Tips for New Bloggers
Sunday, August 23, 2009
I was recently contacted by a friend who said she was going to start a blog. She has never blogged before, and she also happens to be a pastor. She asked for any advice I had to share for novice bloggers. My completely unscientific response is below, divided into two main sections: What to be careful about and How to build and maintain readership.
If you have anything to add, gentle reader, then feel free! Here goes:
I. What to be careful about:
First, realize that a blog is just about the most public forum possible in which to present yourself, your ideas, your pictures of the last family reunion, etc. It is accessible to anyone with an Internet connection. You should always realize that stuff you write will inevitably be read by people you never would have imagined beforehand. Blog because you find this idea strangely fascinating. On the other hand, if what you are really looking for is a personal journal, then go to Wal-Mart and buy a 99-cent spiral bound notebook. Remember that. It will serve you well. And in a related point...
Second, remember that blogging is not anonymous. Even if you don't blog under your own name, you can easily be discovered. Whether it is through the simple tracing of an IP address or through the more complicated process of figuring out context clues by what you write, you can be discovered. People have lost their jobs over ill-considered e-mails, and they have lost their jobs over blogs they thought were anonymous. My advice is to just blog as yourself. That way you won't be tempted to write something that you wouldn't post under your own name because you've fooled yourself into thinking you're the Wizard of Oz. The curtain can always be drawn back, and sometimes by something as simple as a little black dog. But hey, speaking of writing something you wouldn't post under your own name...
Third, never blog angry. Sure, you can always delete the post. But often not before the damage is done. So if you read something or hear something that really sets you off and you feel like you've got to blog about it RIGHT THEN ... well, just take some time and cool down a little bit. If you need to, write the post and hit 'save as draft' instead of publishing it. Wait a day and come back to it. Chances are, you'll want to change it. And you'll be glad you did. But no matter how careful you are...
Fourth, accept that every once in awhile, you are going to blog about something that blows up in your face. Usually this happens because you are just being honest about an issue or an experience that you care about, and you write something that you consider to be fair and well-intentioned. But you never know who is reading you (see above), and you just might encounter people who disagree. Very strongly. The next thing you know, you've got 20 or 30 comments and some of 'em just ain't nice. When that happens you've got to do damage control, but you've got to do it in a charitable way that doesn't drive off readers. For instance, getting the last word in and then shutting off your comment box is tacky. A better option is pointing out the merits of all points of view expressed and then politely asking the main interlocutors to consider the issue closed. When this has happened to me, the polite approach has always worked fairly well (especially if it is clear you didn't mean any harm in the first place). But speaking of harm...
Fifth, if you are a pastor - and I only include this tip because I am one as well - never write anything about your congregation that could even remotely be considered damaging or disrespectful or insensitive to your church members (either individually or as a group). Your congregation is your flock, and as the pastor you are its shepherd. That relationship is built on trust. Anything you write in a blog that can be construed as breaking pastor-parishioner confidentiality can hurt those you are called to nurture in the way of salvation, and it might well render your whole ministry ineffective to boot.
II. How to build and maintain readership:
First, make sure you are being realistic. Let's assume you are only going to be blogging for fun. That means you are not looking to make a living doing it. It's just a hobby. And that means that blogging for blogging's sake is reason enough to do it and have fun in the process! But hey, even hobbies can be done well, right? Golfers like to work on lowering their score, and kite flyers always want to build a better kite. Bloggers tend to measure success by the activity their blog attracts, which can be measured in any number of ways. For instance, I get a monthly report e-mailed to me by my hosting company that reports my aggregate number of unique hits, number of page views, most popular pages, etc. And I also have a Feed Burner account that tracks the stats on my RSS activity (i.e., the folks who tend to be the more dedicated readers). The most direct way of measuring response is by the actual comments that you get in response to your posts, but I wouldn't focus too heavily on this. Sometimes your best posts will draw few if any comments, while more mediocre fare will attract a veritable swarm of reader responses. In the long run, blog because you enjoy it. If a sizable readership develops, that's just gravy. But to get started on at least a core group of readers, you should...
