August 10, 2012

On Blogging- For the Newbies


A few days ago I had posted on my Facebook page that I was super excited about this here blog getting a super fantastic makeover.  And a few lovely ladies replied that they were curious how to break into this whole blogging business because, let's face it, it's downright intimidating {even to me some days} when there are SO many wonderful bloggers/writers out there.  
I've talked about the who's, why's, what's and such of blogging before so some of this may sound a little broken record-ish, but I have some updates to make as well, so, read on, please.
Blogging is intimidating, for sure.  It means putting yourself, your life, your family, etc out there for the whole wide world to see.  That part is scary.  What you write on your blog is permanent even if you delete it after you post it.  It's out there in cyberspace, somewhere, waiting for your freshman year, high school football playing, ex-boyfriend to find.  Truth city.  I often don't think about that but damn it's true.  So if there's something you don't want someone to find and read, don't post it.  Plain and simple.  Because just when you think there is NO WAY that person will find your lil ole blog, they will, trust me.  Plus your blog won't be "lil" for long, maybe {more on that later}.
The good thing about it is you can pick and chose what you want the world to know.  I may post pictures of my post-baby belly {ew, sorry about that} but someone else might thing "OMG I cannot believe she just did that!!!" {don't worry I can't believe it either}.  But that's the beauty of blogging, if you don't like it, don't read it.  If you don't want the world to know it, don't post it.  Plain and simple.
In the same respect, please be yourself.  I know you can pick and chose what you want the world to know but just make sure what you are putting out there is authentic.  In my last post on this I said, "could you imagine meeting your favorite blogger and realizing they are NOTHING like they "appeared" on their blog?".  And it's true.  If there is one thing I am, it's real.  What you see here is what you get and I pride myself on that.  I hope that the ladies I've met thus far can say that I was exactly as they expected.  So when I say "pick and chose" I don't mean make up a false persona.  Just do you.  The real you.
Then there's the whole, "OMG there are SO many wonderful bloggers/writers out there, how can I possibly compare?  I mean she {whoever she is} has over 3,000 followers!" question.  You are absolutely right.  This blog world is FULL of amazing writers, tons.  I do not consider myself one of them but the fact that you do makes me smile, so thank you.  Truth be told, I never even knew I liked writing until I really got into this blogging thing.  I look back on some of my early posts and OMG why did you guys read that crap?  Thank you for doing so but, wow, that was hardly content.  
Once you start doing it, and if you start loving it, you will find your groove.  Everyone has a "style" and they're all different, that's the beauty of blogging.  I read some blogs where the writing is very technical, well written, and sincere {Kelle Hampton anyone?} and then I read others where it's just like word vomit all over your computer screen {I'm looking at you MODG} and I love it just as much.  Two totally different blogs, totally, and yet both make me think, teach me something, make me laugh, make me cry, move me.  Embrace the differences and find your style.  It may take a while to find it, it did for me, but it's worth figuring out.
Which brings me to my next point.  When I started writing in 2008 {OMG that seems like so long ago now} I had no idea what I was doing.  I just got engaged and remember emailing my good friend Julie telling her "I want to start a blog".  She had one, documenting her life as a stay at home mom and wife, and I thought it was "cool".  She said it simply, "then do it!".  I was so nervous, what would I blog about, would anyone read, I'm not cool enough, were all thoughts that ran through my mind but I did it.  I signed up with blogger, created my blog name "Soon To Be Mrs. Dew" and never looked back.  
At first I thought it'd just be a cool way to organize all my crazy bride thoughts and keep my wedding party all on the same page but it quickly turned into more than that.  I started to love writing about things that interested me, fashion, celebs, TV shows, my dogs, etc, and I realized that this was going to be so much more than a wedding planning forum.  I started reading and commenting on other blogs, participated in a few link-ups here and there, and became consistent with my own blogging and before I knew it it was 2012 and 2 followers turned into 1,000+. Or at least that's how it seems in my head.
Which usually brings up the question, "how do I get followers?"  I don't know, really I don't.  I don't know how I got to over 1,000.  I can say that I think consistency, posting on a regular basis, being real and honest and putting your name out there {in the way of commenting on other blogs and participating in link-ups} definitely will help.  Obviously the more you put yourself/your blog out there the more people will be exposed to you/your blog.  I would even venture to suggest advertising/sponsoring a few bloggers that you love.
The world of blogging has changed so much since I started.  Back in 2008 there was no such thing as blog sponsors and even if there were I would never have expected to have my very own.  I do think that being a sponsor is very beneficial, especially to new bloggers, Etsy shop owners, direct sales reps, etc.  If you chose the right blog to sponsor, one that posts regularly and will promote YOU on other social media sites, you have the opportunity to get your name/blog out there that much more than trying to do it just on your own.  Food for thought.
So, what are you waiting for?  Log into Blogger and start your blog! Don't know what to name it?  Don't worry, you can change it later,  I did.  Any other questions I didn't answer?  Leave me a comment or shoot me an email {shannon.r.dew{at}gmail{dot}com} and I'll do my best to help you out any further.
Happy blogging!
Photobucket

10 comments:

  1. Great tips girl!!
    I def. think my blog would fall under , writes like 'word vomit'...lol. I love all types of blogs though. That's the beauty of blogging, so many different women and voices.

    ReplyDelete
  2. This is great...I'd say I'm more of a drunk, cupcake making, word vomit blogger. It's nice to know that you started out pretty much the same as me. It definitely is hard. I have a friend who started a blog who always laments that I have more readership, no one likes hers, etc. But she never EVER posts! I tried to explain to her how hard it is to stay motivated and even then it's easy to get into a blogging rut. You gotta love to do it, end of story.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I love these tips, Shannon. Especially the part about being real. There's honestly nothing that makes me click the red X faster than a fluff blog full of rainbows and fairy dust. I like raw emotion!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Great tips for new bloggers! I know that having over 50 followers was a big deal for me and I really need to put myself out there more.

    I didn't post regularly for a long, long time but I'm getting back in my grove! I think now that my life is falling into place I can blog more consistently!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Such great tips... Starting out myself, I am really grateful to have bloggers that I love to read and follow share their experiences, it's really reassuring that I can do this! :)

    <3 Melissa

    ReplyDelete
  6. Yeeeah boyeee! Great post. I'm up to 16 followers, holla! But I sure do love blogging and right now, it's mostly just my family and friends that read it via facebook, but they're all very supportive of it and tell me how much they enjoy it. So I'm on it. Still plugging. I just need to write more often.

    ReplyDelete
  7. So true. Don't compare, be real and have fun. If you're not having fun doing this, then why the hell are you doing this!!

    LB
    www.accordingtol.com

    ReplyDelete
  8. New reader here. I love these tips! I totally feel the same way as I dive into this blog world (especially about not being "cool enough"!). I'm working on it though. I'm trying to get down consistent blogging right now. Thanks for giving me some things to think about!

    ReplyDelete
  9. These are amazing tips, really honest. thanks for the help!

    cassandramyee.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete