Basics Of Blogs And Blogging
Author: Chris Taylor
Have you heard other people talking on and on about
their
"blogs" while all you could do was smile and nod?
Yes, "blog" is a peculiar word, conjuring visions of
mosquito-infested swamps, and you can't imagine why
people
would be eager to get more visitors to theirs.
But eager they are. In spite of the rather unfortunate
name,
blogs are the hottest things in communication since cell
phones. Blogs are websites on which almost anybody can
post
information on almost any topic as often as they like.
Blogs
can be devoted to a single factual topic, or they can be
the
equivalent of personal diaries in which people record
their
private thoughts and observations about the world. The
contents
of a blog are limited only by the imagination of the
blog's
creator, or "author".
If you find the thought of your own blog appealing, and
have an
Internet-connected computer, here are some suggestions
to help
you both get a blog going and build an audience with
whom you
can share it:
First, choose a topic for your blog on which you will
enjoy
communicating, and prepare your material. You opinions
on a
subject are fine, as long as they are based on some
underlying.
There are always going to be those who know as much,
about a
topic as you, and if you want a credible blog, you need
to be
able to back up your statements.
Add some humor and
personal experiences to your topic if you can. Writing a travel blog
about places you have actually been, and about colorful locals whom you
actually encountered, will
make much better reading than just posting facts and figures picked up
from travel sites and TV shows. |
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Offer material which
will appeal to both novice travelers--like how to avoid
pickpockets--and more seasoned ones--like the best
undiscovered
attractions in a specific destination.
Don't limit your blog to your own experiences. Keep it
updated
with news that might affect those interested in your
subject.
While your experiences can give people valuable insight,
recognize that your opinions about what happened to you
or
about a specific product are, after all, just opinions.
Give
people factual information which they can weigh for
themselves.
Keep you blog current. On the Internet, news can become
old in
a matter of hours, and what happened a month ago is
ancient
history. Telling people considering a trip to Thailand
that
Thailand experienced a coup last September will do
nothing to
help them decide about a trip next month. Updating them
on the
peaceful state of affairs in Thailand today, however,
will.
Updating your blog will require a commitment from you.
You'll
need to establish a regular time to search for and write
about
fresh news, and get it posted. There'll be times when
not much
has happened, and there'll be times when you can't type
fast
enough. But two or three times a week are not too many
to post
something new. Even it it's only to tell your readers
that not
much has been going on, share a few thoughts, and tell
your
readers when to next check in for your next entry, make
an
appearance. Your audience will keep coming back as long
as they
know you are.
| Keep your blog as
simple as you can, without sounding like you don't have a complete grasp
of your subject. You want to appeal to as many people as possible, and
nothing will drive those newly interested in a subject away faster than
lots of technical jargon and statistics. |
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You can provide complex
information, as long as you make the effort to put it in
user-friendly terms.
Find a memorable name for your blog, and use your blog
editing
feature to post it in large, bold-face type. "My Hiking
Blog"
will probably sound interesting only to Mom and Dad and
only
because you never write or call them while you're out
adventuring. "Climbing through the Clouds" will appeal
to those
who either tackle the high places of the Earth, or want
to.
Every so often, say, at the end of each month, archive
your
existing blog posts. Your blog editor will let you do
this in a
less than a minute. The entries will still be available
for new
blog readers who want to catch up, or those who want to
reference your earlier writings. And list keywords for
your
archived work so that new traffic will be able to find
its way
to you.
Finally, make sure your blog is professionally
presented. You
have a spell checker, so use it. Proof-read your copy
and
correct any grammar or punctuation errors before you
post your
work. If you're not sure whether you are using a word
properly,
get help from an online dictionary. Respect your readers
as
intelligent, well-informed people who could just as
easily
spend their time elsewhere.
These suggestions may make your entry into the world of
blogging more successful, but it's up to you to commit
to
building and keeping an audience.
About The Author: Need to promote your blog on the
search
engines and get the word out about your new resource?
Try our
rss feed submission sites service today -
http://www.rss-feeds-directory.com/rss-feed-submission-sites-service.html
Copyright © Catdynamics – 2006.
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