That Four-Letter Word!
That Four-Letter Word!
Not a day goes by without us catching the glimpse of the words blog, blogger or blogosphere. A blog, short for weblog has turned into the ultimate internet superhighway craze that even the Average Joe has hopped on the bandwagon, writing on every topic under the sun – be it the weather or the atrocious attitude of drivers on the Malaysian roads or even something as mundane as a leaky roof in the office.
For all you first timers out there, a blog is a weblog, an online diary or journal in which you may write your daily thoughts and ideas in. There are heaps of websites out there dedicated to servicing blogs and the majority of them are free, for example, wordpress.com, blogspot.com, and livejournal.com. All you have to do is sign up and voila, you have your very own blog with your very own web address where you can feel free to write whenever you want and as much as you want.
Blogs, it’s a fast, easy and cheap way to present an opinion, share an idea or support a cause. Even prominent figures and celebrities are at it these days, using blogs to promote their films, clarify their stance on issues and keep in touch with fans. Small businesses are also finding blogging to be very useful as a free form of advertising for their company, products and services. Although there maybe various objectives and reasons behind the existence of a blog, these bloggers are all after one thing – to get their message across to a community of likeminded people, discussing ideas and changing the way the world is in some way. As for some, they just utilize these weblogs as a way to show off their work and gain free critiques.
If you have a penchant for fashion, then you can start a fashion blog. If you are a very opinionated person and have a lot of comments about the things that are going around you and the things that you see, you can say it in your blog. To be honest, there are no limitations as to what topic you will say on your blog. The blogging tip here is to find out what you have to say and follow-through that idea.
Blogs are the best outlet to speak to the internet community as it offers a lot of freedom of speech. Absolutely anything and everything goes on your own online blog as there is no censorship and no mediator telling you what you can or cannot write.
We personally think you need a basis for making a decision whether to blog because blogging doesn’t come easy for everyone. In order to get started on the right foot, make sure you know how a blog works and what it takes to maintain one. A good blogger doesn’t turn out over night but if you’re planning to hop into the bandwagon, you can start by following a few of these simple tips.
Starting point – Read newspapers, magazines, watch TV, listen to the radio, go for a walk and pay attention to everything around you. Read other blog posts and get accustomed to the writing styles and layouts as they can provide a lot of inspiration to your own work. If it works out right, blogging will definitely come naturally to you.
Make a schedule – Sure, blogging is highly flexible. You can do it at any time and any place as long as there’s an internet connection but there’s always a limit. These things can get a tad bit addictive so when it becomes a habit, it is important to limit yourself. Set aside a certain amount of time each day in order to write a post, that is if you’re writing on a daily basis.
Don’t over-do it – Don’t put up a post just for the sake of updating daily. If you feel like you have nothing of value to add to your blog or conversation, it is better not to say anything at all. But, don’t go M.I.A for too long. A good blogger has to provide good, original and remarkable content on a regular basis.
Go slow – Don’t get too ambitious because you’re bound to get inconsistent. Always start with something simple and as you get a hang of it, increase the quality and the length of your posts.
Be captivating – Nobody wants a boring story. As a blogger, you want people to read your entire post and not stop half way at it. So, as long as you put a forceful element in your story, minus the unnecessary details, you’re just one step away from making a good story. Adding a bit of humour and wit into your writing goes a long way as well. Keep all the corporate writing and newsy manner away because your readers won’t feel any sentiment of connectivity. They’d rather read the local newspaper, right?
Make it fun – You should never take blogging too serious. In all its essence, blogging is one of the most fun activities possible. It’s a space where you turn your passions and thoughts into material writing by voicing them. If you can’t learn how to enjoy blogging, you won’t be able to bring the best out of it, nor able to grow the habit of blogging. So if you don’t find anything whatsoever fun about blogging, then we’re pretty sure this isn’t your cup of tea.
Designs – Designs are important to a blog. Your blog’s design represents, to a certain extent, your blog’s content and, of course, you, as a blogger. When you’re done picking a perfect design, work on other modifications such as the background, fonts and formatting and so on. If none of this is working right for you, get help from other bloggers.
More than words – There’s an old saying that goes like this – ‘a picture is worth a thousand words’, and I wouldn’t disagree with that. Images are great for not only diverting visitors to your post, but to also convey a post’s entire essence and message. Some of you may feel like images in posts are redundant, a waste of bandwidth, that only succeed in distracting the readers, but from my point of view you’re plain wrong. A really significant image is bound to grab your reader’s attention and they will continue to read the respective blog post. This is, of course, not a rule or anything. It’s just normal and it’s in our nature to do it because our brain is highly receptive to visual stimuli. Bloggers can also use other tools such as podcasts and video-blogs to get their story out.
*Here are a few sites where you can find free stock photos: - stock.xchng; Stockxpert; Yotophoto; Photoree; InMagine; One Stock Photography.
Be original – Don’t be someone you’re not. Copying someone else’s content or writing style won’t get you anywhere. Express your personal thoughts when blogging. Our writing, the way we express our ideas or the ideas themselves, all make a profile of our personality.
Avoid typos – It’s really embarrassing when you make no-brainer grammar mistakes that could turn an otherwise interesting article into a difficult, unattractive read. Always read your post at least once and make the necessary amendments before publishing it.
Don’t abuse your rights – Blogs offer a lot of freedom of speech, so if you’re thinking about blogging, have a sense of responsibility. Being a responsible blogger means writing something worthwhile, something that you are confident that other people from the other side of the globe will actually enjoy reading. You don’t have to be politically-correct (save that up for your press releases) but try to write with a purpose in mind. Don’t blog to discriminate or spread gossip about others.
Enthusiasm can be really swell but in some of us, it dies off pretty fast. In order to keep the blogging going on, it has to become a part of our routine. The habit of blogging is not an option, but a necessity for any aspiring blogger.
When you get your blog going on, be optimistic, patient and confident in your blog and writing. Don’t be afraid of making mistakes as mistakes are a normal thing, part of our human nature and of the process of learning. If we didn’t make mistakes we’d be machines, but let’s try to thin them as much as possible. If you do make it big someday with your blogs, don’t ever forget were you started from. Remember, it’s your readers that made you who you are today. Be respectful towards your readers and fellow bloggers.
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