BLOGGERS - Let's Share Blogs!

Last year I had only minimal knowledge about blogging. I honestly didn't even know what a blog was, let alone how to write one. What I've learned is that a web log (blog) is a series of posts written by people who want to share ideas, insights, imaginings, opinions, links to other sites, videos, photos, and any number of trivial or not so trivial pieces of information.

What Blogs Are

Blogs are the Internet's version of reality television. Reading blogs allows us to eavesdrop on people - with their permission.

Blogging subjects are as diverse as are the people who write them. Art, history, scientific discoveries, family, friends, job opportunities - the subjects are endless.

Maybe you want to blog, but you don't know what to blog about. If that's the case, consider what interests you. Maybe you run an animal shelter and you want to share your experiences with abandoned pets. Or maybe you have expertise in an area that people would love to learn about.

You can blog about everything from the business you run to the children who make you laugh. Like a diary, entries are made daily, weekly, monthly, or as often as bloggers wish to write. Some blogs are specific; others are general.

Blog Examples

In my blog, My Heart Blogs to You, you might find me discussing my perplexing problems with penguins and peacocks, my grandchildren, or my bizarre childhood.

In my Help for Single Parents blog, I share insights and solutions to problems I solved after living over 30 years below, at, and just above, the poverty level while I raised four children alone. Or you might read about the continuing saga of Audrey and Ben (Audrey is my granddaughter - Ben is a little boy in my daycare), who act more like an old married couple than a couple of four-year olds.

My Writer of Blogs blog began (I must admit) only because I thought the title, "Writer of Blogs," had already been taken. It hadn't been. Once I developed it, I felt an obligation to continue writing it. So, in it, I discuss, well, writing.

Drawing from one of my other personalities, in my wordpress blog, I whine about my inability to attract attention as a writer as I complain about being invisible and wondering, IS ANYBODY OUT THERE or (whine whine) WILL ANYBODY EVER NOTICE ME?

Why Would Anybody Want to Read Your Blog?

A friend of mine asked me why people write blogs. Why would anybody what to share personal things about their lives? Well, John, some of us are just exhibitionists.

I'm kidding. Why do we watch strangers hitting on their neighbors in television programs? Why do we watch people battling each other on game shows? Why do we watch people we've never met interact with other people we've never met and get so involved in their lives, we tune in every week to watch one more interaction?

In a word: entertainment. People want to be entertained. Or people want to be informed. Even family members can take a peek at your blog and find out what's going on in your life and in the lives of your children and grandchildren. And if your blog is specifically about a subject only you have the expertise to explain, people you've never met will visit your blog to learn something.

Still Hesitant?

If writing a blog sounds appealing, but you don't feel comfortable about initiating the process, know this: If I can do it, anybody can. The reason is that many websites offer easy to understand instructions for setting up blogs.

Blogger is so easy to set up; you can have a blog up and running within minutes. You can upload photos and videos as well. The only problem I found is that when I want to return to the dashboard (the place where all of my blogs are located), I first have to find my picture at the bottom of my blog, and work my way back to the dashboard from there. Blogger is where I wrote my first blog in January 2009, My Heart Blogs To You.

Wordpress also offers free blogs with instructions for setting them up. Not as easy to understand as blogger (I'm still trying to figure out the process), wordpress is one of those "have to have it" properties, because many writing sites and magazine articles cite wordpress as THE place to post your blogs.

Incentives to Write Blogs

Blogger.com offers incentives to bloggers who agree to use Adsense. Adsense is a product that allows you to post ads on your blogs. You must adhere to strict guidelines, and unless you have a tremendous following, you won't get wealthy from the ads, but it makes "sense" to have them there just in case you do develop a following. Once you are given the code for one blog, you can use it for others.

Let's Start a Blog Share

Some major companies have their own blogs. Google is one example. Blogs provide a way for them to keep in touch with their clients and customers.

So why not write your blog and share it with me in the comments section below? Or send me a personal message.

We can be Blog Buddies! You might find blogging an enjoyable way to spend your time, and your readers might find your blog an enjoyable place to visit!