Second, let your friends and family know about your blog! Sometimes your most faithful readers will be the people who know you best. You might be surprised at the way your blog goes mini-viral, just from a few e-mails at the outset to the folks you keep in your address book. There are other ways to help yourself out as well, such as...
Third, realize that we are all creatures of habit. Even in our online reading. So if you go three weeks (or three months) between posts, don't expect people to keep checking in. I decided early on that I was going to post twice a week, once early (Sunday-Monday) and once late (Wednesday-Friday). I don't always keep to that schedule, but I think my discipline of posting twice weekly on fairly substantive issues has definitely helped my readership levels. I am a decidedly amateur blogger: I don't advertise on my site, nobody pays me to maintain it, and I do it for the sheer love of blogging. So I don't have any of the advantages of bloggers who have commercial interests and market themselves accordingly. And yet, I've added well over 5000 unique hits per month this year alone (from January to July). I don't know how to explain that other than to say that twice weekly blogging, about issues that matter (in my case, to people with an interest Wesleyan theology, the United Methodist Church, or Generation X) will attract readers. The regularity really helps, because it makes people think that visiting my site will be worth their time. And speaking of regularity...
Fourth, develop a blogging style and stick to it. Like I said above, for me that means relatively long posts on substantive issues related to a fairly particular genre (And in the blogging medium, I consider anything more than a couple of paragraphs 'long'). I mix it up once or twice a month with stuff different in either form or content from my usual fare. But by and large, people who stop by my blog know what to expect. There's no "right" way to do this, by the way. Some people post short and some post long; some riff off of other online material and some stick to original content. The main thing is to figure out where you fit and stick to it. Readers want to know what to expect. And hey, speaking of attracting readers...
Fifth, if you want to figure out ways to attract readers besides just word-of-mouth, get your blog linked on other sites. Yes, it is generally considered tacky to hawk your blog in other bloggers' comment boxes. (This can be done tastefully on occasion, but ONLY when the link you are providing bears directly on the post that you're commenting on.) But there are plenty of other ways to get links to your blog on the web. I have got links in places as diverse as the Christian Century's "CCblogs network," the Durham District (North Carolina Conference) of the UMC homepage, my own Facebook profile page, and the Methoblog network. If you inhabit online spaces regularly, you kind of figure this stuff out. Finally, for spreading news of your blog to other potentially interested bloggers, there is no substitute for this...
Sixth, if you really want to attract readers who will return and possibly spread your name to others, you've got to take the time to visit other blogs, read their stuff, and leave thoughtful comments. The blogosphere is like New York City in some ways. It's huge, but the people there tend to live and move and have their being in fairly localized neighborhoods. So figure out the neighborhood of blogs where you fit, spend regular time reading the really good content, and leave thoughtful comments. Chances are, people will click on your name and follow the yellow brick road to your own blog. And then - voila! - you've got a new reader. I think sometimes new bloggers underestimate how important this practice is for attracting a readership. People will spend time reading your stuff if you take time to do it well, but they will do so much more readily if they notice that you are out and about reading other people's stuff and taking it seriously.
That's all I got. With two Wizard of Oz references thrown in to boot. All of the above is really just anecdotal, related to things I've thought about or encountered in my own blogging experience over the past three years. So if there are other regular bloggers with different ideas, please do share.
If you have anything to add, gentle reader, then feel free! Here goes:
I. What to be careful about:
First, realize that a blog is just about the most public forum possible in which to present yourself, your ideas, your pictures of the last family reunion, etc. It is accessible to anyone with an Internet connection. You should always realize that stuff you write will inevitably be read by people you never would have imagined beforehand. Blog because you find this idea strangely fascinating. On the other hand, if what you are really looking for is a personal journal, then go to Wal-Mart and buy a 99-cent spiral bound notebook. Remember that. It will serve you well. And in a related point...
Second, remember that blogging is not anonymous. Even if you don't blog under your own name, you can easily be discovered. Whether it is through the simple tracing of an IP address or through the more complicated process of figuring out context clues by what you write, you can be discovered. People have lost their jobs over ill-considered e-mails, and they have lost their jobs over blogs they thought were anonymous. My advice is to just blog as yourself. That way you won't be tempted to write something that you wouldn't post under your own name because you've fooled yourself into thinking you're the Wizard of Oz. The curtain can always be drawn back, and sometimes by something as simple as a little black dog. But hey, speaking of writing something you wouldn't post under your own name...
