Fairy Blog Mother

Blogging is not for the faint-hearted. It may be considered something to hide behind, especially if you prefer to write rather than stand up and talk (I used to be like that), but then the danger is your blog becomes stilted, too perfect, too precise.

When I first started blogging and article writing, all those years ago, I was insistent my writing should be the absolute best. I took hours over it, rewriting and changing it, looking up alternative words and fussing over the syntax. And in the end it wasn’t all that good after all!

Then I relaxed, and wrote down whatever came into my head. It made it so much easier to write a post, and I like to think it showed more authenticity in my subject matter. The answer is to become more open and transparent in what you write, and I reveal little quirky bits (which I really should regret) in order to show up my personality(?)!

The idea is to try and get inside your readers’ heads, and think like they think. Don’t sound too intelligent, blogs aren’t meant to consist of academic thesis or much laboured articles. If you don’t understand your readers, do some simple research (it needn’t be complicated or expensive) or even just ask them – what do you want me to write about?

Hang out where your readers are. Immerse yourself in their environment, ask the same questions, wallow in their predicaments, gather this information together and then formulate the solutions. Once you’ve found out what is wanted, write about it in your posts.

What kind of readers would you prefer? Find out what other blogs are they reading, and then comment on them, to draw attention to yourself and your blog. What discussions forums do they frequent? Contribute your opinions or begin a new discussion, post up one of your blog posts and ask for comments.

Be enthusiastic and sympathetic to prospective readers and they will eventually come round to you, especially if you write the kinds of posts they want to read.

Fairy Blog Mother

There is always this forced focus that when we post on our blogs we must always be writing stuff that is worth while.

A writer friend approached me about her two blogs. One is business-orientated, designed to attract potential clients interested in her skills. The other is a personal blog, in which she expands her gift, but she was concerned that it had no focus or consistency in its contents.

That doesn’t matter. I have another friend who writes amazing material in her blog, and the subject matter is totally varied. It is an outlet to vent her feelings, aspirations and ideas. The result is a thoroughly entertaining collection of writings, each an identity in their own right.

A blog is a medium in which to express yourself, whether it is for business reasons, or just somewhere to unload yourself. Even having such a platform which enables you to talk about your business, in terms that would not be suitable on your website, is sometimes purely a release. If you are truly passionate about your business and want to explain it in a myriad of ways that would connect with the variability of your customer base, here is the perfect resource.

Anyway, back to my writer friend and her directionless blog. I told her to use it as somewhere to explore the art of writing, develop her language, play with syntax and constantly redefine her concepts. Think of it as a place to perform, learn, investigate, examine and review. What a wonderful chance for her to put her talents into good use, even if nobody else reads them (but you never know who might do, though).