A BLOGGERS TALE

How to Develop Your Blogging Skills

 

The Skills of a Blogger

According to marketing, social media expert and author Mark Schaefer there are different blogging skills needed for success:

·         Dreaming

·         Storytelling

·         Persuading

·         Teaching

·         Curating

The balance of the use of these skills defines the style of the blogger. With over 25 years as a management development trainer and coach/mentor it is no wonder that teaching and storytelling are my predominant skills – I use a lot of anecdotes and stories in my training sessions. As for persuading, I am practicing this skill the more I put forward my opinion. Curating is the skill I thought I use least in my blogging however, on reflection and reading the section in Mark’s book (Born to Blog) again, I actually use it every time I create a list of tips or ideas.

Dreaming is the skill I am beginning to love and indulge in. It is about infusing my writing with emotional impact. Letting my mind wander and allowing it to see stories for my blogs in my past experiences and everything around me. This is something I have only just started to do. It has lead me to write blogs such as ‘Business Lessons From a Child’ – looking for the things my four year old granddaughter can teach me about business – and ‘Taming The Dragon’ a blog about a really negative situation I experienced that offers a lesson on how to handle difficult people.

Developing My Blogging Skills

Now here’s something interesting. If you look at my 3 blogs….

1.      Chrissie Designs Blog http://chrissiedesigns.blogspot.co.uk/

2.      FDSM Blog http://chrissiewebber.blogspot.co.uk/

3.      The Loft Blog http://loftblog.tumblr.com/

You’ll see that they have completely different styles! Reflecting on my first two blogs I see that the jewellery blog was more factual with a selling style whilst my FDSM blog has an open, relaxed and personal style to it. Written in the first person, the FDSM blog is a conversation with my audience that includes my thoughts and opinions. So what made me change my style? I remember feeling extremely scared about others reading my work, especially fellow classmates and my tutors. This was a reflective journal so I had no choice but to put myself and my opinions on the page.

Having never studied for a degree before (and I am now in my 60’s) putting my opinions on the line was the really scary bit. The strange thing is, as a published author of a book about weight loss (Weight Loss, Life Gain) I had no problems writing about very personal issues. I suppose that was because the book was something I never really thought would be good enough to publish. When I found a publisher it was too late to worry! Having written this book in the first person I just continued this style into my blogging without actually thinking about it.

N writing my second Blog, FDSM, my confidence was growing which is so important for ongoing success. So why did I stop writing both of my first two blogs? On reflection I was writing because I had to and not for my own enjoyment, to share my knowledge or to help others.

The Driving Forces behind Successful Blogging

Now I have a clear sense of why I personally want to be a blogger. I know what it is I want to say and achieve from blogging. This is the first key to long-term success and enjoyment.

I also believe that the driving force and key motivations behind writing an ongoing successful blog are fundamental to its long term success. In my opinion they are:

·         Love of writing

·         A desire to let your readers get to know the real person behind the words

·         A burning desire to share your knowledge and help others

·         A desire to find your own voice (your own unique writing style)

So the message in this tale of an unlikely blogger is to:

1.      Write about the things that really interest you;

2.      Put your personality into your blog;

3.      Don’t try to sell or promote your business;

4.      Give away your helpful advice;

5.      Be consistent and blog once a week;

6.      Don’t expect lots of feedback (only about 1% will engage with you)

7.      Have fun with your blogging!

Let me know how your blogging is going. Leave me a message and I will respond.