BORN TO BLOG?
The Journey of a Blogger
In The Beginning
I started blogging in April 2012 for my online wire work jewellery business, Chrissie Designs Jewellery http://chrissiedesigns.blogspot.co.uk/ and my Social Media Foundation Degree course http://chrissiewebber.blogspot.co.uk/ . As a published author I thought it would be easy but I was wrong. It has been enjoyable, as I love writing but it has really stretched me to find my own style and confidence.
In the early days, writing about jewellery, I thought blogging was all about selling my products. How wrong was I! Successful blogging is all about writing on a subject I am passionate about, not just knowledgeable about. It is about putting myself out there, on the page, for all to see. This means writing about myself, my experiences, feelings and opinion. Whether it is through controversy or vulnerability, good blogs allow people to see and know the blogger themselves. It is this that makes people regularly read a blog and engage with the blogger by leaving comments. This is what I am now aiming to achieve.
How Long Would I Last?
Most people stop blogging within 6 months. Why, because it is a lonely job often with no feedback. Also it is hugely scary to open oneself up to possible criticism by making public your thoughts, opinions and feelings in the written word. These fears are quite natural and come from our dominant character types. The ‘perfectionist’s’ fear is not having it 100% perfect before it is published. The ‘people pleasers’ fear is about what others may think of them if they express their opinion. The ‘Be Strong’ character would never allow their vulnerability to show by getting personal in their writing and the ‘Try Hard’ is a great starter but is quickly distracted with new projects or interests. That last one is definitely me! So I need to over-ride my own character types to become the bloggers I was born to be.
Until I developed a style that enticed people to read my blog there was little or no engagement from others. Statistics show that less than 1% of your readers leave comments on a blog. Inevitably you end up thinking, as I did originally, that no one is reading your blog. This I found most demotivating. My jewellery blog only lasted 2 months! Lack of time and demotivation took their toll. As I had to write blogs for my degree course my energy went into that for 6 months and then I stopped. I am now on my third attempt with a new blog for my work as the Business Incubator Manager for the University of South Wales - The Loft Blog. I have a feeling this one will last longer because I am really loving writing it and am already achieving engagement after just one month.
Thanks to those of you who have engaged with me about my blog. Keep letting me know if what I write is useful or if I am completely off track! I really do appreciate it..
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