So you decided you want to start a blog. It’s not something that came into your mind one morning… You have been thinking about it for a while. You did some reading about blogging, you visited some blogs you found in newsgroups, heck… you even studied the definition of a blog on Wikipedia. You are prepared, you want it, want it, want it.
What do I do?
But what do I want to blog about?
If you don’t know what to blog about then you’re moving to fast. Start back at your number one thing to do, question what you really want to blog about. It’s important to choose a subject. It really is (or not, but I will explain that later)…
You should at least have a general idea. Pick a subject you know and like to talk about to your friends. You know, knitting, baseball, peppercorn crushing, midget throwing. It does not really matter. There is probably a blog covering any subject you can come up with, unless you’re a really sick person. And there will be a blog covering that subject too!
Start BIG
If you would have asked me a year ago what blogging platform to use i probably would have said: “Try Blogger or one of the other free services that are available. That will give you an impression about what blogging really is. It will save you money. It’s for free. Then decide later if you really like to blog and move on to the next level: Self Hosted!”.
If you would ask me the same question now I would say: “Invest a couple of bucks and get yourself a good host for your blog. Start with a ‘light’ version service that you can upgrade if needed. That will save you a lot of serious headache trying to move your freebie blog to the self hosted platform.”. Things change. Getting yourself a good host is not expensive anymore and often they include a killer deal on a domain name for your blog.
Things DO get lost sometimes
Because thinks can get like… lost… yannow. And the last thing you want to happen is the words you wanted to enlighten the world with get lost in the gutters of the ole internet.
Those, or the countless comments you got by your aunt Gertrude telling you “To keep up the good work, sweetie”…
Be BOLD
Listen… Don’t be shy. I never heard of a blogger that was accused of being shy. Really. Trust me on that. I have heard them be called a lot of things, but never shy…
If you are blogging about a subject you know a lot about, show your audience you really, really know what you are talking about. That’s not hard to do, because you know your stuff. If you’re lost completely by now, reread the last few sentences…
Be BOLD, as a beginner blogger. Dare to experiment. Experiment with the layout of your blog, the fonts, the colors. Get into all the nooks and crannies of your blogging editor software and try out every option you find.
Whoops!!!
It’s better to make errors early in your blogger career. As long as you learn from your mistakes.
What the…
SEO, Serp, Rankings, Keywords, alt tags, nofollow, followers, link exchange, database compression, CSS, cashing, HTML, Frames….
Don’t worry about all those things when you start off blogging. There will be plenty of nights and days you will have the opportunity to really learn to appreciate those worries. Trust me on that one too!
It’s tempting to try to learn as much as possible in the shortest amount of time possible. Remember the average human brain holds only a limited amount of information. Accept that. Trying to stuff to much info in that little cabbage of your’s and it will burst open…
Have Fun!!
Have FUN
“Have a great time, remember: if it isn’t fun it isn’t working”.
True. Legit. Short. And to the point.
Blogging – with everything that comes with it – is FUN. You get to meet some awesome people from all over the world when you start building your social network.
People will get to know you and you start staying at home, instead of hanging out in your favorite bar, to enjoy your blogging friends company. And the drinkies are (drumroll…) for free.
I have been blogging now for around two years and this still is one of my favorite things to do on the computer. No I’m not a nerd, well maybe just a little. It’s all under my control, most of the time anyways…
Oh. I promised to tell you why it’s not a rule you have to have a general subject (niche) for your blog. If you want to blog random posts with different subjects that’s very much ok. I like to do it that way…
So, if this was a little post that helped you in making the decision whether you should start blogging I hope you will do so. Anyways… I’m here if you need me and waiting for your invitation… 
Go Kill them!
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Loving this post Jan! Excellent advice, as usual. As you may remember, I tried to learn everything in the shortest time possible and had a meltdown. LOL All good now and it’s onwards and upwards!
I prefer not to be labelled, so my blog covers many different subjects. Primarily, I think of it as a writer’s blog, because that’s where my aspirations lie. Thanks for all your help in the past and, most likely, in future as well.
Debbie recently posted: WeWriWa 8 SENTENCE SUNDAY; FEB. 3/13
Hi Debbie,
Every beginning blogger is going through the same things, basically. You got to have an “OK, let’s do it” attitude at first and worry about tech stuff later. You have come a long way since you took the plunge, and things are getting better all the time. “Keep up tthe good work!:…
Thanks!
Now I just have to organize things a little better, time wise.
Debbie recently posted: CULTURAL OBSERVATIONS
This is SUCH good advice, Jan – if only I’d read something like this when I was starting out, I might have saved myself a lot of grief! I love the points you make about deciding what to write about, making it FUN and not worrying too much about all the technical stuff at first – also being bold. I used to be very shy, but blogging’s curing me of that!
