For The Love Of Blogging*

How many times have you heard someone say that they are starting to write a novel, only for you to enquire about it three months later and their enthusiasm has waned? It’s the same with blogging. Only the most ardent and passionate of bloggers tend to generate a loyal following and keep up the posting momentum. Friends have begun blogs only to quit them after four posts and a fortnight because they didn’t get a single follower. It takes a bit more effort and a lot more time before you spy your first follower.

We all know about SEO, keywording and AdWords. They are great at getting your little piece of the Internet noticed and can give you an important leg up in the ever-crowded world of the blogosphere. However, don’t lose sight of what your personal blog is all about and why you started it in the first place. It could be a release, a stress reliever or a comfort to express your thoughts. It might be your vehicle to let off steam, voice your opinions and hopefully locate fellow like-minded individuals across the globe. Don’t begin to treat it like a business or a quest for validation. If you have the commitment and passion, and you keep writing, followers will come. Everyone who has a personal piece of the web does so for the love of blogging.

For The Love Of Blogging
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Personalisation

Your blog is a little piece of you. You’re opening up a little window to your likes, dislikes, passions, thoughts and emotions. It’s not unusual to spend hours, maybe even days, trying to come up with the perfect name for your blog that encompasses what your series of posts will be about. You could venture onto a domain name forum to seek advice on the best sorts of website names for your style of blog. You could find bargain domain names for sale that are already active and generate traffic. This could give you a head start in establishing an audience from the get-go.

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Your Skills

Writing and finding your voice is a skill in itself. It may take you a few weeks or even some months before you can call yourself an established blogger. It’s great when you can begin to contribute to other top quality blogs with a guest post, and after reading it, your followers could tell that it’s written by you. You may have a certain turn of phrase, a witty or sarcastic nature or a tone that others instantly recognise. Putting this into your writing will be like second nature to you, and you won’t even have to think about it. There's nothing better than reading a comment from someone saying how you've made them laugh, brightened up their day or changed their way of thinking.

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Becoming Influential

There are many bloggers out there who begin by posting for the love of blogging who then morph into the most influential writers on the Internet. Their following is so vast that companies want these bloggers to review their products and then write about them. The process is very transparent, and the most reputable bloggers will state that they are writing a sponsored post or have been given a set of earplugs or a pair of running shoes for free to review. While you may not want to go down this route, you could find yourself establishing a secure second income should you wish to review products.

If you’d rather stick to the pure nature of blogging, then do just that. Established travel blogger Nomadic Matt is well known for not taking on sponsored posts or reviewing anything for free. He uses first-hand experience to fuel his writing, and his blog is seen as a more trustworthy source for travellers because of it. He remains one of the most influential travel bloggers out there.


Stick With It

If you’re just starting out on your blogging journey and you’re looking for inspiration, just write what you know. Vent, share and express. Use the power of words to convey your message even if it feels like your writing into the ether for your first few posts. This doesn’t make your writing any less readable, and the followers will come if you regularly write, share your new posts on social media and network with other bloggers by leaving comments and guest posting.

Everyone has a story to tell - it’s up to you to get sharing and stick with it for the love of blogging. 

*collaborative post

2 comments

  1. I tried just writing something everyday back on the old My Space. It's tougher than it looks. Lol. I think I quit after about a week. My hat is off to you and all those who are able to write consistently interesting posts.

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    1. Thanks Christie! I wish I could blog like I used to, but my brain doesn't work any more. ;)

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