I’ve been asked to submit a very short piece into a magazine with some basic tips for beginner bloggers which I thought I’d share here. They are not Rocket Science – pretty basic – but a good starting point for someone starting out in Blogging.
– Keep it simple. Start with a free and easy to use blogging tool like Blogger. Pick a simple design and just start writing. You can tweak the design and make it look good later.
– Write for yourself. It takes time for others to find and read your blog so use it as a space to think out loud about the things that interest you. Pick topics that you are passionate about and you’ll find people with similar interests will connect with you.
– Interact with your readers. Make sure your blog has a commenting feature – when someone leaves a comment email them or leave a reply comment. People will come back if you take the time to acknowledge and interact with them.
– Set boundaries and think about the purpose of your blog. Remember what you are writing is in a public domain so you might want to refrain from talking about your personal life – people WILL find it. Decide up front about what you will and won’t write about and stick to it.
– Read other blogs and link to those that interest you. One of the best things about blogging is how it connects people thinking through similar issues. Link to them, add your own ideas, leave comments on their blog – blogging can bring about rich and wonderful conversations and lead to lasting friendships.
– Be patient, post regularly and have fun. It can take a long time to build up a readership. In the mean time just enjoy the writing process. Make it a daily exercise (it takes some discipline) and don’t give up if it seems no-one is reading – just be yourself and have fun.
What tips would you add for a beginner?
