Let’s be straight – blogging is fun and blogging is cool, there’s no doubt about that. Of course, it can also be used by middle-school girls who believe that everyone in the world wants to know about the new pair of shoes they just bought.
With this being said, I’ve already given you some tips on blogging. However, I haven’t really told you anything you should ignore when writing your personal blogs. Here, you’ll find nothing on SEO or raising ad revenue. This is all about passion blogging and writing for the purpose of self expression. Granted, sometimes folks still get caught up in the rules!
Make Tons Of Lists
It seems that every single publication you see in the blogosphere– yes, even MakeUseOf – is chock full of lists. There are lists out there for every single topic you can imagine – Top 10 Underwater Basket Weaving Tips, Top 5 Reasons You Shouldn’t Marry Your Dog, Top 7 Bovines That Can Dance The Flamenco… If those titles don’t exist right now, I can almost guarantee you that they will in the next five years. Why? Because they are lists. (Well, part of the reason is that I may end up writing them).
But anyway, it seems like everyone’s doing lists, and anyone that will tell you how to write a good blog will tell you to make lists. Guess what? They are right – lists are awesome. However, do not feel like every single post you should write needs to be a list. This is your personal blog, and because of that, we can assume that you can’t always funnel your creativity into this form. Feel free to branch out a little.
Stick With Proper Grammar
Yeesh – this is sometimes a pretty touchy subject on the Internet. Basically, I say that there’s a stark difference between bad grammar and writing well with your voice. Bad grammar is quite blatant – horrible sentence structure, misspelled words, comma splices, etc. But writing with your voice? This allows for you to break some rules, but at the same time, you don’t ignore each and every single law of grammar. I suppose it’s best to know the rules before you can break them.
Despite the many Grammar Nazis that exist on the Internet, you shouldn’t feel obligated to write in perfect English. Break some rules, accept your mistakes, and have some fun with it. Granted, I encourage learning the rules to the best of your ability, though. Furthermore, if grammar is what is preventing you from writing your blog, all I can say is, “So?” Go ahead and write it – it’s more fun that way.
Write Only What Your Audience Wants
You may notice a pattern in that people typically read only what they want to read, and there are folks out there that will tell you to cater to a specific audience. Essentially, they say that you should write only what your readers are hungry for. That’s all well and good, and it works for a business model, but we’re talking about personal blogs, right?
Simply put, I believe you should write what you want to write. It’s your house, and you’re allowed to decorate it however you want. Yes, you could cater to a specific audience, and there’s nothing wrong with that. However, chances are if you are writing about something you like, there is someone else out there that is going to like it too. Just make sure that you share your work with the world.
Spark Lots Of Controversy
I’m one to talk, but you don’t always have to tackle iffy subjects when writing. Sure, if you want to build up your traffic, that’s okay. Also, if there’s a controversial issue that you feel like you should speak up about, then that’s even better. All I’m saying is that you shouldn’t feel pressured to do it. You can spend hours paying attention to current events and subscribe to every single news RSS feed you can find, but that’s not going to make you a better blogger.
Instead, I’d suggest writing about what moves you. Are you upset about unfair overseas working conditions? Then by all means write about it. Is it going to start up controversy? Likely. However, you’re not writing solely to stir up controversy – you’re writing because it’s something you’re passionate about. I’d just say don’t spark controversy for the sake of sparking controversy. Besides that, you could always stick with articles about marshmallows and hummingbirds.
Conclusion
Blogging is a way for you to get your voice out there. It’s your chance to share with the world what you think. Don’t fall victim to the many rules that exist around it, and definitely try to have some fun.
What types of blogging rules would you ignore? What blogging rules should you not ignore?
Image Credit: Dave, blogs.com, The Grammarphobia Blog, Search Engine Journal, Wired
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