Episode 313: Five Things I Have Learned About Blogging!

Posted on by Judy E Martin
  • Don’t forget to proofread! Now I am one of those people who, once I have written something, unless there is a glaringly obvious mistake, then I might not notice it, despite re-reading the whole post to check for errors. I have hit ‘publish’ before then have gone into the article at a later date and found a typo in the very first word! How embarrassing! Mind you, even worse is when I have commented on other blogs and made a few typos!
  • Interact with others. This may seem bloody obvious, but you can’t afford to be shy. I know I was very daunted by commenting on other blogs, but we all like to know we are doing something right, so a little encouraging remark can go a very long way; sometimes you might even get a reply!
  • Be careful what you say. Again, this might be blindingly obvious, but if you are having a bit of a rant and rave about someone who has annoyed you, the chances are they will find out about it! Once a post has been published, it is there for all to see, so think twice about putting up drunken pictures of yourself in a heap on the floor. It’s not pretty!
  • Learn how to connect with social media, If you want people to read your blog, and are a dunce when it comes to using social media, you need to learn how it works. So many people use it, that you are missing out on a huge audience if you do not know how to share on these sites. This is a work in progress for me, which I am getting to the bottom of as it is going to take a bit of time, I think!
  • Be passionate about what you write. Nobody wants to read a boring post that drones on and on with no feeling or emotion. Who wants to be dragged down to the depths of despair by a dismal post? Exactly! I find that when I have written a positive and enthusiastic post then I get more comments and likes. Readers can pick up on when you are passionate or excited about something, and it influences the way they feel about it too.

31 thoughts on “Episode 313: Five Things I Have Learned About Blogging!”

  3. Sage words, Grasshopper… ( are you too young to get that reference?)
    As you know, I’m not a tweeter or a pinner… I’m not sure what I would achieve… What’s the benefit if your blog is not commercial? Is it just to reach a wider audience? Or in case a commissioning editor or agent stumbles across your work and offers you a book contract… Or a talk show? Am I missing something crucial here?
    Xx

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    1. I do get the ‘grasshopper’ reference. David Carradine came to a bit of a sad end in real life I believe, There is no benefit really as my blog is just that – a blog. I suppose it is just nice to know that it is being read. Maybe I am just a headcase! 🙂

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  4. Good advice……but that whole social media thing….bleugh. I think WP is about as good as I’m going to get at it. Not as brave as you, Edwina! Still, a most enjoyable post since I consider you the expert after your Blogging 101 attendance!

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  7. Great points which I can all confirm from my heart. I have to say that the hugest change started when I starte interacting more intense and posted more about my personal life.

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  8. The social media is difficult to stick with, I usually forget to log on so the sites are pretty much dormant. Yes, I’m guilty of the dismal posts, but that’s really the nature of the blog and sometimes the more miserable, the better the response 🙂

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    1. You post about a subject that is not all hearts and flowers and happy things, so of course there are going to be serious or upsetting posts. I meant that my blog is supposed to be a humorous one, but on occasion I have ranted or posted something totally different, which is not going to cheer anyone up. Sorry if I offended you with that part of my post, I am not the best at explaining myself properly! 🙂

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      1. I find your blog very humorous and I do like your in-between rants, the funniest was Miss Hap and the tumbler, so even when they are serious, they do still hold an element of humour. I didn’t take offence at all, Edwina. Sometimes I do question the content of my blog and only writing 500 word posts tend to limit what I want to say.

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  10. You know when I first started blogging… I did not even KNOW how to interact with others. A good three months went by and then I had a big O moment! These tips back then would have really helped 🙂

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  12. I actually rarely edit my posts. I run spell check but I don’t normally go over my sentences to figure out a “better” or more efficient way of saying things. I think it’s because I usually don’t write more than 600 words. My posts are short.

    My persona is not polished. She’s raw and honest.

    I would, however, like to make some money writing – in whichever form it takes. I think creative nonfiction would be my thing.

    Excellent tips from a succesful blogger!

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      1. I know what you mean. But you’re definitely doing something right!! People keep coming back for more 😉

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  14. Perhaps it is because of what I write, or the training I had in seminary, but I write and rewrite every post several times before I feel comfortable hitting publish. I will change words, phrases, even punctuation, before I am happy enough with it to publish. Note that I said “happy enough” because I am never fully happy with it, always thinking I could have said it better that I did.

    When it comes to “be careful with what you say” I always remember when I covered the science department in my high school newspaper. The editor (teacher) always said that before you commit it to paper consider if you were in the middle of the town square, reading it to everyone present: family, friends, as well as strangers. Would you feel comfortable saying it out loud? If not, then don’t put it down in print!

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    1. You make a really good point there about who you would be comfortable with reading your post. It is so easy to write something when upset, then regret it later!
      I wish I had your diligence in editing what I write, I do read it over a few times as I go, but that is it.

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