I am not going to teach anyone here how to blog, this is just going to be a reminder for our friends and readers who have just recently started blogging or are in the process of starting one. When I was new at blogging I was lucky enough to learn from the best and for stuff I did not understand, I did a lot of research. Here are some tips I hope can help make your blogging experience an enjoyable one.
1. Give credit where credit is due – If you use an image, a by line give credit to your source. You can do that by placing a link on your article, or directly mentioning the article where you got it from. I am sure you would not want others to use your article with out linking back to you as source. Respect begets respect.
2. Make your visuals captivating - I learned this from @Minervity. Your article will surely come to life if you use images that are appropriate for your subject matter. Choosing the best visuals will eat up your time, but I can assure you that it will be well worth it.
3. Take time to write your post title - Some people might take this for granted, but a killer title is also important. Your title is like a preview to your story. But be careful as to not also mislead people. An appropriate title is a must. Here is a link that can help you. 8 Secrets to Writing A Killer Post Title written by @adamsconsulting
4. Check your spelling and grammar – I guess I don’t need to elaborate on this point. But you have to really proof read your article before posting.
5. Always invite your readers to comment and share their thoughts – Make sure that you invite your readers to share their thoughts on your article. You see commenting allows a blogger to engage with his/her reader.
6. Research and check your source materials – Research is important. Credibility is earned. Make sure that you check and double check facts and info.
7. Take your time in placing tags on your article – tagging is important, allows your article to be more searchable. choose the right words or phrases that is related to your article.
8. Promote your Blog via Social Networking Platforms – There are so many ways to share your articles with the world. Specially now with Twitter, digg, stumble and FaceBook. Good vehicles to use as medium in bringing your information to a wider audience.
9. Allow people to guest post – Of course, you have to choose a writer that will match your blog’s main theme. You can both discuss the kind or type of article he can share on your space. By allowing guest posting, your readers can have varied incites and information. Plus the writer’s readers will also get the chance to check out your site, thus bringing in unique visitors. If they like your site, then you can be assured of loyal readers who in turn will recommend you to other readers.
10. Give back to your readers – Always better to give than to receive, true as well in the blog sphere. There are many ways to show your appreciation, one of the greatest way is to write good content and write consistently. People follow your blog and read your blog because they find your work interesting. Don’t write great stuff in the beginning then do a ho-hum at the end. Or write 5 articles then come back writing after 2 months. You will only gain respect if they see you give your best in every article you write.
There are a lot of challenges that face a new blogger, experience will be our best teacher. Never forget to have fun! You will only be able to sustain something if you love what you do. If you have any personal tips you want to share, please share them here by commenting.
