*This is for the blogging workshop for the DPIR in action.
These tips are for people who want to do blogging short or long term, though some of these, short termers can ignore. These are not in any specific order nor are they tailored specifically for the course; anyone can use them!
It is an informal conversation You do not need to use any fancy language when writing your blog. Keeping your language simple will mean that people can easily understand what you're talking about. They don't want to be using a dictionary for every other word.
Quality over quantity You don't need to write 60 long paragraphs with 500 words each. A lot of people don't want to be reading mad long essays so rather than waffling, stick to the point and keep it brief. Writing for too long may mean that people will click off your post. It's different if you're writing an article or sharing a book.
Research what platform you want to use Do your research and figure out what platform you want to be blogging on. There are so many and each of them have their own pros and cons. Some examples are: Tumblr, Instagram, Blogger, Wordpress, Wix.com, Square Space, Bloglovin' etc. Is blogging something you would do just for the course because you have to do it or is it something that you are considering doing for the long term? If its the latter, you should consider using platforms like, Instagram, Wix and Square Space. The last two enable you to create your own website. Instagram enables you to reach a large audience easier. It really depends on what you want to do.
Plan out what you are going to talk about With blogging, there are many things you could talk about. For instance, you could have a travel blog, photography blog, lifestyle, advice etc. It's really up to you. When you've decided where you want to start with blogging, plan out a few blog posts which you could share and take it from there.
Be ready for critics/trolls (for public blogs) When you're sharing your experiences online, there is a chance of getting critics so be ready for that. When you're new, the chances of this are very low but as you grow, the chances of having critics (or trolls) increase. Just remember not to take these people personally. If they're writing mean comments on your blog, you can remove their comments or block them. Just find out how to go about it depending on what platform you use. A few people hating goes to show you're doing something right. DAS RIGHT, BRUSH DEM HATERS OFF!
Start off simple When starting with blogging, keep things simple. This will prevent you losing interest so soon! Starting with the basics will also make it easier to build on as well and also feel less daunting
Add pictures or gifs to break the text up Break your text up and add a bit of character to your post by adding pictures or gifs. Not everyone can sit and read a post without there being an image or video/gif to relate to. We all know gifs add humour and its always good to make people smile.
How many times are you going to post? If blogging is something you want to do as a hobby and not just for the course, figure out how many times you will post on your blog. Will you be posting weekly, fortnightly, monthly or 3 times a year? It's your blog and you get to choose. Also, sometimes life gets in the way and you may be unable to post when you had planned to and THAT'S OKAY. Do not beat yourself over it. Things happen and people do understand that. I try to post weekly on Sundays BUT I don't always get the chance to write so you won't see a post every week. It's a hobby so leave it as something you enjoy doing.
Find time to write Writing can take time so you will need to find the time to write! It can be hard to sometimes think of what to write or it may take you some time to get into the "mood" to write (like myself). There is no rule that you have to finish that blog post in one sitting as that may not always work. I have a few posts I've started writing but I haven't finished them for various reasons. Sometimes I do get bored with writing about one post so I'll move on to another or sometimes I forget that I was even writing something else and move on. Some posts may not make the cut. Remember, it is YOUR work so you can do whatever with it.
Have fun with it It doesn't have to be something serious so please do have fun with it! There are so many things you can write about and you can play around with your words. Take your blog for the course seriously as you are getting marked on that. For anything else, you don't need to be so serious or so harsh with it or yourself! Experiment with different topics and issues. HAVE FUN WITH IT!
Don’t spread hate/censor some of your words Blogging gives you a platform to talk about a whole bunch of stuff but at the same time, it does not give you a right to be spreading hate towards others. If you feel so strongly about something that you know is something hateful like homophobia, racism, xenophobia or the like, keep that to yourself. We don't need your hate. Also, there may be things that you may be passionate about, there is nothing wrong with that. However, you may need to censor out some language and use another tone. It's not always what you say, but how you say it.
Write for yourself first Whatever it is you decide to write about, write for yourself first. Write about your thoughts, ideas and opinions and you will see that writing becomes easier because you're talking about something you're familiar with.
Be consistent! If you are someone who wants to blog for long term, then you should consider doing this. I know it isn't always easy to have something to write about and remember that is okay (I understand this does sound contradicting) but if you're trying to grow your audience, it would be a great help to be consistent. When I started, I was doing well because I was consistent and I was getting the numbers even though they are seriously low. There were a few weeks that I stopped posting and my numbers dropped (views for new blog posts) which really sucks. But the main point I'm trying to make is, be consistent.
Be true to yourself Do not try and be like someone else. Be authentic and be you! Your blog is yours so therefore, you should be honest and true to yourself. People will be drawn towards that!
Give it time If you want to blog in the long run, then you need to give it time. You aren't going to get a huge audience overnight (you may do if you already have a huge follower count on other social medias) but otherwise, you are going to have to invest time into blogging. It's a process in its self but that's fine. Just enjoy the process.
Do your research There are certain things that you are going to have to research about before you post it up online. There is nothing wrong with using multiple resources to help you write your blog. Do remember to reference them otherwise it is plagiarism and you could also get a copyright strike as well (this applies more when you want to use google adsense I think, but regardless, you should not be doing it anyway, IT IS THEFT!)
Don't measure stats too early You need to give it time. What you put out will come back to you! I've already touched on this point slightly in a previous point but it still matters. You will grow just give it time!
There are so many more tips out there for blogging so this blog is likely to be updated. You could go find other sources to give you more tips if you wish. Ultimately, blogging is something personal to you so go at it with that mindset! And remember, please have fun! The comment section below is open if anyone has any other suggestions and tips for blogging. If you have any queries, email me (dailywithdils@gmail.com) or DM me on any of my social medias. Happy blogging!