, then you have some unique expertise from which others can benefit.  While you probably would like to appeal to a wide audience, it is more important to let your personality come out in your posts.  It will be the difference between your readers saying, “I read this blog about cooking,” and “I read this blogger who uses unique or exotic spices to make everyday meals more exciting.”

• Read other blogs related to your subject. If you read and comment on blogs within your subject’s community, not only will you gain followers (think “targeted advertising”) but you will learn what others are interesting in reading, which gives you more ideas for what to write.

• Done is better than perfect. Many writers have an idea in their head of what they want to write but get stuck when they sit down because they don’t know how to put it in writing.  There is a lot of agonizing over whether or not everything was written exactly how it was supposed to sound.  It’s essential that you remember that your reader has no idea what the post was supposed to say and will not be analyzing the content against a pre-conceived idea as you are.  Write what comes to mind and edit as you go.  If it’s not perfect or it’s unclear, your readers will tell you and it will encourage discussion!

Don’t forget to have fun!  If blogging turns into a chore or you forget why you wanted to blog in the first place, review these tips again.  If you find that your goals have changed or you aren’t enjoying it anymore, it may be time to start over!

Blog: http://ewokmama.com