Getting a Blog-Life Through Social Media

Blog-Life

I’ve been in business writing for a long time. I’ve written proposals, customer communications and marketing material – among other things.  So I thought that blogging was going to be easy. But you know what? It hasn’t been for me.

I’ve tried to figure out what my problem was and I’ve realized that there are a couple. First, you have to find your voice online – or should I say, I needed to find my voice. Blogging is more casual than business writing. And less formal writing also means a little of YOU showing through.  Showing more of yourself also means having more confidence.  And I needed some of that.

Solving the lack of confidence and finding voice can be solved by doing it.

Second problem -  as a writer, I was only ever involved in the final text product.   I knew that great blogging required more than just good writing.  Blogging is about all the content – not just the words.

For years, I’ve called myself a techno-peasant because I don’t have a tech (web) background.  So when it came to blogging, I felt stuck.  Stuck because – as a blogger – you need to know how to make your blog interesting for people – giving them all round good content – not just good text.

I needed to figure out how to break the barrier into good content.  And I needed to build my confidence.  So what’s changed so that I now think of myself as an emerging blogger getting a blog-life instead of a techno-peasant?

Here’s the scoop.  I’ve been using Twitter (and writing posts) pretty unspectacularly for the last 18 months.  I took a break for a few months.  I wanted to evaluate whether I wanted to keep tweeting.  Some days, it felt like the social pressure that I have always tried to avoid.

After a hiatus from Twitter (I took the summer to check my bellybutton lint) I decided to return for one last shot.

When I came back to Twitter, I stumbled upon (pun intended) a Twitter chat every Tuesday evening #SBT10 (Start Blogging Today). I’d been following a couple of people from the chat for a long time.  I searched #sbt10 and discovered that it was a chat to help people (just like me) learn how to blog.  These folks are talking about the very things I wanted to know more about:  How can I save time blogging? How can I optimize my blog? And lots more.

Now I have only been in two chats (just discovered this awesome chat 2 weeks ago) but I’m telling you – these people are helping to change my blog-life. The chat is moderated by the folks at Start Blogging Today.  So far Grant Griffiths (Twitter handle: @Grant Griffiths) has headed the chats and they have been great – informative.

I highly recommend that you join the Twitter chat #SBT10. Or you can read my posts sharing what I’ve learned from the weeks before.  I’m planning to share what I’m learning for all of us Blog-newbies!

What are your experiences in blogging?  Any funny stories to share?  Anyone checked out #SBT10 want to share something? I’d love to hear what you have to say.

Photo Courtesy of Mexicanwave