… getting started as a blogger
Posted by: | CommentsJust what the world needs – another blog!
But getting started is harder than it sounds. Sure all you need is a piece of software and a computer and you are away. But there is no point in getting started at this unless you mean to carry on and add some value for other people.
Hopefully my contributions here will not be totally lost amongst the 20,000 that the newspaper in the photo suggests may have been started today. Similarly I hope that my posts will not be discarded as quickly as the newspaper in this photo!
- My aim is to post everyday about the issues that I am researching or working with.
- Generally my posts will be focussed on my primary interests around building resilient organisations.
… the first 10 days.
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This is my 10th post, so perhaps a time to reflect on the very short history of this blog and my experience in getting started.
Sitting down to write something every day, with no certainty that anybody will ever read what is written, is a little daunting.
I have been heartened by the responses and comments I have received. I am still passionate about my initial purpose and will be continuing to to aim for 6 posts a week.
I hope the comments will continue and grow, after all my purpose was to develop thinking by interaction with others. To get started I have written about things that are topical, items I have come across on other people’s blogs rather than a specific plan for the week.
Starting next week I will be writing more to a plan and developing specific themes, hopefully that will bring a little more focus and development to the project.
My advice to anybody who is thinking of starting their own blog – give it a go. There are a couple of things that I would recommend;
- Be comfortable with the technology platform
- I had a false start because I realised I wanted to do more than from the start, I am using my own hosted version of WordPress. Not simple but very adaptable.
- The platform I started using is an easy way to get started, using mail in to post.
- Take a look at http://www.posterous.com
- Use Feedburner and Google Analytics -so you can see that people are actually reading.
- Knowing that people have subscribed and are visiting the site keeps you motivated.
- I might only have 5 subscribers but that is enough motivation to continue after 1 week – and you can believe that I look at both sets of reports every day to see what is happening!
- Be passionate about a core topic to keep you going – you need to enjoy what you are writing about.
- Read widely, comment on other people’s blogs
- It stimulates your own thinking, and it draws other people’s attention to what you are doing.
- It is also a great way to learn about blogging as a skill.
- Take a look at Chris Brogan’s site as an example
Thanks, and stay tuned!.
