I’ve been inundated with questions on how to do this and
that in the past few weeks from those who know that I have been blogging for a
while and it has been great to see many of those who I have assisted with their
own blogs ease into blogging. There are however things to be cautious of when
deciding to be a blogger.
1. Don’t do it for the money.
You will be frustrated if you are
tweeting in your personal capacity with the mere goal of getting money. I had
been blogging for almost 2 years when I first started making money from my blog
and even then it was not much. Making money is great, but you will give up
before then if that is your main objective.
2. Do not deceive people
There are so many blogs online and one
usually has the challenge of trying to be unique and attracting the right attention
from readers, brands and peers. Deceiving people is a sure-fire way to not only
get attention, but irreversible embarrassment that comes with being caught out.
Do not post untruthful reviews and do not steal other people’s work.
Pic via BlogMaven
3. Do not lie about who you are
We become thought-leaders through valuable
contributions in existing conversations and starting our own. Do not fake
credentials if you do not have any yet – your contributions as a student can
still make you a thought-leader amongst your peers and will on top of that,
make you relatable.
4. Be accessible
You might not be a celebrity, but your
followers and readers treat you as such and want to be able to reach you.
Feature your social media details on your blog in order for them to do so. Also
include these as sharing tools and set them in such a way that you get a
mention when someone posts one of your blog posts on social media.
5. The internet does not forget
It is often said that people may forget what you
said, but they do not forget how you made them feel. When it comes to blogging,
it is quite the inverse. People remember what you said and can save it before
you even get a chance to delete it. Be responsible for what you post. If it is
damaging, do not post it until you are able to articulate yourself in a manner
that does not cause anyone harm.
There are so many unwritten rules, but I think these are
fundamental for a PR student who is starting out in the blogosphere. All the
best!
PS: My personal blog is www.randomramblings.co.za
Simple and straight to the point. Great use of multimedia. I will always remember that the internet does not forget.
ReplyDeleteYip! If you post something incriminating, best believe we will find it.
DeleteGreat tips that people forget. Sad that even some professionals forget such .
ReplyDeleteYip. They give the game a bad rep. I guess it is because there is no standard that is cast in stone as to what is right or wrong.
DeleteI think the one that really stands out for me is being accessible, nothing more annoying than trying to stalk a blogger and them not making your 'research project' easy. People should read these tips!
ReplyDeleteYes! We should not have t go through so much admin to find you.
ReplyDelete