Being a ‘blogger’, a ‘writer’ or however you would name it, can be somewhat of a grey area. I remember not too long ago, I was thinking of starting a blog. With the ultimate goal of starting a book- it was all very exciting. Did I have a clue though? NOPE! I just found writing enjoyable, and rather therapeutic so I went for it. What I soon found out, is the amount of depth that goes into blogging, along with the enjoyment of it.
I was very kindly asked to share my thoughts on blogging and I can truly say this means the world to me in that my blogs are enjoyed but also engaged in. I hope this helps! 🙂 Keep writing.
Audience:
Who are you attracting? Age, sex, employment? Athlete or stay at home mum. Busy travelling dad or ex militant. It is true when they say- who is your target audience. Stick to one demographic. A stay at home mum is not going to be bothered by something that would be helpful to a travelling dad. Stick to one, and treat them well!
Get to know your audience. You may well only be staring at a screen, tapping away at the keyboard but somewhere, someone is finding enjoyment and advice in what you write.
Topic:
I have read discussions over this previously, a lot! I have found, choose one. You cannot blog about Animal Protection, but then in your next blog write about the new up and coming cosmetic- unless it is fundamentally based on Animal Protection.
Word Count:
Now in my opinion, this really doesn’t matter. What do you think? If you have your audience in check, your topic in check then write! Write until your heart is content. Unless your going well over and beyond- in that case, write a book! I usually keep to about 500-700 words, mainly because I enjoy reading short and sweet, so I write short and sweet- but also, I find empathy in busy lives and schedules. Not too many of us nowadays actually have time to read essays and short stories!
User Friendly platform:
This I do find a very important point. There is no way I will spend time and effort for days on a blog that no one can read or a site that freezes or yet worse; not mobile friendly. Word Press, is a very good platform, supporting all sorts of plugins and extensions- user friendly, it is also nice for the blogger! Easy to use and to figure. Do yourself a favor, check it out.
Word Press
Media:
I find, people’s brain capacities these days are short. We are are swamped and crammed with our every day lives making distractions a very real problem. Pop in some pictures, a video that depicts visually what you’re blogging on. I am one that loses concentration quickly with too many words and plain writing, however redirecting my attention to a video or pretty picture half way through brings me back on point.
…. a good picture does wanders for the brain!
Spelling:
Do yourself a favor- use the dictionary! Proof read, amend, take a break and proof read again! I find it super annoying reading a post that is grammatically incorrect or trying to figure words spelled incorrectly. It may just be a typo but that would show you don’t care enough to proof- so do yourself a favor.
Most importantly enjoy it. Find love and passion in what you are writing about. There would be really very little point in me writing about mechanics, I have no interest in it. I can research it, know every thing about it but honestly if you don’t enjoy it privately- it will come across to your audience.
Being a marketing & restaurant manager- in the hospitality industry, everything I write about is what I come across daily. It is a passion, it is also my job. My daily life and routine. I have not been Blogging long- a year or so privately, work related 2 months- but I love it! The Xpress Blog, started to give insider snippets to the industry. Whether it’s travel and tourism or keeping your barman in check- it has a broad range within the industry.
I hope you enjoy reading. By all means give me feedback- give me your thoughts.
Let’s get to know each other!