Great advice, Jan – should be a must read for any beginners,
Sue
Sue Neal recently posted: Proofreading Tips: How to Stop Your Blog Post Making You Blush
Hi Sue!
When one starts blogging it’s easy to get lost in a lot of things. Just start of doing what one really likes: writing. Be sure there’s a good structure to grow from, like a good host and you favorite blogging tools/platform.
When one gets the hang of it, there is plenty of time to go all out on everything else. Themes, extra bandwidth and so on… Thanks for the input!
Jan recently posted: Absolute Beginner Blogger
Great advice Jan and not only for the noobies. Sometimes us “ole timers” lose track of what to do.
Brenda recently posted: Momma Failed, Bad Wubba
Uhm… calling me an old-timer?
You are right about that Bren, It’s easy to get lost in all the options and aspects of blogging. Writing and having fun should be #1. The rest will come later.
“Bloggers are like old wine, they get better with aging”…
Jan recently posted: Absolute Beginner Blogger
Haha…Jan, I love your sense of humor. So just a little nerd? LOL…anyways I can relate with you. I’m always home and I don’t really miss going out with girlfriends on weekends. For singles its the best way to stay out trouble.
Anyhoo, great post!!! Loves the personality of your blog. When you said you don’t really have to have a “niche” that’s incredible!! Just be yourself. And write like you speak. Blogging is different than writing for a magazine, so technical. The blog is where you can relax and write what you are passionate about. It’s a social place.
That’s right, Angela and welcome here…
Writing a blog is not much different than talking to someone. Just sit back, relax and let te words flow out into whatever you want to say.
Because… YOU are the boss of YOU, on your blog anyways. It’s your fun thing, work, or whatever.
JanBierens recently posted: Absolute Beginner Blogger
What is ICT stands for? Please enlighten my mind. I just want to get to know you more. Reading your background…and so WOW!!! you’ve been blogging since May 2011…that’s amazing!!!
Hi Angela, ICT stands for Information and Communication Technology, so basically I’m a nerd. lol. “ICT covers any product that will store, retrieve, manipulate, transmit or receive information electronically in a digital form. For example, personal computers, digital television, email, robots.”.
My main work now is problem analyzing and trouble shooting on mainframe computers. Designing and testing software and a lot more. Rewarding work. Privately I like to travel and do digital photography and image processing. Oh and sometimes I sleep. lol
JanBierens recently posted: Absolute Beginner Blogger
You are right Jan with the advice here and I would have given the same when I first started off. But now, no way!
I love blogging and it’s so rewarding. The things we learn, the people we meet and the connections we’ve been able to make with other bloggers. I just love this community.
If you’re going to start blogging, invest in yourself. I know without a doubt that they won’t regret that decision.
Wonderful message Jan, thank you. Have a great weekend.
~Adrienne
Hi Adrienne,
We learn a lot from our fellow bloggers and it’s always good to spread the knowledge we build over the years. It’s an awesome experience for me to meet people form all over the globe, get them inspired. And in the process of that all learn a thing or two.
It’s a win win situation!
JanBierens recently posted: Absolute Beginner Blogger
Excellent advice Jan for the newbies who want to start blogging. Have fun and be bold are the most important ones if they are to continue their blogging journey. Too many have quit within the first 2 years.
True, Lisa,
Forever is an awful long time. But for now I’m enjoying every minute of it.
I’m not going to say I will be blogging when I’m old…
“Life is a dance, we learn as we go…” Anyways, I’m trying to do that without stepping on to many toes.
JanBierens recently posted: Absolute Beginner Blogger
You are absolutely right. My biggest fear is insulting people I have never met. lol
Pam recently posted: Do You Believe in Magic? 5 Minute Morning Power Walk And Some Groovy Tunes
Hi Pam,
In the rebound I got the whole sentence. Thanks for the input!
You have a point there. But… at first I read your comment like “My biggest fear is insulting people”.
JanBierens recently posted: Absolute Beginner Blogger
Hi Jan,
Excellent piece of advice from a true blogger for newcomers
Sometimes I think we don’t need a reason first off but in first few days we find it why we wanna do when we know what we can do with it
No one needs to be shy, but sometimes when people walkthrough popular blogs when they start off, they might start feeling shy for a moment
That’s where I see how such a post like this can helpful for ‘em Jan.
The encouragement and RIGHT guidance is really matters there.
You are very true about that topics related to blogging. Personally, I didn’t know any of it before starting to blog though
Cheers…
Mayura recently posted: Easily Add Custom CSS to Your Template in Blogger
Hi Mayura!
