Things I wish I would have known

I started my blog out about 5 months ago with this post, knowing little to nothing about what it was, other than the fact I was learning a lot from the blogs I would read.  As I learned about RSS feeds, I started understanding how important blogging could be as a communication tool on the internet, and I wanted to participate for a few reasons:

1.  I like to write
2.  I had some interesting things to say

This is literally all you need today to start a new blog, along with a beginner to intermediate knowledge of how the internet works.  Figuring out which blog address to use is important to, which almost always ends in a conversation about Wordpress, Blogger, or Typepad (anyone else want to throw their hat in the ring?)

The first blog I ever really read (besides those live online diaries everyone used to send me about which song they liked and which book they were reading) was Mark Cubans.  By the way, rule number 1 about blogs is, “Everything he writes, read.”  Ok, so it’s not really the first rule, but it is very wise advice, so please take it.  I don’t always agree with the guy, but he always writes interesting, knowledgeable material thats probably worth your time.

But there are a few things that a beginning blogger needs to know in order to enjoy their time blogging – things that I wish someone would have told me before I started, so that I could have used my time better, so I’d like to share them with you.  These points are for someone who takes blogging seriously.  Please remember, I’m not an expert, but I do have a blog that I write in every weekday morning (preferably before 9:00 am), and after 5 months of writing consistently, I’ve learned a few things, like:

1.  What’s the purpose for your blog?
If you don’t know, figure it out.  Is it for you?  Is it for others?  Is it to get out what’s in your heart?  The earlier you can figure this out, the less changing you will have to do in the future.  I mean, this is good advice for life, not just blogging.  Being intentional about everything you do, and knowing why you do it.
I admit that the reason I first started was because I liked all of the blogs I was reading, so I thought, “well then, I’m going to write stuff that everyone else likes to read.”  Which works out about a quarter of the time. 
Now I know that I blog because I have some things inside of me that I want to get out, and those things are more fun (to me anyways) when I know that there are others reading them.  I hope they learn from what I write and from my experiences and, at times, it keeps me accountable to what I have said.

2.  Find your niche (aka the more specific the post, the better the post)
I’m a pastor, which means that I don’t have time to read lots of blogs on the intricate details of computer software.  Just like a software engineer probably doesn’t have time to read my analysis of how church went on Sunday.  So as a reader, I don’t have time to read everything on every subject, though I do make time to read some of my friends blogs on various subjects.  But for the most part, I read other pastor’s blogs.
One of the things I’ve found is that when I write very specifically about something, my audience grows because the audience from that particular field (if I have tagged correctly), have come to my blog when normally they would not.  For instance, two of my most popular posts to date are one that was very specific to computers and one that was very specific to basketball.  The reason they were so popular was (1.)  because of the content and (2.) because they were linked into message boards that specialized in the fields of computers (specifically Macs) and college sports (specifically Holy Cross).
So while my blog should have a purpose, the niche is more important to the post.
I find that some of my least “attended” posts come in the form of when I try to write about everything that is going on in my life in one post. 
Sure it’s good for the soul, but no one is really interested.  And if it is so important, write another post.

3.  Why are you so different? 
What is so different about your blog that attracts me to it?  Trust me, there are plenty of blogs out there to find if I want to find them.  Just look at my blogging friend Randy’s blogroll.  This alone proves the amount of blogs that exist.  But what is different about yours that would keep my attention?  Recently I’ve tried to focus on telling stories in my blogs, even if I’m simply trying to make a point.   This guy has a picture and a point in every post.  This guy gives away tons of information on what he’s doing at his church.  The point is, there are reasons for me to go to these sites, because I believe it would be in the best interest of my time.  So unlike high school, in the blogging world, it’s okay to be different.

4.  Comment on this post please.
One of the best ways for people to find out about you and what you’re writing about is for you to read what they are writing and to comment on what they write. Now pleae don’t take this information and write something like, “Man Marty, that sure was a great post.  It reminds me of the time I wrote this post (link to said post) here.  You and everyone else who reads this should check it out.”  Yeah, don’t be stupid.
Just take an interest in other people’s work.

5.  Tag, you’re it.
Whatever you do, use tags if you want people to read your blogs.  I’m not an expert on how this works, but I just know that posts that I use tags get read more than posts when I forget to use tags.

6.  Unless you do this for your job, don’t count your stats every hour.
Trust me, I’ve done this, and it just wastes time.  There’s other things you could be doing with your time, like hanging out with your husband or wife or friends, or working.  If your blog ever gets as popular as you think it’s going to, it could possibly be your job if it’s specific enough, until then though, live your life with people, not computers.  Your life is what people will be or will not be interested in reading about.

So, what do you think?  You want to start blogging?  Or…

What did I miss?

Until next time…

This post is being used for Watercooler Wednesday with Randy Elrod.

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1. Allow me to introduce you
2. Martyholman.com revamped
3. What’s going on in Nashville?