Third, never blog angry. Sure, you can always delete the post. But often not before the damage is done. So if you read something or hear something that really sets you off and you feel like you've got to blog about it RIGHT THEN ... well, just take some time and cool down a little bit. If you need to, write the post and hit 'save as draft' instead of publishing it. Wait a day and come back to it. Chances are, you'll want to change it. And you'll be glad you did. But no matter how careful you are...
Fourth, accept that every once in awhile, you are going to blog about something that blows up in your face. Usually this happens because you are just being honest about an issue or an experience that you care about, and you write something that you consider to be fair and well-intentioned. But you never know who is reading you (see above), and you just might encounter people who disagree. Very strongly. The next thing you know, you've got 20 or 30 comments and some of 'em just ain't nice. When that happens you've got to do damage control, but you've got to do it in a charitable way that doesn't drive off readers. For instance, getting the last word in and then shutting off your comment box is tacky. A better option is pointing out the merits of all points of view expressed and then politely asking the main interlocutors to consider the issue closed. When this has happened to me, the polite approach has always worked fairly well (especially if it is clear you didn't mean any harm in the first place). But speaking of harm...
Fifth, if you are a pastor - and I only include this tip because I am one as well - never write anything about your congregation that could even remotely be considered damaging or disrespectful or insensitive to your church members (either individually or as a group). Your congregation is your flock, and as the pastor you are its shepherd. That relationship is built on trust. Anything you write in a blog that can be construed as breaking pastor-parishioner confidentiality can hurt those you are called to nurture in the way of salvation, and it might well render your whole ministry ineffective to boot.
II. How to build and maintain readership:
First, make sure you are being realistic. Let's assume you are only going to be blogging for fun. That means you are not looking to make a living doing it. It's just a hobby. And that means that blogging for blogging's sake is reason enough to do it and have fun in the process! But hey, even hobbies can be done well, right? Golfers like to work on lowering their score, and kite flyers always want to build a better kite. Bloggers tend to measure success by the activity their blog attracts, which can be measured in any number of ways. For instance, I get a monthly report e-mailed to me by my hosting company that reports my aggregate number of unique hits, number of page views, most popular pages, etc. And I also have a Feed Burner account that tracks the stats on my RSS activity (i.e., the folks who tend to be the more dedicated readers). The most direct way of measuring response is by the actual comments that you get in response to your posts, but I wouldn't focus too heavily on this. Sometimes your best posts will draw few if any comments, while more mediocre fare will attract a veritable swarm of reader responses. In the long run, blog because you enjoy it. If a sizable readership develops, that's just gravy. But to get started on at least a core group of readers, you should...
Second, let your friends and family know about your blog! Sometimes your most faithful readers will be the people who know you best. You might be surprised at the way your blog goes mini-viral, just from a few e-mails at the outset to the folks you keep in your address book. There are other ways to help yourself out as well, such as...
Third, realize that we are all creatures of habit. Even in our online reading. So if you go three weeks (or three months) between posts, don't expect people to keep checking in. I decided early on that I was going to post twice a week, once early (Sunday-Monday) and once late (Wednesday-Friday). I don't always keep to that schedule, but I think my discipline of posting twice weekly on fairly substantive issues has definitely helped my readership levels. I am a decidedly amateur blogger: I don't advertise on my site, nobody pays me to maintain it, and I do it for the sheer love of blogging. So I don't have any of the advantages of bloggers who have commercial interests and market themselves accordingly. And yet, I've added well over 5000 unique hits per month this year alone (from January to July). I don't know how to explain that other than to say that twice weekly blogging, about issues that matter (in my case, to people with an interest Wesleyan theology, the United Methodist Church, or Generation X) will attract readers. The regularity really helps, because it makes people think that visiting my site will be worth their time. And speaking of regularity...
