Blogger, This Way Up

The First Step To Starting a Blog: Ask Yourself If You Actually Want One

Posted by Monica O'Brien on April 1, 2008 at 4:16 am.

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So people have been asking me how to start a blog.  I think this is great.  Sort of.  But I’m hesitant to actually give people advice on starting a blog because I don’t think everyone should have their own blog.

Yes, a blog is good for personal branding.  Sure, you can meet lots of great people or even get a job from blogging.  And then there is the free stuff.  But these things can only happen if you blog well, and not everyone can do that.

So the first thing to figure out is if you would be a good blogger.  Blogging is a ton of work and it’s yet another thing to commit to.  Since you want your blog to be a success, you probably want to write regularly.  You also want to learn about Web 2.0 tools, and comment on other blogs, and refine your writing skills, and improve your technology skills, and figure out how to draw traffic, and eventually meet your online friends in person.

But good bloggers are people who really want to be bloggers.  So do you really want to be a blogger?  Here are ten ways to tell:

  • You already read at least 10 blogs daily.
  • You are passionate about at least one subject and want to become an expert in it.
  • You have an opinion about everything and want to talk about it.
  • You read the news every day.
  • You are comfortable sharing details about yourself and your life.
  • You are okay with putting imperfect work on display.
  • You love to read and write in general.
  • You are willing to try something new, even though it has a steep learning curve.
  • You can tolerate harsh criticism.
  • You have enough ideas right now to write about one or two subjects (not including yourself) a few times a week for the next month.

If this doesn’t sound like you, a blog is probably not the way to go.  But that’s okay, because there are lots of other things you can do to improve your online presence.  You can bulk up your LinkedIn profile, build a static website, become an active commenter, do some guest posts on your favorite blogs, join a forum, or start a podcast.

So before you start a blog, ask yourself if you actually want one.  And if, after hearing all of this, you still think it would be worth it to have a blog, it probably will.  But if not, don’t feel guilty - it’s better to invest your time in something you truly love than convincing yourself you want to start a blog.

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  • It's probably because everyone in my office is pregnant right now, but I swear, this post reminded me of conversations about whether or not to have kids right now!

    Probably because blogging is a being a huge commitment, especially at first. The good news is, however, that it really is as flexible as you need it to be. It all depends on how you define "success" for yourself. Much more flexible than feeding schedules of every 2 hours like with an infant!

    I simply say that because many people don't realize that most of the experts who blog about blogging, for example, have great ideas about how to be successful at it, and their ideas work, because they actually make money doing it FULL TIME, as their job - while most of the rest of us are doing it as a part time, no-pay gig. And that's ok!

    If you have the passion, the drive, and the rest of these things you've listed, you come up with a forumla that works for you.
  • It's true. Furthermore, you have to be good at keeping your writing succinct and readable. I have a friend who just stared up a blog. He's a great writer, in fact he does it for a living, but each of his posts is a massive essay. I guess that's something that you should do when you've already started one, but it's definitely an intro criteria.

    Also, if you're one of those people that is bad with keeping in touch, bad at replying to emails, and generally doesn't succeed in keeping organized, blogging's probably not a good idea.
  • Tiffany, you are absolutely right. If someone has true passion for blogging, I hate to discourage them. The people I worry about are the ones who think they should start a blog and get very into it for a month or so, then quit writing because they get burned out quickly.

    So many people have the attitude that everyone should own a blog - my point is that there are other ways to brand yourself that may be better suited to your personality. And starting a blog is pretty time-consuming, so unless you are making a long-term investment to keep it updated, it's better to spend that time elsewhere.

    Torbjorn, I like the points you added. Blogging is definitely about connecting with people, and even running a small blog can mean a few emails a day requesting favors or advice. If you are not good at responding timely, a blog is not going to benefit you much.

    I also love what you wrote about blog writing styles. Blogging is definitely its own medium with a completely different writing style than other forms of media. Being a great writer doesn't necessarily mean you'll have a great blog, and vice versa. The key is adapting your writing style and voice to fit a blog post.

    Great points, and thanks for the comments!
  • Nice post. Your articles are helpful,useful,simple and easy to understand.
    Blogging is also about courage to say something to make the Right Conversation. Many blog and does not actually pass the message,your ten ways will really make a good blogger.

