What three things would you advise someone about blogging? Whether it's content, design, style, technical, tagging or tone, your advice would be appreciated.
I'm leading an open conversation at Podcamp Ireland today:
Darragh Doyle on “How Do You Do - Advice For Blog Beginners”There are some expert speakers and attendees I'm looking forward to meeting up with and hearing today. Check out the Podcamp Ireland website for full details of the day.
Darragh invites you to an open conversation and collaborative session where bloggers of all levels are asked to share 3 pieces of advice/tips that they have learned from blogging.
All advice will be compiled during the day and made available for distribution to beginners and experts alike.
I'm typing this in the car on the way. Mobile broadband rocks.
Write for yourself. The Andy Kaufman school....do what amuses you.
ReplyDeleteDon't Publish Something For the Sake of Publishing Something
Keep a BLOG ROLL. Bloggers must keep a BLOG ROLL. It's how the ecosystem works.
Wow offthemeattrack, fair play, first in.
ReplyDeleteCheers for the advice! *thinks about planning blogroll*
Try to set yourself at least a once a week deadline, otherwise you wont keep it up. Its a habit and you have to get used to it. Write drafts of your ideas even in texts, so you can remember the things that took your interest. Also get involved in the blogging community, as that inspires you to write.
ReplyDeleteThats just what's helped me get on the road.
Enjoy the day Darragh :)
1. Know your audience, there's no point writing if your audience is going to hate what you're writing (if you do you won't have that audience for long!!).
ReplyDelete2. If the audience do hate what you're writing - find a new audience, it's your blog - make it what you want.
3. Publicise, gone are the days of "Build it and they will come" - the last time this was true was in the film "Field of Dreams" and that was a baseball field full of ghosts! Do you want ghosts or a real audience to engage with?
4. Because I can't resist adding the 4th! Enjoy it!!! It's your blog!
(I don't have a blogroll, I might invest in one, if I can squeeze the fast amount of blogs I like into my template!!)
@elf in amsterdam - thank you. Very good advice. Really appreciate it, especially the community involvement!
ReplyDelete@keiron - great advice sir, thank you. There's a lot in there, including number 4!
1. Write. Just write. Don't write for whoever. Write and soon you'll find your natural rhythm and voice after a bit of play.
ReplyDelete2. Don't stop writing, it's easier to stop than keep going but keep at it.
3. We're in this together. Say hello to your neighbours.
@damien - thank you sir. Will be directing people to http://www.mulley.net for more of the same great advice :)
ReplyDeleteBe original. Find the quirks that set your personality aside from others and run with it. People like a blog that stands by itself. If you have a passion for the things you're writing about it will show.
ReplyDeleteBe detailed but don't waffle.
Ask questions. Give people something they can respond to.
Enjoy Kilkenny and hurry home soon :)
I really wish I could have been at this. :(
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to the next Camp though! There's talk of doing one at IADT, can't seem to agree on a topic though.
I have no advice. I still feel like one of the beginners. But I want to say, have a great weekend and sorry I'm not down there too.
ReplyDeleteDon't take it too seriously.
ReplyDeletedecide if you're writing for you or for an audience. if you're writing for you first and foremost, dont get upset if nobody responds or comments.
ReplyDeleteKeep a notebook in your car or purse/pocket if you use bus system - this is to jot down ideas for blog entries when they come to you. sure as shit when you sit down to blog the idea is gone.
Never plan a blog post, start with an idea, but leave it at that and just sit down and start to type.
ReplyDeleteI agree with offthemeatrack, don't publish for the sake of it, do it if it entertains or amuses you, surely someone else will view it the same.
Comment on other blogs whether it's positive or not, people want feedback, that's what the little comment section is for!
very few things matter really.
ReplyDeletea good design would be a BIG help I'd say,
write about current affairs and stuff like that... cos there really isn't an audience for most things and you need some form of common ground,
irish blogging needs a decent full on bitter person,
no one will read you if you don't do a few spammy self-promotion comments at the start,
ignore technorati/feedburner/etc... they're vile things,
post on a regular basis or it becomes a bitch to think of anything,
comment and encourage comments on your own cos few people bother reading a big dead looking one,
dont openly admit at the start of a post that its a piece of sh!t to reach your daily post quota,
nice point from B there, I'm often tempted to do that.
ReplyDeleteActually, i think the best piece of advice on blogging was a comment B left on my page where he advised me not to do anything that you know others can and are doing better. And if you're writing in someone else's voice rather than your own then you can be damn sure that someone else is doing it better. Positive Boredom is the perfect example of someone doing their own thing in their own way.
"Write for yourself" ... "Keep a BLOG ROLL. Bloggers must keep a BLOG ROLL."
ReplyDelete?
just sayin', like.