004How To Keep On Blogging

posted by Daniel on March 27th, 2008

A lot of first time bloggers have trouble blogging their second post (the first post is the easiest; a self-introduction is something that anyone can do) or any post after the initial one for that matter. After blogging for roughly a year (my previous blog was titled The Aspirant), I learned a few things on how to keep blogging week after week. Here’s my Five Things Any First Time Borneon Bloggers Should Consider When Starting A Blog (And To Keep On Blogging).

Consideration #1 - TITLE

Come up with a title for your blog. This could either be the easiest or the hardest thing to do. It took me a month to come up with a title for my first blog (The Aspirant). This blog (Epiphany!, my second blog) took me about a week.

Why?

Coming up with a title is like giving your baby (or your car / handphone / guitar / song / your-most-beloved-pet) a name. It allows you to tell others about your blog BY NAME (”Check out my blog, guys! It’s called Epiphany!”) rather than by saying “my blog” (”Check out my blog, guys! It’s called Daniel’s Blog!”). To put it in a different perspective, imagine what it would be like if every parent on this planet name there sons and daughters MeSon and MeDaughter respectively.

Consideration #2 - PURPOSE

Set a purpose for your blog i.e. what do want to blog about. You could blog about a specific topic or about just about anything in general such as your daily life.

Why?

There is a reason to everything that we do in life; we eat because we need to, we go to work because it allows us to get money to feed ourselves, we hang out with friends and families because scientifically speaking humans are by nature social creatures. Ask yourself what do you want to blog about. If you’re stumped, you could always blog about your life or your weekly routine.

Consideration #3 - PERSONALITY

This is your blogging style i.e. how you express yourself through your post. You could be humourous, spiteful, contemplative, opinionated, or bluntly honest. You can make your blogging style, for example, reflect your own personality, or one that reflects your thoughts and opinions.

Why?

A blog with a personality attracts more readers compared to those without. It will also more likely to attract readers that has a similar preference such as yours. It will give your blog a uniqueness of its own. Being unique is always a good thing. Also, think of this as a way of attracting your target readers.

Consideration #4 - UPDATE SCHEDULE

Set a schedule on how often you are going to update your blog. You don’t have to keep a strict schedule. Come up with a regular frequency like once a month or bi-weekly, and stick to it.

Why?

I learned previously that you need self-discipline when maintaining a blog. Some don’t need motivation because they truly love blogging about the things they like. Some however (like yours truly) have problems being consistent. For me, keeping to a schedule allows me to be more consistent with my updates. However, if you aren’t concerned with making frequent updates, feel free to ignore this one. Otherwise, it is better stick to a schedule. Start with once a week if need be.

Consideration #5 - INVITE FRIENDS

Tell your friends that you have a blog and that you want them to check it out. Have them tell their friends and families about them. The thing here is to get readers to visit your blog. The more readers there are the better.

Why?

Here’s my personal experience: my previous blog The Aspirant didn’t get a lot of readers initially (for the first few weeks). I started comparing my blog with others in the same platform and realized that blogs that have higher number of readers were authored by those that have (quite predictably) informed their peers about their blogs. That became a huge motivation for them to continue blogging. I followed suit, and it work; the readers count started swelling within the first 3 days (honest!) after putting a link to my blog in my forum signature. That motivated me to continue blogging week after week.

That’s my take. It’s non-exhaustive, but these helped me immensely. A little bit of disclaimer though: what worked for me, might or might not work for everyone.
So, what about your experience? Leave some comments, peeps. Thank you for reading!

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