    Thanks.
  • NOW YOU TELL ME! I was told in no uncertain terms that I'm nobody unless I blog -- that blogging is the cost of admission into the online world. This is my sole reason for blogging. I answered "no" to just about every question in your bullet points. Now I don't feel so bad about letting my blog languish. As I let two others do the same before it.

    Because, you know, 99.9% of the earth's population doesn't have a blog.
  • Jenny
    Interesting thoughts to ponder! I have just recently, two days ago, started my own blog on wordpress.com and while I know I have a lot to learn, your ten points to becoming a good blogger made me think. While I didn't answer all the questions with a yes, I feel that I answered enough to be a decent blogger and with time, I will get better! Thank you for the pep talk!
  • Though you cite lots of great potential reasons to start a blog, they aren't the only ones. There are tons of people who blog to share their thoughts, pictures, and favorite links with those close to them, for example, or write blog fiction.

    I started a personal travel blog when I went abroad for a year so that I could share my experiences with friends and family. But I also used it as a medium for creative expression, writing about things that interested me. I was an "expert" only to the extent that I was an "expert" on myself.

    Blogs can also be news or scholarly mediums, covering a variety of fields and ideas. Our current blog, Tropophilia, covers the broad theme of "change" in art, technology, philanthropy, government, etc. We're not change experts, per se, but we are interested in it and like writing about it. Even if we only have 20 people read our blog every day, it still serves the purpose of letting us research and write about our interests.

    I'm wary of the idea that blogging is a skill to be learned. Why does someone need to decide if they're a "good blogger" before they even start? Does someone need to decide if they're a good writer before trying to write? A good photographer before they start snapping some photos? Sure, if you want to market your blog, grow your readership, maybe serve some ads and make some money, then you'll need to reserve lots of time and energy for it. But I'm not sure blogging is something for which you can predetermine your aptitude. I think you only need to predetermine your desire.

    Blogging, at its core, is just another medium for writing. Writing can make money or help you brand yourself, for sure, but it can also be a way to relax, to create, and to share.
  • @ Jarred - I think this brings up an interesting shift in what we call blogging that's taken place in the last few years. It really began as a personal medium, but professionals started targeting it and using it as a business/career platform and that aspect is just beginning to really take off. Research that I've run across in my master's degree on the subjet of professional blogging shows that these types of blogs you mention have very different purposes than the type of blog I believe Monica is targeting here. They fall more into the social journal side whearas what Monica's describing are more in the the personal publishing (as in self-help, professional development, etc.) arena.

    The most interesting thing to me is that we still refer to all these widely varying (in terms of content, function, purpose, audience) things under the one generic term of "blog" - when a blog is really, as you mention, merely a publishing tool that can be used in many different ways.

    Part of my research (for the moment, anyway) is targeting identifying the differences in norms, practices, forms, etc. between these different forms, and I am hoping that some terminology will emerge as a byproduct of it to help further differenitate and define these dispirate types of blogging.

    In the meantime, it's interesting to observe conversations like these, because it really is a great pulse on how ultimately, the what, when, why, and how of blogging truly belongs to the individual blogger!
  • @Tiffany: Oh most definitely. That's why I wanted to point out that the word "blogging" (web-logging) is equivalent to the words "writing," "photographing," "painting," "composing," "playing," etc. I would be skeptical of anyone who told me to first consider if I was going to be good at any of those things before trying them, especially when the "barriers to entry" for blogging are so low. In the end, at its core, blogging is just writing, and that's something that most of us can do.

    I definitely knew what Monica was getting at, though, and I didn't mean to sound like I was accusing her of missing any kind of point or of being misleading. She definitely seems to be talking more about blogs like yours and mine, ProBlogger, and more high-end blogs like TechCrunch, etc. But that is a certain form of "blogging," and not encompassing of it.

    I just want to encourage anyone -- but particularly members of the twenty-set who are in jobs that don't allow them to express themselves as much in writing as they did in school -- to consider blogging without any sort of self-analysis. Don't worry if you're going to be good or popular or have enough time to post regularly. Do it for yourself first, when you feel the urge. If you love it, people will see that love and read more. Even if you're not an expert! I think readers value passion just as much as content.
  • Monica thanks for the link back to my site on how to build traffic. Your ten ways to tell if you really want to be a blogger are right on target.
  • Biodun, thanks for the support! Great addition - blogging is all about conversation, and if you don't want to have one it might not be the best forum for your ideas.

