There are things I wish I had known about blogging before I started. Things like:
• Intentionally and carefully select your url address.
• If you choose not to use your real name, take time to create the screen name you choose.
• Set up an e-mail account and use your blog name or carefully selected screen name in the account
• Blogging will take time. If you aren’t careful… too much time!
• You will go through times of absolutely having nothing to say.
* It is okay to take a break.
• Beware that numbers can become all consuming. Numbers such as subscribers, site statistics or comments...
• You can find many wonderful people!!
• You can make new friends!!
These are just a few of the things I wish I had known about blogging.
What about you? What do you wish you had known about blogging before you started?
If you aren't yet a blogger, what questions do you have about blogging?
Monday, March 02, 2009
What I Wish I Knew About Blogging
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Great post, friend. Yours, without surprise, pretty much mirrors mine. I wish I'd thought through some of the same things, hence I would have made far fewer changes along the way and maybe kept a faithful readership of more than two people who can hang in there with all my fickleness.
I think it is good to reflect back and see where we've come in this whole bloggy goodness. Thanks!
I wish I had done the email thingy to make my blog a bit more anonymous, but hindsight is always 20/20.
Amen on the first couple of things...I had to go back and change all my accounts after the fact so that my last name wasn't in the url or in my email or on the picture account...sheesh. LOL!
I wish I had truly understood the line between sharing too much and still being personal/real. So many of us start our blogs to stay in touch with family and friends, but as our readership grows, those personal stories become much more awkward to share...
So true!
I am grateful that my blog is anonymous with a matching email address! It makes me feel so much freer in expressing myself, especially when I started and desperately needed a place to think out loud!
Now I just enjoy that it is quiet and everyone uses their inside voices...Miss Pear is 3, she has two volumes asleep and talking nonstop loudly....
Blogger is being a pain, sorry if this posts more than once!
I agree. In fact, I started a blog that had our first names in the URL AND in the blog's title, but I finally changed to a different blog and don't use my name or DH's name. Although my friends know it's my blog, so it's not totally anonymous. I tried giving the kiddos fake names, but it was too weird for me. I wish I had just called them some nickname like my friend does with hers.....Cupcake for her littlest, Brownie for her other son, can't remember her daughter's nickname.
I quit looking at numbers a long time ago, although I will joke that only my aunts and grandma read my blog. I know that's not true, but I still like to tease like that. I like to see how people got to my blog though, I think that's interesting.
At least I set up a new email account for my blog. In fact, we have two "junk" emails that we use when signing up for contests and certain websites.
One other thing I've learned is that my blog is MINE. I do not attempt to have a schedule for posting (which is obvious if you read it!) and never promise to post a certain amount or on a certain day, etc. I like to share info on my blog, but I don't have an agenda. That gives me a feeling of freedom with my blog.
I think you covered it pretty well, Donnetta. I think it takes a year or so to really figure out what you're doing. I wish I'd known that it takes a while to understand the whole thing, learn html code, figure out blog design, etc. The first year was hard for me because there was so much to learn. There's still a lot to learn, but I finally decided I could go with what I know for now.
I also wish I'd known that each of us has to find our own style. I started out thinking each post had to be on one specific subject and posting felt like doing English-Lit homework. I'll never forget the very first time I just sat down and wrote a random post off the top of my head. What a huge relief it was and it instantly became my style.
Blogging should be enjoyable. Otherwise, why do it, right?
So really, the first year is what was hard. After that it all fell into place, for me.
I probably should have taken some lessons!
Really, I have met the most wonderful people and I have never had a bad experience or a bad comment. Maybe because I don't know what I'm doing! :)
Well I am still fairly new, so these comments have been a learning experience for me! :D I have spent the last month working on my design because I felt it should be just right...I never want to change it again. Ugh! But I have learned that it is important to just be myself and not worry about others oppinions, my blog is for my enjoyment, if others like it as well, all the better, but that is just icing on my cake. lol
As one who had a blog, went underground, and came back out again with a public blog I'm sure I've lost contact with some. :0( However, I think it's okay to reinvent yourself and redirect your readers or to just take a break and start all over again.
I try to use side profile pictures of family for some of our craft posts but limit more personal and full face pictures (they're shared with family on my privatized blog). This was one of the issues that concerned me . . . access to my children's pictures on the web.
I think the important thing for me to remember is that I only want to write what is laid on my heart and that it will please my Audience of One so if He desires to bless others with it then so be it! :0)
If you have a specialty for certain types of posts sometimes it's wise to make a separate blog just for that purpose (like my Simply Lapbooks blog).
A lot of words up there . . . I hope this makes sense. :0)
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