10 tips for new bloggers

| blogging, tips

  1. Write for one person. Don’t get intimidated by the blank screen or the unknown audience. Write for one person. Write for yourself, write for your boss, write for your coworker, write for your friend, write for your mom… but write for one person at a time. I like writing for myself.
  2. Cc: world. Recycle as much knowledge as you can. Answered a question over e-mail that other people might find helpful? Blog it. Had a great conversation that other people might learn from? Blog it. Learned something interesting that other people would like? Blog it. There’s plenty to write about.
  3. Get personal benefits. You won’t stick with blogging unless you see what’s in it for you. Me, I like being able to look back and find out what I was doing and why I was doing it. My blog helps me answer those questions. My blog helps me see how I’ve changed. My blog helps me remember how I solved problems. My blog helps me connect with people. My blog helps me make the most of time because I get lots of value out of the books I read, the conversations I have, the things I do. My blog opens lots of opportunities. As you can see, I blog for selfish reasons.
  4. Create value for others. When you tell your stories or share your ideas or pass along a tip that you found useful, you might end up helping someone months or even years down the line. Searchable blogs keep providing value in unanticipated ways.
  5. Let people discover your blog. Add it to your e-mail signature. Mention it when it’s relevant. Link to it. Make it easier for people to find your blog, and you’ll benefit by having richer conversations with less small talk and more interesting topics.
  6. Read and comment. Read other people’s blogs to learn what they’re interested in and what blogging is like. Comment on their blogs: share your thoughts or even just thank them for posting. Write about their blog posts in your own blog – great way to quickly add content and share the link love.
  7. Keep writing. Don’t expect your first post to get a hundred comments. Keep writing. You’re not writing for other people, you’re writing to discover what you have to say. You will be boring for at least the first few months, or however long it takes to throw off the writing habits you picked up in school. Keep writing anyway. Eventually, you’ll get more used to writing and you won’t have to think about writing so much. Then you’ll be able to concentrate on what you want to say.
  8. Be yourself. Don’t write corporate-speak. Don’t keep it just business. Show a little of your personal side. People will connect with you better for it.
  9. Give yourself permission to get better and better. You had a typo. You gave the wrong link. You were wrong. You changed your mind. That’s okay. It’s a blog, it’s conversational, it’s chronological. It’s okay to make mistakes. You get better every day.
  10. Have fun. Don’t treat it like homework, treat it as a terrific way to discover who you are and who other people are. Keep an eye out for your positive experiences and celebrate them!

What do you think? =)

You can comment with Disqus or you can e-mail me at sacha@sachachua.com.