How To: Blogging Tips

I've been a serious blogger for about 5 months only, since I started taking care of my blog back in August. I have to say, a well-kept blog opens doors to a lot of opportunities (Hello, SOUL Lifestyle job! :) ). I know a lot of people who have blogs but feel that they don't get the opportunities they think they deserve. I also know people who do have blogs but wonder why they lack followers. Well guys, the answer may be that you don't maintain your blogs well.

I've been reading a lot of articles on how to maintain your blog to look professional and I've added some of my own observations to the mix, being someone who reads blogs leisurely and *ehem* professionally. 

1) Keep a clean layout

I've seen blogs who have background layouts, with pictures tiled in the back. It's a mess! Remember, people's first impressions of your blog are obtained through your layout. Now if what welcomes them as they click your page is messy, they will most likely NOT read your entries or NOT come back. It's best to stick to a plain black or white background so that your pictures stand out more! Ever notice that the top fashion bloggers in the Philippines (and in the world) have a clean layout? It gives off a good vibe to those wanting to advertise that their ads will be seen.

2) Pictures

I've kept blogs with just words before because I didn't have a camera of my own. I look back and think, oh so that's why no one reads my blog. People are visual creatures. It's nice to show them that this is what happened, this is what I bought, etc.

Some reminders on photos:

• Don't overwhelm your posts with too much photos of the same thing. Photo heavy posts are okay as long as the photos tell a story. 

• Choose your photos. Related to the post above. It's also best not to upload photos with bad lighting and a messy background. Try to avoid posting (unintentionally) blurry photos as well (I say unintentional cause some photos have that blurry effect that looks good, like Aidx's photos). They look unprofessional. And, as much as possible, take photos using natural light.

Also, captions are EVERYTHING!
If you copied a photo off the internet, don't forget to credit!

(By the way, this post will be a un-photo-ed one. Oh the irony, I know. I just don't have the heart to post the blogs wherein I observed these things)

3) Content

Sometimes, it's pretty uninspiring to blog, right? Like, what will I write about? Well, my advice is to write about something you know best. Oftentimes, it's YOURSELF. I mean, why start a blog if not to share to the world little tidbits of yourself? :)

However, don't use your blog to put yourself up too often, and don't use it to put people down as well. I think we've all had a time where we were so mad at the world and reasoned out "This is my blog, I'll post whatever I want on it!" and so we did, and it reached that object of our anger and then there was more anger and drama than there was to begin with. 

You can also blog about your interests. It's called niche blogging. Most people have blogs that cater specifically to their interests, be it fashion, travelling, technology, food, etc. I have a mix of everything I guess, but they say it isn't advisable especially if you're worried about Google picking up your blog and stuff. Not sure why exactly. I salute Renz cause he has different blogs for each niche, while I'm lazy and have one for everything. Boo.

Anyway, what I try to do now is blog about my awesome days--you know, those days wherein a lot happened and I'm so overwhelmed with joy or ideas. I also try not to make my entries too long--you know those novel types wherein every detail is included? I look at those entries and it feels tedious to read so I leave. Everyone nowadays has a short attention span, so try to keep the interest of the reader by writing something short and concise. The trick is to let them in, but keep something for yourself. I mean, they can't know that you got drunk, fell in the pool, etc on that night!

Don't forget to inject a little humor in your posts. And remember to always let your true self shine through.

4) Share

Don't forget to share your blog entry!

Maximize your Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, etc. If you're after stats and page views, don't hesitate to do this. I used to be shy of sharing or spamming my walls with posts that say "Read my blog!" but I don't write anything demeaning here now so why be shy about it?

BTW, try not to re-post your whole entry to Tumblr, it defeats the purpose of having your actual blog. Maybe just a preview, then a link to your actual blog. (Unless of course your main blog is on Tumblr)

Other tips and tricks:

1. Tags: If you're on Blogger, tags help because your blog post will come out on Google's search engine result. Hence, more hits! Plus, it would be easier for readers to find posts on the topics you often blog about.

2. Read More: The 'read more' button is sure annoying, especially when you're lazy and the one reading the blog. BUT, if you're the blogger, it's a sneaky trick which means more hits! :-) But really, it helps keep your home page clean. I believe it helps load your homepage faster also!

To conclude, I say, blog for yourself. Blog for the love of writing and for the love of sharing, not for the love of hits and fame. If you blog for the latter, invariably, you will be disappointed.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed or picked something up from this post of mine! :-)

I didn't really mean to sound like a know-it-all, just sharing what I've observed. :)