Hello, I'm Mervi!
An artist, nerd and business sorcerer, dedicated to make world more beautiful and strange with art, illustrations and logos + to help you figure your sustainable business out.
Get on blogging, chapter 1 – Where do I begin?
This is the first chapter of the new weekly Get on blogging series. In this first chapter I warm you up with the idea of blogging. Why would you be blogging?
Back in 2001 or something when I started writing short journal type posts on my website blogging was still something new and rare. It wasn't always even called blogging, though the term weblog had been coined already a few years back. Only the ones who could build a website themselves and who were interested in writing these public diaries were doing it. Now everyone, their mom and cat have a blog. The things have changed. Creating a basic website doesn't require that many special skills and there are many blogging platforms to which you just need to register and blog away.
As there a tons of people blogging already starting a new blog may seem like taking part on a yelling match. Everyone wants to gain high readership and get lots of comments and anything less is not tolerated. Why would you get in all of that?
If you do think about getting into blogging, but are unsure of your motivation, ask yourself these questions:
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Why do you want to blog?
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For who would you be blogging?
The answer for the first question can be grand, such as "I want to change the world" or it can be something as personal as "I want to write". You don't need to have some world hugging reason for your blogging and your blog doesn't have to have a greater reason for existing. Similarly the answer to the second question can be something refined or you can blog for yourself. When you know your personal answers for these two basic questions you will find your own motivation. By the way, asking these questions is good for those of us who have been blogging for a longer while already.
Your own motivation is the starting point of blogging. I recommend jumping in raw and without thinking too much. All the planning will surely turn into procrastination. Start with testing, trying out what works for you and what works for your blog's readers. The trick is to begin somewhere, anywhere.
Next week I will discuss about choosing the blogging platform. Will you have a self hosted blog or use a blogging service? Which content management system is best for you?