Fourth, develop a blogging style and stick to it. Like I said above, for me that means relatively long posts on substantive issues related to a fairly particular genre (And in the blogging medium, I consider anything more than a couple of paragraphs 'long'). I mix it up once or twice a month with stuff different in either form or content from my usual fare. But by and large, people who stop by my blog know what to expect. There's no "right" way to do this, by the way. Some people post short and some post long; some riff off of other online material and some stick to original content. The main thing is to figure out where you fit and stick to it. Readers want to know what to expect. And hey, speaking of attracting readers...
Fifth, if you want to figure out ways to attract readers besides just word-of-mouth, get your blog linked on other sites. Yes, it is generally considered tacky to hawk your blog in other bloggers' comment boxes. (This can be done tastefully on occasion, but ONLY when the link you are providing bears directly on the post that you're commenting on.) But there are plenty of other ways to get links to your blog on the web. I have got links in places as diverse as the Christian Century's "CCblogs network," the Durham District (North Carolina Conference) of the UMC homepage, my own Facebook profile page, and the Methoblog network. If you inhabit online spaces regularly, you kind of figure this stuff out. Finally, for spreading news of your blog to other potentially interested bloggers, there is no substitute for this...
Sixth, if you really want to attract readers who will return and possibly spread your name to others, you've got to take the time to visit other blogs, read their stuff, and leave thoughtful comments. The blogosphere is like New York City in some ways. It's huge, but the people there tend to live and move and have their being in fairly localized neighborhoods. So figure out the neighborhood of blogs where you fit, spend regular time reading the really good content, and leave thoughtful comments. Chances are, people will click on your name and follow the yellow brick road to your own blog. And then - voila! - you've got a new reader. I think sometimes new bloggers underestimate how important this practice is for attracting a readership. People will spend time reading your stuff if you take time to do it well, but they will do so much more readily if they notice that you are out and about reading other people's stuff and taking it seriously.
That's all I got. With two Wizard of Oz references thrown in to boot. All of the above is really just anecdotal, related to things I've thought about or encountered in my own blogging experience over the past three years. So if there are other regular bloggers with different ideas, please do share.
Labels: Blogging Tips
posted by Andrew C. Thompson at 8:44 PM
5 Comments:
This is all really great information. I'd also point people in the direction of problogger.net and copyblogger.com. Two other things to get smart on are Delicious.com, reddit.com and stumbleupon.com - for marketing posts.
Also, I couldn't agree more - the best posts sometimes get the fewest comments. My most popular post was one I almost didn't publish. I sat on it for two weeks and finally slapped it up when I had nothing else to put up one day. That post had 800 hits and numerous comments. I was stunned. So, sometimes, we aren't even the best judge of our content. Since then, I've asked a couple friends to help me review my content when I'm in doubt.
Also, great design is helpful and a strong niche - both of which you have! Many free templates are available. Blogger Buster is a great site and so is Blogbulk.com.
=
Thanks, Andrew! A lot of good information here for the potential new bloggers among your readership.
More tips:
1. Ask yourself "Why would a complete stranger want to read my blog?" Not your friends and family, but people who don't know you and couldn't care less about your blueberry pie or how you stubbed your toe today.
2. Post daily so that readers develop the habit of reading you daily.
3. Blogging is a communitarian activity. Respond to your commentors, link to other blogs, and leave comments on other blogs. If you hold yourself above the conversations of mere mortals, you will get little to no traffic.
4. When in doubt, don't post it. This goes double for pastors. Assume that everyone in your congregation and your conference reads you daily and is looking for a reason to complain.
Yes, I'm that most humble of species - a new blogger. Even after reading many hous of How To and your tips (very new-blogger user friendly, thanks), am still in the dark rather, but I suppose it will be a learning curve. Is it a good idea to write a book on a blog, in short instalments or is that just not the right medium for this sort of thing?
MagicDragon -
For me, the rule of thumb is to do whatever you are passionate about. So if that means writing a book in serial installments, go for it! Just make sure your motivation is for personal satisfaction or in order to share it with close friends and family, particularly if you are just starting out. You probably can't expect a big readership to develop from a first-time project like that. But hey, that doesn't matter anyway! And if you are looking to develop your writing skills, acquire a new hobby, and share the fruits of your labor with whoever your site attracts, there's no reason not to do it the way you think seems the most enjoyable.
Best wishes, and have fun writing!
Grace & peace,
AT
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