    Rick - it's perfectly normal to not enjoy blogging. In fact, I think most people wouldn't enjoy owning a blog - because in order to write you have to enjoy reading, and over half of college graduates never pick up a book again after getting that degree. My point was that there are other ways to build an online profile, so you have to find a good one for your personality. Sounds like you've tried a few other blogs and lost interest, so yeah, no need to feel bad about saying you don't like blogging!

    Jenny, that's awesome. Welcome to the blogosphere. I'm glad you found the 10 points useful - and you certainly don't need to fit all ten to get into blogging. But if you don't fit any, then maybe it wasn't such a good idea. Let me know if you need anything!

    Jarred, I agree, there are other blogs that are for personal use and really fall outside the scope of the article. (Tiffany brings up an interesting point about the blanket-term "blog.") My only disagreement with what you wrote is that you do have to have certain skills as a blogger. Certain personalities are attracted to blogging - opinionated people who keep up-to-date on some topics and then want to write about them. There's a definite "blogger" profile, and it's silly to tell people who completely don't fit this mold that they "have to" have a "personal branding" type of blog.

    Koka, thanks for the comment! Happy to link to your article.
  • Couldn't agree more. I have learned blogging is a sh*t or get off the pot responsibility. Meaning if you do it you've got to commit to it, day in and day out.

    Loved your thoughts and like all the links.
  • Jez
  • Jez
    blimey I messed the formatting up on that...
  • Jez, good luck with your blog, and thank you for including excerpts of one of my articles!
  • Frank Gomez
    Looking for Jose Almaguer (IT Consultant) in the Chicago Area, in July 2008 he helped us setup our IT Department in less than a week. If anyone knows him can you tell him to contact me - Frank Gomez at willstaytouristunion in the Northwest of Chicago. Tell him I still owe him the other half of pay since he completed the work way before the deadline and did a fantastic job.
  • kstaib
    Starting a blog is not easy. If I would have known how hard it was I probably wouldn't have started one, but now that I have...I love every minute of it. I've met so many cool people and get to think in such different ways. It forces me to stay focused. That was one of my biggest weaknesses. Now that I've strengthen this weakness I feel so much more confident like I could succeed at almost any job.
  • Its all about passion, don't blog for the sake of money or just popularity, blog because you loved this work and make it a hobby. You'll find out what i'm talking all about if you already made a hundred of post and blogging for a year. :)
  • Bibokz,

    That's why I don't put ads on my site - so little payoff - not worth the space it takes up. Thanks for the comment!
  • RaiulBaztepo
    Hello!
    Very Interesting post! Thank you for such interesting resource!
    PS: Sorry for my bad english, I'v just started to learn this language ;)
    See you!
    Your, Raiul Baztepo
  • Mina Ogbanga
    Hmm,Monica..you just got someone inspired right now.....ive heard about blogging and recurring the word turns out often like a broken record...well,i got caught up in proving(to myself) that i need to simply get out and get to know what this is all about anyway...and i got to your page..and i did get touched by it...i somewhat hope you'd atch as i take the very first baby steps to blogging...and join me,myself and i..to hope that i try getting it right from the beginning...and help change the world...in so many ways ialways wish i could...interesting piece monica...Mina
  • Mina,

    Good luck!
  • Mina Ogbanga
    watch not 'atch'where did i get that?!!
  • www.UticaLounge.com
    Great article, thanks!

    I just started a Small Business Advertising blog at http://www.uticalounge.com

    Thanks for the tips!
  • falconier
    You almost convinced me that this wasn't for me. I'm the type of person that has something to say about everything. I feel I'm controversial in almost everything, even if it's a subject I support, I can step across the line and see the other side as others would. I am worried about the consistency it takes. Does it really take up so much time? Does a person have to spend countless hours focusing on writing different subjects? Why? I do understand that for the majority, if a person loves writing and reading would spend many hours reading and writing but that doesn't mean a person needs to spend countless hours at something he loves or is willing to try.The article you wrote made me stop and actually ask myself if this is something I might like to do. I don't think I would be writing about anything to important or interesting, but with the millions of people out their in cyberspace one of them might find the subject of dirt interesting enough to read.
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