Blogging, Blogging, Blogging

A few days ago Jane shared with you her favourite blogs, today she gives you some blogging Tips:

How do you read other blogs?

Alot of blogs will have a blogroll on their sidebar, or links within their posts to other blogs the author likes- as you click around the world wide web, you may begin to collect blogs you would like to read on a regular basis and there are a number of ways you can be notified when a blog has posted new content.

I use Google Reader, its easy to set up, and you just copy and paste the blog URL into your subscription folder- you can even categorize blogs under different genres- ie. crochet/ design/ lifestyle etc. When the blog has a new post, it will pop up in my reader to let me know.

Many blogs have an email subscription in their sidebar where you can enter your email address and be automatically sent new posts when they are published.

These days if you’re on Facebook, a blog may have a dedicated Facebook Page- this is another way of letting readers know when you have posted, and you can also interact with the blogs author by comment on the Facebook page.

How do I start a blog?-

its quite easy....You can start with a free template from a blog host (Blogger or Wordpress are good examples - i use Wordpress) register a new blog using your email address- think of a great title for your blog, and off you go...... The blog host will have many templates to choose from to help you personalise your blog, and a FAQ page for any questions you have. You can even keep your blog private to start with (or forever if you want it just for yourself) while you have a play around..

What to think about when you start up a blog-

Privacy- how much do you want to share, are you happy to publish pics of yourself or your kids or use their names...... are you okay with sharing all parts of your life- the good the bad and the embarrassing, or are you more comfortable sticking with a hobby you love, or sharing your business skills and writing about that.

Its a good idea to spend a little time thinking about this and creating your own charter you can adhere to.

Write in your own voice, this way you will come across genuinely and engage your readers- it will make them want to come back and read your next post.

Use photos- I’m the first one to admit Im hooked if there is something interesting to look at, and now with the arrival of smart phones, having a camera with you for all occasions is getting even easier.

If you’re looking to make your blog part of an active community- get busy! When reading other blogs that interest you, take a minute to comment and join in on group activities and link back to your own blog to share your contribution. A great example of this is a weekly post I’m participating in- its called What I wore Wednesday -a group of bloggers led by one of my lovely Bloggy friends( Mardi Winen from The Love Supreme,  )are posting an outfit they have worn during the week. Mardi was herself inspired to do this after reading an American bloggers posts on what she wore.  It’s a little confronting putting yourself out there, but I have to say I have enjoy the feed back I get, and I have found a few new blogs to read in the process!

Also, share information- if you are good at something or have a great way of getting something done, let people know about it- and make sure you include step by step photos- you know what they say ‘ a picture tells a thousand words’. If you’re sharing information you have discovered on another blog, always be nice and credit the original blog author and provide a link- if you can, let that blogger know you have featured them in your own blog too.

So, off you go- get blogging today, and join a world of communication and information sharing at your fingertips!!