Thoughts on how to suceed at blogging (thanks to PC Mag’s article for inspiration)
If you’ve ever contemplated blogging but didn’t know how to start or what to write about or how to even succeed at it, then you should definitely read this three page article over at PC Magazine (yes.. PC Magazine) entitled “Succeed at Blogging, the Gawker Way”. Written by Nick Douglas, the article points out how you might want to get started with your blogging endeavors and ultimately how you can succeed at it – and even make a few bucks from it!
As many of you already know, I’ve been blogging for some time now. I actually started writing way back in 2001 with my first website – WhiningDog.net. It really wasn’t a blog as much as it was a computer review and news website. WhiningDog was all about me covering a topic that I loved greatly – the world of computers. Then in 2004, I realized that a greater love of mine was in fact gadgets and thus was born Krunker.com.
After four years of Krunker.com, thousands of hours of writing, and a few dollars here and there, I’ve learned a thing or two about blogging and it boils down to time, passion, and love.
You have to put in the time to write. It’s not just about copying content from someone else’s website.. it’s about writing original content that’s interesting to you and hopefully to someone else out there.
You have to have passion. You have to have a passion for the subject you’re writing about and you have to have passion for the task at hand which is writing. Would a chef write about the next big thing in computers? Probably not (unless that chef wanted to create a website called the Gadget Chef or something.. ) yet that chef would be ideal for writing up a blog about say.. crepe recipes. The passion for a subject and the passion to sit down and write. Write write write…
Finally, it’s all about love. There are those out there who will blog simply because they want to make a quick buck or two. That’s perfectly fine. But the really successful bloggers are the ones who love what they do. They have the passion for the subject, they have the passion for the writing, and they love what they do. If you wake up groaning about writing an article today.. well maybe you shouldn’t be in this at all.
Along the way, I’ve thrown up other websites here and there (recently in 2006, ZuneSphere.com, and then this year, NetbookTech.com) – and every single one of them was a site about a topic that I cared about. Now the time aspect makes it hard for me to concentrate on all of my websites.. so they suffer. In fact, Krunker COULD be way better if I put in more time also.
So. if you’re about to endeavor in the world of blogging, read that article, take time to think about what you love and enjoy and then hop to it. It’s not a hard task to start.. but it’s a hard task to maintain over time. There are other ways of making money on the net and blogging isn’t a sure thing by any means.. but it’s a wonderful way to express one self to the entire world – Literally!
