The Social Media Starter Kit: Blogging

Blogging is such a ubiquitous form of media today, but people are still incredibly intimidated about getting started with one. Is blogging something you should do? That answer will vary for everyone. Do you have something to say? Do you want to share thoughts, interests, ideas? Are you interested in others weighing in on what you have to say?

My getting started philosophy: learn on the job. There’s no better way to learn about blogging than to immerse yourself in it.

Read and Participate

The very best way to learn about blogging is to read. Read lots of blogs, both inside and outside your interest area. Pay special attention to things like tone, writing style, and how writers break up the content. Again, there’s no “right” way to blog, but you’ll get a feel for what resonates with you.

RSS Reader

I use Google Reader to aggregate my blogs. If you’re not familar with RSS, Common Craft has this kick butt video that explains it. But in essence, it’s the easy way to get a blog’s content delivered automatically right to you. It’s easy and tidy.

Start small; select 6 or 10 blogs that interest you, and visit them often. Check out the blogrolls of the blogs you’re reading to find other blogs that might be relevant. You can also use things like Technorati, but I prefer the more organic approach. It’s like having a friend recommend a book instead of picking one off the shelf.

All in all, spend 30 minutes a day browsing your feeds. You don’t have to read everything in depth. Scan the titles and posts, and stop by for the ones that interest you or compel you to comment. And don’t fear the “mark all as read” button. There are only so many hours in the day.

Comment

Don’t be shy about commenting on blogs. Share your voice; the authors *want* to hear from you – it’s part of their validation that they’re writing something of interest. It’s okay to not have all the answers. It’s about furthering the discussion, not necessarily coming to a profound conclusion.

A great tool I use is Backtype. You sign up with the URL you plug in when you comment on a blog, and it aggregates all of your comments for you.  Add friends from your other networks to read their comments and see what blogs they’re visiting. I’ve found amazing hidden gems this way.

Writing

If you’re a writer by nature, blogging will come more easily to you than if not. But a good starter goal is to aim for three posts a week. They don’t have to be mammoth, and at first, just worry about getting comfortable with the medium. It’s just a blog.

Talk about what you know. And don’t go into this with the idea that you’re writing for traffic. Write for yourself, and to share something valuable with others. Passion and interest makes for better writing, and like building a network anywhere else, it will happen on its own if you’re dedicated to it.

Topics

Keep a little text document or even a notebook around to scribble down post ideas when you have them. Write it all down, and edit later. And get in the habit of starting post drafts and saving them unfinished. You can always come back to them later when inspiration strikes. If you get a burst of writing done, schedule your posts in advance using your blog software and have a backstore of great stuff at the ready.

Share. Ask questions. Get people talking. You’re a conversation catalyst. The means. Not necessarily the end.

Comments

Staying plugged into the comments on your blog is important. Commenters like to know that you’re listening and paying attention to their contributions. How often and how deeply you respond is up to you (here’s a bit about my take), but comments are an important part of the blog ecosystem, so find a way to engage in the comments on your own posts that feels comfortable for you.

Inevitably, someone’s going to leave a snarky comment someday. That’s okay – no one can be all things to all people.  Learn to deal with detractors as best you can. The more people read you, the more of them you’ll find.

Credit and Sharing

Link out to the posts that may have inspired your writing. Point your readers to resources relevant to your topic. Disclose relationships you have that may have bearing on the opinions you write about (most especially if you’re being paid to do so).

If you’re including other people’s work, make sure to attribute it. For instance, I use photos from Flickr’s Creative Commons for my posts, and credit them with a link at the bottom.

Just Do It.

Nike said it best, but really. It’s a blog, not an earthshattering, irreversible endeavor. Wade in, get your feet wet. Test, try stuff, find your niche and comfort zone. Ask your favorite bloggers for a tip or two. Read, read, read. Then read some more.

Then, go write.

Other questions about blogging? Let us know in the comments and let the community lend a hand.

This is a post from the Social Media Starter Kit Series. To see all the posts from the series, click here, or click here to download the PDF e-book version. Like this what you’ve read? Consider subscribing to the feed and never miss a post.

Tagged as: Blogging, how to, Social media, social media starter kit