5 Blogging Tips

I just started blogging a few months ago and would still consider myself new to the blogging world compared to most. I am in the process of having a custom layout created for a new WordPress blog that will be anchored at www.treyschaefer.com so be sure to keep an eye out for that in the near future.

I was always terrible in English class and would not consider myself a very good writer. However, blogging to me isn't about being a good writer or having proper English and proper grammar. The main thing is to get your point across if you have one, make it easy to read, and add some value to your readers. I have compiled a list of 5 things you can do to create a great blog that will really turn heads:

1. This is the obvious one, blog on a topic you are knowledgeable in as well as passionate about.

2. Be consistent, but don't overdo it. You don't have to update every single day, but going months at a time without posted a new update will keep people away.

3. Add some video. This is an area I plan on doing a lot more of on my new blog. Video helps people get to know you better by seeing the real you as well as your personality.

4. Keep your posts to a few paragraphs. Nobody has time to read a 3 page blog post.

5. I highlighted this one because it is the most important thing you can do. It's fine to send out a link of your new post on Twitter and Facebook, but don't overkill it. If you are constantly trying to sell yourself and your blog, it will turn people off. The most important thing you can do is read other blogs. Search topics that you are interested in, read those blogs, and post comments. When you post comments on someone else's blog it shows that you are interested and that you care enough to take the time to read their posts. Most of the time if you post on someone's blog they will then read your blog, Retweet your comments on Twitter, and so on.

Nobody is perfect so don't worry about it, just get started. The main thing I learned in my first video is that I kept watching it and thinking I sounded stupid, or didn't sound good, or whatever. It doesn't matter, just get your info out there for others to see. If it adds value and is relevant others will comment and that's how Social Relationships form.

The New Facebook

I just don't get it. Why in the world does Facebook want to change things up when they have a good thing going? I got on Facebook back in '04 before it was the cool thing to do. Since then they have changed their site up so many times I can't even count. I know, I know, they are just trying to customize their site and translate what they believe their subscribers want, but I think they missed it on this one. I just joined Twitter in January. Until then I knew little about it. After about a month on Twitter I loved it and began using it more than Facebook. But the thing is this, I use the 2 sites for 2 completely different things. Facebook is what I use to stay in contact with friends and people I actually know. I use Twitter to build relationships with people I may not know or ever even meet, but that have common interests with me.

With the new Facebook update, they are trying to take what Twitter has and become the dominant social networking site. I get what they are trying to do, but not everyone on Facebook has a Twitter account. So why throw this new monster at them, especially the new users that are still getting used to using Facebook. Either way, I will now use Facebook even less after the change of their site. I prefer Twitter for up-to-the-minute news and information as well as conversing with others.

Facebook, please do us all a favor and go back to your old ways. It worked. Why change a good thing?

Facebook vs. Twitter

I was fortunate to be one of the first waves of Facebook when it first came out. I was sort of in the middle, not ever having a MySpace page, but hearing about Facebook and starting a profile. This was back in '04/'05 and I remember in college being in a bar and hearing people talk about Facebook. It was wild. You couldn't go anywhere without someone talking to you about Facebook. Don't get me wrong, I love Facebook, but when I recently discovered Twitter and started posting, I didn't see how anyone was comparing the 2 avenues of social media. Now that I have been Twittering for a few weeks I have realized the benefits of it. Let's take a look at a few of the main points I think are important about each and what I personally use them for:

Facebook
1. See what's going on in people's lives that you either haven't seen or talked to in awhile. You're able to do this passively by checking out their Profile. (This is also known as "Facebook Stalking", but I wouldn't go to the extreme of saying I "stalk" on Facebook). It's just good to see what folks are up that you haven't seen since high school or in years.
2. Get the word out about events. I like how you can set up an event and invite all your friends. This is the easiest way to send out to a mass list of people without taking the time to find email addresses and such.
3. Facebook has some good advertising tools that are very niched.

Twitter
1. Get great advice on business and life from a variety of people from all over the world.
2. Become friends with people who share common interests and "tweet" back and forth about current events and subjects.
3. It's much more involved. I might not check my profile on Facebook for days at a time, but sometimes I feel like if I don't have TweetDeck in the background of my computer I might miss something. (Much more addictive than Facebook).

This being said, I have found myself the past few weeks forgetting to check my Facebook profile and messages daily like I used to, because I am more involved in conversations on Twitter. There are a ton of great people on Twitter that offer some great insight can really help you out.

What is your opinion? Do you prefer Twitter or Facebook? Do you like one for personal use and one for business use? Do share, I look forward to hearing everyone's responses.