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I've been see-sawing between blogspot and LiveJournal for this task and I have ended going with LiveJournal - better the devil you know I guess.
Anyway I'll be deleting this blog obviously.
My livejournal blog has a feed http://hannah-net11.livejournal.com/data/rss feel free to follow it on your feed readers or alternatively visit anytime http://hannah-net11.livejournal.com/
Catch ya on the forums :)
Friday, December 5, 2008
Top Five Tips for New Bloggers
I've been playing around with blogs for a few years now and tried my hand a a couple of different services. So I suppose I should have a couple of tips by now for new bloggers. Hmmm, let's see...
1. Keep it simple.
Original I know :P I know others have used this one too but it really is a good place to start. When you get into blogging there are just so many options out there that it is easy to become overwhelmed and bogged down in the details. I think the best thing to do is set up your space as quickly and simply as possible and get blogging! Go for a layout that you like - you will no doubt initially be the person that looks at it the most. You don't need something like your blog layout distracting you from making entries.
When I started blogging I would (and still do to some extent) spend hours trying out new layouts, experiementing with blog titles and settings. You end up feeling like you have done heaps of work but do you have a post to show for it? Nope :D Most things can be tweaked later so don't be bugging over the details just as you are about to hope on the boat, so to speak.
2. Create an identity.
Ok, while I am all for keeping things simple, I do recommend creating an online identity that you are happy with, that lets people quickly identify with and to identifiy you by. This doesn't mean filling your profile page with your life story. People who I am interested in following on their blogs are quite often the ones with succint profiles covering what they're interested in and what they blog about. Personally I am yet to master this art but I am determined to dissect it and master it eventually.
And a little pointer when creating an identity - a user icon. If you end up being active within online communities, especially like LiveJournal, it helps to have a default icon and stick to it in the beginning. Until your 'friends' online get a feel for you and your user name, an icon will help people to quickly recognise you.
And this brings me to...
3. User name
Please don't use wingdings or excessive x's. In my opinion this is just lack of creativity. Or rather, that the user is actually 12 years old. A good user name, I believe is one that reflects the person's character and is something they take on as an actual name. You should 'own' it. Now I realise this isn't something that is easily achieved. I recommend thinking about something of personal relevance to you and possible words that you associate with it. And if you end up struggling, go with simplicity. For example, for this blog I have gone with hannah_net11. My reasoning is its my name and it is solely for use in this blog which has a very specific objective. That is, a log of my net11 studies. This is not however, the user name I would use about the interwebs. My preffered user name is vunadiwai - this is the native name of the place of my childhood. Thus it has personal significane and yet can roll off the tongue.
4. Try early on to catergorise your posts.
If this option is available in the blog service you use (and I believe most of them offer it these days) then do it. This will make things soooo much easier to refer back to at a later date. Alternatively, and possibly more importantly, your entry will not become lost in cyberspace over time. I have many an LJ entry wherein I did not tag and as a result they have become like notes written on scraps of paper and thrown into a large box. Its like their significance is diminished i.e. why would I want to recall that scrap.
5. Get involved!
I get the most out of a blog that I write when I know that others read it. And the best way to attract readers? Read other blogs and comment. How else are they to know that you took the time to read their work? To me its like karma - you get what you give in return. I would warn against commenting and then expecting the same in return (if that makes sense). Expecting someone to comment on every single post of yours just because you have done so on theirs isn't friendly. Its needy. When commenting, do so with a purpose and I believe you will attract readers with a similar approach to commenting.
As they say - comments are love :P
Technorati Tags: first post, blogging, tips, layout, user name, profile, catergories, commenting
1. Keep it simple.
Original I know :P I know others have used this one too but it really is a good place to start. When you get into blogging there are just so many options out there that it is easy to become overwhelmed and bogged down in the details. I think the best thing to do is set up your space as quickly and simply as possible and get blogging! Go for a layout that you like - you will no doubt initially be the person that looks at it the most. You don't need something like your blog layout distracting you from making entries.
When I started blogging I would (and still do to some extent) spend hours trying out new layouts, experiementing with blog titles and settings. You end up feeling like you have done heaps of work but do you have a post to show for it? Nope :D Most things can be tweaked later so don't be bugging over the details just as you are about to hope on the boat, so to speak.
2. Create an identity.
Ok, while I am all for keeping things simple, I do recommend creating an online identity that you are happy with, that lets people quickly identify with and to identifiy you by. This doesn't mean filling your profile page with your life story. People who I am interested in following on their blogs are quite often the ones with succint profiles covering what they're interested in and what they blog about. Personally I am yet to master this art but I am determined to dissect it and master it eventually.
And a little pointer when creating an identity - a user icon. If you end up being active within online communities, especially like LiveJournal, it helps to have a default icon and stick to it in the beginning. Until your 'friends' online get a feel for you and your user name, an icon will help people to quickly recognise you.
And this brings me to...
3. User name
Please don't use wingdings or excessive x's. In my opinion this is just lack of creativity. Or rather, that the user is actually 12 years old. A good user name, I believe is one that reflects the person's character and is something they take on as an actual name. You should 'own' it. Now I realise this isn't something that is easily achieved. I recommend thinking about something of personal relevance to you and possible words that you associate with it. And if you end up struggling, go with simplicity. For example, for this blog I have gone with hannah_net11. My reasoning is its my name and it is solely for use in this blog which has a very specific objective. That is, a log of my net11 studies. This is not however, the user name I would use about the interwebs. My preffered user name is vunadiwai - this is the native name of the place of my childhood. Thus it has personal significane and yet can roll off the tongue.
4. Try early on to catergorise your posts.
If this option is available in the blog service you use (and I believe most of them offer it these days) then do it. This will make things soooo much easier to refer back to at a later date. Alternatively, and possibly more importantly, your entry will not become lost in cyberspace over time. I have many an LJ entry wherein I did not tag and as a result they have become like notes written on scraps of paper and thrown into a large box. Its like their significance is diminished i.e. why would I want to recall that scrap.
5. Get involved!
I get the most out of a blog that I write when I know that others read it. And the best way to attract readers? Read other blogs and comment. How else are they to know that you took the time to read their work? To me its like karma - you get what you give in return. I would warn against commenting and then expecting the same in return (if that makes sense). Expecting someone to comment on every single post of yours just because you have done so on theirs isn't friendly. Its needy. When commenting, do so with a purpose and I believe you will attract readers with a similar approach to commenting.
As they say - comments are love :P
Technorati Tags: first post, blogging, tips, layout, user name, profile, catergories, commenting
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