Blogging Tips
Let’s start with the big picture tips and tricks that can help you get your head around the very idea of blogging and blogging well.
- Be Consistent
Blogging is built on consistency. Your audience needs to know when to expect content and you need to learn how to deliver it consistently. You’ll need to train both readers and yourself. Set up a schedule, carve out the time and make it happen. Be sure to make your schedule realistic. Skipping posts, especially at the start, won’t help anyone. You’ll be better off posting less often but consistently than more often but inconsistently.
2. Be Gracious
Part of the downfall of mainstream media has been the ivory tower mentality—they’re journalists. Of course they’re right. Wrong. They’re just as human as the rest of us, just as prone to mistakes. Lose the pride and admit that you can learn from your readers. Be willing to admit your faults, be quick to say thank you, slow to be defensive. Practice humility.
3. Help People Out
Selfish bloggers don’t get very far. You need to share the love. You need to give it away. You need to help one another out. While it’s OK to talk about yourself and promote what you’re doing, you should also help others and talk up what they’re doing. Give a little. More often than not those small gestures of goodwill will come back in the form of links, support and promotion.
4. You Can’t Take It Back
Remember the rule of the Internet: Once you post it, you can’t take it back. Just because you delete a post doesn’t mean it’s been wiped clean from the Internet. There are so many archives and places where it could show up that you can’t control. So be smart: Don’t post something unless you’re comfortable with everyone seeing it—your boss, your coworkers, your competition, your enemies, your IRS auditor, your mom.
5. Give Credit
One of the primary rules of blogging is to give credit where credit is due. If something inspired your blog post, give it a nod. If you’re pulling a quote from somewhere, link back to it. You don’t have to show the entire chain of connection (I saw Bob’s tweet about Ingrid’s blog post which talked about a book by Deon), but giving credit is a helpful way to show people where your ideas come from. It helps them know where to look for more and it encourages back and forth conversation about that idea. You didn’t have that idea in a vacuum, so be a part of the conversation.
6. Find Your Niche
Most blogging success is found by being successful in a narrow topic. You’re not going to become well known as a generalist, covering everything under the sun with little connection. You need to have some focus. You need to find your niche. Narrow in on a topic (preferably the one you’re passionate about) and focus on that and nothing else. You’ll never find success if you’re a mile wide and an inch deep. Find those few topics you can rule and cover them extensively.
7. Read Other Blogs
Don’t be overly narcissistic. It’s not all about you. Get out there and read other blogs in your category. You’ll learn things, you’ll get ideas, you’ll find more things to talk about. You should also read other blogs about writing, blogging and other topics you enjoy, even if they’re not directly related to your main topic. You’ll pick up some insights from that cross-genre reading and it will make your blog better.
The PORTMAN Education Group
