I don’t think blogging is for everyone. It takes not only a good plan, time out of your day, but the commitment to stick with it.
Before you even think of starting a blog and spending money to do so, sit down and make a plan.
1) What do you know a lot about that you want to share with the world-for free? And, is it enough information to sustain your blog?
2) How much time can you devote to your blog on a daily basis? I’m finding that blogging is not only fun for me, but I’m spending many hours a day doing it.
3) Are you somewhat familiar with a computer and the basics?
4) Are you willing to learn more?
5) Is your grammar and spelling fairly good? People don’t want to read something if they have to try and guess what you’re saying.
6) Are you easily intimidated by the “competition”? There are some excellent blogs out there. (Check out those on my Blogroll) Most of them, I would venture to guess, were developed by individuals who have degrees in computer science. They know how to get their blogs at the top of the search engines, and drive hundreds of thousands of visitors to their sites.
Before I even started a “real” blog, I was already documenting (on paper and on my computer) ideas I had. I would write everyday and then read it back, and see if it was something that had some value. I had first intended to write a blog about my life’s observations and call it www.observationmountain.com, I wanted a blog where I could share opinions, tips, and hints on life’s everyday issues. I write about diet, health, organizing, cleaning tips, work ethics, etc. What I found in the beginning stages of setting up that blog, was that I was encountering a lot of unforeseen situations in setting up my blog. I started to journal what I was going through as I was learning so many new words that are associated with blogging. I knew I had to grasp the concept of these new words, otherwise I would get totally confused. And, at the end of some days, my head was spinning. There were times when I didn’t know if I could grasp it all, but in my heart, I knew if I stuck with it, I would begin to understand more and the pieces would all come together. That journal, and what I continue to learn, has become the basis for this blog.
Now that the pieces are starting to come together, I know I did the right thing. I absolutely love blogging.
So, ask yourself the questions I listed, start writng, do searching on the internet and read other blogs, and see how you’re liking it? If you find you don’t have the time to commit, maybe you need to wait until a later date. If you have that stick-to-it kind of personality, go for it. We can all stand to learn more. Plus, you may be able to share information on a topic that will improve someone elses live. How nice would that be?