Yup all the hard work and now you are a respected blogger / starting businessman! It’s never easy, I know, but you got to have a Pitbull mentality to survive.. And you have that!
JanBierens recently posted: Absolute Beginner Blogger
Am a newbie blogger and hope it is an useful post. I should also add that it is a neatly written post for the beginners of blogging and will follow the things specified here.
Thanks for sharing!
Nirmala recently posted: Importance of health and healthy tips to stay fit forever
Welcome Nirmala.
For a beginning blogger there is not so much to do other than just be yourself and do what you like best. Get settled in the blogging community first and visit a lot of other blogs. Comment on them and get to know some people, work from there. It’s fun to do and you will learn something along the way – we all do!
JanBierens recently posted: Absolute Beginner Blogger
I only wish I had this advice when I first started Jan!
I remember how hesitant I was to write my first blog, but then suddenly it hit me. Just be me! The heck what anyone else is doing. The heck with those who don’t like it. It’s like going into a room full of people at a party and some you will enjoy talking to and some you will avoid like the plague.
That being said, I know my niche, and whatever I have learned I write about. And the most important thing is that I’m having a blast doing it. It is a great way to not only do it for business purposes, but to get to know others.
As a blogger, I visit tons of blogs each week. The best thing is – I’m always learning.
Donna
Donna Merrill recently posted: 5 Personal Development Blogs
Hi Donna,
It’s almost like I hear myself saying that. I guess a lot of bloggers went – or going – through that same phase.
At one point I deleted around 100 posts from my previous blog in an attempt to make things more ‘streamlined’.
I like meeting new people from all over the world and this way is a good way to do that. Having a blast doing what you like to do is always a good thing!
JanBierens recently posted: Absolute Beginner Blogger
Hello Jan great post, Well I for one have always love writing tutorials and that is a form of blogging, but over the pass year of so I have become more obsessed with writing yea! I said it
and I’m proud of it LOL
Blogging is not something that just pops in to your head one day, you have to have some blogging and the passion to write in you. I have been online for over 14-years or so and I only do things I feel are productive and rewarding, online.
I will never site at my computer playing games or watching movies, I have to be creating something that will make me feel like I have accomplished something with the time I spent online.
Thanks again for another very impressive post my friend…
RobG recently posted: How important is it to Display Leadership Online And Share Strategy Tips
Hi Rob,
In a way again, I can hear myself talk. Must be that great minds (my readers) think alike. I have been on-line since the start of the 14k4 modem… I’m old as dirt.
Having fun is one of my hobbies and blogging just fits perfectly in that. I use my computer for anything and everything. If it could do my laundry I would use it for hat too! Thanks for your input, Rob.
JanBierens recently posted: Absolute Beginner Blogger
Great advice. Love your ilustrations!
Hi Carol,
Glad you liked it. There goes a lot of work in setting up and maintaining a blog.
Jan Bierens recently posted: Why YOU are your key investment
Thank you for this post. I’ve been blogging on and off for years, yet I still feel like a newbie everytime I write posts. What I liked about blogging? Well, I love meeting new people especially when you have a lot of things in common.
Je-Anne recently posted: What people think about crushes according to age…
Hi Je-Anne,
Blogging is fun. period. You get back what you put in it and if you’re in for the long haul you mest be ready to overcome some downsides, maybe.
The blogging world is an ever changing world. Social Networking has a big impact now on the way people blog and why they blog. I forsee a big future in blogging, especially for small businesses. But if you’re blogging for the fun of it, that’s good too. After all you own your blog, right?
Jan Bierens recently posted: Why YOU are your key investment
Thanks for the bit about SEO and all technicalities. It drives me mad when people encourage bloggers to bother with all this from the start (in my opinion you should never bother with that and just have fun and network though), it kinda diminishes the massive work behind SEO that pros do on a daily basis and most advice don’t even talk about the website’s structure, just the writing.
Nice to see someone who still takes blogging lightly enough, it feels like if you are not down the path of pro-share expertise-blogging and do it as a proper second job you shouldn’t be blogging sometimes. The Have Fun is the most precious advice for me.
Hi Alessia,
Welcome. I do have to admit, that I spend time on SEO’ing my blog, but not to the extent that it keeps me away from the real reason to blog. And that is – in my opinion ‘write’.
Each of us doing it the way they feel they master best my blog posts do not deserve a Pullizer prize, but that’s not *why* I am doing that.
Having fun blogging, interact with readers and generally having a good time is important.
After all… there is always time to resort to SEO’ing the hell out of a site if things are really going to pick up. Or better still, let someone do it for you. Thanks for your input!
Jan Bierens recently posted: Interview with my Blog