Blogging for Beginners
Posted in Dusting the Historian's Library on 08/31/2010 12:50 am by RonnicaA few weeks ago I asked you to ask me questions, and a few of you did.
Miel Abielle asked, “Since you have been blogging for so long, what are your top pieces of advice for a new blogger?”
I’m so glad you asked this, as this was something I’ve been wanting to address, but didn’t feel like I had a forum for it. I’ve talked about it before (see Blog Faux Pas and Post I Avoid), but there is still more to say.
I think the most important thing I could tell a starting blogger is to EDIT. Long posts tend to be skipped. Posts with typos and unnecessary details will be, too. Except for an occasional bulleted post, your post should deal with ONE event or topic. As Jenna in 13 Going on 30 would say, we don’t need a play-by-play of your life.
A common mistake beginning bloggers make is to not post regularly, and when they do, spend time apologizing for their erratic blogging. Evaluate how often you can blog…and stick to it. If you mess up? Don’t dwell on it. Move on. When you begin a post with, “Boy, I can’t believe I forgot I had a blog these last 2 weeks!” or the like, you’re tipping off to potential readers that you aren’t in it for the long haul, and they’ll find another blogger to follow.

It might sound trite, but be yourself. We all make fools of ourselves regularly, don’t try to hide it! If you are struggling with something, share it (or at least as much as would be appropriate in a public forum).
But, that said, don’t use your blog to vent. Never speak poorly about someone else. As far as your blog readers should be able to tell, you’re the only sinner you know (though we obviously know that this is not true!).
If you refer to a previous post, link to it (like I’m doing above). That helps readers to know what you’re talking about, and to read more if they’re interested. (Bonus: it may even drive search engine traffic to your blog.)
And I can’t believe I *still* have to say this, but do NOT have music automatically playing on your site. Chances are your readers do not have the same taste in music as you do, so don’t assault/scare/frustrate them. Most of the times when I come across a blog with music, I close the window immediately, without even evaluating the content. It could have been my new favorite blog, but we’d never know.
That’s the main points I’d share with a new blogger. Do you have anything more to add? I know I’m not an expert, but I’ve learned a lot the hard way. Do you have any questions?
Photo by lapideo












